THE SECRET (The Power Of Love Conquers All)
CHAPTRE 13

Azril looked at the trees where Jacelyn had disappeared, then turned to Ailean. "Is it possible that these stupid thoughts were about a beautiful Northumbrian woman?" Guess it.

Ailean shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe" he gave me a chance.

Azril knew if he was better off not to press about this. The leader of his country did not look so happy at his confession just now.

"It will be a very long journey home" Azril said with a sigh before turning around to take care of his own horse.

Jacelyn managed to keep her path looking respectable until she hid safely behind the trees. Then, he immediately fell down and held his lower back. God, it hurts so bad, his butt and thighs feel like they're all out on an all-out whip.

The girl walked around until her legs no longer felt stiff. Then, Jacelyn washed her face and hands with the cold water of the pond. Jacelyn felt much better after cleaning herself up, and she also felt hungry now. The girl rushed back to the field. He could hear that the men were discussing something. But, as soon as they saw it, they immediately shut their mouths tightly.

Ailean, Jacelyn immediately realized that the man was not there. The woman felt a little panicked in a moment which made her stomach feel turbulent. Then, that feeling quickly overpowered the girl's body. But after Jacelyn saw Ailean's dark horse. The fear soon disappeared. That Stewart knight might have abandoned him, but the man wouldn't have left his loyal horse, would he? Think Jacelyn.

Jacelyn was alone in the forest with four knights who were completely foreign to her. If news of such a situation reached anyone's ears in Northumbria, in an instant his reputation would be destroyed without a trace. His mother would probably kill him too. Strange, but that last thought did not bother Jacelyn at all. The woman could not feel any emotions on her own mother now. Uncle Oilbhries had already explained his brother's cold attitude towards his own daughter with a lie that Jacelyn reminded her mother of the man she loved who had died.

Lying, so many lies.

"You better get some rest, madam."

Jacelyn flinched when she heard Azril's voice behind her, and her hand immediately floated into her chest. The woman took a few breaths before answering. "We should have dinner before we rest, what are you doing with those bags?"

Azril gestured to the other side of the field. Jacelyn rushed across the field to arrange the food. His loyal servant at the residence had put a beautiful white cloth in the bag. Jacelyn first spread the cloth over the hard ground. There was thick, crispy black bread, lots of triangular-shaped red and yellow cheese, thick sheets of smoked pork, and a large fresh green apple.

Once everything was ready, the girl invited the men to join her. Then, he waited. After a while, he realized that they had no intention of joining him for dinner. Jacelyn could feel if her face turned red from embarrassment. She sat on the ground, her legs folded under the hem of her skirt, her hands folded in one over her lap. He kept his head down so that no one among them could see how embarrassed he was now.

It was a foolish mistake, offering to share food with them, He was a Northumbrian, and they probably wouldn't accept sharing food with him.

Jacelyn told herself that she had nothing to be ashamed of. He did not need to be a rude barbarian. They are the ones like that.

Ailean walked back to the field and immediately stopped towards Jacelyn who could already tell her if something was wrong. The woman's face looked very red. He turned to look at his men. Azril and Garfie sat on the ground on the other side of the field with their backs resting on the trees. Azril fully realized, while Garfie looked almost asleep, Sgaire, as silent as usual, was already sound asleep. The man was fully wrapped in his robe, only the top of his blond head was visible.

Ailean noticed the mound of food in front of Jacelyn and could immediately guess what was really going on. He sighed, then linked his hands behind his back then walked over to stand beside Jacelyn. The woman did not want to look at herself at all. As soon as Jacelyn realized that Ailean was walking towards her, the woman refocused her attention on rearranging the food into her bag.

Jacelyn was stuffing the eating places into the bag as Ailean sat in front of her.

Suddenly, Azril appeared beside him. Without a word, the man sat down and grabbed into the bag. He took out all the eating places that Jacelyn had put in. After throwing some bread at Ailean, Azril put a triangular cheese in her mouth.

Then, Garfie joined them. Jacelyn took one apple timidly as she intended to keep it for the sleeping knight, to eat by him tomorrow morning.

"Sgaire must have been so tired that she didn't have time to eat dinner" Jacelyn said.

Azril snorted happily at Jacelyn's words. "Sgaire wasn't tired, he was just stubborn. He won't eat your apples tomorrow. Because you're a Northumbrian. No, he..."

Jacelyn's facial wrinkle stopped Azril's explanation. The woman turned to look at Sgaire, judging the distance between them in her mind, then took an apple from her lap. "If you're really sure he's not gonna eat this apple tomorrow, then he's gonna have to eat it now."

Jacelyn had intended to throw the apple at the unfriendly Stewart. But, while resuscitating his back to aim, Ailean clutched her hand.

"You won't do that," Ailean said as she looked at Jacelyn.

Ailean did not want to let go of her hand, even though Jacelyn had tried to escape as much as possible until finally the woman gave up the power of Ailean's hand that was much larger than her.

"You're right" said Jacelyn. "I'm just going to waste an apple, a super-quality Northumbrian apple, if I may add, to a bad-tempered Stewart." Jacelyn paused for a moment and shook her head. "I can't believe he's got a relationship with Ainsley Callista. You can let go of my hand now Ailean."

Ailean obviously did not trust Jacelyn. The man took Jacelyn's hand off, but she took the apple. Jacelyn was so shocked by Ailean's sudden smile that she couldn't argue with him at all.

"You don't want Sgaire to be your enemy, Jacelyn." Azril.

"But, she's already my enemy" replied Jacelyn.the woman found it hard to turn her eyes to Ailean as she answered the man. "Sgaire has decided not to like me before we even met, right?"

No one answered him. Then Garfie changed the subject. "If you get upset every time you think someone doesn't like you, then you'll be throwing apples all day long as you get to the Highlands."

"Apple Stewart super quality," Azril sneered.

Jacelyn turned around wrinkling her face towards the knight. "I don't care if I like it or not" Jacelyn said. "Ainsley Callista needs me that's what's most important to me. My feelings are obviously not that important."

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