"An' now I ken that I want tae chase those dreams," Eoin agreed. "And I want tae do it with ye by me side. Me heart was yers, Breana, long before that kiss. I cannae name the exact moment or day, the exact cause or reason. Perhaps it was slow as I got tae ken ye, or perhaps it's been here since the first moment I saw ye. But I love ye with every part of meself. Me dreams are of ye, and the life we could have together. Would ye do me the honor of allowin' me tae be yer husband?"
Breana tried to answer, but the way her heart was soaring, the words simply wouldn't come. Instead, she caught his face with her free hand and leaned down to kiss him. It was a deep, passionate kiss, every feeling she'd had over the past daysbehind it—all the fear and hope, all the sorrow and joy, and most of all, all of the love and comfort she'd felt by Eoin's side. He kissed her back with enthusiasm, making her feel his own adoration with every movement of his lips, and for the first time in forever, Breana felt whole.
The kiss ended and Eoin got back to his feet, letting go of her hand and taking her into his arms. They held on to each other, both laughing and crying, resting their foreheads against each other as they enjoyed this moment.
After an eternity, Eoin spoke.
"So, just tae be sure… that was anaye? Because ye didnaeactuallyanswer?—"
"Oh, hush!" she laughingly scolded. "Of course, I want nothin' more than tae be yer wife, ye silly man. Neither one of us comes from a name we can be proud of. But together we can build somethin' incredible. I just ken it. That'smedream."
"What a coincidence. It's mine as well," Eoin told her. He leaned in and kissed her again, more softly this time. "What other dreams do ye have?"
"Many," she replied. "Especially now that I ken ye'll be with me."
He moved his kisses to her cheek, trailing little gently pecks along until he found her ear, then playfully nipped at the lobe. "What dream do ye have for right now? Do ye wish tae go back inside and make yet another grand announcement?"
Breana made a pleased little noise at the feelings that rippled through her from each of his kisses. Playfully, she responded, "Well… all I really wish for now is a comfortable bed. I'm exhausted."
Eoin drew back and said, "That can be arranged, me betrothed. One of the servants already showed me where the rooms are. Let's go and claim the best one."
They giggled and laughed as they went back inside then hurried through the corridors hand in hand, stopping every so often to allow the still-injured Eoin to catch his breath, punctuating each break with more stolen kisses. He confidently led her to a room, and they burst inside, laughing about nothing in particular, Breana's soul alight with joy. Finally able to rest and breathe easily.
When his mother and sister died, Eoin had truly believed that he would never have a family again. The dawn of his wedding day, though, proved that belief more wrong than he could have ever imagined. Almost every one of the rebels attended, as well as a good portion of the refugees he had befriended during their time at Bruce Castle.
Most of the non-combatant refugees would return there to be cared for by Kier and the guards of the rebuilding Bruce Clan, though the rebels themselves would, slowly, be permanently migrating here to McNair Castle, the new base of Cailean's campaign against the False King. Some of the Bruces, including Dirk, and several of the other warriors and healers would remain under the watchful command of Kier, but most of the key players in the rebellion—including the whole council minus Kier, along with Fergus, Darren, and Ferda—would settle here until the False King was overthrown at last.
Even more humblingly and wonderfully, familiar faces traveled to attend the wedding and offer their support. Eoin and Breana had been thrilled to see Laura attend with several of the White Sparrows, including Donella, Delphine, and several others. She'd brought some of the convent girls as well, including Ciara, Iona, and Catriona, the latter of whom hadcasually noted that she was glad she hadn't killed Eoin when she got the chance. Even more delightful than seeing them again was witnessing the joy emanating from Neala as she welcomed her two families together. Eoin felt privileged to be a part of it.
Yes, Eoin felt himself at home here, and when Cailean had asked him to be the captain of his guard, he accepted it as the great honor it was. It had caused some surprise from those who expected that Cailean would appoint Darren, but as Cailean himself explained, Darren was currently his heir and his second-in-command overall. When the war was over, though, Darren would most likely return to Bruce Castle and the clan over which he would rule one day and Cailean needed a captain of the guard who would steadily lead the McNair men through good times and bad. Being entrusted with the role was almost the greatest feeling of Eoin's life, granting him happiness beyond his wildest dreams.
But even that paled in comparison to how he felt when he saw Breana walking down the aisle toward him on her sister's arm, wearing a simple blue dress and flowers in her hair. She was the most beautiful thing that Eoin had ever seen.
Cailean, who was marrying them, gave him a grin. "Ye look like ye forgot how tae breathe," he whispered.
"Nay," Eoin replied. "I simply found the air me lungs have been searchin' for."
The women reached the top of the aisle and Maeve hugged Eoin, whispering in his ear that she was glad he would now be her brother in truth. Then she placed Breana's hand in his and the wedding began.
The details of the wedding were lost to Eoin, because all he could see was the love in Breana's eyes. All he could hear was the song of her voice. She was everything, and they belonged to each other now, bound for eternity in a way that nobody could separate.
When the celebration began, Eoin and his new bride accepted so many congratulations that their voices grew hoarse from thanking people. They danced until they were exhausted, then danced some more, laughing and joking and simply allowing themselves to be free.
As the night wore on, Cailean and Maeve finally managed to find them and take the newlyweds aside for a word.
"Congratulations," Cailean said, patting Eoin on the shoulder. "We're the luckiest men in the world, aye?"
"Aye," Eoin replied, completely honest in his enthusiastic agreement. He smiled as he looked at his wife, who was giggling and embracing her sister.
"I ken it's a night for celebration, but I must tell ye," Cailean said, "Tomorrow, I'll need ye by me side. Laura has come tae work with us tae set Morag and Ann free, and I ken I can count on ye in Darren's absence tae help guide the plans."
Eoin nodded, but Breana looked over in surprise.
"Darren isnae here?" she asked. "He isnae unwell, is he?"
"He's fine," Maeve replied. She exchanged looks with Cailean, then said, "He's actually… on his way tae O'Sullivan Keep."
Breana went still. Eoin moved to her side, taking her hand for support.
