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Maura had tried to be kind to him and to make the best of the situation, but perhaps it was impossible. In all her struggles to fix the situation, she hadn’t actually thought of her marriage proposal being rejected. She feared that war was inevitable, and there didn’t seem to be anything she could say to Kevan to change his mind.

After some time had passed, they returned to the main hall. Elaine had disappeared, while Wyl occupied himself with humming a tune. Ruairi sat on a chair; his leg jerked with nervous energy. Loud shouts could be heard from the private room where Wallace and Niall were negotiating. The words were muffled, but it didn’t seem as though they were making any progress towards peace. Kevan left her side and returned to the dais, while Maura took the opportunity to speak privately with her brother. They kept their voices low and hushed.

“Why did ye come here, Maura?” Ruairi bemoaned.

“It was the only way tae save ye and tae protect the clan. I couldnae let ye sacrifice yerself,” she said.

“Sae ye would sacrifice yerself instead?” Ruairi asked.

“I am nae gaeing tae be killed here, just married,” she replied.

“Aye, and dae ye think they would let ye come and visit us? Ye should nae hae been sae reckless.”

A wicked gleam sparkled in Maura’s eyes. “Aye, well, now ye know how I feel,” she teased. Ruairi was about to say something else when suddenly the door to the small room was flung open and the two men strode out. Niall’s face was a storm cloud, while Wallace was smiling widely.

“Well, that was a very productive meeting. Kevan, come down here,” Wallace instructed. Niall looked to Maura and beckoned her with a toss of his head. Maura was struck by how Kevan was still ordered about by Wallace even though Kevan was technically the laird.

Wallace clasped his hands together and continued. “After much discussion, we hae come tae an agreement. Maura, it is my pleasure tae welcome ye, and a sizeable dowry”—he gave a pointed look to Niall—“tae the McGrory clan. Ye will marry Kevan and start a new chapter in the glorious history that is our clan.”

“Uncle,” Kevan began, but he was silenced with a glaring look. Maura noticed how he bristled and wondered if she had made a terrible mistake. It was one thing to sacrifice herself for her clan and marry into a clan that wasn’t the most prosperous or honorable, but she still thought that her soon-to-be husband would be willing to marry her at least. It was clear that this decision was made without Kevan’s consent and that Wallace still wielded the power of the clan, if not the title of laird. Perhaps Kevan was just allowing the man to take charge of this affair as a mark of respect after all he had lost, but the way Kevan had spoken while she had been alone with him had given her the impression that he would do anything to stop this marriage.

Niall strode away as Wallace set the date for the wedding: a few days’ time. Kevan rushed to his uncle’s side while Maura and Ruairi fell into step with Niall.

“Ye got what ye wanted, Maura. Ye hae yer wedding. There will be no war,” Niall said without any sign of humor or celebration. Maura felt a flare of triumph, but it was doused by the reaction of all those around her. Despite protecting the clan, she felt as though she had made a grim mistake.

6

Maura left McGrory territory with mixed feelings. While she was proud that her plan had worked, she was also fearful of the future. What made it worse was her father’s reaction. She, he, and Ruairi left on their horses and rode off in silence, but this time it wasn’t Ruairi who went charging off ahead; it was Niall. There was a grim look upon his face as he rode away. Maura had no choice but to follow at swift speed. Her stomach churned, as she knew that she had disappointed him. Ruairi offered her a sympathetic smile, and he stayed beside her so that she did not have to ride alone.

“Ye know I can never repay ye for what ye are daeing,” Ruairi said.

“Ye dinnae hae tae. I’m daeing this for the whole family. It is my duty,” Maura said, but this time when she said it, the words sounded hollow, as though she was trying to convince herself.

“Aye, well, ye are a hero, Maura. Being in that place made me shudder. The way they looked at me…” He trailed off.

Ye did kill his son, Maura thought, but she did not give voice to her musings. Instead, she kept her lips pressed shut.

“Perhaps ye will learn tae be a wee bit less reckless in the future,” Maura suggested. Ruairi merely smirked.

“Maybe,” he replied, which was not the response that Maura wanted. She wondered what it was like to kill a man and how heavily the matter rested upon Ruairi’s heart. There was most definitely something different about him, for she detected subtle differences in his expression that only his twin could pick up on.

“Ruairi, ye know ye can talk tae me about anything that’s on yer mind,” Maura offered, hoping that it would lead to him opening up to her about his feelings.

“I know,” he said, but did not elaborate further. Maura’s brows pinched.

“I mean, I know it must hae been hard for ye tae be in that place, tae be reminded of what ye did.”

Ruairi lifted his head slightly, and she saw the lump in his throat move as he swallowed. “I know I can talk tae ye if I need tae Maura, but I dinnae,” he said, a little more sharply than he perhaps intended.

“Aye, if that’s the way ye feel,” Maura said, as it was clear she could not convince Ruairi to talk if he didn’t want to. It was just a shame because she knew the moments to have a deep conversation with him were rapidly becoming fewer. It had always been so easy to go to him and enjoy his company, but soon enough, he would be gone from her life, and she did not think he would make the efforts to visit her in her new home. So they rode on in silence.

When they arrived back home, Niall leaped off his horse and strode away before Maura had finished alighting from Scone. She called out to him, but her voice was frail, and Niall was already out of earshot. After seeing that Scone was back in the stables with fresh food and water, Maura, feeling glum, walked into the castle with slumped shoulders and went to find her mother. When Moira saw her, she rushed up to Maura and flung her arms around her shoulders.

“Oh, lass, ye worried me sae much!” she said. Maura nodded.

“I hae just haed a word with yer da, and he told me what happened. What ye did…oh Maura, I am proud of ye.”

The words surprised Maura. She lifted her gaze and looked at her mother’s glistening eyes.