Part 17 (2/2)

”I heard my friend had been arrested and so I came to see why.”

Lochlan turned to meet the earl, then froze as he realized Catarina was with him. He hated for her to bear witness to this event. If anyone were to recognize her, she'd be in even more trouble than he was.

”This doesn't concern you,” Oswald snapped at Stryder. ”This is between us and as the highest- ranking n.o.ble present, I demand the MacAllister's flesh. I want twenty lashes.”

Reginald let out a long sigh before he nodded. ”So be it. Guards!”

Lochlan growled as the guards came to take him. He grabbed the first one to reach him and knocked him back. As he reached for the other, he heard a soft cry of alarm.

”Cease!”

No one moved.

Catarina approached Reginald and Oswald slowly, then stopped directly in front of Reginald. ”I'm afraid you're mistaken, my lord.”

”Mistaken how?”

She lowered her cowl so that they could see her beautiful face. ”As a princess of France, I'm the highest-ranking n.o.ble present and I demand you release him. Immediately.”

Chapter 10.

Reginald and Oswald, along with the guards, immediately bowed down before her.

Lochlan was too stunned by her actions to even breathe, never mind move. In order to save him, she'd just d.a.m.ned herself to return to her father's custody.

Why would she do that?

”Rise,” she snapped at the guards. ”And remove the shackles from him. Now.”

Lochlan arched a brow at her imperious tone. Not that he hadn't heard it before, it just always surprised him when it was directed at someone other than him.

”You heard the princess,” Reginald said, waving them toward Lochlan. ”Do as she says.”

Stryder glanced at Catarina as the guards rushed to obey her. He spoke in a low tone that only Catarina and Lochlan could hear. ”Seems someone omitted a vital fact earlier when we met.”

Catarina shrugged nonchalantly. ”I didn't think it important.”

He laughed. ”Aye, well everyone else does.”

”'Tis only a small birth defect that is often easily hidden. Were that this was such an occasion.”

”Princess,” Reginald said, rising to stand before her. ”I shall have a room prepared for you immediately while I send word to your father to let him know you are safe and hale. I'm truly honored to have you grace me with your presence at our most humble fair.”

Cat had to bite back her sarcasm at his words. It wasn't his fault that she had no desire to be treated like royalty, any more than she wanted her father notified of her whereabouts. Lord Reginald was trying to be graceful and kind and so would she, regardless of the knot in her stomach.

”Thank you, my lord. I appreciate your hospitality.” Just as she would appreciate someone knocking her against the head with a brick. She only hoped the smile she offered him didn't appear as fake as it felt.

Lochlan approached her slowly. His grat.i.tude shone from the very depths of his pale eyes. That alone made this worth it to her. ”You didn't have to do this,” he whispered.

She laid her hand on his cheek. ”Aye, I did. I wasn't about to let them hurt you after everything you've done for me. What's a little confinement compared to a severe beating?”

”For you, I would think worse,” he whispered. It was true, but she would never let him know that.

Lochlan couldn't breathe as he saw the pain in her dark eyes. No one had ever made such a sacrifice for him. Ever.

He closed his eyes so that he could savor her touch before he covered her hand with his. Her skin was so soft, her hand so delicate and yet it set fire to him in a way no woman or touch had before. He brought her hand to his lips and placed a tender kiss on her knuckles. ”Thank you, Catarina.”

She inclined her head to him.

”Your Highness,” Reginald said sharply before he forced them apart. ”If you'll come with me...”

Lochlan saw the reluctance in her gaze before she pulled away. He wanted to curse as he watched her follow the men from the room.

Stryder stepped forward and drew his attention from Catarina back to him. ”Well now, here I thought I'd be the one to save your hide.”

He scoffed. ”I didn't think anyone could spare me what they intended.”

But one thing was certain, he was going to find a way to spare Catarina from her father's plans.

Simon shook his head as he, Stryder, and Bracken stood in Stryder's tent, across from Lochlan.

”You cannot break her out of the castle, Lochlan. That's kidnapping...and suicide. They'll hang you for it.”

Those words did nothing to deter him from his plan. ”They'll have to catch me to hang me.”

Bracken snorted. ”He's right about that and believe me, I know. But”--he cut a warning glare at Lochlan--”they will look hard and won't stop. Trust me on that, too.”

Stryder made a sound of disgust in the back of his throat as he moved to pour himself another cup of mead. ”Bracken is absolutely right. You take her out of that castle while Oswald is there and you know he won't rest until you're dead.”

And none of that mattered to him. All he cared about was keeping Catarina away from a marriage she didn't want. ”I made a promise to her and I intend to fulfill it.”

Simon rolled his eyes. ”While that is n.o.ble, is it really worth your life? For that matter, is it worth what they might do to your people?”

Lochlan paused. Oswald did know exactly who and what he was, and it was an enormous risk he was taking. But at the same time, he knew how much Catarina loathed being in their hands. How could he abandon her to that?

He looked at Bracken and remembered the story of her as a child, being beaten in order to force her submission.

Most of all, he remembered the way she'd looked when she'd handed him her gift.

And in that moment, his course was set in stone. ”Aye, it's worth my life. I'm a man of honor and I will not see her punished for helping me. Ever.”

Bracken gave a reluctant nod. ”You know I'm at your back...so long as we're not heading to England anyway. I'd go with you even there if I didn't have two people who depended on me for their support.”

Lochlan could respect that. If he had any better sense, he wouldn't be doing this either. He was about to go up against a king, swipe a princess, in the country that her father ruled, and try to take her to another against her father's wishes.

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