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Eric knew what he was doing might have been wrong. Although, what Christian had done to him was even worse. He still could not believe that Keira had betrayed his trust in such a manner and had refused to come with him when he had gone to bring her back to her rightful place. He had gone to save her, and she had chosen to stay with the barbaric Christian. The warlord.
Although Eric knew that if it were not for his mother, he might not have even gone to Christian’s clan to get back Keira. He had already shunned the entire idea, not caring enough about his betrothed. She had just been an object to him. This was the reason that Eric had delayed the entire thing for two weeks despite knowing Keira was with Christian. He had seen him take her amidst the battle.
But his mother had reminded him that Keira might not matter to him, but she was still his betrothed. She was his honor and his responsibility, and if he did not bring her back, he would appear weak. Although, his entire plan had failed.
“God damn, Christian,” Eric cursed loudly in the empty hall, remembering how brutally he had been defeated by Christian in the duel.
He knew he should have never agreed to a duel in the first place since he had already known it would not end well for him. Christian was a trained fighter and much stronger than him in all respects. If Christian had not posed the question in front of his entire army, Eric would have backed down. But the clever laird had made sure that Eric was unable to say no. For Christian knew he would win quite easily.
What had made it all even worse was the fact that Keira had first refused to return with him and then had hugged Christian as if he was not standing right there. Her betrothed. He had been stunned at her audacity. Her boldness. He could have never expected her to turn her back on him.
“Eric?” his mother’s loud voice forced him to turn around, and he looked at her as she entered the hall. She looked exactly how she always did. Dressed in a plain black gown, she had always been rather thin and bony, and Eric was certain he had inherited his leanness of form from her since his father had been a large man.
“Yes, Maither?”
“Is Brian back?” she asked. He had told her about his plan to threaten Christian, and she had not said much about it. He had noticed from her expression that she had not been rather pleased with the idea, which had disappointed Eric.
He knew he wished to make sure she was satisfied.
“Yes, Maither. He came back a little while ago,” he informed her, hoping for a word of praise.
“Is the task done?”
“It is.”
“Did he stay to see its impact?” she asked again.
“Nay. He had to rush out of there, or else he would have been caught,” Eric replied.
“And then Christian would have killed him with his bare hands because he is a strong man and does not attack from someone’s back,” his mother said, her tone dripping with anger as she looked at her son. Eric knew she had been upset with him since he had lost the duel. She had told him how he should have never agreed to fight a duel in the first place when he had known he would never be able to win. Eric had tried to tell her that he would have never gone there at all if it were not for her, but he could not talk back to his mother. He had not been raised this way.
She let him live his life. She had never said a word when she found out how he treated Keira. She did not care. She did not care about how he treated his people and his methods of gaining extensive funds from the farmers. He knew she remained resolutely silent against it all, but she did talk to him about anything that angered her one way or the other. His losing the duel and ruining the reputation of the clan in front of everyone had angered her.
“Maither, I will take my revenge,” Eric told her firmly.
“Will ye? How exactly?” she asked, sarcasm dripping from her tone.
“I have threatened him today, and I will follow through,” Eric replied, trying to maintain his composure.
“Ye will follow through?” she asked, “When?”
Eric flinched at her tone, his head beginning to hurt. She was extremely unhappy, and this always made him feel small. He felt as if he was a little boy again who was simply trying to make his mother happy, but it was impossible. Since his father had passed away, she had gotten even worse, but Eric knew she simply wanted him to do better. To be better.
“Soon,” he replied, backing away from her.
She breathed in deeply.
“First, ye let that girl slip through yer fingers. She must have tried to run away from ye in the thick of the battle when she was found by Laird MacPherson, and he took her with him. Then ye were too scared to go fight him to bring her back, knowing perfectly well that she is yer betrothed! Yer honor! Anyone who found out ye had gotten yer betrothed kidnapped would have seen you as a mere joke!” she exclaimed, and Eric knew she was right. He had messed up, but now he was truly trying to make it all right.
“I did go to get her back,” Eric chimed in, sounding small.
“After I forced ye to!” she cried, “and even then ye allowed yerself to be sucked in his trap of fighting a duel knowing that ye will lose! Ye have made nothing but wrong decisions up until now, Eric.”
“If Keira had come back with me, none of this would have happened,” Eric shouted back, his frustration growing, “it was all her fault.”
“If ye truly think that a woman ye beat every day would gladly return to ye, ye are mad,” his mother laughed, and Eric felt even smaller.
“She is now betrothed to Christian,” Eric told his mother, knowing that the news would only make her angrier.
