“Maybe he’s not that famous then?” Victor closed the book.
I started to worry that Tynan’s grandma was going to choke him with her well manicured hands when Tynan himself walked into the house. His eyes abruptly landed on me, but he quickly looked away. I lowered my gaze feeling stupid for holding my breath, for not being able to get him out of my head, for finding him so captivating.
“Grace,” he greeted the older woman.
“Did you see Gabrielle?” she asked.
“I did,” he answered after a short pause.
“Did she come with her husband?” Frid asked.
“No, she’s here alone. She said that her brother’s going to come too,” Tynan responded.
I watched his hands as he picked up a cup and poured himself some freshly brewed tea. His movements were precise and confident, as if he did not know what it was like to be indecisive about anything in his life.
He talked to her, he saw the girl he wanted to marry.
Was he still in love with her? Why did he meet her? Were they so close that after everything that happened, they could meet up and talk about their lives?
A new emotion blossomed in my chest and it was not pretty. My eyes started to burn. I wanted to leave the house, run as far as I could. And for the first time, the cozy little cottage seemed more like a prison cell. I looked down at my cup, forcing myself to concentrate on the flowery design.
He loved her once before, and he probably still had strong feelings. I was nothing but a strange, delusional girl who invented something that was never real. All this time, I only saw what I wanted to see. Tynan was not the one to blame, he never promised me anything, he never deceived me. Maybe at some point he found me attractive, but he loved his Gabrielle. He probably never stopped loving her.
“Excuse me,” I said, awkwardly standing up.
I realized that everyone fell silent and I could not stand it. I put on my boots and a thick shawl before passing through the house one more time and quickly stepped outside.
As soon as the thick, misty air hit my face, I thought I was going to cry. I started walking faster and faster without knowing where I was going. I placed one foot in front of the other, unable to shut down my gloomy thoughts. Then the sound of a horse’s hooves on the wet ground made me turn around.
Denis pulled up the reins, coming to a halt. I adjusted my shawl, trying hard to stretch my lips into a friendly smile.
“I was wondering if I would ever see you again,” the young man said as a flush of pink painted his cheeks.
“Hello,” I said, dropping my attempt at a smile.
He jumped to the ground and joined me, matching my slow walk.
“The winter celebration is tomorrow. I was wondering if you were going?” he asked.
“I don’t know yet.” I averted my eyes.
“You should come. It’s going to be fun.”
“What’s the winter celebration?” I asked.
“Music, dancing, and the best cooks of Darragh are competing for the title of being the best baker.” He smirked.
“How many cooks do they have here?” I looked at the young man.
“Five. All of them live in the valley close together. They have been fighting for as long as I can remember.” Denis smiled.
“Why are they fighting?”
“Each of them wants to best the others.”
I shook my head and looked afield toward the mountains.
“Did you grow up in the castle?” I asked after some time had passed in complete silence.
