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Before the girl even answered, Fia noticed her eyes were the same color as Alastair’s. Her features looked similar to his as well. “Are ye related to Alastair?”
“He is my brathair,” she said, sniffing back her tears.
“He is?” Fia put her arm around the girl and pulled her closer. “Alastair told me he had a brathair but said nothin’ about havin’ a sister, too.”
“That’s because we have different mathairs.”
“I see,” said Fia, reaching out and wiping a tear from the girl’s cheek. “What is yer name?”
“I am Caitlin. And I miss my faither.”
“Oh, that’s right. Yer faither is Alastair’s faither who is imprisoned by the Grants.”
“What is yer name?” she asked.
“I’m Fia. Fia Douglas.” She decided not to tell her right now that her mother was a Gordon. It might make the girl even more fearful if she knew the Gordons and the Grants were aligned.
“Are ye a friend of my brathair?”
“Hah!” she spat, meaning to tell her she was his prisoner. Then, she realized that would be no way to gain the girl’s trust. She wanted to help her, not scare her away. “I guess ye could say that. For now, at least. Tell me, why are ye hidin’ in the garden and why havena I seen ye in the great hall?”
“Alastair doesna like me, so I try to stay out of his way.”
“I canna believe anyone wouldna like a sweet lass like ye.”
“He blames me for his mathair leavin’.”
“Oh,” she said, understanding this now. Alastair’s father had an affair, and his mother must have found out about the bastard child. That was why she left. “Where is yer mathair?”
The girl wiped away more tears. “She died givin’ me life, and I have no siblin’s. My faither was the only one who ever cared for me. But since he’s been gone, I feel so alone.”
“Well, ye are no’ alone as long as I am here.” She pulled the girl to her feet. “I am goin’ to be yer friend, Caitlin.”
“Ye are? But we just met.”
“It doesna matter. I can tell ye have a guid heart and that ye need a friend and that is enough for me.”
“Thank ye, Fia.” The girl actually smiled.
“That’s better now, isna it?”
“Fia? Fia, where are ye?” bellowed Alastair from the entrance to the garden.
“It’s Alastair,” said the girl, fear showing in her eyes. “He will be angry if he kens ye are my friend.”
“I dinna care,” she said, patting Caitlin on the shoulder. “Leave him to me. He is already mad at me so it willna matter.”
“Fia, there ye are.” Alastair walked up and stopped in his tracks when he saw her with Caitlin. “Caitlin, what are ye doin’ here with Fia? I thought I told ye to stay in yer chamber.”
“It’s a beautiful day, and no one should be confined to their chamber, nor the dungeon,” Fia boldly interjected.
“The dungeon?” asked Caitlin in surprise.
“Aye. Alastair put Niven in the dungeon and has condemned him to die in the mornin’.”
“Ye are goin’ to kill Niven?” Caitlin’s eyes filled with tears. “How could ye be such a monster? If faither were here, he would stop ye.” Caitlin ran from the garden crying.
“Caitlin, wait,” called out Alastair, but the girl kept on going.
