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“People will only question ye if ye let them question ye. A laird must be confident, and powerful enough to remain unquestioned by the people. They should all have faith in ye,” his mother said. His focus was elsewhere and the conversation meant little to him.
“Ye are right, mother. I just need to keep a strong face in front of everybody and assure them that as their future laird, I will protect them from all harm,” Ronin agreed.
“That is exactly what I expect from my son. If yer father were here today, he would have been really proud of ye,” she said and Ronin had to fight to keep his anger in check. If the rumors had any merit to them, Mara was the reason that he was dead.
“I wish to assume the lairdship as soon as possible,” he announced; making sure he sounded determined and firm. He needed to establish authority with everyone around him; including his own mother, or else things wouldn’t go in his favor.
He waited for her to reply but she simply turned to look at him; a surprised expression upon her face. For a few seconds Ronin felt as if she was not in favor of the prospect and this confused him. She was his own mother after all. Why wouldn’t she wish for her son to take his rightful position as the legal heir?
“I dinnae think this is the right time for ye to assume the lairdship, Ronin,” she finally replied and Ronin scoffed. He already knew she was going to say that.
“Why, Mother? Do you doubt my ability to lead the clan?”
“The situation around the clan is too unpredictable as of now and coming to power will just put yer life at risk. I dinnae want for anything tae happen tae ye,” she clarified and Ronin turned around and paced from left and right.
As he was pacing, he finally glanced towards the curtain just as it moved ever so slightly. A faint shadow was visible from underneath the purple folds, and it was evident that someone stood behind the curtain, hidden from view. That was all the proof Ronin needed. Lachlan was right. Whoever the cloaked man was, he was here —hiding. He knew he could march towards the curtain right now and see for himself who it was but he had no desire to embarrass his mother any more than she probably already was.
“Well, that puts you in danger as well and I do not want you to suffer on my account. You have been shouldering this responsibility for far too long, and I wish to ease your troubles now,” Ronin said; turning around to face her.
“I have been protecting this place for ye son, and I never took it as a burden. The lairdship was the right of my deceased husband and my son. I was merely protecting it while ye were gone,” his mother said; her tone softening. Ronin couldn’t understand if she was even telling the truth. It felt as if his entire life was based on a lie and his mother was the biggest actor in this story.
He remembered how adamant she had been about sending him away. He had begged her not to send him because he couldn't bear the thought of being away from home. He didn't want to abandon her, especially now that his father was gone. Despite his repeated requests, she refused to let him stay. She had insisted that he leave because his life would be in danger, and she did not want anything to happen to him. He wondered if she was telling the truth or if she just wanted to get rid of the responsibilities of motherhood. She was too busy doing whatever she wished to do, and raising a son was something she had not been interested in. Ronin suddenly felt angry. He did not remember the last time such rage had filled his being, but he was so angry he felt like he could stab someone.
“You don’t have to protect me, Mother. If you were truly so good at protecting, our clan we would not be needing to investigate two murders right now. The truth is that you have failed. You have failed completely in being a good lairdess and in protecting our people. You know why that is mother?” he asked; his tone turning dangerously low.
“Why?” she asked; her voice devoid of emotion. Ronin knew he was making her angry and she was trying her best to conceal it. She had remained unquestioned for too long, no one in the entire clan daring to speak to her this way.
“Because you are a coward. A coward who only knows how to run away when things go wrong. A coward who remains behind the four walls of this castle, in your protected realm while the people out there die and suffer. The truth is that you don’t care about any of these people. You only care about yourself,” Ronin continued; no longer trying to sound cordial. He was furious.
“And ye are very strong, I presume? Ye, who have spent the last eight years in a foreign land. Ronin, if ye think that ye can suddenly return home and start showing an interest in the people of this clan, and that will make ye a good laird. Ye are wrong. I ken how to lead these people, and ye are still nothing but a kid.”
“I might be wrong but I am not heartless. I truly care for these people and the wellbeing of our clan, unlike you. I only came here to tell you that I will be assuming the lairdship very soon and you don’t have to sacrifice yourself or your life for the clan any longer. I can take care of my people and prove myself to be a good laird and a good leader,” he said and turned around once again.
The curtain was stationary, but the shadow was still present and had moved slightly. Ronin wondered what he must be thinking about this heated argument. The presence of the stranger in the bedchamber made him even angrier. He knew that the relationship between him and his mother was thoroughly severed, but there was nothing he could do about it now. This was the best time to tell her about Edna and be done with it. He was certain that she would have a million objections, and he would have to deal with those too.
“Ye are overstepping yer boundaries Ronin. Dinnae forget that ye are nae just talking to yer mother but also the lairdess of this clan,” she replied.
“I no longer care about boundaries, Mother. The only thing I know at this point is that the lairdship belongs to me, and it is time I assume my position. This clan has suffered enough under your weak rule. It is about time I do something for my people.” Ronin knew every word he was saying was irritating her more but he had truly lost the heart to care. He needed to get done with this conversation as soon as possible.
“Ronin, I am trying very hard tae have a sensible and civil conversation with ye but ye are being absurd,” she gritted through clenched teeth.
“A sensible and civil conversation? In order to have a sensible and civil conversation, a person must possess such a disposition and you, Mother, do not have it in you,” Ronin scoffed.
“Get out of my bedchamber right now. I dinnae wish to see yer face,” she shouted; her fists clenched tightly by her side.
“I do not wish to stay here any longer either. The last thing I want to tell you is that I have gotten married and tomorrow, I will bring my wife to the castle and assume my lairdship in front of the entire clan. After that, you can live a life of leisure as you will no longer have any responsibilities.” Ronin saw the clearly shocked expression on her face right after he broke the news of his marriage. He did not wish to stay and converse with her about it any longer though.
He turned around and walked out of the bedchamber, seething with anger. The man behind the curtain still burned through his mind and he knew he would not feel at peace for a very long time. Ronin desperately wanted to reveal who it was. But he could not see her face fall in front of him, her own son. It was true she had never really been a good mother to him, but she was the only mother he had, and he still loved her.
He walked quickly towards his own bedchamber but approaching footsteps forced him to stop and turn around. To his surprise, his mother was behind him. Ronin breathed in deeply and tried to brace himself. He knew she was going to ask him about Edna.
“Ye are lying tae me just tae make me angrier, nae?” Mara asked; her expression bewildered.
“Lying to you about what?” Ronin feigned innocence on purpose. He had already had a long day and this conversation was exhausting him. He never imagined this day could turn so bad in just a matter of a few minutes.
“About yer marriage. Ye couldn’t have gotten married right after coming home. This is insane, Ronin. Who is the lass? Where did ye find her? How could ye get married without informing anyone?” A barrage of questions was hurled his way and Ronin breathed in deeply. His mother’s concern was justified but he no longer cared.
“Her name is Edna. She is the daughter of Freya, the healer. The daughter of the man that was killed by father,” Ronin announced; keeping his words soft. The shock of the news would be enough for his mother anyway.
