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Moira looked up, expecting and even hoping that he was looking at her because, after all, the marriage wouldn’t have been able to take place without her. Instead, his glass was raised towards Marcas, who accepted the praise humbly.

Moira looked down at her food, as she couldn’t hide the disappointment on her face. She had hoped that Niall felt the same flush of emotion that had swept through her upon their meeting, but it seemed as though he was like Marcas and saw this marriage as a means to an end.

She was here to form an alliance, not to fall in love. It would be wise of her to remember that, although she feared that it was already too late to harden her heart.

Marcas and Niall already had an easy familiarity because of their time spent negotiating with each other. Moira sensed that her brother was glad to relax rather than always be on his guard around Niall. Jamie was mostly concerned with eating and didn’t offer much to the conversation.

Moira listened and laughed when it was appropriate, but other than that, she let the two men talk about matters of war. Niall asked after Marcas’s wife and children, subjects that Marcas was all too happy to talk about. They also spoke about Roderick, but briefly.

“I hae been asking if anyone haes seen him, just in case he pops up tae cause trouble again, but he seems tae be agreeing tae the terms of his exile,” Niall said.

Marcas’s hand tightened around his mug and slammed it down on the table after he had taken a long gulp. “As well he should. If I ever see him again, I will kill him. And he knows that.”

“It would be a foolish man tae ever anger ye, and I assure ye, I hae never been one tae play the fool. But while this haes been a pleasant evening, the hour grows late and I would like tae get some rest before my wedding taemorrow. I’m sure that the good lady will feel the same. Laird Monroe, with your permission, I would like tae escort Moira tae her room. Jamie will show ye tae yours,” he said.

Jamie and Marcas walked out of one door, while she and Niall walked out of another. He led her up a curving staircase; she was glad to be alone with him. As they passed windows, she glanced out at the dark and unfamiliar landscape and thought about what Grizel had said about the malevolent spirits, and wondered if there was any truth in her words.

It wasn’t long before they reached her room. It was one of many rooms located down the long hallway. Banners, tapestries, and various weapons adorned the walls. Niall opened the door for her; as she walked into the room, her body brushed his. She was filled with a sense of his warmth and caught his scent, which played havoc with her mind.

The room was plain in nature, with a bed, a closet, and a mirror. A single shuttered window opened the room to the wider world. A candle burned beside the bed, illuminating the room in soft amber light. Shadows danced upon the wall. Her chest with her belongings had been placed near one wall.

“This shall be yer room for the night, although I assure ye, my chambers are far more comfortable,” Niall said.

She wasn’t sure how ready she was to think about the wedding night and all that entailed. As she moved further into the room, she caught the scent of flowers and smiled as she spied some sitting near the window. Above the bed was a wreath made of sticks and red berries. She smiled widely and turned to Niall.

“Are all the rooms decorated this beautifully?”

Niall stifled a smirk. “Ah, sae the lady does speak.”

Moira frowned and tilted her head, silently asking him to elaborate, which he did. “Ye barely said a word through dinner. I thought that I might be marrying a mouse rather than a woman!”

Moira blushed and averted her gaze. “Ye and Marcas seemed tae hae a lot tae talk about.”

“Aye, well, we hae done enough talking over the negotiation table, and I’m sure there will be plenty of time for ye tae talk tae me as well. After all, we are gaeing tae spend our lives taegether, and it all beings taemorrow.

As for yer question, aye, most of the rooms are decorated like this because Grizel insists on protecting the rooms from the spirits she is sae fearful of. Frankly, I think it’s all a lot of nonsense, but she is an elder and haes served our family for a long time. It doesnae take much tae put up a few flowers here and there, but I wouldn’t pay much attention tae it if I were ye. She’s always been rambling on about one superstition or another.”

“Some superstitions can be comforting,” Moira said.

The expression on Niall’s face changed when she said this, as though a troubling thought passed through him, but he didn’t speak about it with her. Instead, he smiled and bid her farewell for the night, suggesting that she rest since it was going to be a busy day tomorrow. He bowed again, but this time he did not kiss her hand even though she wished that he would.

Was it improper for her to think that way about a man she had just met, even though he was going to be her husband? There were so many thoughts and doubts and hopes swirling inside her mind that it was quite exhausting. She wished Kirsten was with her so that she might benefit from her sister-in-law’s wisdom. Had Kirsten felt these feelings when she had first met Marcas, or was this something strange?

Moira didn’t know how to focus her feelings, and she wished that Niall had remained so they could continue talking. Her mind was so alive that she knew she wasn’t going to sleep much that night, but tossing and turning in bed felt like so much wasted energy.

As she stared at the ceiling, her attention was drawn to the wreath. She wondered if spirits really did exist, and if so, how was this wood supposed to protect her from them? Grizel was like nobody she had ever met before.

She seemed so convinced that spirits existed and that there was more to this world, and yet Niall dismissed her thoughts without hesitation. It was likely that she was just some strange old woman whose mind had been twisted with delusions, but there was a part of Moira that wanted to believe in the impossible.

For example, a marriage that brokered peace turning into one that was filled with love.

5

When Moira awoke, she first thought that she was waking up in the same bed as she had woken up in every morning before this one, but as soon as she opened her eyes, she knew it was different.

She swung her legs over and went to the window, opening the shutters. The world before her was one that was familiar to her, but she was now seeing it from a different perspective. She recognized some of the sights in the distance, but they were being presented to her at a new angle.

She breathed in the scent of the flowers. In the light of the morning, the thought of malevolent spirits prowling the forest seemed strange. It was no wonder that Niall dismissed these ideas. However, she had survived the night in this new place, so perhaps there was something to be said for the protection of rowan wood after all.