"He's still an Ashkirk!" someone shouted angrily.
Neala shook her head. "Nae for much longer." She moved to Ansel's side and offered her hand to help him back to his feet. He took it, wondering what he'd ever done to deserve her love, and stood.
"He is me subject now, just as all of ye are," Cailean announced. "The rebellion was founded on second chances. This man has slain the False King—his own father—in our name. Hasn't he earned it?"
Ansel squeezed Neala's hand, and looked at Cailean once more. "If I ever betray ye, may me life be forfeit." Then he looked into Neala's eyes, those beautiful dark eyes, and added more quietly, "And if I'm ever nae the husband ye deserve…"
"Ye're more than ye think ye are, Ansel," Neala whispered.
He shook his head. "Nay. Nae yet. But with the grace of yer brother and with yer love, perhaps I one day will be."
"Any other objections?" Cailean asked. Nobody spoke.
With a final nod, Cailean stepped forward and wrapped the ribbon around their joined hands, binding them together. "Then, Neala McNair and Ansel McNair, I welcome ye tae the new Scotland. May this first marriage of a new age be a sign of the love tae come in our world."
"Hurry and kiss the bride so we can all go home, eh?" said the golden-haired man.
Ansel didn't need telling twice.
That night, when they set up camp on their way back to McNair Castle, Ansel lay by Neala's side and stared at the roof of his tent. His head was spinning from the events of the day, but having her in his arms was keeping him tied to earth. He had left many of his men behind to bury his father and the other dead and to spread news of the True King's victory, and many of the rebel army had dispersed back toward their own clans, but Ansel himself was traveling back to what would be his new home.
"Are ye all right?" Neala asked softly, leaning against his bare chest and wrapping her arm around his stomach.
"When I woke this mornin' I was sure I was gonnae die," Ansel replied, gently stroking her hair as he spoke. "I kent I would save ye nae matter what it took, but I was sure me death was comin', either from the hands of me father or from the rebellion."
"And now?" Neala asked him.
"Now?" Ansel replied. "With ye here at me side and a name I can be proud of? Oh, Neala. For the first time in my life, I think I may get tae live."
EPILOGUE
Nessa waited impatiently at the harbor, barely able to contain herself while the ship prepared to deboard its travelers. It had been her decision to stay behind while her sister needed her, but now she was tired of waiting. She had not been idle in the past year, working hard with Cailean and Maeve and the rest to rebuild the country, and indeed,The Hopeful Soldierwas returning to a very different Scotland from the one it had left a year before.
The land was experiencing true peace for the first time in Nessa's entire life. Clans that had been all but destroyed were rebuilding from the ground up, and people who had been afraid to live openly were now able to experience the life that they had been born to experience. Trials had been held for those most closely associated with the Ashkirks, and though justice had been dealt, the sentences had been fair. Many had sworn themselves to Cailean in the aftermath of the battle, and many more had renewed their promises to their king and the peace he had fought so hard to bring for them.
Nessa had stayed at McNair Castle. She had, after many weeks of discussion, convinced someone much more suitable to take over the clan lands her father had ruled for so long. Shedid not believe that was a task meant for her, and the work of the new laird and lady of the clan had proven her entirely right. The lands now known as the Kerr Lands had thrived under Eoin and Breana, and the birth of their daughter, Mary, had ensured the start of a new lineage that would continue for hopefully a long, long time. Meanwhile, Nessa had worked hard with Neala and Maeve, helping create a Scotland in which women like them could flourish.
As well as hard work, there had been much joy in the intervening year between the downfall of Edric Ashkirk and now. Blackthorn Castle had been torn down entirely, and from its ruins they had built an orphanage to take care of the many, many children who had been left alone thanks to the war. The White Sparrows had taken over, raising those who needed it and opening a healing room to anyone and everyone. Laura and Morag still trained women who wished to learn to protect themselves, but they no longer had to hide in the shadows.
Mary was not the only child to bless them. Fergus was now a father too, much to Kier's joy, and most excitingly of all, Maeve was due to give birth any day now. She was convinced she was going to have a boy, but Cailean was sure it would be a girl. Nessa knew that, no matter what the child was, it would be the most beloved in the world.
Senan had set out to find survivors of the Campbell clan, and he now stayed with them, helping to restore his childhood home. Ewan and Hamish, though, had remained at McNair Castle, acting as Cailean's most loyal councilmen to this day. Many of the rebels had returned to their clan, but others, like Deirdre, Ben, and Patty, had taken on roles at the castle, continuing their loyalty to the king they loved so much.
As for Neala and Ansel, their transformation had been the most remarkable to watch of all. Nessa had seen Ansel work harder to make up for his past than anyone had ever expectedof him, and Neala had supported him all the way. It had been hard work, but with Neala's help and the support of Nessa and the others, Ansel had slowly gained trust from those around him. Against everything they had once expected, he and Cailean had become friends, and rumor had it that Cailean was ready to declare Ansel his new captain of the guard.
All of it had been wonderful, but right now, Nessa could scarcely care about it. All she cared about was the passengers on this ship, for whom she had waited so long that it felt like a lifetime. She was so anxious to see them again, to seehimagain, that she could barely keep still.
"Keep calm, lass," Kier said, grinning broadly as he patted her shoulder.
"I'll be calm when they're standin' before me," she replied, tapping her foot. Only she and Kier had been able to come and meet the ship, though she knew that, back at the castle, many were waiting just as impatiently.
At long, long last, the gangplank settled into place, and the sailors began to disembark. A few people later, a strange shape appeared, silhouetted by the sun. Nessa squinted, shielding her eyes, then understood.
Ann sat in a strange chair with wheels, color in her cheeks and a smile on her face. Nessa marveled at the rolling chair. They had written to her about how a medical scholar in Italy had helped them craft it, but she'd never seen anything so wonderful. Behind her, Ferda pushed the chair forward, smiling wildly. The scout's hair had been cut short, and she wore a sailor's shirt and trousers.
"That lassie will never be proper," Kier said with a sigh, but he was beaming. As Ann and Ferda stepped onto solid ground, he hurried forward and gathered his niece in a huge bear hug, then let go of her and kissed Ann on the cheek. "Welcome back."
Nessa welcomed them too, but her eyes were still fixed on the gangplank. Dirk was the next down, much taller and more filled out than he had been when he left the year before. He smiled at her as he passed, but Nessa barely heard his words.
