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Agnes took a few more steps towards him. “I am telling you that you were lied to,” she said flatly. “By Ambrose. He told you that Titus did not wish to see you, and he told Titus the same thing – that you did not wish to see him. He purposely drove a wedge between you two.”

Hugh’s eyes widened with bewilderment. “But… but why?” he hissed. “Why should he do such a thing? Agnes, are ye certain?”

Agnes nodded. “I am very certain,” she said. “You know that Ambrose has always been jealous of you, Hugh. You, the brother of a king, and him… a duke who inherited everything from his father. He never had to work for anything. He allies himself with your brother, the king, because he believes himself to be a great man in politics. What he did to you and your son, he did to control you. That is the truth of it. By keeping you and Titus apart, he is controlling you both.”

Hugh had to sit down. He grabbed for the nearest chair, sitting heavily in it. He had to digest what he was being told because he’d gone through most of his life believing his son didn’t want to see him. But now, he was being told quite the opposite.

Was it actually true?

He was having a difficult time reconciling it.

He wanted to believe, but…

“Ambrose always told me that Titus dinna wish tae see me,” he said, sounding weak and confused. “Even when Titus was a lad, I would send him missives, but he never sent anything back tae me. Ambrose told me that Titus burned them.”

Agnes shook her head. “It is not true,” she said. “He would tell Titus you never asked for him. It was Ambrose who burned your missives.”

The realization began to dawn on him. Ambrose had orchestrated the entire situation and as that news settled, Hugh was nearly beside himself.

“My God,” he muttered. “What has that man done? Titus may be my bastard, but he is the only son I have. Ye know I’ve never had any children with my wife.”

Agnes nodded. “I know,” she said. “Hugh, there is no time to discuss this in full. I am telling you this now because Titus is in jeopardy again. Ambrose is raising an army against you, and he wants Titus to lead it by telling him more lies about you. He wants Titus’ sense of vengeance against you to lead his armies to victory.”

Hugh looked at her, horrified. “What’s this ye say?” he hissed. “He has turned my son against me?”

“Not completely,” Agnes said. “I believe there may still be hope, but I do not know for certain. All I know is that you must help Titus. You must tell him the truth, that you do not hate him, so that Ambrose cannot use him against you. Titus is in a precarious position.”

“Why do ye say that?”

Agnes was running out of time. She knew she had to get back on the road swiftly before her carriage was sighted by any number of Ambrose’s allies or spies. He seemed to have them everywhere, even out here in the country, and that made her nervous.

“I saw Titus recently,” she said. “He told me that he is a warrior at the greatest fight guild in all of Scotland. I had not heard of the place, but Ambrose explained that it is the Ludus Caledonia where men are trained to be great warriors. It is also a gambling establishment where men can wager on the fights. Do you know of it?”

Hugh nodded, rising from his chair. “Of course I do,” he said. “I’ve been there, several times. Are ye telling me that my son is a warrior there?”

“That is what he told me. Were you at the Ludus Caledonia recently?”

“Last year,” he said, stunned. “I must have seen him but dinna even know it. I’ve not seen him since he was an infant. I wouldna know him if I saw him as a grown man.”

Agnes moved close enough to put a hand on his arm. Her gaze drifted over him. “He looks just like you,” she said, a glimmer in her eyes. “He is handsome and powerful. He has your eyes, Hugh. You must go to him. Help him. Do not let Ambrose turn him against you once and for all.”

Hugh didn’t know what to say. He was overwhelmed with everything, struggling to remain on an even keel. But he knew one thing – he was appreciative of Agnes’ appearance. Her bravery had meant all the difference in his small corner of the world.

And he had no idea why she should do it.

“Why would ye risk yerself tae tell me this, Agnes?” he asked. “Ye’ve gone against yer husband. Why?”

She shrugged. “Because he did the same thing to me,” she said. “He turned my son against me, too. He thinks I do not know, but I do. I have watched him do it to others, but for you, he seems to have a particular brand of hatred. I could not stand by and do nothing.”

Hugh looked at her, long and hard. “Swear it tae me,” he said softly. “Swear tae me this is all true.”

“I swear to you upon my own life that it is true.

He believed her.

“Then ye canna know how grateful I am,” he said. “I will find Titus and I will tell him… I’m not sure what I’ll tell him, but whatever it is, it will be the truth.”

Agnes gave his arm a squeeze before releasing him. Quickly, she wrapped herself back up in the cloak, making sure to drape the veil over her face.