Page 2

Gowan had met the man once or twice in the course of his life. “Aye.”

“Well, he haes died unexpectedly, leaving behind a daughter. A lovely lass she is, and in need of a husband. I was actually in talks with Laird Wallace about arranging a marriage between the two of ye since she haes come of age, and now it would seem she is in dire need of a husband. A wee lass like her should nae hae tae be alone. Ye will travel tae their clan and meet with her. I am sure there will need tae be a period of mourning, but then ye will be married. I know it haes been a long wait, but I wanted tae make sure ye are married tae a good match. I hope ye find it pleasing,” Declan said.

Gowan listened, and as he did so, his eyes went wide with excitement. “Oh, Father, aye, aye! I will gae and get my things ready tae prepare for the trip,” he said, and then left his father’s company to tell Karl that they were finally going to leave. It felt as though suddenly his life was rushing into spring after a long winter and there was so much to do. He had no idea who this girl was, at least not now. He had vague memories of meeting her years and years ago. He hoped she had turned into a beautiful woman who was graceful and elegant and demure, everything a woman should be. A grin spread across his face as he realized that now he could have everything he wanted, and he would no longer have to feel inhibited by still being at home. He could be his own man, and he would practically be the Laird of the Wallace clan himself since he was marrying their daughter.

Finally, he could allow himself to feel excited about things. He rushed to his room and began to fling clothes and belongings into a chest.

“Father told ye the news then,” Ewan said, standing in the doorway. He looked relaxed as he leaned against the frame of the door, and then moved into the room.

“Aye, he did,” Gowan said.

Ewan smirked. “I’m happy for ye, but I will be sad tae see ye gae. It will nae be the same without ye here.”

“I’m sure ye will nae miss me. Ye hae always haed things occupying yer time.”

“Oh, I know. Many times hae I looked out of the window tae see ye riding out there, as free as a bird.”

“Ye almost sound envious.”

“I am,” Ewan said in a moment of raw honesty that was rare between the brothers.

“Envious? Of me?” Gowan replied in a disbelieving tone. “But ye are gaeing tae be Laird.”

“Aye, exactly. I hae my life laid out for me, but ye get tae be whatever ye want tae be. Dae ye think I could ride away from here even if I wanted tae? I hae always envied yer life, Gowan, and a part of me wishes that I could leave now and see what another part of the world is like. But my place is here, and I’m just glad ye hae found yer own place. Be well, and I will see ye at the wedding. I hope that she is everything ye hope she is.”

They clasped hands, but that didn’t seem enough. The brothers embraced in a firm hug, and Gowan began to realize all that he was going to miss. The excitement and hope mixed with sorrow as he prepared to say goodbye to his home, goodbye to everything he had ever known.

1

Maeve Wallace’s heart was filled with sorrow. She was dressed in black. The dress even felt heavier than the usual clothes she wore, which were always as colorful as she could make them. A dark scarf was wrapped around her head, through which only a few curls of scarlet hair were visible. Her heart-shaped face was pale, and her eyes were liquid. She trembled with grief. Even though the news had come to her hours ago, it still had not quite sunk in. Her father had been one of the constant presences in her life. He was like the sun and the moon. She could count on him just as she could rely on the sun rising and setting every day, except now he was gone.

The illness had been sudden. He had gone out hunting one day and returned with a nasty gash in his leg from a boar that apparently preferred to fight back than submit as prey. The wound became infected quickly, and even the healer’s potions would not work. The blood that oozed from the wound was black, and even thinking about it now made Maeve gag. She kept hoping that her father would recover, but he never did, and now he was just gone, almost as though he had never existed in the first place. Her heart shuddered, and she bowed her head again, wondering if she would ever stop crying. There was an unending swell of tears within her, a deep lake of sorrow, and all she wanted was to curl up and sleep and pretend that this was all some bad dream.

She was only nineteen. She wasn’t meant to be without her parents yet.

Currently, she had been called into a small room with her uncle, Callum, the uncle on her mother’s side, and Harrison, her father’s advisor. Harrison was a lean man with spindly fingers and dark eyes. Callum was older, his hair greying. He used to have the powerful body of a warrior, but the years had added some bulk, and now he was as stocky as a barrel.

“Thank ye for coming tae see me taeday. I know this is difficult for ye, but there are some important matters tae attend tae, matters that yer da wanted ye tae know about. He tried tae accomplish a lot in his final days, and now it is up tae us tae carry on his work,” he said.

Maeve tried to listen as Callum told her about certain trade agreements and defensive pacts with nearby clans and villages, but her mind kept wandering, and she found she did not much care for all of these agreements. As far as she was concerned, people should be on good terms with each other and help each other because it was the right thing to do, not because there was some treaty dictating it. It seemed like mundane things that did not need to be discussed now anyway. How was she supposed to concentrate on these things when she was still lost in grief?

But then Callum paused and placed his hands flat on his desk. “Now it comes tae the most important matter: the matter of succession. Laird Wallace decided that he wanted ye tae be safe, Maeve, sae he began arrangements for ye tae be married, arrangements that I hae taken upon myself tae complete.”

“What kind of arrangements?” Maeve asked, a lump forming in her throat as this was the last thing she needed. There had already been too much change.

“Arrangements tae marry,” Callum said.

Maeve’s eyes flared with anger. “What? Marriage? Tae whom?” she asked.

Callum cleared his throat a little. “Tae Gowan McDouglas of the McDouglas clan. I am told he is a fine warrior, and his da speaks highly of him. In fact, he haes quite the reputation.”

“I dinnae care about his reputation!” Maeve cried out, her voice reaching a high pitch. “Surely this cannae be right! Da would hae told me.”

“I believe he tried…” Callum said.

“Well, he made hints, but he never said that he was trying tae find me a husband. What if I dinnae want a husband?” Maeve asked indignantly, folding her arms across her chest and staring daggers at Callum. Rationally, she knew that it wasn’t his fault—it was her father’s—but it felt wrong to be angry with a dead man.

“I’m afraid yer da wanted this tae happen, and it was one of the last things he decreed as Laird. He wanted ye tae be safe and tae secure the safety of the clan and its future. He doesnae want anyone tae take advantage of yer youth or trick their way intae this position. He just wanted ye tae be safe, that’s all,” Callum said gently. It wasn’t gentle enough to soothe Maeve’s soul, though.