He looked so happy, as though the battle had already been won.
“But why dinnae ye tell me of this before? All this time I hae thought ye hae lost ye mind! If I’d hae known I could hae prepared and helped ye.”
“I know Rhys, and I’m sorry, but I couldnae take a chance of anyone else finding out. I wanted everything tae appear as normal, just in case that devious lot sent any spies our way. But I thought ye should know now so that ye can keep your wits about ye. Be careful taenight, drink, but dinnae drink enough tae lose ye mind. Make sure ye keep alert, and once ye are done with ye wife make sure ye announce it loud enough for everyone tae hear. That will be the signal we need tae strike.” Malcolm’s eyes gleamed with the promise of glory and Rhys’s hands trembled with excitement. He promised to keep the plan a secret even from his brothers, and he thought about the joy in finally putting this matter to rest.
Once and for all the Frasier clan would prove themselves superior, and while it wasn’t exactly as Rhys had always imagined glory would be gained, he was pleased nonetheless. The plan relied on more stealth and deviousness than was typically associated with the Frasier clan, and was probably the reason why it promised such success. It did feel as though they were abandoning their own prowess though, but it wasn’t for him to decide. He had his role to play of course, and he was ready for it. He would do whatever needed to be done to convince the enemy that nothing was wrong, even if it meant playing the happy husband.
For the rest of the morning, he pondered the matter and decided that things were not always as they seemed. He should have trusted his instincts in knowing that his father wouldn’t have wanted peace. If he did, he may have worked out that something was amiss earlier and he wouldn’t have been so blindsided by it. He vowed that it wouldn’t happen again. If he was to be laird then he needed to see other possibilities too, just like his father.
3
The emotion of the day had settled somewhat by late afternoon. Even though she wasn’t technically getting married until the following day, Caitlin still considered it the day of her wedding as it was the first day she was meeting her husband, and she wanted to make a good impression for the sake of her father and the sake of peace. Even though she didn’t like the enemy, she hated the idea of men throwing away their lives even more. There had been a time when she was younger that she had insisted on going with her father to a field where a battle had taken place. She had always been intrigued by the colorful banners going to war, and all the men either marching away with pride or riding horses. Then, she had been confused by how fewer of them returned, and the ones that did were usually walking with slumped shoulders and grim looks on their faces. It was impossible for her to imagine what had happened in between, so she had nagged and tormented her father until he had finally relented.
She would never forget what she saw. It was strange for a young girl to see so many lifeless bodies. They all looked as though they were sleeping, but then she looked harder and saw the wounds and the dried blood and the way their eyes stared without expression into the distance. Peace could only be a good thing, and she was proud of her father for making the effort. Now, it was her turn to play her part and ensure that the marriage was successful.
As the hours passed she waited in the keep, looking out for the arrival of her husband. She was apprehensive and continued to play with the ring that hung around her neck. It brought her great comfort and soothed her nerves. She ate only a little because her stomach was twisting and churning. She had the urge to go running amok in the forest as she did when she was a child. Such days were behind her now though, and it certainly would have ruined the dress.
In time she heard a distant rumble. It could have been mistaken for thunder if the skies weren’t clear and bright. She peered into the distance and then, emerging from the trees, was the retinue. Wagons brought gifts for the feast and the family. Powerful horses pulled carts and there, leading the line, was her future husband. As they approached, she had a better view of him from her window, but he was still far away. All she could tell was that he was tall and his shock of red hair shone in the sun, as bright as any fire she had ever seen. Her eyes were transfixed on him, although in her peripheral vision she was taken aback by the size of the retinue that Rhys had brought with him. In other circumstances the arrival of so many men from a rival clan would have signaled the beginning of a siege and everyone would have been rushing around, struggling to survive.
Thankfully, Caitlin thought, I will never have to live through anything like that.
She watched from afar as her father walked out to meet Malcolm and Rhys. The two men towered over her father and she hated to think of him going into battle with them. It was a miracle he had survived,
