The realization that she was about to lose Captain Albyn's protection settled over her like a heavy, wet cloak, suffocating her with an oppressive, bone-chilling cold. She'd underestimated Owain, she realized.
She'd never once imagined that he would go this far just to remove one of the pillars she'd come to rely on for support in Lothian March. Now, she felt utterly helpless, able to see the snare, to understand its mechanism perfectly, and to have no choice but to step into it anyway because every other option was worse.
"No, I... I have no doubts," Jocelynn said carefully, her voice barely wavering despite the tightness in her chest. She stepped directly into Owain's trap, and she hated herself for doing so even as she understood there had never been any alternative.
