Alexander adjusted hisfur-lined cape so that it covered most of his left shoulder, leaving the design of his dark-blue brocade doublet visible on his right. He fidgeted until he got it looking the way he wanted. His cape was longer than a typical mantle, but not as long as a full cape. The fine embroidery on his leine was visible from underneath his doublet, and as he spied himself in the mirror, he became satisfied finally with his appearance.
His hair was shorter than many men of the time who often wore it tied at their nape, but he found that uncomfortable and so he wore it slightly shorter than his shoulders. He’d trimmed his beard so the shape would be clean, but he could not bear to have his face fully shaved and so kept it light.
And now there was nothing left but to put her ring in his pocketand make his way to the abbey. The king’s jeweler had several styles he could select from and in the end, he chose a band of intertwined white and yellow gold in the form of a Celtic knot. He would have something designed for her for later, but for today, he would honor her with this one.
Now standing near the Archbishop of St. Andrew’s no less, Alexander stilled his nerves and waited as patiently as he could for the first sight of his bride.
The abbey was as full as he imagined it could ever be as, true to their word, people had come from all over to witness these nuptials.
The king’s lutenists played their solemn hymns quietly until they were signaled to increase the volume and tempo.
And then he saw her. This vision in pale green with hair like flame and a tiara that sparkled as the sunlight hit it when she passed by the high arched windows of the abbey.
No one made a sound as she walked toward him with her father to her right and her holding a thick bouquet of hawthorne. This pleased him so, since she could have chosen the most exotic flower from the king’s gardens, but instead she chose a flower native to Scotland and as hardy as her people.
He met her gaze as they neared. She was more beautiful than any woman he’d ever beheld and even more beautiful than even she was before this moment. His breath caught in his throat as her father placed her hand in his.
He mouthed “beautiful,” which brought color to her cheeks and that shy smile he was coming to adore on her face.
The archbishop said some words and offered blessings, but Alexander could focus on none of it. All he could see was this glorious woman before him and envision the life they were about to embark on together. He could see them expanding the gardens at Inverary, their many children, and he could even see them growing old together. In a flash their entire lives played out behind his eyes, and his heart achedwith love for her so much it hurt.
The archbishop instructed Alexander to place his ring on her finger then joined their hands together.
“Alexander, Earl of Argyll and Chieftain of Clan Campbell, will you take this woman to be your wife?”
“I will,” he said.
“Marion, will you take this man to be your husband?”
“I will,” she said.
“Now let us humbly invoke God’s blessing upon this bride and groom, that in his kindness he may favor with his help those on whom he has bestowed the Sacrament of Matrimony. By the power vested in me by His Holiness the Pope of the Holy Catholic Church, I pronounce thee husband and wife.”
Alexander didn’t hear another word. He reached for Marion and cupped her face with his hands and brushed the softest kiss on her lips as prudence would dictate. He’d make up for that later. And he also recalled a conversation about her gown being sewn onto her. They would have to repair it on the morrow for he was not about to waste one second on her gown once they were alone later.
For the moment, he could not wait for her to see the great hall and how perfectly it had been transformed not into a garish affair with overly ornate decoration, but something elegant and soft, just like her.
“Fare thee well, Countess?”
She squeezed his arm where she held it as they walked down the aisle of the abbey and nodded at the various nobles and commonfolk who had come to bear witness.
“Aye, my lord. I am very well.”
“I am pleased to hear it and am looking forward to your impression of the great hall. I believe you will find it much transformed from the last time you were here. And by the way, I am very pleased that your tastes won out regarding your gown and choice of decoration. I shall do my best not to cause it too much harm later.”
Her fingers dug even harder into his arm.
“My lord, you need not worry about the gown. The seamstress devised a solution for ease of removal.”
It was everything he could do not to stare at her as they continued on down the impossibly long aisle, nodding and smiling at attendees.
“I am not certain if I am relieved or disappointed.”
“Are you saying you wanted to damage my garment?”
“I believe I was prepared for the challenge, aye. But truth be told, I am counting down the moments until I have you alone and we can explore one another for many—long—hours.”
Her hand on his arm was like a death grip now and he was left in no doubt she was as affected by him. Their joining would be jointly enjoyed; he would ensure it.
