Page 17 of Highland Prince of Darkness

Chapter Seven

From the moment that May was seated at the table, she felt as though she were a mouse that had been lured into a trap by a predator. Iain sat rigid at her side and refused to say more than a few words to her at a time, yet he also promoted that she couldn’t talk to anyone else.

They were positioned at the center of the long table, with respected noblemen and women branching off on both sides. May felt as though she was being watched by everyone in the room, even the servants, for how she was acting and interacting with Iain.

“Congratulations to ye both,” Archie spoke, as he walked up to their table and bowed in between courses. Their meals were always splendid, but May was amazed at how rich the food was that evening. There were also many more courses than normal, much to her annoyance, as she wanted the event to be over quickly, and they hadn’t even made it to the main feast.

“Why thank ye, Sir Archie,” May smiled at her long-standing friend. The two of them were around the same age and had grown up in and around the castle together. She saw him more like a brother, especially after her own brother had passed from sickness. Archie fit that bond perfectly and had always had a soft spot for her. Archie had always been close with the family, even before the passing of her mother and brother, who he was also very fond of. He moved close to the table and kissed May's outstretched hand as was often the custom.

Archie’s smile faltered, however, as he turned to look at Iain. May too turned to see why he was suddenly looking so fearful. Her fiancé was glaring at the man as though he had just killed someone that he loved. It was a look that held so much darkness, so much malice, that even May was fearful as to what the man beside her might do.

However, she swallowed down the fear that she felt and lightly touched Iain’s arm to try and get him to stop. May then threw Archie an incredibly apologetic look, but she wasn’t surprised when he simply walked back off to his table.

“What was that about?” May asked in a hushed whisper with a sharp tone. She barely turned her head while talking to him, not wanting people to notice their conversation.

“What was what?” Iain frowned as he glanced at her.

“Ye looked as though ye were goin’ to kill him,” May spoke quickly.

“I would have if he had looked at ye like that again,” Iain shrugged, as though they were talking about something as insignificant as the weather. She didn’t like the way that he was stating it as though it were a fact instead of a justification. Iain’s tone was as though he was reminding her of something incredibly obvious.

“He didn’t look at me in any way, and since when do ye care about that? I thought that ye didn’t like me?” May couldn’t help but narrow her eyes as she spoke.

“Ye ken that's nae true, I’m just very angry at ye. I still dinnae want men like him looking at ye like that.”

May thought back to the friendly smile that Archie had flashed her way, there had been nothing more in it than just two friends being pleasant with one another.

“Ye dinnae need to be so controlling,” she muttered under her breath.

“I told ye that this marriage is nothing more than a means to unite our clans, and so I can dae whatever I please,” Iain responded in a way that caused May to shudder.

She gritted her teeth and continued to smile and thank the people that approached their table. Whenever it was a man that strode up to give them their congratulations and exchange pleasantries, May felt her heart sink a little. She knew that Iain was being purposefully difficult and she didn’t want to even think about what people must be saying about him.

“Why dae they call ye Diabhal?” May asked, when they had a moment to themselves. She glanced tentatively at him and saw the way that his jaw clenched at her question.

“It does nae matter and it’s certainly not a topic that I want to discuss right now,” Iain’s words were quiet and almost inaudible underneath the chatter of the room.

May breathed heavily as she nodded slowly and continued glancing around the room. Some of the women smiled at her and continued their conversations, however, many of the men that had already approached them didn’t return her gaze.

The hall was heating up with the number of people inside. The constant bustling sound of voices and the clatter of glasses being drunk made it difficult for May to focus on any one thing. Her father sat talking with Bruce, the two Lairds were clearly deep in conversation, and it looked to be pleasant. She was glad that her father felt well enough to attend that evening. She didn’t like to think that in his absence, she was the one that people would turn to.

She sat in sullen silence, one where she had to fight hard to not let a scowl settle over her expression. She knew that she was being stiff instead of showing off how happy she was about the contract that she was about to enter into.

Soon after the last of the food had been served, the tables in the center of the room were cleared away to make space for the dancing to begin. May could sense anxiety knotting up inside of her stomach as she thought about dancing with Iain in front of the room. It was a custom and not something that either of them would be able to get out of, no matter how much May wanted to avoid the event.

“Do ye remember the first time that we danced together?” May asked, speaking for the first time to Iain after what felt like a small eternity.

She could see that Iain was thinking for a moment and it allowed May to think of the memory herself.

There had been a couple of musicians on the outskirts of the town that were playing for people in the streets. May and Iain being in a nearby field had danced barefoot to the faint music that carried along the wind. She smiled at the memory; Iain’s smile, how lovingly he held her against his chest, and the close proximity of their bodies. May felt a warmth run through her body that was different from the intensity of the room, it was accompanied by a yearning for those days once more.

“Nay,” Iain responded finally.

May felt her heart sink with disappointment, her face fell flat and reality set back in. She had to keep reminding herself that the Iain who now took her hand to lead her out to dance was completely different from the man who would have once done anything for her.

She tried not to think about the way that his hand was holding hers as though she were repulsive to him. The constant small actions like that were slowly beginning to wear her down and upset her, and May was sick of it.

She turned to him and met his hand with hers as they prepared for the music to start. May was keeping her breathing regulated as she tried to process the number of eyes on her at that moment. Iain’s gaze was on her, and that was more intimidating than any other person in the room. May sighed heavily as the music started and many couples started to join them in dancing. She noticed that both her father and Bruce remained in their seats at the table, simply watching the action unfold.