Had it been? Arthur hadn't been thinking in terms of worth at the time. He hadn't had time to make that kind of analysis; he'd been too busy defending himself and protecting Anna.
Less than fifteen minutes later, he was ushered into the king's tent. If Bruce had been asleep, his appearance gave no indication that he'd just wakened. His dark hair had been combed, his eyes were as clear and sharp as ever, and he was dressed in a richly embroidered dark surcoat and chausses.
He was seated on a trunk. The lack of furniture attested to the lightness and speed with which the army was moving. King Edward would never have dreamed of leaving on campaign without carts full of his household goods and plate. But living as an outlaw for over a year with his headquarters in the heather, Robert the Bruce had grown accustomed to far less.
Neil, looking slightly more disheveled, stood to his left and Tor MacLeod, leader of the Highland Guard, to his right. Like the king's, MacLeod's expression was grim.
The question in his brother's gaze cut like a knife. Surely Neil couldn't be questioning his loyalty.
"What the hell happened out there, Ranger?" the king asked.
As succinctly as possible, Arthur gave his account of the events leading up to his unexpected trip north, the planned betrothal between Lorn's daughter and Sir Hugh Ross, Lorn's hope to join forces, and Arthur's intention to prevent the alliance from happening.
"You were successful?" Bruce asked.
Arthur kept his expression neutral. "Aye, your grace."
The king nodded, pleased. If any of the men wondered how this had been accomplished they did not ask.
Arthur went on to explain how he'd led the patrol away from the MacDougall party on the way north but had been forced to defend himself to protect his cover.
"That was you?" MacLeod said. "Our men at Urquhart Castle were furious that a solitary rider managed to elude them."
"Not completely. I wish I had. But the men had me pinned near a cliff. I couldn't tell them who I was."
None of the men said anything. Like him, they knew such situations were necessary to preserve his cover, but none of them liked it.
He continued, explaining that he'd been surprised by MacRuairi and his men on the way back to Dunstaffnage.
Neil drew in his brows. "You didn't hear them?"
Arthur shook his head, offering no further explanation. He explained how at first he'd simply reacted, then, when he'd realized who the attackers were, he'd retreated to defensive maneuvering. When it came to the point where he'd saved Alan MacDougall's life, he offered no excuse other than the truth. He'd only meant to block the blow; killing the man had been an accident.
Neil asked the question no doubt all of them were thinking. "But why save him at all? Protecting Lorn's heir is not part of your mission. Killing him would almost be as good as killing Lorn himself."
Arthur met his brother's gaze, not shirking from the truth. "I wasn't trying to protect him."
"It's the lass," MacLeod said, putting it together. "You care for her."
Arthur turned to his captain, not denying it. "Aye."
"Lorn's daughter!" Neil exclaimed, not holding back his outrage. "Jesu, brother, what could you be thinking?"
Arthur didn't have an answer. There wasn't one.
"What are you saying, Ranger?" the king said, his dark eyes hard as ebony. "Has a lass made you forget what side you are on?"
"My loyalty is to you, sire," he said stiffly, but the king's barb stung.
Neil stared at him. "Have you changed your mind about Lorn? Have you forgotten what he did to our father?"
Arthur's mouth thinned in a flat line. "Of course not. But my wish to see John of Lorn destroyed does not extend to his daughter. That's why I'm here. I need to leave Dunstaffnage."
The room was dead silent. He could feel his brother's stare burning into him, but he didn't dare look in his direction. He'd let him down. The man who'd been like a father to him. He didn't want to see the disappointment on his face.
"Have you been compromised?" the king asked. "Are you in danger of discovery?"
He shook his head. "The lass knows I'm hiding something, but I do not think she suspects."
