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“Milaird, it is imperative that ye step into the position and inform the people of the clan that ye are the one in power now,” an elder council member said to him. Ronin already knew this is what they expected of him, but his conscience was not allowing him to do it.
“I am not ready to take up the position yet. I will let you all know when the time comes,” Ronin replied shortly, not knowing what else to say.
“When will ye be ready?” another elder questioned.
"Give me a few days, and I promise I will inform you all of my decision. Can you dothat?" Ronin inquired politely, and they all nodded, knowing they had no choice. For them, Ronin was the only heir to the lairdship, and according to tradition, only he could succeed.
Ronin waited for them to leave one by one until the council chamber was empty. He knew he was just making excuses to avoid taking this position because of the guilt that surrounded him. He'd lost Edna because of that one misunderstanding that Mara had planted in his mind. The pain of her being away from him was making him upset.He had imagined a future with her, and now she was gone, no longer a part of his life, and probably no longer wishing to be..
He had no idea how she managed without him. He knew she loved him as much as he loved her, so she had to miss him as well. Despite this, she hadn't made a single attempt to contact him in the previous ten days. She hadn't arrived at the castle, and Ronin was too embarrassed to go meet her. He deserved this punishment because he had broken her heart.
“Ronin?” Ronin looked up as Lachlan called out his name and entered the hallway. “Where did everyone go?”
“I sent them away,” Ronin answered.
“Why?”
“I told them I needed a little more time.”
“Do ye though? Dae ye even think about anything else but Edna anymore?” Lachlan called him out; sounding angry and impatient.
“Don’t do this to me right now, Lachlan,” Ronin murmured.
“Ronin, ye need tae understand that ye love her and ye won’t be able tae function normally until ye get her back or forget her completely,” Lachlan reasoned.
“I can never forget her, Lachlan, and I do not know how to get her back. She hates me,” Ronin replied.
“The Ronin I knew was strong and he would go after ger. She is the love of yer life, the woman of yer dreams, and ye are planning tae let her go for nothing? For something as trivial as a misunderstanding?” Lachlan scoffed.
Ronin realized his friend was correct. He'd wasted the last ten days mourning when he could have used them to win Edna back. He knew she loved him and wouldn't be able to stay away from him for very long. He couldn't bear the thought of being apart from her. The two of them were made for each other. He could finally feel hope filling his chest. He was confident he could reclaim her.
* * *
Edna entered the pub with her friends and felt a flood of memories wash over her. She hadn't been here since her birthday, when she met Ronin, her true love. It was difficult for her to accept that he was no longer a part of her life, only a distant memory that she hoped would fade with time. The prospect was too painful for her, but she had promised her friends she wouldn't be upset today..
They had forced her to leave the house, and with her mother's assistance, they had succeeded. They all thought she'd been home for far too long, and her sad expression didn't suit her. She wished she could tell them that nothing made sense in her life without Ronin. She needed him to feel alive again, but he had vanished. She'd been the one to push him away.
“Why don’t ye all go and dance. I need tae get a drink, and then I will join ye,” Edna told her friends. She sat down on an empty stool at the bar and signaled for an ale.
Someone sat beside Edna as she took her first sip from her mug, but she didn't turn to look. She was too preoccupied with everything that should have gone right ten days ago. She couldn't help but wonder how different her life would be now if they were together. She knew it wasn't entirely Ronin's fault that they were in this situation, but the way he had broken her heart was barbaric. On top of that, she was burdened by the midwife's revelation of the secret. Nothing made sense right now; she felt disoriented.
Suddenly, the man who had sat beside her drew his stool in close and leaned in close to her. She'd looked up, about to yell at himfor invading her personal space, when she noticed a familiar mass of golden curls and blue eyes. It was Ronin. She took a deep breath, stood up from her stool, and began to walk away.
"Wait, Edna," he said, clasping her hand. She shifted her gaze to their clasped hands. A familiar rush of emotions engulfed her.
“Let me go, Ronin,” she whispered; not wanting to create a scene.
“I cannot do that Edna. You know that I love you,” Ronin said honestly.
“I dinnae care if ye love me or not. I just want ye tae let me go right now,” Edna said; a hint of fury coming out as the volume of her voice increased. They had started attracting the attention of several nearby people and she could feel silence slowly descending through the room.
“Edna, I understand if you do not wish to forgive me. I know I hurt you and broke your heart, and I am very sorry for that. I just want you to know that I still love you. Edna, the last ten days without you have been nothing but miserable for me. I realize now that I cannot live with you, and I do not wish to live without you. You own my heart, Edna, and I need you by my side. If you cannot forgive me now, just know that I will sit and wait here for a lifetime. This is the place where we first met, and I will come here every day that we are not together and wait for your forgiveness till my last breath.”
Edna took a sharp breath at his words, knowing he was being truthful. His eyes were proof of his words. She already knew he loved her, and he had just confessed his feelings to her in front of a crowded pub. It wouldn't be long before word spread throughout the clan.
The last ten days had been nothing but miserable for her as well, and she did not wish to go through that ever again. She loved him too much to stay away from him, and the prospect of spending a lifetime without him simply hurt her too much.
“Ye promise that ye will always love me?” Edna asked, moving towards him.
