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A part of her was certainly ecstatic that Josh believed Christian could open up to her, but another part of her still doubted what was happening between them. She was still betrothed to Eric, and Christian was the man who had kidnapped her. She did not know the basis of this relationship except for the fact that he was her rescuer.
“I do feel better here,” she confessed, suddenly feeling comfortable around Josh too. He had never given her reason to feel otherwise, and she immensely enjoyed having this conversation with him.
“What do ye do all day except read? Does it nae get awfully dull?” Josh asked, sounding genuinely interested.
“I do nae have much to do here, that is true. I can take up my reading and practices of healing again, but I will need to familiarize myself with the herb garden and the lands and forests of the clan for that,” she told Josh.
“Ye ken healing?”
“I have always enjoyed it, but I am self-taught only. Although I did treat myself at home whenever necessary and even helped those at the castle, so I do ken some things,” she replied.
“If that is somethin ye enjoy ye must definitely do it. Although, if ye do wish to do somethin else, can I suggest something?” he asked, suddenly appearing hesitant, which piqued Keira’s curiosity. She knew she needed something to do since she was terribly bored here as everyone was busy during the day with their own chores while she had nothing to do. She had even tried to learn cooking but had realized she was extremely terrible at it and had no sense of what to do.
“Anythin’, please.”
“In the MacPherson clan, we make sure that our women are just as adept at battle as the men. Hence, most women are excellent horse riders, swordswomen, and whatnot. They ken the art of war and are quite proud of these accomplishments,” Josh explained as Keira listened closely, her interest increasing, “these women ken how to protect themselves against dangers of all kinds and can even fight male soldiers.”
“That sounds unreal,” she commented, never having heard such a thing before.
“But it is real. Always has been. Christian only stressed the importance of this even further and promotes every woman of the clan to learn. The little girls are trained just the way little boys are so they can learn from a young age,” he elaborated further.
“That is a truly Spartan spirit,” Keira commented.
“Even better than the Spartan spirit, I would say,” Josh smiled. “I was wondering if ye would like to learn?”
“Ye think I can?” Keira asked, sitting up straighter. The idea had intrigued her immensely, and she could not deny being interested in it. She knew she needed to learn how to defend herself and be strong in the process. Had she known it earlier, she might not have suffered this way at the hands of Eric.
“Anyone can, Keira. Ye suffered at the hands of Eric for too long yet stayed alive, which tells me ye have a truly strong spirit and can tackle anythin that comes yer way. If ye wish to learn, I would teach ye. I am sure Christian would teach ye too if ye ask him,” he added.
“I would love to learn,” Keira finally replied, a huge smile on her face. For the first time in a long time, she felt a sudden flash of hope in her heart, as if she was doing something good with her life. Something she truly needed to do.
“Really?”
“Yes. I want to learn riding and sword fighting, and I wish I could be strong enough to stand up to a man if he ever dares to hit me,” Keira replied passionately; every time Eric had beaten her coming back to her. She would give everything to have a chance of beating Eric the way he had beaten her.
“If that is what ye want, I am sure everyone here can help ye. Ye will also get stronger with time,” Josh replied, looking pleased with himself.
“Should I ask Christian before starting?” she suddenly asked, wondering how he would react to the news.
“He will nae have a problem with it, but if ye do wish to run it by him, ye should. He must be in his study.”
Keira nodded, wanting Christian to know. It was not as if she felt as if he would disapprove of such a thing, for she knew he would not. Although, in her heart, she did want him to know what she planned on doing, so it did not come as a surprise to him. Perhaps it was simply an excuse to see him during the day, but she did not care.
All she knew was the fact that he was a man who had been nothing but kind to her since the day he had met her and had exceeded all expectations. He was a man who had heard her unsaid pleas and had pulled her right out of danger while endangering himself and his clan. He was a man who had come closer to her than any other man ever had in the past, and she could finally feel herself softening for him. She only hoped she would not be hurt this time.
CHAPTER9
A sudden knockon the door of his study startled him, and Christian looked up, wondering who it could be. No one disturbed him during work in the middle of the day except for Josh.
“The door is open,” he shouted, expecting Josh to enter, but when Keira walked inside, Christian could not help but be surprised.
He smiled at the woman he had come to care for even more with every passing day and noticed how beautiful she looked, dressed in a long purple gown. Her blonde hair was tied up, leaving her long, slender neck bare, which made her look all the more attractive. Christian had been noticing every day how eating again was beginning to make her look healthier, and she almost did not look as weak as he did when he had first brought her to the castle.
“Keira, come in,” he said, standing up from behind his desk and moving forward as she walked inside.
“I hope I am not disturbing ye,” she said silently, looking around his study. The room was dressed in dark tones, which was much different than the rest of the castle. Although, Christian’s study suited his tastes best since he could never remember staying in bright places. He had always been an agent of the night, always involved in something dark, and had now become used to it.
“Ye are nae,” he said, extending a hand towards her. His heart soared when she unhesitatingly clasped his hand and walked towards him but stopped just a few inches short, not wanting to come inappropriately close. He could understand her hesitation. She was still another man’s betrothed, and the relationship between the two of them was yet undefined even though they were growing closer with time. It was true that her betrothal to Eric was only a betrothal in name and etched in writing and could only be broken off by her father or by Eric himself. If it were up to her, she would have resolutely ended it by now.
