by Mia Pride
“I wish to hear the ballad honoring my fallen brother by marriage and I am most certain all in attendance wish to hear it as well, aye?” William said just as there was a lull in the shouting and gestures. Relief washed over Elizabeth as the crowd quieted down and nodded their agreement, urging Lachlan to share the ballad that had not yet reached their lands.
Walking across the room, Lachlan approached the head table and stepped up onto a bench, clearing his throat. “The Macleans of Duart are honored to be here with the Irvines and Keiths, and to celebrate peace, love, and unity. We regret our role in Harlaw, as I believe many Highland clans do, and I especially regret my father’s ambitions and the pain his greed has caused. We vow to keep the peace and never again be lured by power and greed. In honor of yer fallen laird, Alexander, I wish to share with ye all a ballad a bard has been sharing throughout the land, commending his character and skills.”
The crowd had grown silent with anticipation and a sadness hung over the room. Elizabeth choked back a tear and sat back in her chair slowly, daring to make eye contact with Mary, who dabbed at her eyes with a square of linen while she rubbed her belly. Closing her eyes, Elizabeth gripped her rosary and prepared to hear a story about a man she had briefly called husband. A man she hardly knew yet would never forget.
Clearing his throat once more, Lachlan took a deep breath and began to lament, with a voice that brought gooseflesh to Elizabeth’s spine. He was a large, rough looking man with the voice of an angel, and more tears welled up in her eyes.
“Gude Sir Alexander Irvine,
The much renownit Laird of Drum,
Nane in his days was better sene,
Whan they war semblit all and some.
To praise him we sould nocht be dumb
For valour, wit, and worthiness.
To end his days he there did come,
Whose ransom is remedyless.”
Robert gripped her hand and she squeezed tightly, looking at her husband as a tear ran down his cheek and his head hung low. When Lachlan finished, the entire room was silent for an eerie moment before they ruptured into a resounding cheer, men on their feet and saluting both Lachlan for his ballad and their lost laird who would be remembered as a hero and for his courage and devotion.
Standing up in her seat, Elizabeth grabbed a goblet of wine from the table that she had yet to taste and raised her glass high. “To Sir Alexander Irvine, third laird of Drum and my husband of too few days. He was kind, honorable, and loyal to his people. He married for peace and he died for peace. May he always be remembered as his ballad describes him: full of valor, wit and worthiness. To Alexander,” she chimed, raising her goblet higher before taking a sip.
“To Alexander!” the room shouted and drank along with their lady.
Robert stood up beside her and raised his glass before taking a drink, giving her a grateful smile, and she was glad to see the tears on his cheeks were drying up. Though her wedding was meant to be a joyous event, it felt right to honor Alexander today and having Lachlan, the son of the man who killed him, be the one to share the ballad meant more to her than she could express.
Soon, the crowd was back to celebrating and drinking, and the minstrels had begun to sing once more. Scanning the room, Elizabeth shook her head and nudged Robert when she noticed her brother and Mary arguing once more in the corner. It seemed the two of them would never get along but, strangely, Tilda and Reginald were missing from the room and Elizabeth crinkled her brow, wondering where they had disappeared to.
“Have I told ye how beautiful ye look tonight, my lady?” Turning toward Robert, she shrugged playfully and took another sip of her wine.
“I dinnae ken. Mayhap ye should tell me once more, my laird.”
Taking her hand in his, he placed his other hand on her cheek and looked deep into her eyes, making her breath catch in her chest. “Ye truly are the bonniest woman in all the world, my sweet Lizzie. I vow to love and cherish ye always and to remain a faithful husband until my last breath.” Leaning in, he placed a slow, lingering kiss on her lips and she sighed, loving the feel of his soft mouth on hers, knowing she would never tire of the feel of him.
“I love ye, Robert. I cannae believe I almost made the greatest mistake of my life by letting ye go, but I shall never let ye go ever again, I vow,” she whispered against his lips, closing her eyes and breathing him in, committing this moment to her memory forever. Looking behind her, she stared at the screens separating the keep from the kitchens and had an idea.
“We may not be able to make it all the way to the stairs unseen, but we can make it behind the screen. I ken how to move through the kitchens without being seen.”
Raising a brow, Robert grinned and shook his head. “My mischievous lady. Ye are full of surprises. Lead the way.”
Gripping his hand and looking around, Elizabeth knew nobody was truly paying them any attention any longer, which suited her just fine. She would brave the crowds and their taunts if needed, but a private escape was all she wanted. Time alone with Robert in a place nobody would find them. “Now!” she whispered and giggled softly, dragging him behind her as she ducked low and snuck around the screens. She knew the kitchen would be busy with women cleaning up after the meal but, as she suspected, they were far too engrossed in their work to notice them at all. Seeing the door leading out to the garden, Elizabeth silently pointed and Robert nodded, this time taking her hand and leading the way.
The door’s hinges creaked and Elizabeth winced but, thankfully, the chatter from the hall drowned out the sound to all other ears.
“Och! Where did the laird and his lady get off to?” he heard a man say loud enough for the entire hall to hear.
“They must have snuck up the tower stairs!” another voice shouted and everyone started chattering all at once.
“If they think they can avoid the bedding ceremony, they had better think again!” a woman said and the crowd laughed and cheered.
“Up the stairs! Let’s find them!”
Squealing, Elizabeth pulled Robert through the door and shut it before anyone from the kitchens paid attention. “I think we did it!” she said, panting as she felt the cool night air wrap around them, cooling her heated face with its welcoming chill.
The handle on the door rattled and she froze, looking at Robert, wondering if they would be disturbed after all. When it flew open, her heart sank until she saw Tilda’s wide eyes staring back at her. “Shoo! Go! I will keep everyone away! They have made a game of finding ye!”
“Where have ye been?” Elizabeth asked, knowing she had little time but still curious about her maid’s whereabouts.
“Ye really want to ask that now when ye have a mob of clanspeople seeking to taunt ye with bawdy suggestions, aye?” Tilda asked incredulously. “Now, go!” She made a shooing sound and waved her arms just as Robert nodded and pulled her away from the door and deeper into the darkness of the night.
As they ran across the grass of the inner bailey, all the sounds of chaos faded away, replaced only by the rustling of leaves, the howling of the wind, and the sounds of their breathing. Robert steered her to the left toward the forest and Elizabeth stopped and pulled back, wondering where they were actually going to escape to. “We cannae go into the woods, Robert!”
“Aye, we can. Trust me,” he said calmly, urging her to follow. She did trust him. She had no idea what he intended, but she found that she did not care, for she felt safe and loved and protected wherever she was with Robert and knew she trusted him to take her anywhere.
Reaching the edge of the woods, Robert pulled her in further and guided her through some low brush where a small almost indistinguishable trail could be seen by the light of the moon filtering through the branches overhead. It was midsummer and though it had not rained in a while, Elizabeth could feel the cool earth beneath her slippers sink in with every step.
“I have a surprise for ye. A place we can always go when we wish to escape prying eyes. Just follow this trail,” Robert s
aid, holding her hand and leading the way. She giggled and followed with anticipation, always enjoying a good adventure, even if it was a small one into the woods.
A few moments later, she saw a looming shadow in the distance. Something tall and solid, but too dark to fully identify. “What is that, Robert?” When she had pulled him behind the kitchen screens and out the door to the gardens, she had no idea where they would escape to. She simply wished to avoid the crush and have privacy with the man she loved without all eyes on her. Wherever they were heading, it must be a place Robert decided to take her on a whim, and that made it even more exciting.
Pushing open the door, Robert pulled her inside, and the chill within immediately went to her bones. It was pitch black and Elizabeth could not even see beyond her own nose. “Robert?”
“Stand right here,” he instructed, releasing her hand and disappearing into the darkness for what felt an eternity but must have only been a moment. She heard shuffling sounds and saw a spark light up the dark just before a fire began to blaze in a hearth to her right. Blinking her eyes and looking around, Elizabeth adjusted to the light and realized they were in a small cabin. One wooden bed lay in the corner of the room with a small table beside it, and another table with a set of two small chairs was set near the hearth.
“A cabin in the woods?” she asked slowly, spinning in a circle to take in the small details of the rather simple room.
“A hunting cabin, aye. This forest is the king’s hunting land, dinnae ye forget. I havenae been here in a long time, but my men keep it ready if ever the regent or his men wish to hunt. Few men ever stay in this. ’Tis mostly for emergency use if a man is injured or weather turns on them. When we left the castle, I kenned I wanted to take ye here.”
Smiling, Elizabeth walked over to Robert and placed a soft kiss on his lips. The small room was heating up a bit more already from the fire and the thought of being here in this cozy, secluded place with her new husband made her stomach flutter with excitement.
“I am verra glad ye decided to show me. I wasnae so sure where we would go, only that I needed to be away from the madness.”
Robert ran his hands through her hair and rested his forehead on hers. “There is nobody around to disturb us now, Lizzie. I love ye. Ye ken that, aye? I have loved ye longer than I ever wanted to believe. Ye werenae meant to be mine.”
“Aye, I was. I was always meant to be yers, Rob. Nobody else’s. I love ye and have since I laid eyes on ye. Tilda warned me not to fall in love with the wrong brother on my first night, but it was already too late.”
A shiver from the cold ran up her spine, and Elizabeth huddled closer to Robert for warmth. “Will ye lay down with me near the fire?” he asked softly, kissing her temple. “I will keep ye warm.” Nodding, she watched as he removed his plaid from his shoulder and laid it on the floor by the fire. Putting out a hand, he helped her sit down beside him and wrapped his arms around her. For several moments, they held one another and stared at the flames, simply enjoying the silence and their first moments together as husband and wife. Elizabeth sighed and leaned closer to Robert, unsure how she had found a love like this when it was all she had avoided her entire life. Now, she could not imagine a day without Robert by her side.
Turning to face him, she felt herself blush, once again remembering their night together on the battlements. He was hers now. She wanted to be intimate with him, to be fully disrobed and know what it meant to make love with him, to see all of him and be one with him. Leaning in, she kissed him, lingering at his lips and feeling a thrill when he deepened it, slipping his tongue against hers as he slowly laid her onto her back.
The fire popped in the background and her flesh warmed up, both from the fire and anticipation of Robert’s touch. She ached for more and when his hand started to slowly wander from her waist up to her breasts, she arched into his touch, urging him to continue.
“Ye are my wife now, Elizabeth Irvine. I am sorry ye had to endure so much, but I hope ye will always be proud to be by my side. I should have married ye before Harlaw. I should have said how I felt about ye and fought to be with ye.”
“Ye couldnae have. We both ken that. We are here together now, and I want to be yer wife in all ways, Robert,” she said breathlessly, biting her lower lip and looking up at his glazed eyes full of love and lust.
When Robert’s hand cupped her breast, she shifted beneath him and felt the evidence of his arousal, knowing in that moment that he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
Reaching behind her back, Robert tugged the string of her bodice and began to loosen her dress down her shoulders, taking her linen under tunic down at the same time. When her breasts were free from the confines of the dress, she breathed deeply and felt the heat from the fire warming her flesh.
“By all that is holy, Elizabeth. Ye are the most beautiful woman I have ever kenned,” he said slowly, running his finger across her breast and erect nipple before placing a soft kiss on each. Her breath hitched in her chest at the sensation of his mouth on her flesh. Closing her eyes, she felt him suck one nipple into his mouth, then the other, causing her hips to buck instinctively in reaction to his ministrations.
Reaching out, Elizabeth opened her eyes and gripped his surcoat, urging him to remove it. She wanted to see him. Aye, she had seen his bare chest more than once on the lists during practice, but she wanted to feel him, to run her fingers over the ridges of his muscle and revel in the feel of his warm skin, the coarse hairs of his chest against her fingertips.
Wasting no time, Robert yanked off the surcoat and tunic and stayed on his knees, hovering over her as his gaze bored into hers. His dimple showed in the light of the fire as he gave her a small smirk. “I am going to make ye mine. I am going to show ye what it means to be my wife.”
The determination in his eyes and the sureness of his words made her tingle from head to toe. She wanted to finally know what it meant to make love to a man and know that she was loved in return. “If it is anything like the night on the battlements, then I cannae wait to be yers,” she softly replied.
Leaning down, Robert grazed his lips down her throat, placing soft nips as he went until he reached her breasts once more, his hands tugging her dress down her hips. “It will be so much better than that, my love.” She shivered again, gooseflesh covering her arms and her nipples puckering when he flicked his tongue over them. He was driving her mad with need and he had not even fully removed her dress.
With a swift tug, her dress and under tunic were gone and Elizabeth was fully nude in front of a man for the first time in her life. Looking down, she saw his gaze wander her body, like a man studying a sculpture and finding wonder in its details. “Ye are… breathtaking, Elizabeth,” he said softly, swallowing hard.
When his hands began to move down her hips and over her thighs, Elizabeth groaned and widened her eyes, not certain what he meant to do next. But when he urged her to widen her legs and lightly ran a finger through her most private of areas, her entire world turned upside down as her body thrummed with some unknown need. It was that same sensation she had felt before, and her body craved more.
“Remember what I did last time?” he asked, slipping a finger inside her, causing Elizabeth to gasp and lay her head back down with a moan.
“Aye, I remember,” she whispered, closing her eyes as he slipped another finger inside her and touched her again in that one spot that drove her mad. Dear God, she was going to explode from pleasure.
“Look at me, love.” Opening her eyes, she saw him hovering above her, his manhood pressing against his trews, and she knew he was ready to make her his. “If ye are as ready as I am, untie my trews, lass.”
Lifting her hand, she did as he requested, then pushed them down over his hips and down his legs. Seeing him fully nude, she swallowed hard and stared at the evidence of his arousal as it stood proudly before her.
Positioning himself above her, he pressed himself against her entrance and looked her in the eye. “Are ye read
y, Lizzie?” She nodded and adjusted herself, anxious yet excited to feel him become one with her. As he pushed in, she felt the pressure and wondered if it would begin to hurt. Too many times she had heard women describe the first time as painful, and she gritted her teeth and tensed up in preparation.
He quickly thrust into her and she felt a sting of pain deep within, causing her to gasp, but he stopped and kissed her lips softly, resting his forehead on hers. Breathing deeply, Robert waited for her to recover. “Are ye all right?”
“Aye, the pain has subsided. Is that the worst of it?” she asked.
“Aye, I vow.” He began to move again slowly, taking his time, as she adjusted to him. Soon enough, pleasure erased the pain and she started to breathe heavily, moving in tandem with him as he rocked his hips against hers. The fire cast shadows around the room while providing heat, light, and the calming sounds of wood crackling.
Something built deep within her, a feeling that she was going to explode from the pleasure threatening to release all at once from her body. Robert moved faster and his breathing quickened, both their bodies growing frenzied and tensing up around one another. Grabbing Robert’s arms, Elizabeth looked up at him and saw the intensity and emotion in his blue gaze. Lips slightly parted, he watched her as she watched him, becoming one for the first time. “I love ye, Robert Irvine,” she whispered.
“I love ye, Elizabeth Irvine,” he responded in a hoarse voice and gripped her hips tightly, almost painfully, as he thrust harder, deeper, making her entire body thrum with need and pleasure as instinct guided her every move.
A wave of pure ecstasy washed over her, making her call out and dig her nails into Robert’s back as he groaned and tensed before collapsing on top of her, their sweat-slicked skin and bared bodies entangled in one another.