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“What now?” Josh asked and Christian looked at him as if he had asked a nonsensical question.
“What do you mean?”
“I think ye should ask Keira what she wants,” Josh said. Christian immediately shook his head as if he could not understand what Josh was even suggesting.
“Ye truly think she would want to go back to Eric? After all that he has done?”
“I do nae think she will take such an irrational decision,” Josh clarified. “Although I believe she has the right to make her own choices, and for that, ye must ask her what she wants.”
“Ye are right,” Christian agreed. He had never planned to hide the letter from Keira anyway. She would know when Eric showed up tomorrow even though Christian was not planning to have a battle. “I will ask her right now.”
Before Josh could protest or add anything else, Christian immediately walked straight out of the terrace and headed downstairs towards the gardens. The sooner he had this conversation with Keira, the better it would be. Since Christian would need to prepare his army otherwise. He was not looking for a battle and had no desire to subject his clan and his soldiers to the prospect of more bloodshed. He knew just the way to handle the situation. Although firstly, he needed to ask Keira what she wanted.
“Christian?” she looked at him as he approached her, appearing pleasantly surprised. He knew she had not been expecting him since he had told her he would be busy for most of today.
“I need to talk to ye, my fierce fox,” he said, addressing her with a term of endearment even in front of everyone else. He had nothing to hide. He had been openly affectionate towards her since the beginning, and Keira had only trusted him more due to this.
“Right now?”
“Aye, it is rather an urgent matter,” he told her plainly, ensuring he still appeared calm.
“Is everything all right? Has something happened?” she asked, immediately handing her sword to one of the soldiers, concern emerging all over her features. Christian knew he had worried her.
“Aye, just take a walk with me?” he asked, extending his hand toward her.
“Of course,” she immediately took his hand and joined him. Once they had walked a little further away from the others, she quickly turned to him and asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Eric sent me a letter,” Christian told her flatly and watched her concern turn to confusion and anger at the man’s name. Her emotions were reassuring for Christian even though he already knew her answer. He believed he had come to know her enough in this short time, but he was just not entirely sure about it still.
“What did he say?”
“He said he kens ye are with me and has told me he will come here with his army tomorrow. He wants me to release ye and give ye back to him, or else I should expect a war,” Christian replied, assessing Keira’s face closely. She was beginning to appear terrified.
“Why do ye think he took two weeks to write?” Keira asked. “Do ye think he could have been preparing a bigger army just for this?”
“He said he did nae ken ye were here, and now his sources have confirmed the news,” Christian shrugged, “Although, I am certain he is lying and was rather just too scared to show up and fight with me. He does not have the resources to build a bigger army, especially after our last attack on his castle.”
“Yes, ye are right. It is the only explanation since he already knew I was here,” Keira said. “So? What are ye planning to do?”
“I wanted to ask ye, Keira,” Christian whispered tenderly, stepping even closer to her, holding both her hands in his. “Do ye wish to return to him?”
“Never,” Keira responded immediately, not even waiting to think about it. Christian smiled at her patiently, all of his fears dissolving almost that very instant. He did not know what he would have done if Keira had said that she did wish to go with Eric. He could have never allowed it knowing the kind of man he was, but he could not keep Keira with him against her wishes either. He was not a kidnapper.
“Well then, there is nothing to think about,” Christian said firmly, “a battle it is.”
“Christian, I do nae want ye and the clan to suffer because of me,” Keira said, her face contorted in pain, “ye all have been nothing but kind to me, and I truly can nae return the favor ever. Although, I have no desire to bring a battle to yer hands. I would return with Eric, but I can nae go through the pain again. I can nae handle being beaten and living a life of constant agony and heartbreak when I know what it feels like to live in peace.”
“Keira, none of this is happening because of ye. Ye must never blame yerself, and ye are nae the one who is bringing his army to us. It is Eric and this is all his fault alone,” Christian reasoned, although he knew none of it mattered. Keira would continue to blame herself until all of this was over.
“But it is my fault. Eric is coming to get me, and since I am refusing to go with him, he will wage war against yer clan,” she replied, a lone tear escaping her eye. Christian immediately wiped the tear away, sensing how vulnerable she truly was in this condition.
“I was the one who brought ye here even when ye asked me to let ye go,” Christian whispered, staring intently into her eyes, “if there is anyone to blame for this, it is I. Nay one is at fault, Keira and I promise ye we will emerge out victorious.”
“I ken that, Christian,” Keira whispered, pain bursting through her voice, “I have immense faith in ye and yer army. But ye will emerge out victorious at what cost? At the cost of how many lives?”
“Ye have nay need to worry about the battle and the bloodshed that might ensue. I will nay drag my entire clan and army into this battle. I will simply challenge Eric to a duel. He can never win against me,” Christian replied, the plan solidified in his head. He knew he could quite easily tackle Eric, and the battle would be canceleded entirely after that since the Gilmor army would be forced to retreat.
“It will work?” Keira asked. “Will Eric agree to a duel knowing he is weaker than ye?”
