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Keira immediately stood up, as did the others, and she quickly introduced Christian to everyone. She noticed Christian was nothing but charming and talked to each of them politely and as if he had known them for ages. It seemed as if he was truly trying to please them, and Keira felt as if her heart would burst with joy.
He had told her that he was looking forward to meeting her family, but she had never expected him to be this amiable. She knew he was only doing it for her sake, and she could not be more grateful to him. He was trying to know and understand her better, and that made Keira extremely happy. They sat down, and Christian immediately brought up the question again.
“Why have ye all been worried about Keira’s betrothal to me?” he asked, looking at Astrid. Astrid smiled at him, and Keira knew her ever-charming sister would easily handle the matter.
“Should we nae be worried, Christian?” she asked him, pushing all formalities aside.
“Nae at all. Nay one can ever take care of Keira and protect her like I will,” he replied easily, turning to look at her with a smile, and Keira smiled back at him.
“None of us personally ken ye, Christian,” Aiden added, “and we have all only heard tales about yer reputation. As her family and people who love her and the people who consider themselves guilty for pushing her into the arms of a man like Eric, we can be nothing but suspicious and careful about any other man who comes close to her.”
“Ye are right,” Christian nodded, “yer suspicion is rather necessary.”
“All we ken about ye is that ye were part of a gang, and then ye fought yer faither to take the lairdship in yer hands,” Flynn said, posing it like a question.
“Both those things are correct,” Christian accepted easily. “I will be honest with ye all. I have nae had an easy childhood, and I have always had to fight for what I wanted. I am brutal when it comes to war, and I will do anything to protect those I care for. And the way I feel about Keira… I will be beside her and protect her till my last breath. Nay questions asked.”
“Will ye truly cherish her, Christian? She will be very far away from all of us here, but she will never be alone. I need ye to promise me that ye will make sure that she never feels lonely or hurt because of ye,” Astrid said, leaning forward, looking straight at Christian.
“I promise,” Christian replied, mimicking Astrid’s stance as he leaned forward too.
Keira watched as Astrid smiled at him, and she knew Christian had won over his sister. She knew Astrid had finally started to trust him, and nothing gave her greater happiness. She had only wanted her family to like Christian and accept him like a son. She knew he was just as worthy as Flynn and would prove to be an excellent husband to her. He was already proving to be an excellent betrothed, and Keira knew she had made the right decision. When he asked her to get betrothed to protect her, she hadn’t really thought about what would happen after. Getting married, staying together…She hadn’t even been sure he had thought about all of this too, or if they’d even get to that part. He always gave her the choice to say no, to leave. But she realized that she didn’t want to. And she knew this betrothal could turn, would turn, into something more. Something true and pure.
“I must say ye are doing an excellent thing by forcing her to train,” Flynn added, looking at Keira affectionately. She had grown closer to Flynn with time, and both loved and trusted him. She knew he only wanted the best for her.
“It was her own decision. My man at arms, Josh, is behind the influencing and if ye do have to thank someone, thank Josh,” Christian laughed, taking her hand in his. Keira held onto his hand as they sat there conversing with her family as if it was an everyday thing. As if everything was going to be alright. As if nothing in the world was more perfect than what she shared with this handsome man beside her.
She knew he had feelings for her and he admired the person she was, and she had quite similar feelings towards him too. She knew everything between them was real and was there to stay. This betrothal would end in marriage, and a happy life awaited them. She knew nothing could dampen it for them, and Keira would never let anything dampen it.
* * *
Keira quietly entered Christian’s bedchamber, her gaze falling on his tall frame as he stood facing the window, his back to her. She had entered silently, and she was certain he did not know she was there, but he immediately turned around the moment she took the first step in.
“Darling,” he smiled at her, beckoning her towards him, and she immediately hugged him, her head cocooned under his chin. He smelled divine, just as he always did and Keira reveled in the feel of him. There was nothing more comfortable for her than Christian’s embrace.
“I just wanted to see ye before I went to sleep,” she said, hugging him tighter.
“Have ye shown everyone else to their bedchamber?” he asked her, and Keira nodded.
She felt his arms grow tighter around her as if he was keeping her safe from every shadow in the dark and she smiled against his chest before looking up to meet his gaze. He was already looking down at her.
“Yes, they will stay a day or two and then leave,” she informed him, continuing to stare into his eyes as he placed a kiss on her forehead.
“Are ye happy?”
“I am. I met with my family after such a long time today,” she replied, a huge grin decorating her face.
“Ye look happy. I am glad.”
“Christian,” she softly called out his name.
“Yes?”
“Thank you,” she said.
“What for?”
“For being so kind to my family and being patient in the face of their concern and their questions. Ye knew they were worried for me, and ye made sure they trusted ye. And I ken they do. They trust ye, and they can see I am happy with ye, and that is all that matters,” she replied, tears stinging her eyes.
