Ailis giggled. “I think I ken. I hope ye’re not trying to win on the dance floor.”
“Always,” he answered.
“Are ye trying to win against me or others on the dance floor?” she asked, grinning up at him. She certainly understood being competitive, as she was extremely competitive by nature, but not as she danced. Nay, dancing was a time to enjoy herself and the partner she was dancing with.
“Oh, the others, of course. Dancing with ye means I’ve already won the best prize of all,” Lachlan whispered.
“Yer words flatter me.” Ailis blushed slightly.
“Are ye excited about the wedding?” he asked, guiding her through the dance’s final steps.
Ailis nodded. “I’m glad Fiona has found happiness and an alliance that pleases me father. And that they are one and the same. I canna imagine marrying just for an alliance when there is love out there, just waiting for us to find it.”
As the music ceased in the great hall, Ailis and Lachlan caught their breaths, the lingering connection between them undeniable.
“Thank ye for the dance, Lachlan,” Ailis said. She hoped there would be many more opportunities. Shaking her head, she scanned the room to make sure everyone was taken care of. She couldn’t lose herself in the man beside her and neglect her duties.
“And thank ye, Ailis,” he replied, letting go of her hand.
Ailis left the great hall for a moment, needing to just be with no one watching. The feelings for Lachlan the dance had stirred within her had surprised her more than she cared to admit.
In the quiet corridor, Ailis caught her breath, feeling the cool air on her flushed cheeks. The stone walls seemed to whisper ancient secrets.
Lachlan broke the silence. “Ailis, yer movements were like a loch’s waters dancing under moonlight.”
She turned and met his gaze. “Ye flatter me again. Perhaps ye were meant to be a courtier and not a warrior.”
“I think not.” His smile faded into contemplation. “In another life, we could explore this grace without our duties weighing us down.”
His words resonated with Ailis. “I wonder what paths we would choose if not bound by our clans’ legacies.”
A moment of shared vulnerability held them together before the sounds of the celebration interrupted their reverie. Ailis stepped back. “We must return,” she whispered reluctantly. “Me father will be looking for me, and he will not be happy to find me alone with a man. He likes ye, but he doesn’t like any man enough to let him be alone with his daughters.”
Lachlan nodded, though his eyes mirrored her reluctance to return. “Aye.” He offered his arm, and she accepted it gracefully.
As they rejoined the great hall, each fleeting glance and touch heightened their anticipation for their next encounter. Through the clamor of festivities, their stolen moment lingered—a silent promise of something both desired and feared.
*
During the pre-weddingrevelry, Ailis escaped to the moonlit gardens, leaving Lachlan among his kin. Moonbeams illuminated her path, and an archway of roses became her refuge.
Sensing her absence, Lachlan found her beneath the blossoming arch, moonlight weaving silver into her dark hair.
“Ye’ve left the festivities,” he observed.
“And ye’ve noticed me absence,” she countered, her soft tone betraying her inner unrest. What she would give to be able to live her life without worrying about the clan. But that was something that would never be.
“I often feel adrift in expectations,” Ailis confided. “Like a pawn on a chessboard.”
“Ye’re not alone,” he assured her, closing the distance between them. His breath made her shiver.
“Being near ye feels like teetering on a cliff’s edge,” she murmured. “Exhilarating but treacherous.”
“At least I’m not alone.” He reached out to stroke her cheek with the back of his hand. “Facing the unknown together will bring courage.”
“I wish I were free to do so,” she answered sadly.
“I ken. We must not meet alone again, then.” He carefully studied her face to see if it was what she wanted.
