by Jayne Castel
He was traveling to Stirling.
Edward of England was still there.
The news of how David De Keith had tried to plunge a dirk into Longshanks’ neck continued to be the main topic at mealtimes in Dunnottar. Blair couldn’t help but be impressed when he heard, but the castle’s residents were now understandably nervous.
It wasn’t a matter of if Edward’s reckoning would come, but when. Two weeks had passed since the assassination attempt, yet there hadn’t been a whisper from the south.
Blair Galbraith’s swollen lips pressed together, and he flinched.
Maybe he needs a little extra persuasion.
How would the Hammer of the Scots react when he learned that William Wallace was sheltering at Dunnottar?
He’ll march straight here without delay and smash down Dunnottar’s walls.
Squaring his shoulders, Blair Galbraith lengthened his stride and didn’t look back at the fortress again.
They watched the sun set over the sea in a blaze of red and gold, arms wrapped around each other. Below them, a man bellowed foul curses at the warriors sparring with wooden swords in the lower ward bailey.
“Sounds like Draco is making the lads work hard,” Cassian murmured, his mouth quirking.
Aila huffed a laugh, snuggling close to him. She was glad Cassian wasn’t overseeing sword practice this evening. Let Draco put the new members of the Guard through their drills instead for once. War was coming, but right now belonged to her and Cassian.
“I never tire of this view.” Cassian spoke up once more, pointing south. “Look.”
Following his gaze, Aila spied the boat on the horizon. Its large, single sail billowed as the vessel sailed north.
“I imagine it’s a merchant’s birlinn,” he continued. “Bound for Inverness.”
“It’s hard to believe all of southern Scotland is under English rule now,” Aila replied, her brow furrowing. “If I hadn’t been to Stirling and seen it myself, I wouldn’t believe it. Things seem so peaceful here.”
“The calm before the storm,” Cassian replied softly.
Aila shivered, pulling closer the woolen shawl she’d wrapped around her shoulders before coming up onto the walls. The prophetic edge to his voice cast a shadow over the day’s joy. Yet at the same time, the knowledge that war was looming made every moment she shared with Cassian more precious.
The wedding festivities were over now. There would be no music and dancing late into the evening. The shortness of their celebrations was a reminder of the threat to Dunnottar. Of course, Edward of England wasn’t their only foe. This fortress had already been preparing for an assault from Shaw Irvine. However, Longshanks had now eclipsed the danger Irvine posed.
“I’ve fought in so many wars over the centuries,” Cassian continued, his gaze still tracking the merchant boat north. “I’ve lost count.”
“I know ye can’t die, but don’t ye dread the fighting all the same?” she asked.
“I don’t enjoy having a blade stab me through the guts … but no, not really.” He then glanced at Aila, and she saw his gaze was shadowed. “But I do worry for others.”
He shifted closer still to Aila and wrapped an arm about her shoulders, drawing her against him. Aila sank into his warmth, his strength. When Cassian stood at her side, she felt as if she could face anything.
The pair of them lapsed into silence for a few moments, enjoying the moment of peace together here high up on the walls.
Eventually, Aila stirred. “It’s been a wonderful day … I’m sorry to see it end.”
“So am I.”
“The ceremony … the banquet … it was all perfect. It was great to see you, Maximus, and Draco relaxing together too.” She paused there. “During the meal, ye called Maximus ‘Great One’ … why?”
Their gazes met, and Cassian’s mouth curved. “His name means ‘the greatest’, and since he’s an arrogant bastard, Draco and I like to tease him about it.”
“And what of yer name?” Aila asked, grinning now.
“I have no idea … it was given to me when I enlisted in the imperial army and became a Roman citizen … my old Spanish name was Barros.”
“Really … I think ‘Cassian’ suits ye better.”
His smile widened. “Me too. I’ve had it for so long I can’t imagine being called anything else.”
“And Draco?”
“That’s easy … his name means ‘dragon’.”
Aila stiffened. “Dragon … isn’t that in yer riddle?”
Cassian inclined his head. “Yes … ‘when the White Hawk and Dragon wed, only then will the curse be broke’.”
Aila pulled away from him, excitement quickening in her belly. “Maybe, Draco is part of the riddle?”
Cassian stared at her. “What?”
“Draco … dragon … it makes perfect sense.”
“But I thought it might belong to one of the clans,” he replied. The stunned expression he now wore was almost comical. “Part of a crest or a motto. Or maybe it refers to the name of a warlord or king.”
Aila shook her head. “I think ye are casting yer net too broadly. It’s made the three of ye blind. What if the person ye seek is right beneath yer nose?”
Cassian’s big body went rigid. A beat passed, and then he threw back his head and laughed. The sound carried over the ramparts, causing the guards farther down the wall to turn and stare at them.
Cassian paid their bemused looks no mind. Still grinning, he turned back to Aila once more, his hazel eyes gleaming gold in the sunset. “Hades … I knew there was a reason I wed you.” And with that, he leaned in close and kissed her.
Read Book #3 of The Immortal Highland Centurions
DRACO is available!
The immortal centurion with a heart of stone. The lady who scorns him. A marriage that will end the curse. Enemies to lovers in Medieval Scotland—with a touch of fantasy.
Draco Vulcan stopped caring about anything or anyone years ago. Cursed to live forever, he only finds joy on the battlefield. But in order to break the curse upon him and his friends, he must wed a woman he can’t stand.
The lady in question has just escaped a loveless marriage. The last thing she wants is to enter another one—especially to the cold, brutal warrior who fights at William Wallace’s side.
When the English king hears that Wallace is hiding at Dunnottar Castle, and lays siege to the fortress—Draco and the widow must band together against this common foe. But are they prepared to take things a step further and sacrifice their own happiness to break an ancient curse?
Book #3 in The Immortal Highland Centurion series, DRACO is the dramatic conclusion to a high-octane romance trilogy about three cursed Roman soldiers and the brave-hearted Scottish women who love them.
Get your copy of DRACO here:
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FROM THE AUTHOR
I hope you enjoyed the second installment in THE IMMORTAL HIGHLAND CENTURIONS.
CASSIAN was an emotional book to write. I really felt for Cassian’s situation, while at the same time wanting to give him a shake for being so guarded and stubborn. Aila was a fascinating heroine—a young woman full of contradictions. I loved seeing her blossom as the story progressed.
Unrequited love is one of my favorite romance tropes. Having said that, this is the first one I’ve done where the woman is the one who’s hopelessly in love. It was a powerful theme to explore, as was the fact that pain is just part of love—and if we seek to avoid it at all costs, we avoid living. I found this story a real ‘old-school’ romance—there were so many fun scenes to write.
I’m afraid I’ve left you with a bit of a cliff-hanger at the end of Book #2 (insert evil author laugh here!), but fear not, dear reader, for Book #3 is already on preorder and due very soon!
Once again there’s quite a bit of historical background that went into this novel (read my historical notes below for details on it), a
nd it was great fun to bring Edward of England into the plot. As you might have guessed, we’re not done with him yet either!
Get ready for Draco’s story!
Follow me on Facebook to keep updated on my upcoming books. Or you can join my mailing list (not only do you get updates, exclusive stories, and a chance to join my ARC list, but you also receive free origin stories for Maximus and Heather—the hero and heroine of Book #1 of THE IMMORTAL HIGHLAND CENTURIONS).
Jayne x
HISTORICAL NOTES
Once again, these notes are lengthy—but worth the read if you like a bit of historical background insight! Some of these are repeated from the notes at the back of Maximus (for those of you who haven’t read Book 1), but there are also some additional details I think you’ll enjoy learning about.
As those of you who’ve read Book #1 will know, this tale hinges around the story of the Ninth legion—a legion of five thousand men who marched into the wilds of Caledonia in around 118 AD and were never seen again.
The Ninth legion was also called ‘the Hispana’, or Spanish legion. The generals and commander would have all been Roman, but most of the legion was made up of soldiers from Hispania (Spain). Cassian comes from what is now northern Spain, and the Roman fort of Brigantium—now the town of A Coruña, in Galicia.
Halley’s Comet is a prominent feature in the whole series. Back in the Dark Ages and Medieval period, it didn’t go by that name (as it was named after the scientist who ‘discovered’ it in 1758). Instead, there are references to it being called ‘the fire-tailed star’. Maximus calls it ‘the Broom-star’, which was actually a name that Chinese astronomers attached to the comet. Halley’s Comet appears in our skies every 75-76 years, and in ancient times it was often heralded as an ill omen. The comet actually appeared in the night-sky in the months preceding the Norman invasion of England, something which the English blamed for their defeat. The Bayeux tapestry even shows the comet! The year in which this series takes place, 1301, was a year in which the comet was sighted.
Dunnottar does mean ‘fort on the shelving slope’ in Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear. The castle is a mighty stronghold perched on cliffs on the north-eastern coast of Scotland. The castle was taken by the English in the final years of the 13th Century and then liberated by William Wallace and his men. When the English garrison realized they were doomed, they locked themselves inside the chapel, hoping to find sanctuary there. However, Wallace showed them no mercy and burned the lot of them to death inside it.
William Wallace, of course, is the famous Scottish freedom fighter. My depiction of Wallace isn’t the Mel Gibson, Braveheart version. Instead, I followed the historical records of him as a giant of a man with thick dark hair and beard. He was also reputed to have had a terrible temper. Not a man to mess with!
Wallace was once in love with a woman called Marion Braidfute. Their story ended in tragedy when Marion was murdered in the Scottish town of Lanark. Fueled by rage and grief, Wallace attacked Lanark and took revenge by killing its English sheriff, Sir William Heselrig. And yes, it’s true, Wallace did make the dried skin of Hugh de Cressingham—the hated English treasurer he’d killed at the Battle of Stirling Bridge—into a scabbard, hilt, and belt!
The year 1301, when our story starts in earnest, is also in the midst of the Scottish Wars of Independence (although they weren’t called that at the time). When this series begins, there was a period of unstable peace although later that year Edward I of England resumes his campaign. The laird of Dunnottar, Robert De Keith, was an English prisoner as I describe, and he did have a wife named Elizabeth, and a son called Robert. However, his brother, David, is fictitious, as is Lady Gavina.
While it’s true that Edward’s son did occupy the south-west of Scotland while his father focused on the other territories, I couldn’t find any mention of Edward residing in Stirling at this time.
However, that doesn’t mean he couldn’t have …
I did a bit of research into Edward of England. Indeed, he went by the name of Longshanks (due to his considerable height), and did have the moniker: the Hammer of the Scots (something that ties nicely into our riddle). At the time of our series, he would have been sixty-two years old. He was tall with dark-blond hair and ‘icy blue’ eyes. He was also reputed to be quite handsome, although a drooping left eyelid marred his looks slightly. Edward was said to have a powerful voice, despite a slight lisp, and a terrible temper when riled. He was clever and a good fighter. With all this in mind, I had a lot of fun writing the scenes with him in them.
Of course, David De Keith (whom I made up!) did not try and assassinate King Edward, but who’s to say a similar incident didn’t occur during Edward’s time in Scotland … he was certainly hated by the Scots.
John ‘The Red’ Comyn also features in this novel. He was a leading Scottish baron and magnate who played an important role in the First War of Scottish Independence. He served as Guardian of Scotland after the forced abdication of his uncle, King John Balliol, in 1296, and for a time commanded the defense of Scotland against English attacks. I couldn’t find out if he was actually in Stirling in 1301, but since he was Guardian, I thought it probable. Comyn stepped down from the role of Guardian in May 1301, so I played around with timelines just a little here!
You’re probably wondering if Stirling Castle does have a secret gate in the Nether Bailey? It did once. If you visit that corner of Stirling Castle, you’ll find an odd grassy mound by the wall walk. Long blocked up, this was the site of a postern gate. It acted as an emergency exit from Stirling Castle in times of trouble. Later on, it may even have been the secret way out taken by a mischievous James V, disguised as ‘the Guidman of Ballengeich’. Dressed as a farmer, James would allegedly sneak out to walk amongst his people incognito to hear what they thought of him.
Once again, we go back to the Kirk of the Holy Rude in Stirling. The kirk does exist, although (to my knowledge) there is no temple of Mithras underneath it!
I got the idea for the temple from a church in Rome, Italy. The Catholic church of San Clemente al Laterano (near the Colosseum) stands atop a 2nd Century mithraeum, a temple to the ancient Roman god, Mithras. I visited the church and temple many years ago (I lived in Rome for a decade in my twenties), but can still remember descending to the dark, damp, cave-like vault, and seeing the altar where a relief depicts Mithras slaying a bull. In the pre-Christian era of the Roman Empire, Mithras was a very popular god worshipped mainly by soldiers.
Of course, as with all my novels, I bend and shape historical fact to suit the story I’m telling. As much as I love research and incorporating fascinating details, they can never overshadow the love story.
CHARACTER GLOSSARY
The three immortal centurions:
Maximus—from Ostia, Italia
Cassian—from Brigantium, Hispania
Draco—from Valentia, Hispania
William Wallace—Scottish freedom fighter
The De Keiths
Robert De Keith (former laird of Dunnottar, currently imprisoned by the English)
Elizabeth De Keith (Robert’s wife)
Robbie De Keith (Robert and Elizabeth’s young son)
David De Keith (Robert’s younger brother—current laird of Dunnottar Castle)
Gavina De Keith (David’s wife, née Ivine)
Donnan De Keith (Steward of Dunnottar)
Iona De Keith (Donnan’s wife)
Heather De Keith (Donnan and Iona’s eldest daughter)
Aila De Keith (Heather’s younger sister)
The Irvines
Shaw Irvine (laird of Drum Castle—brother to Gavina De Keith)
The Galbraiths
Logan Galbraith (laird of Culcreuch Castle)
Lena Galbraith (Logan’s wife)
Cory Galbraith (Logan and Lena’s son—the eldest of four sons: Rory, Aran, and Duglas)
Iain Galbraith (cousin to Cory, former blacksmith of Fintry)
Blair Galbraith (Iain’s younger brother, smi
th at Dunnottar)
The English
Edward I, King of England
Hugh De Burgh (Edward’s commander)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks so much to my readers. I hope you’re loving the series so far!
I’d also like to thank the wonderful Otago/Southland Chapter of RWNZ (Romance Writers of New Zealand), and the organization as a whole. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without your amazing help and support.
And thanks to the love, assistance, and support of my husband, Tim, each book is the best we can make it. Thank you, my love.
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Find out more about the hero and heroine of Book One of THE IMMORTAL HIGHLAND CENTURIONS
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