She forced herself not to breathe. The guards remained still for a long moment.
Then the second one scoffed. “Ye’re jumpy as a hare tonight,” he said. “It’s nothing but the wind creeping through the stones.”
The first guard hesitated. “Aye… perhaps.”
“We need to reach the gate before inspection,” the second guard continued. “Else we’ll have more than cold bones to worry about.”
There was a pause. Then the first guard sighed.
“Aye, ye’re right.”
Their boots turned and continued down the stairwell. The sound slowly faded into the quiet of the castle once more. Arianna remained frozen in the alcove for several long breaths before daring to move. Her chest rose and fell shakily as the tension slowly loosened its grip on her body. The close call left her trembling.
She had nearly been discovered. Carefully, she stepped back into the corridor and glanced down the stairwell. The guards were gone. Arianna descended slowly, every step deliberate and cautious.
When she reached the lower level of the castle, the air grew cooler and carried the faint scent of damp earth drifting in from the courtyard. She slipped through a side door that led toward the stables, keeping close to the shadows.
Her thoughts churned as she walked.
Am I doing the right thing?
The question had followed her ever since she first began gathering supplies. Ian’s face flickered in her mind. His voice. The warmth of his hand at her waist during the dance. Pain flooded her heart.
But the hidden clause in the marriage contract lingered in her thoughts like a dark omen. If it truly threatened her family’s lands, then her brother had to know. Even if it meant leaving the man she had begun to care for. The stables finally came into view.
Arianna slipped quietly inside. Several horses shifted softly in their stalls as she moved past them, lantern light flickering faintly near the far wall.
She chose a sturdy brown mare that she had used several times for riding and gently stroked its neck.
“Easy now,” she whispered softly.
The horse snorted but settled as Arianna quickly saddled it with practiced hands. Her fingers moved swiftly despite the nervous tremble that still lingered within them. Within moments, the saddle was secured.
Arianna slung the sack across the saddle and led the mare quietly toward the stable doors. The heavy wooden doors creaked softly as she eased them open just wide enough to slip through.
Arianna mounted quickly, her cloak settling around her legs. She cast one final glance toward the looming castle behind her. For a brief moment, doubt moved through her.
Then she turned the horse toward the open path. With a gentle nudge of her heels, the mare began to walk. She dared not risk a trot or a gallop until she was well into the woods.
Ian sat across from Flynn at a small wooden table, a scattered hand of cards between them and an empty bottle tipped lazily on its side. The hour had grown late after supper, enough that most of the castle had long since gone to bed. Yet the two men remained awake, their voices low and thick with drink.
Flynn squinted down at the cards in his hand and scratched his chin. “Ye’ve been cheatin’, Ian,” he muttered, sliding a card onto the table with exaggerated care.
Ian swirled the last swallow of whisky in his goblet. “Perhaps ye’re simply a poor player tonight,” he said lazily. “Have ye considered that possibility?”
Flynn snorted and tossed another card down. “I’ve played cards with ye since we were bairns, and I ken well enough when ye’re being smug,” he said, pointing a finger at him. “Now play yer hand before I fall asleep at the table.”
Ian placed his final card on the pile. “That makes five,” he said calmly. “Ye owe me another bottle.”
Flynn groaned and leaned his head back toward the ceiling. “Saints preserve me,” he muttered. “A man cannae even lose with dignity in this castle.”
Ian grinned, though it held less amusement than it once might have. The warmth of the whisky buzzed through his veins, dulling the edges of his thoughts but not quieting them entirely. His mind drifted, as it often did now, toward one particular person. Arianna and how she felt in his arms as they danced hours earlier.
Flynn noticed the change in his expression.
“Ye’re thinkin’ about her again,” Flynn said, narrowing his eyes.
Ian rubbed his jaw and sighed. “Aye,” he admitted.
