“Let’s all calm down.” He opened his palms and made a soothing motion. “Ye dae hae a point, Iris. Peace hae never lasted for tae long between us, which is why we hae something that makes the agreement ironclad.” His gaze fell upon an unsuspecting Caitlin, who was completely unprepared for what Bryn was about to say. When he revealed that he had agreed to marry her off to Rhys Frasier, the future laird of the Frasier clan, she wasn’t sure what to think, although it certainly wasn’t something she was keen on. Not only had she never met the man, but she had always been brought up to hate the old enemy!
But she had acted demurely and accepted the news with a nod, and then excused herself for the evening, returning to her chambers where she flung herself on her bed and wept into her pillow.
There had been much weeping since then as well, although now that her wedding day had arrived, Caitlin was oddly calm. There was a sense of inevitability about it. There was nothing she could do to stop it, so there was no point in trying to escape her fate. It was somewhat akin to being caught in a storm. It wasn’t pleasant being drenched, but she could hardly sweep away the storm with a gesture. It was going to happen whether she liked it or not, so she might as well grin and bear it.
She waited patiently as her mother played with her hair, trying to arrange it in a pretty fashion. Caitlin wasn’t complaining about the fuss that was being placed upon her. She had been given a white dress that had been woven from the finest material the clan could find, and it clung to her body in a way that accentuated all of her natural curves. She had never felt more like a woman than when she had looked down at herself in her dress. Her flawless skin was milky, and she looked the picture of innocence. Beauty radiated from her, but as every moment passed, her heart beat a little more quickly as anxiety rose, fluttering in her stomach.
“I remember when I married ye father,” Violet said, chatting idly as she played with the flowers. “It was the happiest day of my life.”
“Are ye trying tae rub the poor lass’s face in it?” Iris asked indignantly. “Ye didnae hae tae marry a brute!”
Caitlin squirmed at the description of her betrothed. She had never met Rhys Frasier, but she knew the reputation of the clan as big and brutish, not the handsome and charming gentlemen she had always pictured in her mind when she had fantasized about the man she was going to marry.
“Is it true their family were once giants?” Caitlin asked.
Violet scoffed and shook her head. “That is just a story, nae more real than ghouls and goblins. They’re just tall, that’s all, and I’m sure that Rhys will make a good husband.” She gave a pointed glance towards Iris, who muttered something under her breath.
“I just wish I had a chance tae meet him beforehand. At least it may have settled my nerves,” Caitlin admitted.
“Ye’ll be fine my dear.” Violet placed her arms around Caitlin’s shoulders and leaned in to kiss Caitlin’s cheek. “I’m sure ye will be happy, and love will come tae ye as it does tae every husband and wife.”
“And if nae then ye can always sleep with a dagger under ye pillow,” Iris said. Violet looked shocked at her sister-in-law and shook her head.
“Ye should nae be telling her that!” Violet turned to her daughter once again. “Ye will nae hae anything tae worry about. Ye da wouldnae hae made this agreement if he thought anything bad was gaeing tae happen tae ye. He loves ye dearly. Ye are the most precious thing in the world tae him,” Violet said. Caitlin smiled. She would have been lying if she said that Iris’s words did not make her quail with anger. She wanted to believe in the best for her own sanity, but she also feared the worse. The Frasiers were their enemy and it seemed wrong to be forced to give her heart to one of them. Secretly, she had thought of her prowess with the sword, knowing that she could at least rely on that to provide a defense, although she was not sure how proficient it would be against a warrior from the Frasier clan. Their reputation was one of brutality and aggression. Sometimes they were said to be more animals than men, born of giants and beasts, and the thought made her shudder.
The conversation between the three women was interrupted by the arrival of Bryn, who burst through the door and looked upon Caitlin with great adoration. He looked stunned by her beauty and took her hands in his. He turned to Violet and Iris, requesting some time alone with his daughter before she was married. They left, muttering amongst themselves, Violet still irked that Iris would talk about such things in front of Caitlin, and Iris defending herself staunchly, saying that the girl needed to be ready for anything.
Bryn smiled widely and there was a tear in his eye as he looked at Caitlin.
“Ye are sae beautiful, and I am proud tae have ye as a daughter,” he said, beaming. Then, he let out a small chuckle. “There was a time when I would never hae thought ye would end up wearing a dress like this. I remember when you were a wee lass there was naething ye liked more than running through the woods causing trouble, dragging dirt back with ye, ye smudged and ye clothes tattered. Ye ma and I never knew what ye got up tae!”
Caitlin shrugged and smiled
