“Is that true?” she asked. Mark mumbled something unintelligible in reply, and he refused to meet her gaze, but that told her more than anything. She smiled and brought him in for a hug, which prompted Dominic to join too. Pip, of course, didn’t want to be left out so he ran up to them and wrapped his arms around their waists. Caitlin was overwhelmed with emotion as she enjoyed this embrace. Life had not always been easy with three brothers. They were smelly, they teased her, and sometimes she had gotten so angry with them that she had screamed until her throat was raw. But despite all of that she loved them with all her heart, and she couldn’t hug them tightly enough. It felt as though her heart was going to burst with emotion, and she just had to hope that they knew how much they meant to her.
“Ye hae always been a wee bit of trouble in my life, but I’m gaeing tae miss seeing ye every day,” Caitlin said. “I want ye tae come and visit me whenever ye can.” She broke off the hug and regarded them each individually. She faced Mark first.
“I want ye tae take care of Ma and Da. Yer a strong lad and a mighty fine warrior. One day all this is gaeing tae be yours.” She gestured around the room with a hand, as though she could encompass the entire keep. “I know ye are gaeing tae take good care of it.” Then she turned to Dominic. “Ye can be anything ye want Dominic. I know ye hae always wanted tae be like me and Mark, but I want ye tae promise that ye will find ye own path. Ye are good with a sword, but I think we both know that yer destiny lies elsewhere. Ye are the smartest man I know, and ye should make sure ye live a life ye can be proud of.”
Dominic nodded too, and there were even tears in his eyes. Caitlin moved to her youngest brother and leaned down a little. Pip did not have as much emotional control as his other two brothers, so his lower lip was already trembling and his eyes swam with tears. “I want ye tae learn from ye brothers, and listen tae Ma and Da. Ye may nae always agree with what they say, but they mean well and they’ll always take care of ye. When ye grow up, never lose yer passion or yer happy mood. I can never be sad around ye, Pip. Naebody can, and that’s a good quality. Ye are gaeing tae need tae make people laugh around here because everyone is gaeing tae be sad when I leave,” she said with a hint of self-mockery, but even she too felt sad. Pip flung his arms around her and trembled against her body. She held him tightly and a tear trickled down her cheek as well. She sniffed and composed herself, and then gazed with love at her brothers.
“But I dinnae want anything like this tae happen for the rest of the day,” she said in a scolding tone, wagging her finger at them. “This is my wedding and the happiest day of my life. It’s the beginning of an era of peace, sae the rule is nae more tears, dae ye understand?” she asked. The boys nodded and rubbed their eyes. Caitlin quickly ushered them out for they had to get ready, but she knew that if they remained in her company she would only grow more emotional and succumb to tears again.
The parade of guests and congratulations continued. Caitlin wasn’t sure if it was a blessing or a curse. It was good in a way, as it meant her mind didn’t settle; she was so busy talking with people that she had no chance to become overwhelmed with emotion. But it also meant that time went by in a blur and she wasn’t properly able to enjoy her wedding day. Still, she wasn’t about to let it be ruined by all of this. In moments of quiet contemplation, she thought about Rhys and how her initial feelings of reservation had turned into quite an extraordinary excitement. She thought back to a mere few days ago and was astounded by how quickly her feelings had changed. There were times when life seemed to roll along at a slow pace, and other times when it moved with the speed of a galloping stag. Rhys had had such a huge impact on her life, and the strength of her feeling was such that she knew she could trust him with everything she had.
In time her mother and aunt came to join her to get her ready for the ceremony. It was similar to what had happened during the initial feast, when she had been presented to Rhys for the first time. Violet was twining flowers into Caitlin’s hair while Iris was making a few tiny adjustments to the dress, adding in some precious jewels so it would sparkle as it caught the sun.
“Ye look excited,” Violet said. Caitlin giggled and clasped her hands together. Her face was already beginning to ache from smiling so much and she didn’t know how it was going to feel by the end of the day.
“Oh I am,” Caitlin said happily. “I cannae wait tae stand there with Rhys and take our vows.”
Iris snorted. “I wouldnae be sae happy if I were ye, lass. Dinnae forget that ye are marrying a Frasier,” she said. Violet glared at her, and Caitlin’s smile fell.
“He may be a Frasier, but I am nae gaeing tae judge him by his name. He’s warm, kind, funny, and charming! He’s nae like I’d thought he’d be at all, and ye should give him a chance, Aunt Iris. Ye will hae tae give all of them a chance.”
“I dinnae
