“Our doors are always open to ye, King Robert.” Broderick grinned, clearly eager to meet his sons and nieces. “And ye’re welcome anytime as aye, soon enough ‘twill be a castle full of wee ones.”
I squeezed Ellie’s hand, eager to start our own family, because it couldn’t come soon enough.
“I verra much look forward to it.” Robert lifted his glass to me and Ellie. “Until then, I wish ye a fine wedding and a life full of yer own wee ones.”
Everyone held up their glasses and toasted before Robert smiled at Malcolm and Lilias. “Should I assume ye’ll be attending as well?”
“Aye,” Lilias replied, smiling. I knew it did everyone’s heart good to see her happy. To see her enjoying a wee dram with us and her head lifted up rather than lowered in submission. Her smile softened. “’Twill be nice to reunite with all my sisters and see my good friend, Evan, again, as I have missed him so.”
Ellie met her smile, knowing how much the two of them looked forward to being properly reunited after all these years. To finally be with each other the way they should have always been. She had a daughter to consider, so they would take it slowly, but we didn’t doubt Evan would be a good father to Marjorie someday, given how much he loved her already. A much better father than the one she just lost.
“Ye will have to tell me all about it when next we meet, Lady Sutherland.” Robert offered her a warm smile. “I have heard about Evan’s plight and the memories ye two have long shared, so it does my heart good to hear ye both might finally find the happiness ye so rightfully deserve.”
She met his warm smile, relief in her eyes that he seemed to understand so much more than had been said aloud, given she’d just lost her husband, even if he was a tyrant. “Thank ye, my King.”
“And what of Lorna and her father, King Robert?” Sloan wondered, referring to the woman Sloan was supposed to marry before she entered into a secret agreement behind the king’sback to marry a Sutherland. “Have ye heard any word from them?”
“Nay.” Robert looked Malcolm’s way. “But then, I imagine that may change after tonight’s events. ‘Twill ultimately be up to Laird Sutherland how he wishes to proceed with Lorna.” He sighed and considered it for a moment. “As to how I intend to handle her father, given he is a man I have long considered a friend and one of my best warriors, I think I may go about it much like wee Marjorie did this eve and try to find forgiveness. Granted, he will suffer some repercussions, since he has lost my trust, but in the end, I will opt for forgiveness.”
“Aye,” Malcolm agreed, nodding at Lilias, clearly prepared to treat her as his equal in the running of things. “We will look into this marital agreement, keeping in mind she spied on the MacLeods over the years, and go from there as ‘tis safe to say Lorna willnae be finding marriage with the MacLeods given her traitorous ways.”
“Nay,” Broderick agreed, looking at Sloan, assuring him he need not worry about her being a constant presence over the years. “’Twould be better if Lorna found a marital arrangement elsewhere.”
“Indeed,” Robert echoed, polishing off the rest of his whisky before standing, prompting us to follow suit. “I thank ye for a lovely evening, my friends, but I must be off to bed, for I hope to leave for the border at daybreak.”
“I think mayhap Ellie and I will leave at daybreak as well,” I said, sensing her need to finally be alone, and I more than agreed, nodding at Malcolm. “Thank ye for the accommodations, Laird Sutherland.”
“Aye, always.” Malcolm smiled at me and Ellie. “This castle is yer castle as ye are kin in every sense of the word now, son.”
Warmed by his regard, I nodded in thanks, grateful for his support.
After that, goodnights were said all around, and Ellie and I made our way to a chamber overlooking the sea Lilias had prepared, claiming it would be ours permanently, as her sisters and their mates would be provided their own as well.
“I’m so glad it’s not the one Dugal had given me,” Ellie said after we closed the door behind us. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to look at that room again.”
“No more than you will ever have to look at him again,” I reminded, wasting no time reeling her into my arms and cupping her cheek, still recalling the moment she’d said yes to marrying me when I had her on the dance floor earlier, holding her just as close. “Only ever your true and rightful husband and fated mate.”
“I like the sound of that,” she murmured, putting a finger to my lips when I tried to kiss her. She shook her head.
“Not yet, because if I kiss you now,” she said softly, “I might not get where I want to go.”
When I frowned in alarm, given she walked the line between this life and the Hereafter, she shook her head again and smiled, sharing why, and it put my fears at ease.
Rather, she shared much-welcome news, and my heart quite literally soared.
Chapter Twenty-Five
–Ellie–
UTTERLY PERFECT DIDN’T begin to describe the day I’d had from the moment Dugal and Elspet took their last breaths to learning that Tavish and I would have our happy ending after all. Yet it was about to get happier, and I told him why before he could kiss me in the chamber that was now ours at Sutherland Castle.
“When the pact was fulfilled, the weight of it and how strongly I had been influenced by it lifted. How it ultimately affected and changed me lifted.” Smiling at him, I slipped my hand into his and led him to the sizeable balcony outside our room. Enjoying the feel of icy, soothing snowflakes against my skin, I gazed at the forest and ocean far below, then back at him, my dragon eyes flaring. “I’m no longer afraid of heights.” I shook my head, marveling at the feel of it while eyeing the steep drop below. “My fear is completely gone.”
Understanding what I truly desired tonight, I felt his excitement when he smiled, and his dragon eyes flared in response. “Aye? Truly?”
“Aye,” I replied, awed by how free I felt. “I want to fly alongside you and go home now. To spend the night in our cottage, just the two of us.”
“’Tis windy,” he warned, gesturing at the weather. “And cold. ‘Twillnae be easy for your first flight.”
