The Soldier's Vow

Decisions Of The Heart

CHAPTER 5

Matt furrowed his brow, the tone of Mirabel’s voice causing him to squeeze his face to a frown. “She's just a child. Let her be,” he muttered, trying his best to sound calm.

Mirabel scoffed, folding her arms as though to shield herself from his reasoning. “Excuse me, Emma isn't just a child. She's a noble child, born and bred in wealth. She isn't uncivilized like... some of us here.”

Her words were pointed at Matt, but he remained unmoved. He simply watched her, keeping his stoic expression. The jab rolled off him like water on stone, a reaction that only seemed to irk Mirabel more.

“Now, Emma,” Mirabel continued with twitching brows, shifting her attention to the little girl clinging to Matt’s chest. “What did I tell you about trusting strangers? Come here at once.”

Emma pouted, burying her face deeper into Matt’s chest as if the very idea of leaving him was unbearable. She clung to him with all the stubbornness of a child who had found her safe place.

“Emma!” Mirabel snapped, her tone icy now. "You’re embarrassing yourself."

Matt looked down at the little girl nestled in his arms. Her small hands gripped his shirt tightly, her wide eyes darting to Mirabel before hiding again. “It’s alright,” he muttered softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You don’t have to go anywhere if you don’t want to.”

Mirabel’s face twitched as she strongly resisted the urge to lunge at Matt and yank Emma from his grasp, but that would be a barbaric act that wasn't befitting someone of her Caliber. However, before she could retort, another voice cut through the room

“Matt.”

The single word, spoken quietly but shakily, brought all eyes to Fiona. She stood at the edge of the room, her arms crossed. Her gaze was sharp, but underneath it was something softer—something Matt couldn’t quite place.

Mirabel smirked, seizing the moment. “Since you're back…” she said, stepping forward. “Why don’t you tell us where you've been all these years? Leaving without a word... Fiona deserves answers."

Matt met Fiona's gaze for a long moment before he turned back to Mirabel. He let out a heavy sigh.

“I joined the army,” he gave a simple and curt answer.

Gasps rippled through the room, followed by murmurs. The revelation was unexpected.

“And now?” Mirabel pressed, gazing deep into his eyes, as though trying to bore out the truth.

“Now…” Matt said with a soft and steady voice. He stole a glance at Fiona as he added, “I’m retired. I came back as soon as I could.”

“Retired?” Mirabel’s brows arched down. “So, after all this time, you expect to walk back into Fiona’s life like nothing happened? Without so much as a letter or a message? Do you know the kind of pain you caused her?”

Matt opened his mouth to respond, but Mirabel wasn’t finished. She turned to Fiona, her voice softening but losing none of its sharpness. “Fiona, you don’t owe him anything. In fact, I’ve already spoken to your father about this. You deserve better—a stable life for you and Emma. Young Master Walter is ready to provide that stability.”

At the mention of Walter, all eyes turned to the man standing near the doorway.

Walter, tall and impeccably dressed, inclined his head with a smug smile. “Of course,” he said smoothly. “I’ll take care of Emma as if she were my own. You wouldn’t have to worry about anything, Fiona.”

Matt’s right fist clenched at his side, but he said nothing.

Fiona’s eyes darted between the two men, her mind boggled with conflicting thoughts. For a moment, the room seemed to get hotter and smaller. Then she spoke.

“Thank you, Walter,” she humbly said. “But no.”

Walter’s smile faltered, “I’m sorry—what?”

“Yeah, what?” Janet raised a brow in confusion. Everyone was also shocked by the sudden refusal.

“I said no,” Fiona repeated, with a voice stronger this time. She stepped forward, maintaining eye contact with the Young Master. “I won’t marry you, Walter. And I won’t cut Matt out of Emma’s life.”

Mirabel sputtered, her composure slipping, “Fiona, think of Emma! Think of her future—”

“I am thinking of her!” Fiona snapped, turning to face Mirabel. “Emma has a father, and she deserves to know him.”

“But he left you!” Mirabel shot back. “He left you to fend for yourself, Fiona. Do you really think he can provide for Emma now?”

“That’s enough, mom. Enough…” Fiona’s voice was quiet but audible to everyone. She looked at Matt, her eyes searching his face. For a moment, she hesitated, as if wrestling with something deep within her.

Finally, she took a deep breath, let it out, and said, “Matt, you’re Emma’s father, and she deserves to have you in her life. But this isn’t about us,” she added quickly, cutting off whatever response he might have had. “You can stay. You can be there for her. But this—” She gestured between them. “This doesn’t mean we’re... anything.”

The room was plunged into silence.

Matt wasn't exactly satisfied with her response, but he nodded. “I understand,” he said quietly.

Mirabel looked ready to explode, but before she could say anything, Walter stepped forward, his smile returning as if nothing had happened. “Fiona…” he said smoothly. “I hope you know I only want what’s best for you. And for Emma.”

“And I hope you know that I can make those decisions for myself,” Fiona replied, her voice as cold as ice.

Walter’s smile faltered, but he said nothing more.

The room fell into an uneasy silence, every individual delving into their separate thoughts.

Mirabel looked as though she might faint from sheer outrage, while Walter’s carefully constructed facade cracked just enough to show his displeasure.

Matt, meanwhile, glanced down at Emma. She looked up at him, her wide eyes full of something he couldn’t quite name. Trust? Hope? Whatever it was, it burned in his chest like a flame, small but unyielding.

The moment was broken by Fiona’s voice, soft but firm. “This is how it’s going to be,” she said, looking around the room. “Matt will stay, but only as Emma’s father. Nothing more.”

The finality in her tone left no room for argument.

Mirabel gaped at her, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Walter gritted his teeth, his hands clenching at his sides.

And Matt? Matt simply nodded. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

For a moment, no one moved. Then, as if some invisible signal had been given, the room began to stir. People whispered among themselves, their voices a low hum of speculation and disbelief.

But Fiona paid them no mind. She turned to Matt, trying her best to form a small smile.

“Come on,” she said softly, gesturing for him to follow her.

Matt hesitated, then followed her out of the room, Emma still clinging to his side.

Behind them, the whispers grew louder, but Matt didn’t care. All that mattered was the little girl in his arms and the woman leading him down the hallway.

For the first time in years, he felt... something.

Hope.