Page 6 of Highland Prince of Darkness

Chapter Two

“Idinnae ken what more we can dae to make them see,” Bruce sighed as he rubbed his eyes with his hand. As the leader of the McAlister clan, it was his job to make sure that his neighbors were paying their debts and that he wasn’t losing out on any deals that were negotiated.

Iain glanced across the table at Bruce. He clenched his jaw, offering no possible solution that would help the cause.

“We have not received any news?” he questioned in response.

“Nae yet, but we haven’t received any messengers yet today. Perhaps we will be lucky and will receive something that can help us.”

“They owe a lot to the clan,” Iain spoke in a bitter tone, “We have given them lots of support, I thought that it would have been an easy decision for them to accept this proposal.”

“I hear that Alistair is very ill,” Bruce responded with a slight shrug.

Iain couldn’t deny that he felt a small pang of justice at this news. The man who had once imprisoned Iain within a cell just for loving his daughter. He didn’t like to admit the way that he felt as though he was now equal with May’s father, knowing that he was so sick. His feelings did extend to May, as he thought about how hard it must be for her with her father falling ill.

“Any word on how serious it is?” Iain questioned, trying his best to sound as though it was simply a way to make conversation.

“I have heard that there is a possibility that it could be quite serious,” Bruce nodded.

Their conversation was cut off by the sound of the doors opening to the great hall. Outside, the noise of rain pelting into the castle walls was growing louder as the storm drew nearer over the nearby Glen.

“Yes?” Bruce spoke up, his voice booming and bouncing off of the stone walls around them. A servant scuttled into the room holding a lone piece of parchment in his hands. His hair was wet from the weather and his boots squelched against the floors.

Bruce quickly took the message from the servant, dismissing him without a second look. Iain watched in anticipation as his adopted father read through the message. His expression didn’t give too much away as to what the letter contained.

However, Iain couldn’t help but hope that it was an acceptance of his proposal to marry the only heir of the McIver clan.

“Well?” Iain asked impatiently, as he watched Bruce place the parchment on the table and sit back in his chair.

“We have received news from the McIver clan,” he began with pursed lips. Iain was really finding it difficult to fathom even a guess to the outcome of what had been said. “We have an acceptance to the proposal.”

* * *

Iain paced through the castle and thought about the news that had been announced the day before. He knew that Bruce was eager to make sure that the contract was seen through, however, there was still an obvious reluctance in his eyes.

It stemmed from the fact that Bruce would be losing his only son, and even though they weren’t related, their bond was strong. Iain could see that Bruce was still hesitant about being left alone after spending so many years with him.

“Ye need to keep yer priorities in check, lad,” Bruce said from the window, causing the young Laird to look up from his seat in his chambers. Iain’s eyes narrowed and filled with a darkness that even concerned his guardian.

“Aye, I will be, I ken what I’m doin’.”

“I just dinnae think it’s wise to be so focused on the past, so focused on an event that occurred so many years ago. The past can haunt ye, but many times it can only dae so if ye let it.” Bruce spoke on the back of his many years of experience.

Iain wanted to roll his eyes at the comments, however, he had been taught better than that and knew that it would not sit well with the older man. He wanted to teach May a lesson and show her that she made a huge mistake all those years ago.

“It will still be a smart match,” Bruce continued. “The girl is after all of noble blood, and so it will dae ye some good to have a proper connection to a laird than simply being a ward.”

Iain felt his nostrils flare involuntarily at Bruce’s words. He had once been nothing but a soldier in the army that belonged to May’s father, he had served with all that he had and still couldn’t garner the respect of many people. But once Bruce had taken him in, things started to change.

He distanced himself from the young soldier who had fallen in love with the Laird’s daughter, Iain pushed that man to the boundaries of his being. His time as a sell-sword had once shamed him, now they were times that he reflected on often, times that he could use to guide his journey into the future.

“I ken that it will dae me good,” Iain nodded to Bruce, “When will we be leaving?”

“We can make haste as soon as possible,” Bruce sniffed, and sat up in his seat, “We will want to get on the road in the morning so that we will reach McIver's land by the afternoon. It will be a long day of riding, but now that we’ve got confirmation, it will only be a matter of time.”

Bruce had made his thoughts clear; Iain wasn’t to lose sight of the reason for this marriage, it would be to strengthen claims of nobility, Iain recited in his head. However, he couldn’t help but anticipate the look that would fall over May’s face when he saw her again.

He hoped that it would be similar to the way he had felt when May told him she would not run away with him. It was a sharp cutting sensation that had torn through his chest, allowing a heavy and jagged weight to sink into his gut. It was like being wounded in battle, a sensation that Iain could never forget.