Page 59 of A Kilted Marriage of Convenience

EPILOGUE

Two days later…

Ciara blinked awake. Her eyes opened in slits, and she tried to figure out where she was, for her mind was muddled and she had no idea how long she had been out for. She felt a million different aches in a million different places. However, none seemed that bad.

Her head throbbed gently as her eyes came open fully, getting used to the light after her long time asleep. She saw that she was in a room, and she felt bandages on her skin underneath a soft wool blanket. Her senses started to return to her in bits and pieces. She could smell the familiar scents of herbs and potions, and that unmistakable odor of potent antiseptic. She had gone gathering those herbs enough times, and she was sure she could list a hundred different ones with her eyes closed. Yes, she knew exactlywhere she was.

“I reallyneed to stop waking up in here,” Ciara mumbled in complaint to herself.

“Aye, that ye do.”

The voice had come from the corner of the room, to Ciara’s right. She turned around quickly to see Maria in the room, wearily stirring something in a pot over the fire. But she was not alone. Lillie and Hannah were also there, and Lillie had tears in her eyes while smiling at Ciara.

“Lillie,” Ciara gasped, smiling weakly as she noticed her friend.

“Are ye alright?” Lillie asked, walking over quickly to crouch beside the bed, taking her hand. “Ye looked in pretty poor shape when Aidan brought ye back. I cannae even imagine how ye must have felt. The bruises and cuts… Ye have been asleep for two straight days. We were all worried about ye. I am so glad ye made it back.”

“Well it’s nae like anyone is a stranger to the monster my father is,” Ciara replied lightly, squeezing Lillie’s hand in hers. “But I am grateful that I dinnae ever have to experience that ever again.”

“I have missed ye so much, ye ken. I just hope that now we can live together forever.”

“Seems like that is the case,” Ciara replied with a smile.

“Welcome home, Ciara.” Lillie hugged her with teary eyes, and Hannah joined in.

She still felt pain in her sides, but she was grateful to be back. Just some days ago, she had felt the loss of her relationship with Aidan, and it had made her numb and empty. Yet here she sat. Hurt, yes, but she was surrounded by people who loved her.

Ciara smiled as Lillie squeezed her a little too tightly, but she offered no complaints, as the girl’s tears dampened her neck, and she loved her even more for it.

“Och! So I found out that ye went and got married without me!” Lillie broke off the hug abruptly, wearing a look of mock indignation. Ciara laughed loudly at that and shook her head.

“Well, I did mean to invite ye, ye see. Unfortunately, it would have taken ye a bit of time to join us in the forest.”

Lillie snickered and pushed Ciara on the arm. “I dae forgive ye, of course,” she said with a shrug. “However, yer wedding dress is ready now, and ye will have to have a proper wedding if I am to forgive ye completely.”

Ciara shook her head and smiled at her. “As ye wish. Thank ye so much, for everything. Even with everything that has happened, ye never once lost yer faith in me. Ye trusted me and ye loved me deeply. For that I am grateful, Lillie. Thank ye for being the sister I always wished I had.”

The girl hugged her again, her embrace full of emotion. “Ye have become the sister I always wished I had, too.”

“Och! What about me, eh?” Hannah asked, throwing her arms in the air to show her frustration. The girls laughed again.

Moments later, Aidan appeared in the doorway with Darragh, both of them smiling at her.

“I am sorry to disturb ye, lasses,” Aidan said lightly. “I came to check on my wife.”

“Aye,” Maria spoke from the corner. “There is much disturbing yer lady wife, who should be resting right now. I will be glad if the lot of ye were to leave this place immediately and leave the poor lass to have her rest. This is a healer’s room, nae the fair.” Maria wagged her spoon at Lillie as she said the last part.

Aidan smiled and shrugged. “Alright, Maria. We will dae well to get out of yer hair. Is she alright? Is she recovered enough to leave now?

“Aye, she is. She is to rest as long as possible. The danger has passed, and she should recover nicely now.”

Aidan nodded as Maria listed off the instructions. As soon as she was done, he went to Ciara and kissed her on the forehead.

“How are ye, love?” Aidan asked her softly. “How dae ye feel?”

“I am alive, thanks to ye,” she replied, blushing.

He nodded at her and then picked her up gently from the bed. There was something new about how he carried her. He took her delicately, almost as if he was afraid to break her.