by Fiona Faris
Claimed by a Highland Knight
He will defeat every enemy, just to win a place in her warm embrace...
Fiona Faris
Contents
Thank you
About the book
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Epilogue
Extended Epilogue
Afterword
Do you want more Romance?
Highlander's Poisoned Heart
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Thank you
About the Author
Thank you
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About the book
He is the heir to the Lairdship. She is the only maid who refused his advances. Now they are confined together, and all hell will break loose.
Uielam, the heir of clan Macnab, knew that he was the best in everything. Lasses swooned over him, men envied him, and his talent in combat was unmatchable or so he thought.
His confidence takes a blow when he overhears his comrades discussing how they always let him win.
Now, Uielam is determined to prove his worth at any cost, and he has just the right plan: Pretend to be away, hide his identity, and compete in the jousting tournament. When he wins, nobody will ever doubt his worth.
Lilia might be a simple maid, but she knows better than being charmed by a man like Uielam. He can only break her heart.
When he asks to hide in her croft in exchange for gold, she makes a decision; Reap the benefits but keep him as far away as possible.
The more she denies him, the more resolute Uielam is that Lilia must be his. What they don't know, is that their secret is not safe as their being watched by an assassin...
He will defeat every enemy, just to win a place in her warm embrace...
Chapter One
The sun glinted off the well-polished metal of his armor as Uielam MacNab strutted towards the lists, his equally polished helmet casually fitted under his arm. He gave his signature grin at the passing maids, no doubt making their toes curl as they blushed and giggled, reveling in the little bit of attention he sent their way.
Uielam was reveling too as they leaned towards each other, their cheeks pink while they whispered excitedly. It was for this reason that he never put on his helmet before he got on his horse. How could he deny his admirers the opportunity to see his notable features?
His features were indeed notable, from his luscious thick blonde hair to the sharp jaw and bright blue eyes. He was the perfect definition of handsome, and he was well aware of the fact. Perhaps a little too aware as it did nothing for his humility.
He moved his helmet into his hand, staring at his reflection in the smooth surface and running his hand through his hair. He made a mental note to flip his squire a gold coin for the excellent work on polishing his armor even as he assessed his appearance.
"I assure ye that ye will find nothin' amiss," Osgar’s amused voice teased from the side.
Uielam turned to grin at his best friend. Osgar Abernathy was the son of the wealthiest clan nobles and an heir, just like Uielam. Although Osgar had a sister of his own, he had grown up with Uielam as a brother. It was because of Osgar that Uielam never experienced the loneliness of being an only child. His friend’s long brown hair, green eyes, and strong chin were as familiar to Uielam as the back of his hand as Osgar was always at his side.
“Aye, of course, I ken nothin’ is amiss. I simply wish to bask in the glory of me appearance,” Uielam said, angling his head back as he ran his hand through his hair one more time. “I cannae deprive meself of me handsomeness while others enjoy it.”
Osgar, who was used to such antics, raised an amused brow and shook his head. Uielam already knew that when he took over as Laird, Osgar would be his most trusted adviser. He could not count on his fingers how many times Osgar had fixed his problems or gotten him things that he wanted. Uielam did not know anyone more resourceful.
Where he was more rash and rarely put much thought in before acting, Osgar was more laid back and patient. It was because of this he always managed to bring a semblance of order to things Uielam blazed through.
“How are things going in preparation for the tournament?” Uielam asked.
For the past two weeks, the clan had been in an uproar, and there was good reason for the hubbub. His father, the Laird, was organizing what would be the biggest tournament of the past few years to honor King David II. It was a momentous enough event without the rumors that the King himself would grace the clan with his presence. Uielam himself was excited. He had been preparing fervently for the tournament.
In fact, his visit to the lists at that moment was because he was going to practice. In all of the competitions he had ever entered in the clan, he was the best, and he always came out the winner. This tournament would be a chance to test his skills against competitors other than the ones he had already won against. He was all but thrumming with excitement.
Osgar happened to be the one in charge of organizing the tournament, working in the place of his father. He was very efficient at everything he set out to do, so Uielam was sure that he could handle the job. Osgar shrugged in response to his words.
“I would say it is goin’ well. Ye would be surprised how much gold it takes to prepare these events,” he said absently, making Uielam smirk. He knew exactly how much gold it cost. As heir to the Laird, he took his position seriously and going through the books to ensure that nothing was amiss was one of his lesser-known pass times. It was indeed expensive to host a tournament of such a large scale.
“Me sister will be at the lists today, I thought ye might want to ken,” Osgar said, teasing again. Uielam’s brows shot up, and he turned to his best friend.
“Are ye serious?” he asked. Osgar nodded, smirking. This news was not significant because of the presence of Flora Abernathy, per se, but instead because of whom Uielam knew would surely be with her—Lilia. She was not a princess or a noblewoman, Lilia was just a maid in the castle, but she was also the one woman who did not immediately melt at his charm.
Lilia had lived in the castle and worked for them for many years. Uielam had first spotted her eight years ago when he had been nineteen. He had passed a group of young maids and, as usual, winked at the girls. They all fell into a fit of blushing giggles, but one only raised her eyebrows and rolled her eyes. That one was Lilia.
Intrigue led him to take a closer
look at her, noting the softness of her brown eyes and the soft waves of her long, long brown hair that went down to her waist. Her down-turned lips and square jawline made her appear serious, but that only made him want to see her smile even more. Every woman had her charms after all, and Lilia was no exception.
From that moment, his intrigue had led him to pursue her. Over the years, he had spent quite a bit of time teasing her and flirting with her. However, she was always unimpressed and would not fall for him. In this way, it became a game they played; he would try flirting with her each time he saw her to see if that would be the day she cracked.
He was smiling without even realizing it as he arrived at the lists, his helmet tucked under his arm again.
“Ah, this is wonderful. Why did ye nae say so sooner? I daenae think she has seen me in full glory before. Surely she would swoon like every other woman when she sees my expertise at the matches,” Uielam said.
Osgar already knew who it was that he was talking about and shook his head laughing. Both Osgar and Flora found it hilarious that there was a woman who was impervious to his charms. Even Flora used to be infatuated with him until they got closer and got older, and she realized how much of a womanizer he was. Now she considered him no more than an annoying brother.
“Flora would be disgusted were she to hear ye speak,” Osgar laughed. It was true, Flora found his way with women irritating, and it was only because Lilia continuously refused him that she had admired and befriended the maid. Now she made it her job to thwart his plans of seducing the maid as she did not want her friend to become his conquest.
“Ye ken, I still believe that Flora is in denial, and she still likes me, which is why she is tryin’ to steal away me love interest,” Uielam mused suspiciously. They had arrived at their destination, and Osgar patted his shoulder.
“Well, enjoy yer hunt me friend, and remember to go easy on the contestants; it is but a practice match despite how much ye want to show off,” Osgar said as he began to walk off. Uielam only rolled his eyes before continuing on his way.
It was a hectic day at the lists with several horses being tended to and soldiers milling about, talking while their squires worked. He couldn’t help his grin as he approached the corner where Miller, his squire, was dutifully tending to his horse.
He rested a heavy hand on the young man’s shoulder, causing him to jump in fright. Miller was a great squire, but Uielam had yet to make a man of him. He was rather easy to scare and very shy.
“Ah, Uielam Younger… ye scared me,” Miller rasped. Uielam only chuckled.
“Why are ye so easy to scare lad? I was going to compliment ye on what a good job ye did polishin’ me armor, but ye’re whimperin’ like a wee mouse,” he said, causing Miller to blush. Uielam sighed. Miller was not fun to tease; he would only continue to blush and clam up in embarrassment. He turned, glancing around at the busy lists.
Despite how serious he was about preparing for the tournament, he could not help but search for Lilia. He took his competitions as seriously as he took his womanizing, and Lilia was a competition he had long resolved to win one day. Besides, it was not like there was anyone who could beat him even if he had his eyes closed for the whole game.
He spotted them quickly, what with the flamboyant red of Flora’s dress, a gold belt draped around her waist. He shook his head. The woman knew how to make herself seen, and everyone she passed cleared the way for her. Walking behind her was the woman he was looking for, Lilia. She followed after Flora, in a muted green dress, her head bowed and her hands held in front of her.
She was a simple kind of beautiful, the paleness of her shoulders and her neck begging him to pepper kisses along their expanse. At least the one woman who resisted him was not an ogre, although her status was nothing special. He smirked and looked away. Now she would surely swoon as he showed off his prowess in practice. His eyes found Commander Carlow standing beside a few other soldiers as he turned, and he raised a hand to greet them.
“Commander Carlow!” he hollered, waving. The older soldier gave a rather stiff smile before heading for him when it was clear that he would not be moving from his spot.
“Younger, it is always a pleasure,” the man said as he came to stand beside him.
“Aye, it is indeed, Commander Carlow. Will ye be takin’ part in the practice matches today? I hope that ye will—ye ken that ye are the only competitor who even comes close to me standards in this sport, and I want to have an impressive match today, so I cannae compete against amateurs,” Uielam said.
Commander Carlow gave him a shaky smile.
“Ah, I wasnae plannin’ on it, but if the Younger wishes that I dae, then I will,” he said.
“I will like it if ye did,” Uielam said, not so subtle in his demands. Commander Carlow pressed his lips together as though trying to keep his objections in. Uielam only raised a brow, as though daring him to dissent. He was not one to take objections lightly. The older soldier nodded and bowed slightly before walking away.
Satisfied that he would get what he wanted, The Younger turned back to look at Lilia again. She was looking up now, her brown eyes going over the lists and everyone attending to their business.
Uielam was standing in a corner, so he knew she would not see him unless he stepped out. It was the perfect vantage point from which to spy on her. Her hair was smoothed back and tied in a tight ponytail. He scoffed; she looked as disciplined as ever.
One other thing that was intriguing about her was how she looked dignified despite her simple status. It was in the way she held her head. It showed that she was not trying to be dignified, she simply was. She held herself as though she were a princess, and Uielam did not understand why.
She did not try to stand out, seeing as how she wore muted colors and made herself very scarce, but her behavior made her stand out regardless. It made him curious, why would a maid such as her be so…proud. It took a good bit of pride to continually reject him as she did. For now, she had a bit of his attention, so her pride had gotten her somewhere, at least.
It would be time for the jousters to get on their horses and ride soon. He glanced back at Miller, who had just finished grooming his horse.
"Are ye nearly done?" he asked, causing Miller's head to shoot up, his eyes wide.
"Aye, I will just take the horse to the stream first. It hasnae had a drink yet," he replied.
The stream was just behind the stables, and to go there, he would pass right in front of Lilia. He took the reins from Miller, who had just begun to wrap them around his hand.
"I will dae it myself,” he said. Miller seemed mildly surprised as Uielam began to lead the horse, but he said nothing.
He soothed the horse as he walked with it, allowing Lilia to see his gentleness before purposely looking her way and winking. She narrowed her eyes even as Flora glared at him. He was grinning to himself with satisfaction as he turned the corner but stopped suddenly when he heard his name.
"I cannae believe that ye will have to partake in the practice despite yer decision to stop after ye fell from yer horse the last time. This is all because of that spoiled brat Uielam, is it nae?" a young soldier was saying, obviously irate.
"Aye, it is what The Younger wants, and I must obey. This is because I am the only opponent worthy of his match," Commander Carlow responded.
Uielam frowned, deeply disturbed. He was not aware that Commander Carlow had fallen from his horse, although he had not really asked. Had he known, however, he would not have asked him to ride. What made him furious was the lackey who had the guts to call him a spoiled brat.
He got even more annoyed as the group burst into laughter.
"Did he say that?! Ye are the only one worthy of his match? Oi, someone ought to shove him off that high horse, and literally too. He really thinks that he is special just because we let him win to save the Laird’s face." Another soldier cackled, making them laugh even louder and make more mockery of him.
He clenched his fist and grit
ted his teeth. They thought they were letting him win? One thing he prided himself in was his jousting ability. He had been tutored by some of the best in the sport, even a former English soldier. Were they saying that all those who tutored him had taught him nothing?
Furious, he stalked out to the river, coming into view of the soldiers. They almost fell over each other in their shock at his sudden appearance. He calmly led his horse to the stream, without even a glance their way.