“I thought I had lost ye,” he said, his voice rough with emotion, and Arianna’s breath caught at the raw honesty in his tone.
“Ye didnae,” she replied softly, though the faint tremor in her voice betrayed the fear she had carried.
“But I might have,” he insisted, as though the thought alone pained him.
For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence thick with everything that had gone unspoken between them. Then Ian moved to the wash basin, dipping a cloth into warm water before returning to her side, his expression settling into quiet focus.
“Hold still,” he said gently, and Arianna obeyed as he began to clean the dirt and blood from her hands. His touch was careful, almost reverent, as though she was something fragile, and it made her chest ache in a way she could not quite explain.
“Does it pain ye?” he asked, glancing up briefly as he worked, his brows drawn together in concern.
“A little. Me wrists are sore,” she admitted, and he frowned as though even that small answer displeased him.
“I should have found ye sooner,” he muttered, more to himself than to her. He placed a soft kiss on each wrist.
Arianna shook her head faintly. “Ian…” she began, but he spoke over her, his voice low and steady.
“Why did ye leave?” he asked.
Arianna looked away, gathering her thoughts as her fingers twisted slightly in the fabric of her skirt. “I didnae ken what else to do,” she said at last. “After I learned of the clause… I felt as though everythin' between us had been built on a lie.”
Ian’s hands stilled, the cloth pausing against her skin as his expression hardened. “I told ye I kent nothin' of it,” he said, a trace of frustration slipping into his voice, though it lacked the sharpness it once held.
“Aye,” Arianna replied quietly, lifting her gaze to meet his. “But I didnae ken who to trust.”
The words seemed to strike him more deeply than any accusation. She held his gaze, her voice steady despite the vulnerability beneath it. “I couldnae send word to me brother,” she continued. “I didnae ken who might carry a letter without it being read or twisted. I felt… alone. So I thought to simply go tell him meself.”
Ian exhaled slowly, setting the cloth aside as something in his expression shifted. “Ye should have come to me,” he said, his voice quieter now, stripped of its earlier edge. “I would have taken ye to yer family.”
Arianna’s lips parted slightly as she searched his face. “I wasnae sure of anythin',” she admitted.
He reached out then, his hand brushing gently against her cheek, his touch grounding and warm. “I hope ye ken now,” he said softly, “that I would risk me life for ye.”
Arianna held his gaze, the truth of his words settling deep within her. “Aye,” she said, her voice steady. “I do.”
Silence settled between them once more, but it was no longer strained or uncertain. Something had shifted, something fragile yet powerful, mending the distance that had once stood between them. Ian’s hand lingered against her cheek as he leaned closer, and this time Arianna did not pull away.
Their lips met in a kiss that was soft at first, almost hesitant, as though both feared breaking what they had just begun to rebuild. But the moment deepened quickly, the weight of fear, longing, and unspoken feeling pouring into the touch. Arianna’s hand rose to his shoulder, holding him there as though anchoring herself to something real and certain at last.
Then a sharp knock sounded at the door, breaking the moment. Arianna pulled away reluctantly, drawing a quiet breath as reality returned.
“Ian?” came Melissa’s voice from the other side of the door. “We’ve brought the baths.”
Ian exhaled, his forehead resting briefly against Arianna’s before he straightened. “Enter,” he called, his voice steadier now. The door opened, and Melissa stepped in, directing two servants who carried large tubs into the chamber, steam rising softly from the water within the buckets carried by more servants who trailed behind.
Melissa’s eyes found Arianna immediately, and relief flooded her face. “Oh, thank the heavens,” she said, hurrying forward and wrapping her arms around her in a tight embrace. “I was so worried for ye.”
Arianna returned the hug, a small, genuine smile touching her lips. “I’m well enough,” she said gently.
Melissa pulled back, her eyes bright as she looked her over. “Aye, ye look it,” she said, though her gaze lingered briefly on the bruises.
“I will heal,” Arianna said.
“Should ye need anythin' at all…” Melissa said.
“Thank ye,” Arianna replied.
The servants departed, and the chamber door closed once more. Steam curled gently from the two waiting tubs, the firelight flickering against the water’s surface. Ian moved first, stepping toward Arianna and offering his hand without a word. She placed her fingers in his, allowing him to guide her carefully to the bath as though she were something precious.
