The moment they returned to the solar, Elsie and Maureen claimed her once more, laughing and pulling her into their midst, so that all thoughts of rebels and the king once again slipped to the back of her mind.
That evening, the celebration unfolded exactly as planned.
Members of the Council arrived with their wives, filling the great hall with fine clothes and murmured conversation. One by one, Selene was introduced to them as she sat beside Kenneth at the high table. She felt the weight of curious glances — assessing, appraising — but she held herself steady, her hand resting lightly on Kenneth’s arm.
“It is only tae be expected,” she murmured to him.
Kenneth grinned and leaned close. “They are all in love with ye,” he whispered. “Just as I am.”
Music filled the hall — pipers and fiddlers playing between the roaring peat fires that blazed in the great hearths. Light danced across the stone walls as laughter echoed beneath the high rafters. After the feast was served — roasted wild boar, rabbit pie, rich sauces, sweetmeats and honeyed cakes — everyone sat back groaning with contentment.
Then came the dancing.
A handsome young squire claimed Maureen’s hand, while Callum swept Elsie onto the floor. Selene watched, smiling, as they all joined in — reels and circles, turning and weaving, feet flying in time with the music. Laughter rang out as skirts swirled and breathless dancers spun past one another.
At last, the musicians paused to rest, and the storytellers took their turn. One after another, voices rose with tales of old — the first of the MacDonalds to come from Ireland, the fierce exploits of Viking ancestors who had fought and died to keep these lands safe.
Then, to Selene’s surprise, Kenneth strode into the center of the hall.
Silence fell as he raised a hand, his eyes bright with mischief. His tale drew laughter almost at once — the story of a young mAidan who crept to the kitchens late at night in search of a morsel, only to encounter the ghost of the castle. The ghost, it seemed, was a mAidan herself, doomed to wander in search of her lost love.
The hall erupted with laughter as Kenneth described the mAidan’s terror — and her rescue by her beloved, who found not only courage enough to banish the ghost, but also cheese and bannocks to satisfy her hunger before taking her into his arms.
Selene laughed harder than anyone, her cheeks warm, remembering all too clearly the night she herself had gone searching for food — and Kenneth had frightened her senseless with tales of the ghost that haunted the ramparts.
The laughter subsided when the great doors of the hall burst open with a rush of cold air, voices, and the unmistakable sound of boots on stone.
Conversation faltered. Music stopped. Everyone turned toward the entrance.
Four men strode into the hall, their cloaks dusted with snow, their faces ruddy from wind and cold.
“Oh my goodness,” Elsie squealed.
She leapt to her feet and ran across the hall, skirts flying, straight into the arms of the first man. He caught her easily, laughter breaking from him as he bent to kiss her.
“Why, it’s Halvard,” Selene breathed, surprised. They had not been expecting him for another two days.
Halvard released Elsie only long enough to stride forward, his presence commanding even before he spoke. Maureen had already hurried off, already calling for food and drink to be brought for him and the three men who accompanied him, directing them toward one of the side tables.
Halvard shrugged off his damp cloak and handed it to a waiting servant. “Oh Lord, it is good tae be warm again,” he said heartily. “We encountered snow and sleet, vicious winds, rough seas – exactly what one expects at this time of the year.”
Elsie could not contain herself. She flung her arms around him again, pressing kisses into his wind-damp hair. “Oh, me darling,” she said breathlessly. “I am so happy tae see ye. I thought ye wouldnae be here fer another two days at least.”
He laughed and held her close, looking down at her as though she were the only person in the hall. “I hastened tae finish every task set before me so I could come tae ye sooner. I missed ye, Elsie – far more than I care tae admit.”
She laughed in delight, her eyes shining. “Oh, me husband,” she said softly. “I am so happy ye are here.”
From their place at the high table, Selene exchanged a smile with Kenneth. The joy between Elsie and Halvard was unmistakable. They shared a loving warmth that was easy between them. And certain. It filled Selene with a quiet happiness… and a poignant longing for the same.
Soon, Kenneth and I will be man and wife too. Soon we will share the same bed, the same life – openly, without restraint or fear.
As the hall slowly returned to laughter and music, Selene savored that knowledge, letting it steady her heart like a promise whispered just for her.
Kenneth rose from his seat and lifted his goblet high. The hall gradually quieted, the low murmur of conversation fading as all eyes turned toward him.
“Let us drink,” he said clearly, his voice carrying with ease, “tae me soon-tae-be braither-in-law Laird Halvard MacLeod of the Isle of Raasay. He has joined us this night tae celebrate with us, and tae be a guest at our forthcoming wedding. And tae his wife, Lady Elsie, sister tae me bride, the Lady Selene.”
Selene felt a warm flush spread through her as Kenneth spoke her name so confidently, so publicly. She glanced down the length of the table to where Elsie stood beside Halvard, glowing with happiness.
