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“I must get going. Flynn will be waiting for me,” she whispered to herself as she stepped out of the bedchamber and into the dimly lit hallway.
She could not understand if it was just her imagination or if the castle seemed emptier today, as if everyone had suddenly left or somehow vanished. She wondered if Flynn had asked the servants to retire early to give some semblance of privacy to the two of them.
She shook aside all such thoughts and advanced towards the courtyard, which was just a few paces from her room. Flynn had sent her a note some time ago asking her to meet him in the courtyard, and Astrid had been rather happy about his place of choice.
It was one of her favorite places in the castle, and she loved spending time there. The small space was crawling with vines that sported some of the most beautiful flowers all year round. It faced the gardens, and the view was spectacular. She knew tonight was a full moon, and she couldn’t wait to sit under the silvery halo of the moon. The entire scene turned ten times better in her head as she imagined it with Flynn beside her.
Just as she neared the large metallic door which opened from the hallway into the courtyard, she could hear voices. As she walked closer, she knew that it was Flynn conversing with somebody, but she did not know who it was until she heard a familiar hissing sound.
What is Flynn doing with Bannock?
Astrid hid herself behind the wall to peek outside.
“Bannock, come here. I have a treat for ye.”
Her eyes widened, and a smile immediately stretched her lips as she saw Flynn sitting down on his knees in front of Bannock, who stayed a considerable distance away from him. Astrid could see him holding a piece of meat in his hand, which he was using to bribe Bannock into coming closer to him. However, she knew perfectly well that Bannock would never get closer to him unless she truly liked him, and up until now, her cat rather disliked her betrothed.
“Come here, Bannock,” he urged again, crawling hesitantly a little further.
Astrid laughed to herself as Bannock stepped out of his reach just as he extended his hand to pet her. It was clear that her cat did not wish to be touched. She was still there to somehow get the piece of chicken that Flynn was teasingly dangling in front of her.
Astrid remained hidden for a few minutes, her heart warming at Flynn’s futile attempt to somehow coax her cat to love him or at least get closer to him. When she realized it was not going to work, she decided it was time to step in and stop this little charade unfolding in front of her.
“Looks like Bannock brought a laird to his knees,” she joked, and Flynn immediately looked up at her.
She waited for him to reply in his usual witty manner, but his gaze became dazed for a few seconds as he noticed her appearance and ogled her from head to toe. The smile on her face vanished at his expression as she suddenly felt heat growing into her face from just one look.
“I think Bannock’s owner can bring me to me knees as well,” he replied, finally standing up. He looked at the piece of meat in his hand, which he tossed a little up ahead, and Bannock immediately ran towards it.
“Is that so?” Astrid asked, shifting slightly as she watched the powerful man in front of her striding leisurely towards where she stood. He was dressed simply in a white shirt, which was tucked inside his breeches, his hair flying dramatically in the late night breeze.
“It is,” he whispered, standing right in front of her. “Ye look beautiful.”
Astrid smiled at the unexpected compliment. “So do ye.”
“Do I?” he asked, cocking an eyebrow at her as he stepped back and twirled as if giving her a show.
“Ye do,” she agreed honestly, and Flynn laughed.
Astrid was finally able to breathe again as he moved a little away from her and walked further into the courtyard, her eyes finally taking in the whole scene.
Just as she had imagined, the dark space was illuminated by the moonlight, giving it a faint glow that only worked to make it appear more romantic than it already was. She noticed that Flynn had set up candles all around the courtyard, and a small table was set up on the floor with cushions and flowers. She smiled when she saw that their dinner was already waiting for them, and she suddenly felt hungry.
“Do ye like it?” Flynn asked, as he must have noticed her taking in the dimly lit setting.
“I love it,” Astrid replied honestly before walking ahead and joining him.
They sat down on the cushions around the table, facing one another. When he had asked for her dinner, she hadn’t imagined such an elaborate setup done just for her, but she felt flattered that Flynn had gone to such lengths on her account. She did not know what it meant or what it was that he was trying to show her, but she was simply focused on enjoying her time.
She silently watched as he removed the lids from the plates in front of them, and the inviting scent of meat and vegetables hit her nostrils. She still hadn’t gotten a chance to go compliment Joel’s cooking.
Earlier today when she had gone to the kitchen, she had encountered the gossiping maids, and her mood had been ruined. Although, she suddenly remembered how Flynn had swooped in and stood by her side to protect her. The memory once again made her feel warm, and she looked at the handsome man in front of her with newfound respect.
In the time she had known Flynn and his family, she had only seen positivity surrounding them. Flynn was kind and courteous towards her. She didn’t ever doubt his power and authority as the laird of his clan, but he was just and firm and had protected her.
His grandmother had been nothing but welcoming to her, and so were Belly and Daphne. Astrid knew she had grown up to hate this family and the clan since they had kidnapped her brother, but now that she was here, she couldn’t help but doubt the allegations.
She did not know if it was fair to accuse them of a crime that still remained unproven. The part of her mind which had been constantly telling her that her father was wrong to blame the MacKie clan for her brother, Aiden’s kidnapping was beginning to dominate. Although, she could not allow herself to entirely believe it yet or even mention such a thing in front of her father. She needed to find proof or simply live in a reality where she was torn about what was the truth.
