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“Ye had feelings for him since a year ago when he turned into yer first ever kiss. Dinnae try to lie to me about it. I am yer sister, and I have witnessed the way ye look at him and he looks at ye. It cannae be nothing,” Keira replied.
Astrid knew it was pointless to claim otherwise. Her crimson face at the mere mention of Flynn’s name was enough indication for anyone to know how she felt about him, and she no longer wished to even hide it. She knew the possibility of them being together was impossible, and her father would never agree to the match, thus she needed to make sure even the possibility of it remained out of her mind.
“My feelings towards Flynn have nothing to do with it,” she confessed honestly.
“Did ye find some proof?” Keira suddenly asked, sitting up straighter, her shoulders taut with tension.
Astrid shook her head before replying, “I dinnae need proof, and I dinnae think at this point, after ten years, we can even have it.”
“I often forget how long it really has been,” Keira murmured with a sad smile, thinking of Aiden.
“A really long time, indeed.”
Astrid stood up and began to pace left and right in the parlor, her mind still on the discussion.
“But, Astrid, ye ken that Faither will never ever believe it. The only thing he has is this hatred, and he would die rather than give it up. The MacKies are his criminals, and he would never see it otherwise until he is proven wrong.”
Astrid nodded, knowing that Keira was right. “Yer right, Keira. After the time I have spent here with the family, I can see that they couldnae have kidnapped Aiden. They had nay motive, nay motivation, nay reason to do such a thing. I wish Faither could see it this way.”
“Faither could see what?”
Both Astrid and Keira turned around abruptly as they heard their father’s voice from behind them. The two of them had failed to notice his footsteps and had not realized exactly when he had entered the parlor and was listening in to their conversation. Astrid’s color paled as she thought about what might happen if her father had really heard everything she had said, but the question he had asked told her otherwise.
“Nothing, Faither. We were just discussin’ our childhood stories,” Keira replied, lying convincingly, but Laird O’Donnely was impossible to fool.
“Is that why Astrid’s face is devoid of color after seeing me?” he asked, and Astrid realized she had stopped breathing. She forced herself to calm down and appear normal as her father walked further inside and sat down, his gaze trained on her.
“I am fine, Faither. Yer imagining it,” Astrid lied, although she knew she had never been a good liar and had often been caught easily.
“What is it that I need to ken, Astrid?” Lord O’Donnely asked again, his face expressionless.
Astrid suddenly felt the urge to finally tell him the truth. She knew she had hidden it from him long enough, and it might be entirely pointless to even discuss it with him, but she wished to do it. She wished to express her feelings in front of him no matter what he felt about them.
“That the MacKie clan didnae kidnap Aiden,” she blurted out and was met with a surprised look on her father’s face. He was certainly not expecting such an outburst.
“She didnae mean that, Faither. She has probably hit her head somewhere,” Keira threw in, trying to solve the matter before it escalated and got out of hand.
“I think she meant every word,” her father said, standing up and walking towards Astrid. “Ye think yer precious betrothed and his faither didnae kidnap Aiden?”
“It wasnae them, Faither. They are innocent, and I can vouch for it.” Astrid stood by her words, refusing to back down under the staggering gaze of her father, who looked about ready to burst.
“Ye can vouch for it?” he repeated softly before shouting furiously at both her and Keira, “She can vouch for it?”
“Calm down, Faither!” Keira shouted, matching his tone, but her words had no effect on him.
“I leave ye here alone for a few weeks, only ’cause of a fake betrothal, and they brainwash ye enough for ye to forget about the atrocities they committed against yer brother,yer flesh and blood, and ye favor Flynn? The MacKie clan? Yer my daughter, Astrid, and it is yer duty to me, yer brother, and the clan to stand by us.”
“I will stand by ye every single time, yer right, Faither,” Astrid replied, tears welling up in her eyes at her father’s tone. “I willnae back down from me words when I ken that me clan needs me. Although here, I ken that yer mistaken. These people had no reason to kidnap Aiden, and they dinnae have the temperaments of people who are capable of evil. Ye need to see reason here.”
“See reason?” her father scoffed, unperturbed by her tears. “Ye want me to see reason when me son was kidnapped by these people? It is evident that this betrothal seems real to ye, and yer too influenced by the entire family and that Flynn. Ye should ken that I am trying every day to find a reason to end this and bring ye back home so ye could be safe again. Yet, yer so ungrateful that ye dare to stand here in front of me and support the MacKies against yer own faither!”
“Faither, that isnae the case,” Astrid said, still crying. She softly touched her father’s hand with hers, but he jerked his hand away, making her feel more hurt. “I only meant that if we still hope to find Aiden, we need to let go of the hatred and find the people who have really kidnapped him. The MacKies are nae those people.”
“I have heard enough, Astrid,” he said, backing away from her. “Yer a gullible little fool who gets manipulated by anything and anyone, and it was me biggest mistake to agree to this betrothal and send ye here. Ye have shamed me, Astrid. Ye have disappointed me more than anyone ever had before.”
“Faither, please try to understand—” she sobbed, but her father cut her off.
“Get out of me sight, Astrid. Get—”
