Page 113 of The Darkest Oath

“Why? Élise?” Hugo asked, burying his nose into her neck. His arms wrapped tightly around her. Rollant said nothing as Hugo’s body convulsed against hers as he stammered, “He could die tomorrow, and you’d never know it. You’d never know, and you’d be alone. Why throw away a life with me? Why? Why would you do this?”

Élise wanted to soothe his pain, but some pain was inevitable. She cradled his face. His crystal blue eyes pleaded for an answer that she had already given many times before.

“Hugo, maybe it is time to stop asking why,” she whispered. A single tear slipped down her cheek, falling to her lips. “And start seeing what is and what will never be.”

His face contorted, pain written in every line, and he pressed his forehead to hers, his breath uneven against her skin. “I would have been good to you,” he said, his voice thick. Hugo’s arms encircled her, and for a fleeting moment, she allowed herself to lean into him. Rollant could never hold her like Hugo, but she had chosen the sacrifices that came with loving the cursed, immortal knight. She would endure because it meant staying true to her heart.

“I would have given you everything,” Hugo whispered.

“I know you would have, but it’s not fair to you. I would have been a fraud,” she said with a hitch. “I gave my heart to Rollant. I never tried to hide it. I . . . ” Her voice trailed off.

“I tried to steal it back,” he whispered.

Élise whispered, “But there was nothing left to steal.”

The words were as daggers. His lip quivered, and a small whimper escaped.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered through her tears. “I’m so, so sorry you are hurting.”

He didn’t reply at first, his arms tightening around her in one final, protective gesture before he gently pulled back. “I can’t win your heart,” he said quietly, his eyes downcast. “Then I’ll stop trying.”

Élise closed her eyes, deciding on her next words. “You deserve someone who loves you how you deserve to be loved. Not a half-hearted version of what I can give.” She mustered a small, sad smile, her hands falling to her sides, but Hugo caught her left hand.

“Is it because I could not afford a ring of silver?” he asked, glancing at Rollant’s ring.

Élise shook her head. “No, Hugo. It was never about that, and you know it.”

He kissed the back of her hand. “I do,” he whispered. “I had to ask, though.” He fought a smile through the pain.

Her heart tore at his hurt, so she offered an observation she had made earlier in the day. “The miller’s daughter keeps looking at you, did you see?”

He laughed bitterly, shaking his head as he rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s a child.”

“She’s a woman,” Élise said gently. “And old enough to know how she feels.”

He sighed and looked at her, his hand cradling her cheek one last time. “You’ll be the one I compare her to, Élise,” he said. “For the rest of my life.”

But Élise overlaid her hand on his and whispered with a warm smile, “When you find a woman who loves you as much as you love her, there will be no comparison.”

Hugo leaned forward but hesitated with a glance at Rollant. But at Rollant’s silence, he pressed a lingering kiss to her forehead.

Her throat tightened, and she closed her eyes, letting the moment wash over her. When she opened them, Hugo was already stepping back and turning to address Rollant.

“Even though she chose you, I—I couldn’t let the village know the truth . . . She told me her heart was yours since I asked her to be my wife. Even before then. Years before.” Hugo shook his head. “I just—I never listened. I kept hoping. I kept thinking you were just an infatuation, one that would fade to nothing.” His jaw grew taut, and his hands clenched by his sides. “I blinded myself.”

Rollant stepped forward and put a heavy hand on his shoulder. “You are a good man, Hugo. One I was willing to leave Élise with; one I trusted and will continue to trust. You are the respected leader of your community. They look to you. You should walk with your head held high. Love will come to you just as it came to me. In the most random of chances, it will come. When you find a woman who loves you, she will wait for you, just as Élise waits for me, and I for her.”

Hugo nodded with thinned lips. He drew a deep breath through his nostrils and blew it out. “I was honest, Monsieur de Montvieux; I will let no harm come to Élise while you are away. I will not infringe on your love any more than I have. I will respect her ring.”

Rollant dipped his chin to Hugo. “You have my gratitude.”

Hugo’s quivers ceased, and a resigned grin washed over his face as his gaze darted between Rollant and Élise. “I wish you the best in life,” he said before leaving them alone again.

Élise wrapped her arms around Rollant’s waist. “You’re a good man, too.”

Rollant sighed. “I wish I were a better one.”

She rested her chin on his chest. “You need to believe you are a good man and deserve love. You are not alone anymore, Rollant. I am here with you even when you are away. You’ll always have me.”

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