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There was no one inside the castle either. She would have assumed that the inhabitants had abandoned the place if it hadn't been for the guard at the main gate. She had anticipated that this place would be lively and vivacious. She had imagined it to be teeming with people, maids, and so on. Though everything seemed barren here. There was no sign of life anywhere.
The seed of pessimism that seemed to accompany her every day began to sprout again. The happiness that had enveloped her since the morning had begun to fade. It felt as if life had suddenly come to a halt inside this castle, and Edna's sense of desolation would soon follow.
“Who are ye?” A voice called out from behind her, and she jumped. Her heart began to race, and she couldn't believe that someone had already found her. She had tried to blend in with the shadows as she moved down the corridors. She had only wanted to find Ronin as soon as possible before someone else noticed her. She was certain that most people here would do everything they could to keep her away from him, which was the last thing she wanted.
Edna turned around to look at who had called her, and immediately recognized the person. It was none other than Ronin’s mother, Mara. Edna breathed in deeply and tried to steady her nerves as the lairdess approached her. She needed to appear strong and determined, or else Mara would think she was weak. That was the last thing Edna wished. She needed to show everyone that she belonged here.
“Ye are Mara,” she replied instead of telling her who she was. Edna did not consider it safe to reveal her identity so quickly. She needed to tread forward with caution, or else everything might crumble to pieces.
“Yes, I am. Now, who are ye?” Mara questioned once again as she took slow and certain steps towards Edna. She knew she couldn’t let herself be intimidated by her. It was true that Mara was strong and powerful, but she now belonged here at the castle as much as she did.
“I am Edna. I am here tae meet, Ronin,” Edna replied; her words firm. She was not going to show Mara that she was trembling or afraid. That was the last impression she wished to give.
“I should have guessed that after seeing how beautiful ye truly are. Nae wonder Ronin was smitten with ye the moment he saw ye,” Mara said, a smile on her face. Edna could not understand if that was meant as a compliment or an insult, or if the lairdess was even being sincere with her.
“So, I believe Ronin has told ye about me,” Edna replied; not willing to indulge in a game of words with her mother-in-law. She didn’t even wish to have any kind of conversation with her. She just wanted to find where Ronin was.
“He did. He must be waiting for ye,” Mara said at last and Edna breathed in a sigh of relief. That was exactly what she wanted, to be led to Ronin.
“Where is he?”
"Walk up the stairs. His bedroom is the third on the left. Ye will find him there," Mara said. She couldn't tell whether what she saw on herface was hatred, understanding, love, or satisfaction. The lairdess had appeared far too composed to be meeting her daughter-in-law. She wondered why she hadseemed so calm, but she didn't have time to think about it. All she cared about was that Ronin was waiting for her, and she needed to be with him as soon as possible. She missed him far too much.
She quickly ascended the stairs and found the door of Ronin’s bedchamber slightly ajar. Edna breathed in deeply and smiled before entering the bedchamber. Her eyes were met with a rather grand interior, everything draped in gold. The large bedchamber was fit for the future laird.
She walked inside, closing the door behind her. She was finally inside the castle as the laird's wife. She'd been picturing this moment since she married him, and it was finally happening. As she entered the main chamber of his room, her gaze was drawn to the bed, where Ronin was seated on one side.
He was already dressed for the day, but he was seated with his eyes closed and his head in his hands. Two things struck Edna all at once. First, he looked entirely too handsome, and second, something was most definitely wrong. His expression was enough to tell her that her husband, the man she loved, was troubled. It was funny how in just a few days she had started to understand him so well.
“Ronin?” she called out his name from where she stood, her voice soft and filled with love. Ronin immediately looked up and stared at her, but instead of the smile she was used to seeing, there was an expression of anguish on his face.
“Edna, you are here,” he said.
“Ye asked me tae come. How could I nae be?” Edna questioned and held his hand softly; suddenly afraid to touch him. She did not know what was wrong but nothing felt right. The happiness that had filled her heart only a few moments earlier had faded away entirely and all that was left was suspicion and confusion.
“I did not think you would actually show up. I just said that for the sake of saying it,” Ronin replied; his words cold. They hit Edna like a slap and she dropped her hand from his and stepped a few paces away.
“What dae ye mean, Ronin?”
Ronin began laughing instead of responding, much to her surprise. His laugh was cold and devoid of humor, and it struck Edna as far more insulting than anything else she had ever experienced. She had no idea why he was behaving so strangely, but this did not appear to be the person she had fallen in love with and married. This was a completely different man, cold and distant.
“Edna what I mean is, you are nothing but another naive girl with a pretty face. You thought I married you because I loved you? I do not care about you at all. I only went through with the handfasting with you because when I saw you at the pub, Lachlan and I made a bet. I promised him that I could make someone as beautiful as you fall for me very quickly. I won the bet, Edna,” he explained. She felt as if the ground beneath her feet was crumbling and she would be swallowed whole anytime soon.
“Tell me this is a joke. Ye are joking. Tell me ye are lying, Ronin,” Edna said; tears falling from her eyes, her tongue trembling with each word.
“Lying? Why would I lie to you?,” Ronin scoffed. “I never thought you would actually come to the castle, but you truly are naïve. You don’t understand your place in the world at all. I am the laird, and you are just a commoner, a nobody. I do not care about you, Edna. You mean nothing to me. You’re just another girl.”
“I don’t believe this,” Edna whispered; stepping backwards till her back touched the wall. She needed something to brace herself against or else she knew she would faint.
"It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. True, I enjoyed your company, and when I was with you, I laughed and had a good time. That was it, though. I only wanted you for the bet, and now that I've won, I don't care about you at all," Ronin replied. Edna took a deep breath and tried to remain calm despite her broken heart.
“Ye never cared about me, at all?”
“You were nothing more than a girl I needed to make fall for me to win a bet. I have no further need for you.
Edna nodded and looked at Ronin’s expressionless face. She could not believe how callous he must be in order to use her and dispose of her in this way. Her world had reached a dead end, and there was no going forward from here. Despite that, she knew she had enough dignity that she would never allow herself to break down in front of him or beg for his love. He had broken her heart, but she was strong enough to handle the pain herself.
“Thank ye for once again showing me how terrible humans can turn out to be. Ye have opened my eyes,” Edna said; breathing in deeply to stop herself from crying. “I will never forgive ye.”
