“Me tae,” Rhys agreed.
“I hae some thoughts about the future of the clans if we would nae mind me bending ye ear since ye are the future laird,” Bryn said. Rhys inclined his head, encouraging Bryn to continue. “We both know that the standing of our clans has gone down over the past few generations. I dare say that other clans think of us as a joke, sae preoccupied with our wee war that we cannae see anything else. We’ve let a lot of land be taken by other clans that we could hae got if we had nae been fighting. I think it’s time that we looked tae the future and the world around us, tae claim land that is still there tae be claimed and make sure that other clans understand we are nae tae be taken for granted. With a joint force, we can match any clan in the land, and with more resources, we can think about different trades tae make. We need tae make our names respectable again. Dae ye agree?”
“I dae,” Rhys said.
Bryn’s face lit up. “I hae tae admit, Rhys, that I was a wee bit wary when I agreed tae the treaty, for I didnae know the kind of man that I was promising my wee Caitlin tae, but I’m glad that ye are a fine man, and I can honestly say that ye are worthy of her. Ye are honorable and noble, and ye will serve the future well. The clans are in good hands with ye.” He tapped his goblet against the one Rhys was holding. Rhys smiled and took a sip of mead, but color drained from his face.
“Aye, I’ve thought for a long time that peace is the only way forward,” Bryn continued. “If we continued the same way we’d hae fought tae the last man. There would be naething left of either clan, just the sad story of two families who destroyed themselves because they couldnae let go of their foolish pride.” He shook his head and a sad expression came upon his face. Rhys assumed he was thinking about all the men who had come before him and had not been able to escape this cycle of war and all the people who had died because of it.
“Here’s tae the forgotten ones,” Rhys said, giving a toast of his own.
“Aye, and here’s tae never being forgotten,” Bryn replied.
Rhys drained the glass dry and felt the hazy sweetness rising within his mind, which did well to numb the sharp edge of his guilt. He bid Bryn a goodnight, and Bryn wished him well for the following day. Rhys staggered out of the room, barely being able to hold himself upright and not because he was intoxicated by the mead, but because the guilt weighed so heavily on his shoulders. Bryn had such pure intentions and such high hopes for the clan. All he wanted was to see the family flourish, while Malcolm wanted to tear everything down and continue the bloodshed. The future that Bryn hoped for would never come to pass, and all because Rhys didn’t say anything.
Rhys held the future of the clans in his hand, but he was also shackled by a lifetime of obeying his father. Even though he knew peace was something to strive for he couldn’t just shrug off a lifetime of obedience. With his mind still in turmoil, there was only one place for him to go, and that was to see Caitlin. She was the only person who could offer him refuge and respite and could soothe the ache in his soul. He needed to see her, if only for a few moments.
He made his way to her chambers, treading lightly through the keep so as not to wake anyone and not alert anyone to his presence, for truly he should not have been sneaking up to see her on the night before the wedding. He rapped lightly on the door, praying that she wasn’t asleep yet. He hissed her name in a low whisper, and then he heard soft footsteps approach the door. It opened and her eyes lit up when she saw him. She opened the door wider and flung her arms around him. Her body was soft and her nightgown hung off the hourglass shape of her body in a pleasing way. His hands fell to her waist and immediately he felt better.
“What are ye daeing here?” she asked in a frantic whisper as her gaze darted behind him, to check that nobody could see them together.
“I couldnae wait until morning tae see ye,” he admitted. He looked deep into her sapphire eyes and exhaled deeply, losing himself to the comfortable feeling that came with being near her. He caressed her soft cheek with his thumb and a smile broke out upon her face. Seeing her smile was akin to seeing the sun rise over the horizon, for it made the world a better and more beautiful place.
“Ye are sae sweet,” she said. “I cannae wait for taemorrow Rhys. I was nae sure at first, but now I’m eager tae be yer wife,” she said.
Rhys smiled. “I’m eager tae,” he agreed.
“And as much as I’m looking forward tae the wedding, I’m looking forward even more tae what comes after. I think we can dae great things with the two clans, Rhys. There’s a whole world out there just waiting for us tae explore, and with nae worry of war we can dae whatever we want!”
“Aye,” he agreed, although half-heartedly. She placed a hand upon his cheek. The comforting, tender gesture made a tingling sensation run all the way down his body. He closed his eyes for a moment and allowed himself to fall into her
