"Did yer mother scorn ye for killing him?"
Donar nodded. "At first, but when I brought back gold and silver from England, I was quickly forgiven and in the end, she confessed she was grateful I killed him."
"Then I am pleased too."
"Aye, he deserved to die for what he did to her."
"What did he do to her?"
"Whatever he wanted. A lass who be forced has few choices. She, and the child if one be conceived, will starve if she dinna marry the first lad who will have her, even if she knows him to be unkind. For a lad, pleasuring himself takes but a few minutes. For the lass he forces, the misery dinna end until the day she dies." Again he kept quiet for a time, hoping his son was old enough to grasp the true meaning. "Now I will have yer pledge never to force a lass. Do ye give it?"
He waited for Stefan's nod and then continued. "As to yer mother, I held her to the ground, made her promise not to hurt me again and let her up. It was then I saw how beautiful she was and I believe it was then she began to love me."
"Because ye did not force her?"
"Aye, she said as much later. There was little time, so I picked her up and carried her toward the ship. When she realized what I was doing, she folded her arms and glared at me. 'I'll not go without me sister,' she said. I only meant to take her away from the fighting and talk her into going with me. But she told me which was her sister and then hid behind the rocks until I returned."
At first Stefan was astonished, but then he began to smile. "Ye took them both and for this my aunt hates ye."
"She does indeed. Sheena said she was pledged to marry a deceitful lad and if I wanted her, I had to spare her sister a dreadful marriage."
"But my aunt dinna see that?"
"Nay, she believed she was in love. Even now that she loves her husband very well, she still thinks I robbed her o' the life she was to have. Her betrothed was a laird and she would have been his mistress."
"His miserable mistress."
"True. A lad must learn to know what be best for those he cares about. He must be stronger and wiser even when everyone else disagrees." Donar studied the worried look on his son's face for a moment, found a more comfortable sleeping position and closed his eye. "Fret not, I will teach ye."