He left the group to the care of his men and went in search of her. The kitchen was the first place he looked. Everyone was so busy that no one paid him mind when he entered. He gave a quick glance around but his wife was not there. He hoped she hadn’t returned to the room they had shared last night and hurried to find out.
The door was partially open and upon entering the room he shook his head and turned and left. The fire had died out long ago, the room holding a frosty chill and so dark that nothing could be seen. He hurried along to their bedchamber and threw the door open, expecting her to greet him.
It was empty, though pleasantly warm, a fire roaring in the hearth and the bed covers folded back waiting for Brianna and him to crawl beneath. His next stop was his daughter’s room only to find her sound asleep and Sara telling him that she hadn’t seen Brianna in hours and that Breda would soon need feeding.
Worry began to churn in Royce’s stomach as he hurried into the Great Hall once again and searched it with a frantic glance. The doors blew open with the force of the wind that ushered in a small group of people and a few of his warriors who fought to close the doors behind them.
The old woman from the woods was among the group and she quickly sought the fire’s warmth. Royce was about to head once again to the kitchen, hoping in the chaos he had missed his wife when he saw that the old man’s face had turned deathly pale, his eyes as round as full moons, staring at the old woman.
Royce hurried over to him. “Is something wrong?”
The old man reached out, grabbed Royce’s wrist, nodded at the woman and whispered, “She’s the witch.”
Before Royce could do anything the old hound King sat up and let loose with a sorrowful howl that sent chills through everyone in the Great Hall. It was well-known that when a dog howled like that someone would die.
When the dog finished he got up from his spot by the hearth, walked over to Royce barked and trotted to the stairs. He looked back at Royce who had not followed, so shocked was he that the dog had moved, and barked once again.
Royce understood… the dog wanted him to follow.
He ordered two warriors to follow him. King climbed the stairs, the dog steps surprisingly spry and trotted down the hall to the dark room and entered. Royce directed his men to light candles and when there was sufficient light they all stared at King sitting in the ashes in the middle of the hearth.
But what caused them to step back in haste and King to run under the bed and hide was the ghost stepping through the stones.
Royce had been the only one to step forward. “Where is my wife?” he demanded.
The ghost crooked his finger for Royce to follow and he ordered one of his men to do the same. The warrior almost hesitated but one murderous look from Royce and the warrior decided he would prefer to deal with a ghost than with Royce.
They carried candles to light the way and Royce called out to his wife but got no response. He continued to follow the apparition ready to do battle with him however necessary if it meant finding his wife.
The cold soon seeped into him and he stopped and turned to his warrior. “Go get torches, cloaks, blankets, and bring more men with you.”
The man nodded, turned and with relief hurried to do his laird’s bidding.
Royce turned around only to see that the ghost had vanished and anger bubbled up from deep inside him. He threw back his head and roared like a mighty beast.
Brianna’s eyes opened in a flash. Where was she? Why was she so cold? It took a moment for her to recall. She tried to move, but her head hurt and so did various parts of her body. It didn’t matter how bad the pain was, she had to get out of there. Her body was shivering from the cold and the dampness that had seeped into her clothes didn’t help. She attempted to move again and almost slipped back into unconsciousness.
Tears filled her eyes and, though she knew she had to keep her wits about her and maintain her courage, all she wanted was her husband.
“Royce,” she whispered.
“Brianna.”
Her name reverberated like rolling thunder through the tunnel and for a moment she feared she was imagining it.
“Royce,” she called out, though it caused her pain to do so.
Her name was shouted again and she could have sworn that the stones shook in fear from his mighty voice and she sighed with relief. It took several minutes for him to reach her. He placed the candle on the ground and reached out for her but she winced in pain when he tried to lift her.
He released a string of oaths beneath his breath and then gently moved her into his arms. She was ice cold and he wrapped his arms around her, drawing her close to his body to get her warm.
She buried her face against his heated chest and her eyes closed, unconsciousness once again reaching out to claim her.
Her head rolled away from his chest and he gripped her chin. “Stay awake, Brianna, do you hear me? Stay awake. I will not lose you.” He thought of how the hound had howled and he knew someone would die this night and he would not let it be his wife.
“I found the ghost,” she said and pointed, though she was not sure where. “He’s free now.”
Royce looked around and spotted the bones, his eyes settling curiously on the skull. His attention was diverted when he heard his men approach. It wasn’t long before Royce wrapped her in two warm blankets and carried her through the passageway and out into the raging snowstorm. He shielded her from the fierce wind with his body and cloak, tucking her tightly against him.
He entered the keep and took her straight to their bed chamber, placing her in a chair and moving it with her in it in front of the blazing hearth to keep her warm.
He went to the door and spoke to one of the two guards that stood in the hall, then returned to his wife hunching down beside her
“I have sent for the healer.”
Brianna winced when she attempted to free her arm from the snug blanket.
“Do not move. She will see to you,” he ordered, wanting to reach out and comfort her but fearful of causing her more pain.
“I am fine. What I need is a hot bath to warm my bones, a hot brew to chase the chill. and your body wrapped around mine in bed to keep me warm. But first I need to feed our daughter.”
Royce stood, though before he reached the door there was a knock, the door opened, and the old woman from the woods entered.”
“What are you doing here?” Royce demanded harshly. He’d already dealt with a ghost. He didn’t need to deal with a witch.
“Your healer is busy so I offered to help.”
“Royce,” Brianna scolded. “Where are your manners?”
He placed a firm hand on his wife’s shoulder. “I have none when it comes to protecting you.” He glared at the woman. “I have been warned that you are a witch.”
The woman paled. “I am no witch.”
My witch.
They all heard it and watched surprised as the ghost materialized until he looked as human as the three of them.
“Ryan,” the woman cried and went to him.
His arms went around her and tears filled her eyes.
She looked up at him. “I waited for you.”
“Someone murdered him,” Royce said. “A blow to the head, I saw your crushed skull in the passageway.”
“His brother,” the woman said and the ghost nodded. “He freed me from the cell, telling me that Ryan and he had planned an escape. That he had convinced his father to lock Ryan in the room that held the secret passageway. He told me where to wait in the woods. For some reason, I didn’t trust him and so I hid. You never came, but he did and with his sword drawn called out to me. He said you had been injured and I needed to help you. I knew he was lying and I sensed you were gone so I slipped away.”
“Why return here?” Royce asked. “And why didn’t you tell me this when I inquired about the ghost?”
“It was time and do you remember what I told you about secrets? It wasn’t safe for me to tell anyone.”
&nb
sp; Brianna finally unraveled herself from the blanket and stood with a wince and a groan, her husband’s arm going around her waist to help her. She looked at the woman. “You didn’t only come back to free him. You returned to join him.”
She smiled. “It is time for us to finally be together. The truth has been made known. We are finally free.”
With that the woman collapsed, Royce catching her before she hit the ground.
“Thank you,” she whispered with her last breath.
A mist rose from her body and the Christmas ghost faded to a mist, joined with hers and they vanished together.
Late that night Royce tucked the blanket around his daughter asleep in the cradle next to the bed. He then slipped into bed beside his sleeping wife and wrapped himself around her and gave her cheek a soft kiss. He sent a prayer to the heavens for all he had and with a glance at the hearth smiled at the hound sleeping soundly in front of it and drifted into a peaceful slumber.
* * *
The End
You can read how Royce and Brianna got together in Love Me Forever.
Curse Beware
Based on characters from the Warrior King series.
* * *
Duncan watched his wife grab her garments to hurry and dress, her lovely body flushed with the aftermath of making love. They had snuck away to their bedchamber right after the noon meal both eager to love. And while there were chores to attend to and missions to be planned, they couldn’t help but linger in each other’s arms when they had finished. It was a time that they both enjoyed sharing, a time they felt the closest.
He left the bed suddenly eager to touch his petite wife’s naked body once again. He caught her around the waist before she slipped on her shift, his hand coming to rest gently on her slightly rounded stomach. “You are feeling well?”
“I feel good. The bairn gives me no problems.” She laughed. “But he has many months to go yet.”
“He best behave,” Duncan said, turning her slowly around to hug her close.
Mercy placed her hands on her husband’s muscled arms. “If he’s the size of his da I could be in trouble.”
Duncan cringed. “Don’t say that. I don’t wish for you to suffer in childbirth.”
“Then it is a miracle I will need,” she said on a laugh and kissed his cheek. “Don’t worry. I’m sure all will go well. Your mum has helped birth several bairns and we can always ask Bliss for help.”
“She is a powerful healer.”
“More than she realizes,” Mercy said. “Now we best get back to our tasks or someone is bound to come searching for us.”
“They saw us sneaking out of the Great Hall and knew exactly what we were about.”
Mercy swatted his thick arm. “You’re going to have them thinking that all we do is —”
“Love each other, and you were the one who couldn’t wait to sneak away.”
“It must be the bairn making me pant after you all the time.”
Duncan shook his head. “Not so. You’ve wanted me all the time since the day we were first chained together.”
She blushed. “Maybe not then… but very soon after.”
“I knew it,” he said with a boastful grin.
She jabbed his hard stomach. “And you didn’t desire me?”
“Every minute we were chained together and afterwards.”
They kissed, lingering in the gentleness of their love.
“Now get dressed,” she ordered playfully as she stepped away from him. “We have matters to see to.”
Duncan did so reluctantly wishing they could spend the rest of the day together and not only in bed, but she was right, there were matters that needed their attention.
Once in the Great Hall, Duncan was summoned by his da to the table in front of the hearth and Mercy turned to leave.
“Be careful,” he called out to her. “Soldiers have been spotted much too near MacAlpin land.”
Mercy nodded and waved. “Worry not. I have no plans to leave the village.”
Duncan sighed in relief, knowing his wife would be safe amongst the clan and turned to join his da.
Reeve gave the red-haired woman a kiss. Margaret was a wild one and he enjoyed the romps he shared with her, though neither of them allowed their liaisons to be known. He wasn’t interested in any more than a romp now and again and she felt the same.
He gave her ample bottom a squeeze. “You go ahead. I’ll wait here in the barn a few minutes and then leave.”
Margaret plucked several pieces of straw from his dark hair, gave him a quick kiss, put a big smile on her face and was about to stroll out the door.
Reeve laughed and grabbed hold of her arm. “I wouldn’t go wearing that satisfied grin if I were you, though I do think it makes you look even more beautiful than you already are, unless you want the village talking.”
She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him again. “I can’t help it. You’re as powerful a lover in bed as you are a warrior on the battlefield, and you satisfy me like no other man.”
“That’s something I like hearing,” Reeve said and nuzzled her neck briefly before turning her toward the door and giving her bottom a pat. “Be gone with you, woman, before you make me hungry for you again.”
She stopped at the door and turned. “Sweets later?”
“As long as I’m not limited to what I can have.”
“You can have anything you want.”
As soon as Margaret shut the door, it opened again and Reeve grinned spreading his arms wide. “Can’t get enough of me?”
“Maybe you didn’t give Margaret enough to begin with,” Duncan said with a laugh.
Reeve dropped his arms. “No one needs to know that Margaret and I—”
“Romp most regularly?”
“So help me, Duncan, I’ll give you a good beating if you breathe a word.”
“I promise no one will hear about it from my lips. But they don’t need to since it’s been the village gossip for a while now.”
“You lie.”
Duncan laughed. “A liar I’m not and you know it.”
Reeve mumbled beneath his breath.
“There are even odds on when you’ll be announcing the wedding,” Duncan chuckled.
Reeve shot him a menacing look.
Duncan raised his hands. “Don’t blame me. You and Margaret brought it on yourselves with all the time you’ve been spending together.”
“I’d accuse you of being jealous, but—”
Duncan gave a hardy laugh.
Reeve shook his head. “You and Mercy are always at it.”
Duncan rested a firm hand on Reeve’s shoulder and though Duncan was taller and broader than Reeve they both knew that Reeve could beat Duncan senseless if he chose to. Being brothers, though not blood ones, but as close as if they had been, both knew just how fierce a fighter Reeve was and that not many would choose to go up against him.
“We aren’t always at it, we’re always making love,” Duncan corrected. “You might want to try it sometime.”
“When I can find someone as wonderful as your wife, I’ll consider it,” Reeve said. “Now did you come looking for me?”
Duncan nodded. “Da wants to talk with us. There’s a mission—”
“I volunteer.”
Duncan opened the door and they walked out, a brisk wind whipping around them.
“You don’t even know what it is about or where you are to go,” Duncan said.
“I don’t care and Margaret would probably agree with me. She won’t be happy being the village gossip and, with me gone, she’ll find herself another man soon enough. She doesn’t like to go too long without a good romp.”
The two laughed and entered the keep.
Mercy kept her head down and her blue wool cloak closed tightly around her against a sudden gust of winter wind. It didn’t feel like snow yet, but no doubt it wasn’t far off. She hurried her steps through the village, her destination Harry, the smithy. He had fashioned a
nother dagger for her, smaller and lighter and one that could be easily concealed, and she was eager to try it.
She’d been busy learning how to use various weapons. With the brewing troubles in the Highland, she wanted to be prepared to defend herself and her bairn if necessary, and of course Duncan.
She laughed and so would anyone if they had heard her thought. Her husband was a big one and well able to take care of himself. But you never know what could happen and she wanted to be prepared just in case.
Her smile betrayed her eagerness or was it a remnant of making love with her husband. Lord, but she couldn’t keep her hands off him. She feared she was becoming a sinful woman, the way she always hungered after him.
She giggled for she had confided her fear to Duncan and he had assured her that she could fall into as much sin with him as she wanted to. The good lord would forgive her since Duncan and she were husband and wife.
Harry called out to her and her thirst for Duncan was tucked to a corner of her mind where he constantly lingered.
She hurried to Harry and no soon as had the new dagger in her hand then Alida came barreling around the building and would have collided with her if Mercy hadn’t reacted quickly and grabbed hold of her.
“Help, me. You must help me,” the pretty eleven-year-old pleaded.
“Don’t tell me,” Mercy said with patience. “Your little brother Rand is lost again.”
Alida nodded.
Mercy turned to Harry. “I won’t be long.”
With that, Mercy took Alida’s hand and they disappeared into the woods.
“You’re all set for the mission,” Duncan said as he and Reeve left the keep.
“You think Bryce and you can handle everything with Trey still on his mission and me leaving?”
Bryce stopped walking. “One of these days I’m going to give you a beating just to prove I can.”
Reeve spit out a hardy laugh. “I wouldn’t try it if I were you.”
Highlanders Short Story Collection Page 8