- He tried again?
- Yeah, but without success because I managed to escape before he got his hands on me. One day, I was talking to Annabel about being very afraid of him and what had happened. Aila heard the conversation and made me say what had happened. - Aideen sighed by nodding. - She was possessed and left for the hall with our grandfather's sword in her hand. She attacked Roy and they started a fight. I had chased after her in tears and my father didn't understand anything that was happening, he just saw Aila's fury. He tried to break up the fight, but her hatred made her more lethal and he had to step aside. When she lost her sword, after being cheated by my mother, I saw that Roy would kill her, so I reached the dagger my father had on his waist and shot MacGregor. He fell wounded on the floor.
I was numb to that cruel story. Ravenna in a suit was a vile, Machiavellian woman. I had no limits or respect for anyone's life. She was greedy, mean and deserving of death. I judged her in thought and decided her sentence: Ravenna and Loch would be hanged. Despite having heard enough, Aideen continued and revealed the darkest part of the whole plot.
- When Aila told me, screaming, what my uncle had done to me and kept trying, my father was in shock. My mother took my uncle out of Inverness quickly, even wounded. She told us to stay locked up so nothing would leave that room. - Aideen sobbed, but she kept counting. - At the end of that night, she gave me a whip-slap so I could learn to keep my mouth shut. My sister was sent to Gretna Green days later.
Aideen took a deep breath and I realized, that for her, it was a relief to have let off steam. Her sigh came out tired and I squeezed her in my arms. She cried like a child who had just woken from a long nightmare.
- I really miss Aila.
- I suppose so.
I hugged her tightly and was silent. The hatred I felt for Ravenna grew more and more in my chest. I did not want to believe that she had suffered so much until the day I freed her from her dungeon. I was relieved to have met her that day and married her.
- Don't cry! - I whispered by passing my hands through your hair. - Your dark days are over and MacGregor and MacBride's... They're just getting started!
Chapter 16
Aideen
The days went by slowly. Alistair and I began to discover that we had a lot in common. He started teaching me fencing techniques and riding. It was getting really good. Alistair used to say it was a natural talent, but it was the riding that was becoming a bit difficult. Especially in controlling the animal's instincts and making him trust me. Despite being older than me and having experienced things I never imagined I would, Alistair was very patient. He took me for a walk in the fief and showed me his favorite places. The days of blizzard had dissipated and now it was only cold. Time and again it was snowing a little and the whole town was beautiful with that white one on the ground. I took the opportunity to play with some children who were in the yard.
- I love your smile! - I heard Alistair say.
He came to me and helped me up. I had run from a little girl who was trying to hit me with a handful of snow. Too bad, I stepped on a rock that was slippery and fell on the floor. All the children came to me, laughing.
- Would you excuse me? - he said looking at the children. - I need to kidnap the princess for a moment.
I said goodbye to the little ones, and I went in with him.
- Something wrong? - I asked strangely about the fact that he picked me up in the yard.
- Well, I wasn't asleep every time you took care of me, so I think I should thank you properly. - he said, making me raise my eyebrow. - I confess that I waited for that every day and I even put out the fire a few times.
I had a laugh. I imagined that Alistair would do that, because the wood was wet a few times he would lift it up to replace it. It was a certain amount of work to have to light up again, but I could.
- Where are you taking me? - I asked when we took a path I didn't know about.
- You'll see!
We stopped in front of a huge wooden door and he stood aside to give me passage, then opened the door. My chin almost fell off when I looked at how many bookshelves with books.
- Wow! - I exclaimed entering the room. - How magnificent!
The library was not so big, but it
