“But what if…” What if the people didn’taccept Roark as the new laird?What if they did and he was stillexpected to marry Gwyneth for the sake of their people, theirfamilies?Would he go along with it to keep the old alliancesintact, or would he fight for Alina and their love?Her mothersqueezed her arm and Alina let her breath out in a ragged sigh.Roark had asked her to trust him, to let him deal with the clans.She could do no less than honor his request.
She looked up from her unhappy musings andcaught his gaze.He smiled, slow and easy, and Alina took in ashaky breath and let it out with a quick smile.
Roark wiped the sweat from his face andpointed the tip of his father’s sword toward the men-at-arms he’dgiven himself up to and ridden back here with.“Scott, Ross, see toRigil’s and Delling’s bodies.”
“Aye, Laird Roark.”
“Laird Ronan, Lady Brianna, Laird Bryce, KingJerrik, Queen Alyssa,” he said.“If you would join me.Niels andGrant, if you would as well.”
“That’s it?”Lynette screeched.“He kills myson, my husband, my husband’s brother, and that’s it?”
“Silence, woman,” Laird Ronan commanded, hisvoice, his countenance, brooking no argument.“It’s beenestablished Roark did not kill Leif.”He glared from Lynette toMyrna.“From this moment on, neither of you have any say inanything pertaining to the title and lands you and your husbandstook by lies and larceny.”
“What of me?”Gwyneth smiled prettily atRoark, and Alina glared daggers at the simpering flirt.“I hadnothing to do with any of this.I haven’t forfeited my right to beRoark’s lady wife.”
Alina took a step forward, ready to grabGwyneth by her hair until she confessed her affair with Munroe, butthen she recalled her mother’s wise words and stopped herself asRoark turned to Gwyneth.
“All will be considered in any decisionsmade,” he told her.
He glanced at Alina, his expressionunreadable while her heart was in her eyes.She paced between Hanand Bors as Roark and those he’d asked to join him gathered on theother side of the gallows, her father’s Northmen maintaining aloose circle around the edges of the crowd, weapons still drawn andat the ready, but not pointing at anyone.
“You not worry, missy,” Han told her.“Onlyfool choose Gwyneth over you, and your Roark, he no fool.”
“Aye,” Bors seconded.“We’ve seen the way helooks at you, and has since Spring’s Eve.He’ll choose you.I’dwager coin on it.”
“Thanks,” she said.“But it may not be hischoice.There’s many things to be considered other than what Roarkand I want in this life.”In this world.
“We about to find out,” Han said, lifting hischin toward Roark and the others as heads nodded and arms wereclasped.
They stood in front of the gallows Roark hadbeen swinging from only a short time ago, though so much hadhappened since, it felt like days had passed.Alina licked lipsgone dry as Laird Ronan stepped forward.
“It has been agreed.Roark Bruce MacInnes isnow laird of North Shore Keep.All lands and titles are rightfullyhis to be passed down to his future heirs.”
Alina let out her breath in a rush of reliefand apprehension.Her heart swelled with pride as the keep’smen-at-arms and the villagers cheered and set up a chant of “LairdRoark, Laird Roark.”Aware, she was certain, they’d been given abetter laird than the one they’d been living under for the pasttwenty years.
Alina’s father stepped forward and the crowdquieted.
“For your part in your family’s abduction ofour daughter, Princess Alina, with the intention of selling herinto slavery, you Linnea, who call yourself Lynette, and youMildri, who call yourself Myrna, wives of Rigil and Delling, willbe taken and sold in a desert slave market in Alina’s place.”Lynette and Myrna both went ashen.“Captain Murtaugh,” her fathersaid.“You will sail them there for your part in my daughter’skidnapping, and all debts will be considered paid.”
The captain doffed his cap.“Thank you, KingJerrik.”He'd gotten off easy and he knew it.
Neither her father nor Roark’s had mentionedGwyneth, who looked to have taken it as a sign that she wouldretain her position as Roark’s betrothed by her preening smiles.Alina’s heart dropped to her feet.She’d always known it was themost likely outcome, and she told herself she understood why.Butshe’d always held out hope she and Roark would find a way for theirlove to transcend their dream world, allowing them to be togetherin the real world.
Gwyneth giggled and smirked, and Alina swayedon unsteady legs, an empty, hollowed-out husk.
“I’ve got you, missy.”Bors’s deep boomechoed in her spinning head and his strong arm held her steady.“You can do this.”He joggled her against his solid side.“Don’tgive that blonde bitch the satisfaction of thinking she’s won foreven a moment.”
“But she has.”
“Not yet,” he told her.“I will not believeit ’til I hear your young man say it.”
Alina buried her face into Bors’s shoulder,fighting tears.“I can’t,” she whimpered, hating how pitiful shesounded.How hopeless she felt.
“Yes, you can, Princess.You are the daughterof Alyssa, granddaughter of Sahar, great-granddaughter of Oona theSwan.Warrior queens all.”
Alina sniffed back unshed tears and liftedher head.She straightened her back, squared her shoulders, andfaced forward as Roark stepped up to stand beside her father andhis.His gaze met hers for a moment and his lips twitched up, butthere was no slow, easy grin for her.She raised her chin, took adeep breath in and blew it out.
“My first order of business as laird,” Roarksaid, “will be to deal with Leif’s death.”
