“You seek familiarity in the differences,” he noted.
“I have made my choice, Fergus, and I must ensure its success,” Leila replied.“There is much I left behind, to be sure, but it is better to admire in the road ahead.Yearning for the past is of no merit.”
His gaze was thoughtful and he was silent for a moment.
“Can you not envision any situation that would compel you to surrender Killairic?”she asked, knowing full well that it was different for a man and heir, but wanting him to understand.
“Nay,” he said without hesitation.
“Truly?”
Fergus frowned but did not reply.“It will be easier for you to remain in Scotland if you take a husband.”
“No doubt,” Leila agreed, her words tight.She supposed that wedding another man was one way to give herself some security.It was a notion of some merit.Perhaps she would find love in an arranged match, as Gaston and Ysmaine had.It might be a compromise that would lead to the happiness she sought.
In this land, though, Leila was at a disadvantage, in language, custom, and the knowledge of men’s reputations.She wondered if Fergus would grant her advice as to suitable candidates.Were there more men like him in this land?Leila could only hope so.A tall and handsome man of honor with a valiant nature would suit her well, even if that man could not be Fergus.
He said naught, though, so she decided to ask.Fergus would be a good judge of character, particularly of his fellows.
She cleared her throat.“Perhaps you might be so kind as to suggest men of merit to me.I will not have my old sources of gossip available to me, after all, and I would prefer not to put myself in a similar situation to the one I left.”
Fergus seemed startled, then he nodded.“Of course.”He pointed again and changed the subject, though Leila could not imagine why.Perhaps he had never been a matchmaker before.Perhaps it was not the occupation of men in this land.“There is an herb garden beyond the orchard, also within the walls, which is where the bees are kept.”
“I will be delighted to see it all.”
“My father will be glad to show you.He takes great pride in Killairic.He has overseen much of its construction, since it was a simple timber keep when he took command of it.”
Leila gestured to the water glistening in the distance.“And what lies out of view?Is it the ocean itself?”It amazed her that she could ride further west, then sail south and eventually back to the Mediterranean again, then onward to Palestine.Would it take longer by sea or not?It would be much farther, to be sure.
“Eventually, but first a traveler must sail around the Rhinns of Galloway, then between Ireland and the western Isles.”Her confusion must have shown because he smiled.“The western islands are the realm of the Kings of the Isles, laid bare to both wind and sea.”
Leila wanted immediately to see them.Fergus’ affection for his homeland was more than clear and she could understand his feelings.This journey had awakened her taste to see even more of the world than she had.“I thought there was a king of Scotland.Duncan mentioned as much when we left Haynesdale.”
“And so there is, but the isles have always been reluctant to bow to authority from afar.They were claimed by the Irish from across the sea, and thence by the Vikings, crossing another sea.The highlanders would claim them and the English would claim them, and the Scottish kings try to contain them as well.In the northern islands, the Norwegian king makes claims.Alliances are uneasy in these parts and always shifting.”
“That sounds familiar,” Leila said wryly and Fergus smiled.
“I imagine that situation is familiar to more people than not.”
“And your home?”
“Is a small holding, as you see, but sits at a junction of a kind.That river is a border between Galloway and Scotland, although sometimes this side of the river is pledged to England.From the southwest and northwest, the Kings of the Isles have their lands and often dispute who holds what.Up Solway Firth and on this shore, much news and many warriors travel.My father is trusted to ensure a careful alliance between kings and lords, and Killairic has prospered as a result of his efforts.”He spared Leila a fleeting smile.“My marriage will secure his responsibility for the future.”
Leila did not ask about Isobel this time.“Tell me of Galloway,” she invited instead.
“To the immediate west of Killairic are the lands of the Lords of Galloway, my cousins.They are much inclined to warfare.I was named for Fergus, Lord of Galloway, who died just before I was born.His sons, Uchtred and Gille Brigte, battled over his territories until Gille Brigte killed his own brother and claimed his lands.”Fergus’ lips tightened to a grim line.“It was a barbaric end for a savage warrior.”He paused, then added with care.“They are unpredictable allies despite our blood bond.”
“Or perhaps because of it,” Leila suggested.She considered the gently rolling hills and wondered at them being scarred by warfare.
Fergus nodded.“Perhaps.”
“And Killairic?”
“Granted to my father by the English king upon the surrender of Fergus, to defend the border between his lands to the east and south, and those claimed by Fergus’ sons to the west.The Scottish king agreed to the grant, and marriage to my mother secured my father’s alliance with the Scottish king.”
“She was related to him?”
“His niece.”
