“We will all meet again soon,” Seamus said, as though it was a demand rather than a hope.
Flora engulfed Brid in a hug, holding her tightly.
“Be safe,” she whispered, unable to keep the emotion out of those two words.
When Brid pulled back, Flora turned to Connor and gave him a hug as well. Only this time, she whispered, “Keep her safe.”
“With everything inside of me,” he promised.
And then they were off, the rest of their group trailing behind them, every single rider determined to make the trip worthwhile.
“The next time we see them, Glenkirk will be under our control, and we will be one step closer to defeating Campbell,” Seamus told her as he tucked her into his side.
She nestled herself in, needing his closeness, needing his comfort. Turning her face into his chest, she wrapped her arms around him and held on tight. For a moment, she could stop thinking about the war. She stopped planning and strategizing. For only a moment, she wasn't a fighter or a warrior or an archer. She was merely a woman clinging to her husband, letting his scent and the sound of his heartbeat wash away the stress of the day.
Her shoulders relaxed as the tension there dissipated. Only then did she pick her head up to look at Seamus.
“I could nae be more proud of ye, ye ken,” she told him, her hands still wrapped around his waist.
“Me? Why?”
She scoffed at his modesty, knowing there was nothing false about it.
“Ye say that as though ye did nae accomplish something great today.”
“Remind me,” he answered with a cheeky grin.
She couldn't help but smile back at him while she recounted the day.
“Ye stood in front of who kens how many men and women, who until recently verra likely hated ye, and ye inspired them. Ye gave them purpose, a chance to protect their homes, their freedoms once more. Ye showed them what a true leader looks like—something many of them have nae seen in years. This is yer destiny, Seamus. I have never been more certain of anything in my life. Ye were born to do this.”
“Ye give me too much credit, love. I could nae do it alone, certainly nae without ye.”
“Well, I hope ye ken that ye are nae alone. All of those men made a pledge to ye today, they made a vow that ye would nae be alone in this fight. If ye would allow me to, I would like to remind ye that I have also made a vow to ye.”
She tilted her head back, her gray eyes locked with his bright blue ones. She wanted him to hear just how much she meant what she was saying.
“When we married, I vowed to be yer wife nay matter the circumstances. I vowed to stand by yer side come what may. That vow includes my sword. I will fight beside ye, I will guard yer back, I will cover ye with my arrows. I will do whatever it takes to see that ye are safe, that we come through this fight together, in one piece.”
Seamus' only response was to bend his head and kiss her for a good long while. Her toes tingled, and her stomach flipped as she held on tight and let him show her all the things he felt but couldn't put into words. When he pulled back, her face was flushed and warm, but still wore a loving smile.
“Today went better than I expected, I must admit,” he said at last, his chin resting on the top of her head, neither of them ready to let go of the other just yet.
“Aye. More people attended than I had dared to hope. I am still so sorely disappointed that Finn did nae come. I wish he and Brid would have been able to work things out before the fighting begins.”
“Nae to mention, we could use the support of his men. Every sword counts, and those are skilled fighters. They could have made quite the difference.”
Flora sighed heavily.
“I ken that he is important to ye,” Seamus told her, with an edge to his words. “But I am done trying to prove myself to him. He is so convinced that I am tainted with my father's blood, that I am a coward by nature. I have spent countless hours trying to get him to think differently. I went after him in Murray Castle in the hopes that I would be able to win him over. But it is clear now, there is nothing I can do to change his mind. I will nae try anymore.”
“What are ye saying?” Flora questioned, her brows furrowed.
“I am saying,” he pressed a kiss to her forehead, softening his tone as he went, “that we will simply have to carry on. These are the cards that have been dealt to us. We will win this battle and take down Campbell once and for all, with or without Finn's help. But I will nae hold my breath for him any longer.”
Flora loosed a deep breath and settled back into Seamus' arms.
“Nay. Nay, we cannae.”
