The hollering of angry voices assaulted his ears. His family had been arguing outside his door for some time, but the shrill sounds were worse now that Nora had left the door open. He didn’t recall her exiting his room. Where would she go? To face those in the corridor outside? He couldn’t hear her amongst the others.
One voice rose above the rest. Not one of his family members, but no less difficult to deal with. The Goddess knew he had already tried to reason with her. “I demand you make me his bride.” The woman’s screeching sounded like an alley cat on heat. “You ken how they found us.”
Hamish knew the exact circumstances his brother had barged in on. He had been bailed up in a corner in just his smalls whilst a pale-haired woman with a smudge of blue dye across her face tried to throw herself at him.
Others had arrived not long after, but none had been there for the worst of it. Of waking to find a strange woman sharing his bed, her hands inches from the hem of his smalls.
He shuddered. Nothing in the world would be able to scrub the image from his mind. He hadn’t known that his mother had opted to leave his door unguarded since the first competitor had arrived. None of them had known.
It was just dumb luck no one had tried entering his room before now.
He should’ve done more than just stand there. He should’ve pushed her away or bolted for the door. In his panic, his only concern had been in having the woman not touch him.
“It’s the law,” the woman continued.
Hamish hugged himself, softly rocking as dread settled in the pit of his stomach. He squeezed his eyes shut and silently prayed that no sound of agreement passed his mother’s lips. He knew she was out there, as was his father. They all ignored him for now. Only Nora had come to check on him and she was gone, he hadn’t even heard her arguing with the woman since leaving.
“Maybe that’s true in your clan lands,” Gordon growled. “But nae here. And certainly nae when it’s a contest of skill and arms. One you’ve already failed.” That had to be the fifth time his brother had made such a point. It should’ve been the end to the conversation. If Hamish had been a willing participant in the union contest, at least. If he had any interest in women, it still wouldn’t have mattered if she opted to sneak her way into his bed after being disqualified.
Except their main barrier was less the woman and more—
“The young lady has a point,” his mother replied.
Where his father could only mumble barely-audible opinions on the matter, his mother seemed hesitant to give any order that would see the woman—his molester, if he was honest with himself and the situation—evicted from the castle or imprisoned in Mullhind’s jail. Even for the duration of the contest.
“You cannae be thinking of doing this to him,” Gordon snarled. “After all your insisting that ‘Mish abide by the rules of the contest, you cannae possibly be considering giving in to this ridiculous demand.”
Although Hamish strained to hear any sort of response from his mother, only the heavy thump of his brother’s pacing followed.
“If you saw nae need for the union contest to end when Muireall was in the running for me own hand,” his brother continued. “And need I remind you she was pregnant at the time, then you shouldnae see a need to end it now.”
As horrid as the idea seemed, Hamish could see a twisted reasoning behind stopping the contest here. His mother knew he wouldn’t be at all agreeable to the consummation part of marriage. If this woman was willing to go this far, then maybe she would—
He couldn’t even finish the thought before bile crept up his throat. He swallowed hard, tears burning the corners of his eyes.
“We were found in bed together,” the woman repeated. Hamish could almost picture her lifting her chin to glare up at the very prince who would one day rule as king. The woman had to know, yet continued to insist she’d a greater standing by way of law.
Madness. Whatever clan she hailed from sat dangerously close to committing treason if this was what they taught their people.
“That’s nae true,” Gordon stressed. “And before you utter another falsehood, you were both clothed. And you were only there because you didnae follow the rules. You ken he didnae do a bloody thing to you.”
The woman’s voice became garbled sound as she seemed to struggle for an answer. “You!” she shrieked. “It’s bloody true! You’re—”
“What is he doing here?” his mother demanded over top of the woman’s raving.
Hamish lifted his head. He? Did she mean Darshan? With loathing thick in her voice, surely his mother could mean no one else. But the last he had seen of the man was when they’d both left the dancing up to those with more energy and less sense. Darshan had even been bold enough to sneak a quick goodnight peck before they had parted ways to their respective beds.
“Never you mind him, Mum,” Nora said, her voice far quieter than their brother’s but no less incensed.
If she had spoken further or another had replied, Hamish heard little. His focus was rooted entirely on the figure standing in the middle of the doorway.
Dar…
Did he want the man here? Seeing him like this?
His lover’s gaze drifted about the room, his expression neutral as he seemed to take in the assortment of clutter as if he had never seen the space before. Did he wish he was elsewhere?
Hamish scrunched himself into a tighter ball. How much had the man been told?
Darshan finally glanced at him, his features stiff with concern, before turning to Nora. “Who found him?”
“Gor did.”
Hamish nodded slightly at
