When Kage moved closer to Ari, Finn placed himself in front of her like a barrier.
Kage’s eyes swung from Ari to Finn and back. “As per your rules, any man can enter your contest. And I plan to enter.”
“You’ll never win,” Ari said confidently.
Kage’s gaze shifted to Finn again, and a small grin twisted his lips. “I think I will.”
“She told you to leave,” Finn said. “Does she have to call the guard?”
Kage’s glare burned into Finn. “We’re not done.”
“We are now,” Finn answered.
Kage slowly backed away from them, his features hardening and nostrils flaring. He clenched his fists, his eyes blazing.
Finn watched until Kage was walking beneath the gatehouse toward the outer ward.
Ari spun to Mabel. “Are you well?”
Mabel’s body shook with grief as she stumbled toward Finn.
He stood like a statue, unsure how to ease her pain without upsetting Ari. After several moments, he tentatively placed his hands on her back.
Ari’s mouth dropped open, and her wide eyes connected with Finn’s. A small wrinkle in her forehead betrayed the unease she was feeling.
“You saved me, Finn,” Mabel cried. “If you hadn’t stopped him, he would have… He would have…”
“You’re safe now,” Finn assured her.
“Come,” Ari said, taking her shoulders gently and guiding her away from Finn toward the keep. “We’ll have the physician look at you and get you a warm meal.”
Finn nodded in agreement as Mabel went with Ari. He escorted the women to the door of the keep. “I’ll wait here,” he told Ari.
She nodded and disappeared inside with Mabel.
Finn glanced at the gatehouse, half expecting to see Kage lounging there with a smug grin on his face. But the area was empty. Kage, his mind growled. If he did as Lord Walter ordered and didn’t enter the contest, there was a risk Kage would become Ari’s husband. His fists involuntarily balled as he thought of Kage forcing himself on Ari. Finn shook off the feeling of dread and knew he had no choice—he had to convince Ari to call off the competition. But he knew she would never do that. It was her way of taking control of her future and finding the man she would marry.
He shook his head and sat on the top stair leading to the keep. There had to be another way.
Ari had seen Mabel to the physician and made sure she had a warm meal. She walked down the stone spiral stairway toward the inner ward, where Finn was waiting for her. Suddenly, she heard her father’s voice call out her name. Startled, she turned to see him jogging up the steps to meet her. He cupped her arm and guided her in silence until they reached Ari’s chambers, where he gently pushed open the door and followed her inside, shutting it softly behind them.
“Finn is outside, Father,” Ari objected. “Can this wait?”
Her father scowled in displeasure. “Many men are asking after you, Ari,” he said in a stern tone. “This contest was your idea. Forget Finn.”
She looked at him and blinked. The thought of forgetting Finn made her chest heavy, as if a boulder were crushing her heart. “He’s my friend,” she said, confused.
“I told him not to enter your ridiculous contest.”
Her heart dropped. “What?”
“I told him not to enter. He’s not good enough for you, Ari.”
Tears built in her eyes, and she turned away, facing the window without really seeing it. “The contest is open to all men.”
“Not to him.”
She spun, her fists clenched. “You can’t do that!”
