His stomach churned. The need to say something was strong in his mind, but Caitlin was already asleep. Strands of hair fell over her face, which he brushed away. She looked so innocent, so unaware of all the bad things in the world, and it was his job to protect her from them. His muscles were tired, and his mind needed to rest. His eyelids grew heavy and he could feel himself being lulled to sleep as well, but he would not be silenced by loyalty to his father. He now knew that the love for his clan was nothing compared to the love for his wife. He had promised to honor her above all others—and that meant even his father.
The morning arrived, golden and glorious. Rhys awoke before Caitlin, for his mind was heavy with worry and laced with guilt. When he looked down at her he wished that the morning did not have to be tainted by what he knew, but it was. She still looked so beautiful, and his heart swelled to impossible depth with his endless love for her. He caressed her cheek and she stirred a little. A sweet smile spread across her face, but her eyes remained closed and her breathing was heavy. He wondered what she was dreaming of, and felt a great pain in his chest at knowing that her dreams could turn into nightmares if he didn’t do something about it.
The clarity of the morning had only made his resolve stronger. He did not want to wake her and disturb her peaceful sleep or her happy mood. Time was of the essence now and he had to go and see Bryn.
He slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Caitlin. He wished he could have stayed there to watch her sleep a little longer, to be there when she awoke, ready to start their lives together. He hoped that he could return and slip back into bed before she even knew anything was amiss, but he knew the chances for that were small.
With a heavy heart, he got dressed in simple clothes and then strode down the hall to find Bryn. He asked a servant along the way and was told that Bryn was already awake and was with his eldest son in the study. Rhys made haste and tried to ignore the gnawing doubt at the back of his mind that told him this was wrong, that he shouldn’t betray his father like this. Between protecting his wife and protecting anything else, there was no choice. He wanted to be the man that Caitlin saw him to be, the one that was honorable and kind, compassionate and noble. Even if he had persuaded Caitlin to flee with him and begin a new life out in the wilderness, he wouldn’t have been able to live with himself, for he would always know that he had done the wrong thing. He wanted her to be proud of him.
Bryn was surprised to see Rhys when he entered the study. Mark was there too and looked at Rhys suspiciously.
“Ah, Rhys! Good morning! I’m surprised tae see ye awake! This is the one morning were ye are allowed tae laze in bed with yer wife. Is Caitlin up yet? Ye two are wily, sneaking out of the party like that,” Bryn said with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I’m sorry about that, aye, we just wanted tae be alone.”
“Ah dinnae be silly lad, ye dinnae hae tae apologize! Now, what are ye daeing here? Is there anything I can dae for ye? Just say the word and ye’ll hae it. My keep is yer keep!” Bryn gestured to his own chest, and then towards Rhys, which only made the younger man more uncomfortable. Mark flanked his father. He had his sword by his side and a stony expression was on his face.
“Actually I needed tae talk tae ye about something,” Rhys began. The words were difficult, but he plowed ahead, knowing it was important he told the truth. Bryn’s brow creased with worry.
Bryn gasped. “What’s the matter, lad? Ye are nae haeing second thoughts about Caitlin are ye?”
“Nay! Naething like that,” Rhys replied quickly. He turned his gaze to the floor and pursed his lips. “It’s about my da…this whole idea is just a way tae attack ye. He wanted the marriage sae that he would hae access tae yer castle and would attack ye when ye least suspect it. He wants tae kill ye all.”
“What? Ye are nae talking sense lad! We met on the battlefield. He told me he was tired of all the deaths and wanted tae change. He would never betray a treaty like that! It wouldnae be honorable!”
“He doesnae care about honor as much as he cares about finally winning this war between our families. That’s the only reason why this marriage took place. I’m sorry Bryn. I wanted tae tell ye earlier but—”
“Ye knew about this all this time?” Bryn asked with a penetrating gaze. Although Rhys towered over the man, he wilted under Bryn’s accusatory glare.
“Aye, I’m sorry. I wasnae sure of what I wanted tae dae. But as I was laying with Caitlin I knew that I hae tae be true tae her. I tried tae tell her, but I couldnae. I came tae ye. Ye hae tae be prepared. He thinks ye will nae suspect it because we are married now and there’s nae reason for him tae attack. Ye need tae find him and stop him,” Rhys said, a desperate tone in his voice.
Bryn considered the matter for a moment.
“Hold him here Mark,” Bryn said. Mark immediately drew his sword and pointed it at Rhys, who backed away a few steps and held up his hands. “I’m gaeing tae send someone tae find yer da and we’ll see what he’s really planning.” Before he left he turned back to face Rhys. “I’m disappointed in ye lad. I thought ye were
