Page 10 of Highland Prince of Darkness

Chapter Four

May sat in her chambers awaiting the call that she had been dreading all day. Her chambermaids were hovering, observing. She could feel eyes on her constantly and knew that they were all waiting in just as much anticipation as she was to meet the man that they called ‘Diabhal.’

Her chest rose and fell quickly as she sat staring at the anxious girl looking back at her in the mirror. There was a fear that had settled in her eyes which she couldn’t erase.

After a few final touches to her appearance, May smoothed the ends of her hair down one last time and slowly rose from her seat.

“It’s time,” a female servant spoke from the doorway that led out into the rest of the castle. May felt her heart hammering in her chest at the thought of finally meeting a man who was feared by many, a man who was to become her husband.

The heels of her boots clicked against the cold floor as she walked. May resisted the urge to walk too quickly, trying her hardest to curb the swell of anticipation that refused to be pushed down. She wanted so badly to shiver as a strong breeze moved through the hall and managed to chill her down to her bones. There were people watching, and there would be people watching her movements and actions for the rest of the week. It was a crucial time in her life and May didn’t want false rumors to be dragged through the castle.

It was getting late into the afternoon, and the light of the day was already beginning to fail. May felt cheated out of that day as she approached the great hall. She had been anxious ever since she first woke up that morning, and it had reduced her to simply waiting around for her future husband to arrive.

She swallowed thickly and allowed the maids around her to act like a shield as servants parted through the hall to let her through. May felt as though she was in a biblical scene from the Old Testament, parting through the sea of people while drowning in her own inner turmoil.

Finally, May arrived outside of the large doors. She knew that there would be a few noblemen and women inside to watch the interaction, but thankfully her father had kept the audience to a minimum. She was as nervous as though it were her wedding day instead of just the first meeting, and bent her head down to try and catch her breath.

“Ye’ll be fine, my lady,” one of her servants whispered reassuringly to her.

May nodded a small thanks to the kind woman and turned back to the door.

“I’m ready,” May muttered, more to herself than anyone else.

The doors swung open, revealing the hall that hadn’t been used recently due to her father being so ill. Many affairs had been tackled from his bed while he rested but could still govern the land. May admired her father’s grit and determination to lead the clan while his health was failing. It was admirable and she hoped that one day she would be as strong as he was.

“Presenting the Lady May McIver.”

She cast her eyes to the ground as she started to walk into the great hall, fear was pinning their focus on the floor and there was no way that she could even think about looking up. This Diabhal was known as a strong force throughout the land. He was well known for his strength and power that made him intimidating, but also recognized for being violent at times. May feared the worst. What if he were to take out his anger on her one day?

Finally, she crossed half of the room and felt her cheeks heating up with the number of eyes on her. May slowly glanced up at where her father was standing, her eyes then flitted over to the two men who stood at his side.

May’s feet stopped working. The breath in her lungs retreated out into the room and rendered her completely incapable of moving any further. Her eyes widened at the sight in front of her that both confused and terrified her.

Her first thought was that she was ill. This was some trick of her mind brought on by a sickness that must have taken hold of her during the day while she worried. Yet every time that she blinked, Iain remained in front of her, and she slowly came to the realization that everyone else in the room could see him too. It was really him.

“Father,” May managed to breathe out, as she shuffled the last couple of steps up to where he stood.

“May I present to ye, Laird Bruce McAlister and his ward, Laird Iain,” her father managed to say. She could tell that his labored breaths were partially due to his health, but mainly due to the situation that had fallen at their feet. Despite how she felt, May knew that she had to follow the correct decorum that she had been taught since she was a child. She lowered herself and bowed politely to the two men, although she couldn’t bring herself to smile properly.

Her mind was racing so fast that she didn’t know how to process what was happening, her thoughts were jammed together in a way where they didn’t properly fit. She wanted nothing more than to leave the situation, but there were too many eyes on her for that to happen.

It felt as though Iain’s gaze was burning into her skin. He was looking at her so intently, yet his feelings were being kept locked up and out of reach from her. May didn’t know whether or not he was happy to see her, and she hated not knowing.

“I request a private audience with Lady May, if I am permitted?” Iain’s words came as a shock. His voice was gruffer than she remembered, edged with a harshness that could only be learned with experience. Even the way that he held himself had changed; he was larger than she pictured in her mind. His thick arms of muscle and strong shoulders gave him an intimidating and fearsome appearance. May felt weak under his gaze. His brown hair was so familiar, yet his features had changed so slightly that it was almost too difficult to put her finger on what it was. There was something about his face that looked weathered. Iain’s eyes no longer held the innocence of his youth, but instead appeared stoic as they locked with hers.

“Of course,” her father nodded slowly, and glanced around at the people who had gathered to watch the event unfold. All he needed to do, despite his frail exterior, was motion with his arms, and the court was suddenly alive with movement as people filed out of the room.

May kept Iain’s gaze, she held it with all of her might as though it was some kind of battle between them that she wanted to win.

“Just ken that nobody will ever love ye as I dae. Nobody.”

She shuddered as his words echoed in her mind. They had seared their place into her memory and liked to remind her from time to time, May had thought the day would bring a counter-argument to those words. But as she stood in front of him now, she didn’t know how to act.

Her father and the Laird of the McAlister clan were the last to leave. May broke eye contact with Iain long enough to see her father cast her a concerned look. As soon as the sound of the doors closing echoed around the now-empty hall, May relaxed her shoulders and breathed out heavily.

She tried to crack a smile as she remembered the boy that she had left outside of the castle and the man that now stood in front of her. Her instincts took over and propelled her forwards so that May was quickly closing the space between them. May was aware that her eyes were still wide in shock and her heart was pounding as though it was trying to escape her chest.

But she quickly stopped when he took a step away. Iain was keeping her at an arm’s length, as though it was forbidden to touch him.