CHAPTER NINE
“LADY MARGARET! LADY MARGARET!”
Margaret leapt to her feet—she had been resting, even in the middle of the day, as she slept so poorly at night. Eilidh came running into her chamber, her eyes huge in her pale face.
“Ye must go to the ramparts!”
“What is it? What has happened?”
“It’s Bruce! He is here—with his army!”
Margaret faltered—why would Robert Bruce come here with his army? She ran from her chamber and up the stairs to the ramparts. Most of the castle folk were already hanging over the crenellations to view the spectacle of Robert Bruce’s arrival at Castle Fyne.
She ran to the closest wall, shoving past the men, women and children there. And she saw the dozens of men and horses rippling up the forest road. Huge yellow banners waved above them, etched with red. She could not see any foot soldiers.
An arm seized her from behind. Margaret knew it was Alexander before she whirled to face him. She was shocked by his hard expression.
“Bruce will be here for this night, and mayhap another one,” he said fiercely.
“Why?” she asked, still shocked.
He did not bother to answer her. “Yer to go to the kitchens and make certain ye serve a dinner fit for Scotland’s next king.”
Margaret now realized why Alexander had such a determined and intense expression on his face. He was Bruce’s vassal. He expected Bruce to be his king. He was no longer the lord and master of Castle Fyne; Robert Bruce was.
“Of course,” she said quickly. “He will be very pleased, Alexander, I will make certain of it.”
His eyes flickered, perhaps with some relief. But otherwise, his hard expression did not change. “There is more. Yer to stay in the kitchens, or in yer chamber—yer not to come into the hall.”
It took her a moment to comprehend him. She was being banned from Bruce’s presence. Why? And then she realized that they would plot and plan their war against King Edward, they would conspire as to how to seize Scotland’s throne. And she was their enemy.
“Ye’ll obey me without question in this matter,” he said harshly.
His tone was frightening—when she was no longer truly afraid of him. “I will stay in the kitchens or my chamber,” she said softly. “So you will be at liberty to discuss what you must.”
“Good.” He then stared down at the approaching forces. “His army grows with every passing day.” He sounded satisfied.
Fear rippled through her. She could still see only the dozens of knights at the army’s forefront.
“He has hundreds of followers,” Alexander said. “That is not enough to war upon England and all of her might, but as he marches through Scotland, he is raising men and arms from those he defeats, and those who gladly join him. We will be thousands strong in no time.”
She glanced across the first line of knights. She could now make out the hundreds of men on foot behind them, the wagons and carts. She could even see the design of the great banners—Bruce also sported a great red dragon, his savagely rearing up, as if clawing apart the yellow flag it rode.
“Ye’ll go in now,” Alexander said.
Margaret hesitated, sensing that something else was at stake; she simply did not know what it could be.
She met Eilidh and Peg on the stairs, as Alexander vanished down them ahead of her. She quickly told them of their duties. Both maids were wide-eyed, at once filled with trepidation and excitement, for Bruce was a legend in the land.
But as she planned a great dinner for him, her mind raced. She turned to Peg. “Can you please begin the preparations?” she asked.
Peg glanced at her, as if she guessed that subterfuge was afoot, and she nodded, hurrying off. As she did so, Margaret pulled Eilidh into her chamber, shutting the door. “I have other duties for you.”
There was a small voice in her head, warning her not to delve into the important affairs of powerful men. Margaret dismissed it. “Bruce is at war with King Edward, and we are allied with the king. Remember, Castle Fyne was stolen from me—Alexander is the enemy.” She took the maid’s hand. “I want you to listen very carefully to every word that is said tonight.”
Eilidh gasped. “I’m to spy?”
“We must discover all the news that we can, Eilidh, and I am depending upon you.”
