My Highland Bride (Kingdoms of Meria Book 2) by Cecelia Mecca

Author:Cecelia Mecca [Mecca, Cecelia]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
ISBN: 9781946510686
Publisher: Altiora Press
Published: 2021-01-07T00:00:00+00:00

18

Erik

I should have given a more nuanced answer, but I refuse to lie to Reyne again.

“I did not answer you before because the answer is not so simple as it seems.”

I’ve hurt her and am sorry for it.

“It is not difficult to be captivated by Cettina,” I begin, knowing this does not help my cause. “As her personal guard, I got to know her well. I knew from the start she was different from King Malcom. Though her mother died before I came to court, most say Cettina is very much like her.”

I hate the pain in Reyne’s eyes, so I rush to finish my story.

“It was only after the affair, when Isolda left Breywood, when I was at my lowest, that I came to understand what a remarkable woman she is. Cettina stood up to her father in front of the Curia, even though she was not then allowed to attend those meetings. She barged into the room and demanded her sister be allowed to present her case to the group before the sentence was carried out. And when her father refused, Cettina began to appeal one by one to the Curia on her own, risking her father’s wrath.”

Reyne’s only reaction is to wring her hands on her lap.

“After Lord Bowes was beheaded, and Lady Hilla and Lord Whitley, her husband, were banished from court, Cettina began to campaign almost immediately for their return. When her father became sick, and she was thrust into the role of queen, she appointed me as second commander. And she has been fighting for Edingham ever since.” I pause, taking in the way Reyne sits there, so still and stiff. “Do I love her? A woman who elevated a man whom she could have banished from court for his role in the affair? Who refuses to allow even the most powerful men in the kingdom to sway her beliefs? I do, Reyne. But not in the way you think.”

I wait for her to respond.

“So you love her . . . as you would a sister?” she says haltingly.

I should say aye, but I want her to make this decision knowing all. “I’ve not had a sister, so I do not know how to answer that.”

“As a friend, then?”

I shrug helplessly. Again, it is hard to answer the question. Cettina is so different from any other friend I’ve had.

“Have you kissed her?”

“Aye.”

“It was but once, and we knew immediately ’twas a mistake. It was the night after the coronation, which she never expected to happen. That crown weighs as heavy on her head now as it did that eve, but she is learning to bear it.”

“You have not made love to her?”

“Nay.”

“But you do love her.”

I cannot do this any longer . . . not without touching her. So I lower onto the small stone seat beside her and take her hands in mine.

“The rumors are understandable,” I say. “She is a beautiful woman.” Reyne tries to pull her hands away, but I squeeze them tighter instead.

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