"I cannae come to save ye."
Again she stopped, turned around and this time she put her hands on her hips. "Any why not?"
"Because I will have a wife by then and I cannae leave her. What would she think o' me going off to save another lass?"
Kannak's demeanor suddenly changed. She had not thought of him taking a wife until now and found it disturbing. She intended to take a husband someday, but she did not consider being separated from Stefan. The thought of them not being together oddly hurt her heart. "What sort o' wife will ye take?"
"I have given that a great deal o' thought. She must be shy when 'tis fitting to be shy, cheerful when 'tis fitting to be cheerful and she must love me. I will not consider a wife who dinna not love me wholly and completely afore I marry her."
"And will ye love her?"
"If I am forced." He passed her by and left her standing there with her mouth agape. Just as he expected, she ran to catch up.
"I curse yer long legs, Stefan Rossetti. Ye are always making me run after ye."
She was right, of course, and it would not do in the future. He wanted to walk with her, talk to her and just look at her when Jirvel was not with them. "I will try to amend my ways, but only for yer sake and none other."
"Thank ye. Now I must know; how can a lad be forced to love his wife?"
"'Tis not easy, I assure ye. But there are times when a lad falls under a lass' spell."
"What spell? Do tell me Stefan so I may use this spell on my husband."
He had already said too much. "Ye are too young still."
"I am a wee bairn again so soon?" She smacked his arm and got ahead of him. "I hate ye sometimes."
He smiled. "I know." It was then he realized what was in front of them. Between the trees he could see some sort of structure. It appeared to be in the crevice between the two hills.
Kannak couldn't help but beam. "'Tis the hidden castle."
"Ye have tricked me."
"Aye, but ye will find it well worth the trickery." She grabbed his hand as she had a million times before, but this time her heart fluttered at his touch, it startled her and she quickly let go. "Come, I will show ye."
"I dinna know, Kannak. 'Tis not safe."
"We need not go in, we will only see it from the outside and then we will leave."