ℍ𝕚𝕤 𝔹𝕒𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕝𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕣 | 𝐻𝑜𝓊𝓈𝑒 𝑜𝒻 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒟𝓇𝒶𝑔𝑜𝓃

14

Cregan was quickly mesmerized by the young lady who graced his estate with her presence for the past three days. Before her arrival, he'd sworn to keep his heart guarded, and to view their matrimony as solely a duty---a simple arrangement; despite how cruel it may have sounded. But, those beliefs vanished the moment his gaze fell upon her. 

Each morning, The Lord carefully combed his hair and donned his finest attire in hopes of catching her interest. Yet, despite his efforts, every subtle gesture of affection was met with rejection. he soon realized that her distant gaze wasn't a sign of boredom, but rather her silently yearning for another. Cregan understood that a woman so striking and sharpwitted as her would surely have captured another's heart long before their paths crossed. What puzzled him, however, was why she had not already bound herself to this unseen lover in matrimony.

"Cregan?" 

His thoughts were interrupted by a soft voice that drifted through the stillness of his study. She'd seen his occupied mind wander while he sat behind his desk. When his eyes met hers, he'd found her as breathtaking as ever. Time had slipped away unnoticed by him, and it was now late in the morning. 

"yes, my dear?" 

He responded, his voice warmer than he intended.

Cerys's heart fluttered at the endearment. It wasn't the first time he'd spoken to her this way, yet she kept her composure, trying to convey how bubbly he'd made her. 

"I was hoping we could go into the forest today?" 

She asked, her fingers toying with the gloves she held in her hands.

Cregan sighed, running a hand over his face as if trying to wipe away the weariness that clung to him.

"In truth, I forgot to tell the guards to ready the horses" 

He rose abruptly, quickly scrolling his papers, and about to rush out and correct his mistake; but Cerys gently halted him with a raised hand.

"I assumed as much," 

His gaze lowered down to meet her own, he half expected to see disappointment displayed on her face but was instead met with her gentle smile. 

"Why don't we take a stroll instead?" 

She suggested, gesturing towards the door. 

"Whatever you wish for, my lady" 

He replied, offering his arm to her. 

Cerys draped her hand over his arm as they stepped out of the study and into the brisk, chilly air. The snowfall was light, but the cold still annoyed her. She was growing weary of this harsh winter. 

"I do not understand how you can endure such weather" 

She admitted as they strode against the now rough snow below them. A soft chuckle escaped his lips. 

"This is a light winter...you have not seen the worst of it." 

Cregan's words carried him elsewhere. His eyes became distant as if recalling something dark from his past. What was so awful for him to dissociate? 

"Is everything alright?" 

She whispered to him, her other hand gently touching his forearm. his eyelashes fluttered as he blinked back to the present. 

"Of course." 

But there was something in his tone that made her doubt him. She didn't need another liar in her life.

"I suppose we can venture beyond the gates, far enough to be safe." 

He proposed, looking down at the girl beaming at his proposal. Without hesitation, she tugged eagerly at his arm, leading him towards the gates. He chuckled softly, allowing himself to follow her even as his thoughts remained clouded by his previous thoughts.