Wed to a Highland Warrior
Page 28
Leora lifted her chin with pride. “King Kenneth is the rightful king and is more man than you or anyone of your brothers could ever be.”
Trey shook his head. He could not believe that he had ever loved this woman. But, then, the woman he had loved had never truly existed. “The king and his selfish ways have corrupted you.”
She laughed. “You are a fool. Old John’s daughter died while trying to free her father. It gave me good reason to return to you and have you sympathize with my plight.”
Trey fought the urge to hit her. “What have you done to Old John and Donald? You haven’t harmed them, have you?”
“I never went to them. When I spied the cottage, I convinced your inept warrior that I wished to go the rest of the way alone, and he obliged me. I took off as soon as he was out of sight and went to find the soldiers I knew would be near.” She raised her chin. “I am a favorite of the king. You would do well to return me to him.”
Bryce stepped forward. “Then let us send you back to him and see if he’ll have you now that you have failed him, and he no longer has any use for you.”
“He will welcome me back,” Leora said, smiling.
“Where does the king wait?” Bryce asked.
“Two meadows over, with more troops than you have warriors.”
Bryce laughed. “Trey was right. You still don’t understand us.”
“Is it safe to leave yet?” Charlotte asked in a whisper, her eyes alert to her surroundings.
“I’m not sure, perhaps a moment more,” Bliss said.
“This all was a ruse, wasn’t it?” Charlotte continued in a hushed tone. “King Kenneth wished to draw out the true king. No doubt he waits nearby with troops to attack.”
“He diverted attention from his true objective,” Bliss said, “but Bryce and his brothers are no fools.”
“True enough. Bryce and his brothers did not sit idly by when they received news of the troops’ converging on the area. I was not made aware of what they did, but it was known that something was being done.”
“I think they planned for every possibility and that a surprise awaits King Kenneth.” Bliss turned, suddenly grabbing Charlotte’s arm and forcing her to crouch down. “Someone comes.”
Leora was forced to sit at one of the tables in the great hall, two warriors standing on either side of her to make certain she didn’t go anywhere until the true king was ready to release her.
“Shouldn’t the women have returned by now?” Bryce asked, though he turned to Carmag before getting an answer. “Da, has all been seen to?”
“All is ready,” his da assured him.
Trey took a moment to listen for his wife, and his hand snapped out to grab his brother’s arm. “Soldiers have them.”
The two men ran, their brothers right behind them. It didn’t take them long to find the spot where the women must have scuffled with the soldiers.
“That’s my Charlotte,” Bryce said with pride. “She’d never let herself be captured without a fight.”
Trey couldn’t say the same of Bliss. Her mind was her weapon, and he wondered how she had used it. He wished she wasn’t silent in his thoughts, for he could only assume that she had her hands full dealing with her situation.
’Tis the way it was meant to be.
Trey almost smiled. He had never thought that fate could have a voice, but he sensed that was who had spoken to him . . . Fate. And he decided to trust her.
“It is time for the true king to meet King Kenneth on the battlefield,” Bryce said.
The brothers said nothing. They all knew that this day would come, when they would have to stand by and let the true king fight. It had been predicted: when he meets death on his own, that is when he claims the throne.
Was King Kenneth’s death what Bliss had felt or would there be more blood shed than the false king’s?
“We could exchange Leora for your women,” Reeve said, “though I doubt the king cares enough about her for such an exchange.”
“Then Leora will learn the folly of her ways,” Duncan said.
Bryce looked to each of his brothers. “Come and let us make ready. The day we have planned and worked so hard for is here . . . the true king steps forward and demands his rightful throne.”
Chapter 35
Bliss and Charlotte stood beside King Kenneth’s horse and watched as the four MacAlpin brothers rode together toward the middle of the meadow, while behind them stood five rows of mighty Highlander warriors. To the sides of the meadows, three rows of Highlander warriors congregated. They all raised their shields and weapons cheering on the four brothers.
Charlotte grinned, then winced, the bruise at the corner of her mouth paining her.
“Bryce is not going to be happy when he sees that you have been injured,” Bliss said softly.
“He knows I’ve taken worse and survived.” Her grin grew. “Besides, we are the MacAlpin women, and we cannot cower in fear; we must be strong and able to stand at our husbands’ sides, ready to fight if necessary or ready to cheer them on in battle. That is who we are; who we are meant to be.” Charlotte chuckled. “And wait until Trey gets at look at your eye. I bet it looks worse than my bruised mouth.”
Bliss had to laugh herself. She had never physically fought with anyone in her life. She had always used her wit to escape any kind of threat or injury, and it had always worked well for her.
That hadn’t happened this time. She had realized too late that soldiers were nearly upon them, and there was no time to run. Charlotte didn’t waste a minute, attacking the two soldiers, and, without thought, Bliss had jumped in to help her. The pint-sized woman was a fierce fighter, and they would have known victory thanks to her if two more soldiers hadn’t joined in the melee.
At that moment it hit Bliss—she might be a Pict, but she was also a MacAlpin woman, strong, proud, and fierce, defending her husband and his people in their way. Fate had wisely sent her a love that allowed her to step out of who she was and become so much more.
Her heart swelled with joy, and she knew that this day would end well for the MacAlpin clan.
Bliss jumped as, despite the pain it caused her, Charlotte joined the warriors’ cheering and hooting loudly for the four brothers.
Bliss was about to do the same when the king’s hand swung down at Charlotte. Bliss didn’t hesitate. She pushed Charlotte out of the way and focused all her strength to her hand as she grabbed the king’s wrist and squeezed.
Her vision blurred for a second; and then she smiled. “Death stalks you this day; choose your actions wisely.”
He yanked his wrist out of her hand, and that was when they both realized that silence surrounded them.
Bliss looked to see that all eyes were on them, but the one that caught her attention the most was her husband’s. He did not look on her with worry or fear, or even anger . . . but with pride.
She not only carried the pride of being a Pict, but the pride of being a MacAlpin woman.
At that moment, Trey, Reeve, and Duncan bowed their heads to Bryce and backed their horses to stand a few feet behind the true king.
Bryce raised his hand, and a warrior brought Leora forward. She kept her chin high and her stature regal.
“I have someone who belongs to you and you have two who belong to me,” Bryce called out.
King Kenneth laughed, and shouted, “Do with her as you wish. She means nothing to me.”
All color faded from Leora’s cheeks.
Bryce looked down at her. “This is the man whom you want as king? Go to him.”
Leora raced over to the king, but before she could reach him, one of his soldiers grabbed her and hurried her off, kicking and screaming for the king.
“I am not as charitable as you,” King Kenneth yelled. “I will keep your women. When you are dead, I will wed your intended. After all, she
is meant to be queen . . . my queen. As for the other, she will serve me well as a seer.”
“And do you pay heed to her warning? That today you die.”
The king’s cheeks burst bright red, and his lips moved though no words came out of his mouth. His fury mounted, and he raised his fisted hand. “You will rue this day.”
Bryce shouted out for all to hear. “This day I claim my rightful heritage . . . I am the true king of Scotland.”
A deafening cacophony of shouts, cheers, and hoots filled the air.
King Kenneth grew angrier, and Bliss could feel the soldiers around her grow alarmed. They doubted their ability to win this battle.
“Do you have the courage to meet me alone in battle?” Bryce shouted above the din of the warriors. “Or are you the coward so many believe you are?”
Silence fell like a thud of a stone being dropped to the ground.
Bliss knew at that moment that King Kenneth would pay no heed to her warning about choosing to act wisely. Without thought or common sense, King Kenneth rode forward to meet his death.
It wasn’t a quick fight, both men being equal in strength and skill. But there was something about Bryce that was different. And as Bliss watched, along with everyone else, as the two men battled each other, she realized what that difference was . . . Bryce fought without fear.
They swung their swords with the potency of two powerful men, rolled and jumped and maneuvered their way out of endless jabs. They took severe blows to their faces and bodies until, finally, the true king delivered the final blow straight through King Kenneth’s heart.
It was done. In that one instant, life changed for all, and everyone knew it. Cheers filled the air, and, with a bloodcurdling scream, all the true king’s warriors rushed forward to finish the battle and protect their king.
Epilogue
The sacred grove shimmered with sunlight though snow fell lightly. It seemed that the heavens smiled down on this joyous day. The true king was wedding his queen in Pict fashion. Only the MacAlpin family was in attendance to hear Bryce and Charlotte exchange words of love and commit to each other.
Trey stood with his arm around Bliss, his mum sending him a look that asked if the woman carrying her future grandchild was feeling well. It had been his fault that his mum had found out about the babe. He had been beside himself with worry when he had seen Bliss’s bruised eye and had anxiously asked how she and his son faired . . . in front of his whole family.
Mara had gone wild, then became even more ecstatic when Reeve proudly announced with a firm arm around his wife that he also was to be a father.
Mara had cried tears of joy and repeated throughout the day that her fondest dreams had come true. She would have tons of grandbabies to fuss over.
Trey smiled at his mum to let her know that all was well. Bliss was fine although he sensed she wasn’t, and it had nothing to do with the babe.
He knew what troubled his wife, and he waited until the ceremony was done and his family drifted off, and, with a nod to Bryce that he would follow them soon, he turned his wife around in his arms.
“It was a beautiful exchange of vows,” she said teary-eyed.
Since having realized she was with child, her feelings were more open to him. It proved difficult at times since he thought it was his duty to ease her every worry until she finally explained that she preferred he simply listen to her whimpering complaints and ignore them.
She had not expected him to solve her every annoyance, complaint, and problem, though there was one dilemma he knew he could solve and easily.
“Yes, it was a lovely ceremony for a planned one, but I thought ours was much better.”
She scrunched her brow as if trying to recall. “I don’t remember us having a ceremony here.”
He eased her over to the spot where Bryce and Charlotte had exchanged vows. The sunlight filtered down on them like golden dewdrops. He took her hand.
“Don’t you remember what you said to me here that night?”
She nodded. “The words were meant for the husband I would love.”
“That’s me, the husband you would love, and I recall your words well—‘I take Trey MacAlpin as my husband. I give my heart to him and only him. And I will love him for all the days of my life and beyond.’ ”
“You remember,” she said, surprised.
“Why wouldn’t I? They were spoken with such feeling that they touched my heart and had me eagerly responding.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mumbled something after you, though I didn’t admit to it. Now I will. I spoke words that were meant to seal our fate.”
A tear tickled at the corner of her eye. “Tell me.”
“I, Trey MacAlpin, take Bliss as my wife to love and honor all the days of our lives together, for without her, there is no life . . . Bliss is my life.”
Tears streamed down her face. “I love you, Trey MacAlpin.”
“And I you, wife,” he said, and kissed her, sealing the gift of love that fate had given them.
About the Author
Part of the fun in writing, DONNA FLETCHER admits, is doing the research. But it is with her characters that she has the most fun. She loves giving life to fresh characters and feels their excitement as they face the pleasures and pitfalls of falling in love. Donna’s own adventures have taken her to England, Ireland, and Scotland. She has walked the fields where battles were fought centuries ago, toured haunted castles, stood where beheadings were commonplace, explored the mystic mounds of long ago, and collected a plethora of memories and research that will live long in her heart and mind. She also loves exploring and photographing old abandoned homes, and she often takes long walks in the woods with camera in hand. She feels her life is rich and full, having three terrific sons, two fantastic daughters-in-law, an endless supply of friends, a loving dog, and a crazy, black, one-eyed cat named Bear.
www.donnafletcher.com
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By Donna Fletcher
Wed to a Highland Warrior
A Warrior’s Promise
Loved By a Warrior
Bound to a Warrior
The Highlander’s Forbidden Bride
The Angel and the Highlander
Under the Highlander’s Spell
Return of the Rogue
The Highlander’s Bride
Taken By Storm
The Bewitching Twin
The Daring Twin
Dark Warrior
Legendary Warrior
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
WED TO A HIGHLAND WARRIOR. Copyright © 2012 by Donna Fletcher. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition NOVEMBER 2012 ISBN: 9780062034953
Print Edition ISBN: 9780062034878
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