*Cait*
I came outside for fresh air, but the breeze is heavy tonight, suffocating. I can feel the weight of my father’s words pressing on my chest. "Cait, I have chosen Lachlan."
I can’t bear those words, let alone the thought of marrying Lachlan. My betrothal looms like a storm cloud, dark and ominous, and no matter how much I long for freedom, it is not mine to claim.
I want to be my own woman, free to wield a sword, to fight for my clan, and not be shackled to a life of dullness and silence as a wife. Worse still, Lachlan stirs a cold unease within me. I don’t trust him, and there’s a shadow behind his smile that makes my skin crawl. The thought of being bound to him tightens like a noose around my throat.
I needed to escape the castle walls, entirely. The whispers of the servants,
