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Amelie and Evan heard footsteps returning. It sounded like an entire army of men were coming towards them. They pulled their lips away from each other and resumed the positions they had taken when Munro left them. They both kept their arms behind their backs as well, not willing to show Munro that the bonds had been broken. Evan allowed his head to hang down and his shoulders were slumped. He was playing up to his injuries, wanting Munro to believe they were worse than they actually were. Amelie kept her head to the side, as she wanted to pretend that Evan was little more than a stranger to her. This was going to be one of the most difficult things she had ever had to do, as Evan was far more than that. In fact, he was everything. Her heart yearned desperately for a release from this situation as she did not want to lose him, or the feelings that they shared. She had left them behind for too long already.

Munro flung the door open, flanked by three men. They all wore mean looks on their faces. Evan had told Amelie about the conversation he had overheard in the storeroom. These men had hearts as dark as Munro’s and were all willing to shatter the peace in the Highlands for the sake of their own greed and bigotry. Amelie committed their faces to memory, determined to ensure that they would be punished for their transgressions. If they did not face justice in this life, then they would surely meet it in the next, where God would place His judgment upon them and make them burn for eternity.

“Right then, I’ve hae a wee bit of thinking and I know what I’m gaeing tae dae with ye both,” Munro’s gaze shifted between Amelie and Evan. He raised his hand and beckoned his men forward with a wag of one finger. “Ye can take this one away,” he pointed to Evan. “We dinnae need him when we hae her. There is naebody that Pascal cares about more than her. Take him away and kill him. We cannae risk him escaping. He’s only gaeing tae cause trouble. We hae other things tae concern us,” Munro then turned to Amelie.

She tried to show little concern, not wanting Munro to realize that Evan meant the world to her. If he learned this, he might want to take more direct revenge against Evan. The men came forward and hauled Evan up. Evan acted as though he was still groggy. He kept his head hanging low, and his arms were still locked behind his back. However, instead of his wrists being bound together, it was more that his hands held the ropes close to him. But none of them bothered to check, assuming that his bindings were still secure. Amelie glanced up at him as he left, and then her eyes flashed away just as suddenly, but one glance was enough. It contained a promise within it, for they both knew what they had to do.

* * *

Evan allowed himself to be manhandled by the men. Their breath stank of ale, but he breathed a sigh of relief when he realized they weren’t going to check that his hands were still bound together. It was hard to resist the temptation to reach out and strike Munro, for he had a personal debt to pay the man. It wasn’t often that someone could sneak up on him. Evan also looked towards Amelie, but only for a moment. He gazed into her eyes and he silently promised her that everything was going to be well.

He had sworn to protect her, and even though they were being parted again, he wasn’t going to forsake that promise.

Now that he had admitted his love to her and they had shared another kiss, he wasn’t going to let anything get in the way of them being together. He loved her with all his heart. Knowing that she was in danger had rocked his world, but finding her again had been a source of such sweet elation. And hearing her voice had been utterly amazing. It showed him that she trusted him enough to find the strength to speak, something that she only did to the people who meant the most to her. There were still other things that he wanted to say to her. There were still things he wanted to explain, but he knew that they would get the chance. Munro was not going to succeed in his evil plan, and when all was said and done, Evan and Amelie were going to be together.

This is the future he was fighting for. It was the future that was going to keep him alive.

He allowed himself to be dragged out of the room. The men who escorted him mocked him and insulted him. He bore all these words as though they were arrows being slung in his direction and allowed his strength to fester. In time they would pay for their words. He noticed that one of them was wielding his sword, which had been taken away when Munro had knocked him out. That man threatened to kill Evan with his own sword. Evan kept his head low, allowing himself to smirk without them realizing he was doing so. He just had to bide his time, and then he would pounce like a predator in wait. If Stephen rode swiftly he should be back at the clan soon. A single rider could make short work of the Highlands, and when Pascal learned of what had happened here… oh… Munro and his men were going to learn the true meaning of war.

* * *

Amelie barely glanced in the direction of the door after Evan was taken away. Munro called out to them, telling them where to kill him, a place that was out of sight of the rest of the village.

“The last thing we need is more people meddling in my affairs,” he muttered. He sighed and turned to the table. He had brought a mug of ale with him, and had placed it on the table when he walked into the room. He picked it up again and took a long gulp, then sank onto the bed. It creaked under his weight. His eyes were glazed, and his words were slurred. Amelie wasn’t about to make any rash movements, however. While Munro may have been drunk, he was still dangerous and she did not wish to take any undue risks.

He turned his gaze upon her. “Sae how did he find ye? Did ye leave a trail for him tae follow? Did ye tell someone where ye were gaeing?” the questions hung in the air. Amelie angled her head away. He huffed. “It dinnae matter anyway, he’ll be dead soon enough. It’s just a shame that he is nae yer brother. I would love tae hae him here, him and all the men who betrayed my Da. Did ye tell them as well?” he asked. Again, Amelie remained silent. Munro rose from the bed and came towards her, reaching down to grip her chin between his fingers. He yanked her head up and glared at her.

“I know ye cannae speak, but ye can at least nod,” he said. Amelie’s eyes glistened as she forced herself to stare at him. The trembling fear did not have to be feigned. He muttered a curse and released her with such force that she almost fell prone on the floor. She had to keep herself upright to make sure that the loosened bonds were not revealed. Munro returned to the table.

“I know ye are scared. It dinnae matter. Even if ye brother comes I will make sure it’s the last journey he ever makes. It will all be mine again. The clan, the Highlands… and ye. I will hae tae decide what tae dae with ye. I should kill ye for what ye are. The longer people like ye remain in the Highlands the worse things are gaeing tae be.” He paused as he took another long gulp of drink and leaned forward, placing his elbows on his thighs. “It’s nae as if ye deserve tae live anyway, after all, ye were stupid enough tae fall for all my lies. If ye knew anything about the world ye would hae been able tae see right through my stories. Ye would hae questioned me.” Amelie looked up at him as he spoke, still keeping her tongue silent. Whenever silence lingered in the world people were always eager to fill it, and Munro was no exception, especially in his drunken state.

“Although nae all of the stories were lies.” He wiped his hand with the outside of his mouth. “Sometimes I think about Da and I wish things could hae been different. The way he beat me…” he opened his palms and stared at them, as if he was seeing his own history come to the fore again. “I know he was daeing it for my own good, but I used tae beg him tae stop and he would nae. And now, when I look at my own hands I see his. Hae I just turned intae him? All I hae is what he left me, but without the clan it is only bitterness and poison.”

He rose abruptly and paced around the room, swinging his mug in the air. Ale spilled over and stained the flood. He emptied it with a huge gulp, tilting his head all the way back so that his throat was exposed. If Amelie had been an assassin she could have rushed forward and slit his throat with a knife, and all of this would have been over. Killing was easy for some people, but not for her. He slammed the mug down and looked tired, even a little groggy.

“I dinnae know what I am saying. What is the point of anything? I will rid the Highlands of foreigners and then I will take control of the clan and then… and then…” he looked into the distance, a vague and humbled expression coming on his face as he began to wonder what was left for him after all of these things were accomplished. It would have been an empty life, but instead of turning away from this destiny and forging another, he scowled and pushed aside his doubts.

Amelie watched all of these emotions play upon his face. Even though he had created the false identity to fool her, she had spent enough time with him to notice certain quirks of his personality. She knew that his relationship with his father had been a complicated one, and in a way she pitied him. He was almost as much a victim of Angus’ cruelty as everyone else was, but sadly he did not realize this, and cruelty spread from him like flower seeds blown into the wind.

He then crouched to the floor and his fingers strayed through the shattered slate. He picked up a few pieces of rubble and let them sprinkle down like stardust. He turned to face her. His bloodshot eyes were wide, and his voice was low.

“I am sorry for destroying this. I know how much ye depend on it, but dinnae ye see that I hae nae choice? The future of the Highlands depends upon this. I cannae allow Pascal tae take control of the clan. It’s my destiny. It’s my right. I am supposed tae be the one holding feasts and being worshiped. Dae ye know how much I hae endured, how long I hae waited? The only good thing in my life was knowing that one day that clan would be all mine. I paid my dues. I suffered. I put up with my father. What did ye or ye brother ever hae tae dae? Ye strode in one day from nowhere and acted as if ye owned the place. And all after yer Ma left with some French merchant,” Munro wore a look of disdain and sneered in her direction. Amelie remained quiet and still, scared to make any noise or movements in case she did something to provoke his unstable wrath.

He was like a feral animal, capable of anything. Years of bitterness and abuse mixed with his wounded ego, creating a creature that could snap at the slightest thing. It was made even worse by his drunk state. He seemed to slip from thought to thought and mood to mood without any hesitation. In one moment he seemed as pitiful as a wounded child, and in another as vile as a monster.

A laugh cracked in the air. It was devoid of humor, and even though Munro was smiling, she could not see any brightness in his eyes. “That’s why I chose tae be a merchant. I thought the temptation might run through yer family, that perhaps ye would want tae be just like yer Ma and run away from this place with a wealthy man of mystery. I know ye might think ye are special, Amelie, but ye really are nae. I would nae hae paid any attention tae ye if ye were nae related tae Pascal. That clan is the only thing I care about,” he spoke as though he was trying to convince himself of something. “But it will all be over soon. I will soon show him that he cannae hope tae stop me. One way or another I will get that clan back, and ye can all gae back tae where ye belong. Ye should hae just stayed in France all those years agae. Why did ye even come back here?”

Amelie clamped her mouth shut. It was hard to resist the temptation to argue with him when all she wanted was to tell him that she had encountered bullies before, and so he wasn’t anything special either. But in order for her plan to work, Munro needed to underestimate her. She couldn’t allow him to see her as a threat.

“I dinnae know how he found ye, but if any others come then they will suffer the same fate as him, including yer brother.”

He continued rambling more about revenge and other things he had planned. Amelie continued listening, picking out the valuable nuggets that would prove useful in her quest to defend her brother’s clan. So often she had been the one in danger, but now she was the one who could help protect Pascal. But she needed help, she needed Evan. As soon as Munro left, she intended to find a way out of this room and save Evan before it was too late.

* * *

“Ye know ye are making a mistake, lads. I am nae gaeing down without a fight,” Evan said.

One of the men laughed. “Good, that means I dinnae hae tae feel guilty about beating ye,” he said, although Evan suspected he wouldn’t have felt guilty anyway.

“Then perhaps, I can offer ye something else. Ye know that until Munro wins he is nae the Laird. The only way ye will get whatever he offered ye is if he wins. Dae ye know how hard that is gaeing tae be? Laird Pascal is nae gaeing tae give up everything he fought sae hard for. And if he managed to oust Munro’s Da, why dae ye think Munro stands a chance? Now, I know ye men are just looking for an easy life, sae perhaps I could represent ye and negotiate on ye behalf for a reward from Laird Pascal. He hae been looking for any information on Munro, and would pay handsomely tae anyone who would give him some. It would mean ye dinnae hae tae face his guards when they come tae find Amelie. Ye are willing tae risk yer life for coin, but what if ye could get some coin without any risk at all?” Evan offered, hoping his bluff would work. Of course, these men would never be rewarded for their efforts in aiding Munro, but if they were greedy enough to believe him then he might be able to squirm his way out of his predicament.

Indeed, he saw greedy glints in the eyes of some of the men, who began to consider his offer. However, there was one man who didn’t accept this at all, and he curtly disciplined the others.

“Dinnae listen tae him, ye fools. They hae naething waiting there but the dungeons for us. Besides, this is about far more than coin. This is about the future of the Highlands. Dinnae ye feel any shame in disrespecting yer ancestors like this? Think of all they hae been through, all they hae fought for, and ye are willing tae give it up tae someone with French blood? Ye are the worst of them,” he spat and glared at Evan.

Evan pressed his lips together. There was simply no reasoning with men like these. The only thing he could do was wait until the moment was right and then bring justice upon them swiftly. He glanced over his shoulder at the inn that was dwindled in the distance. The lights were winking in the night, and he prayed that Amelie was still safe. He doubted that Munro would hurt her yet, for he needed her alive so that Pascal would not simply kill him. She was the only leverage he possessed, but as soon as he realized that Pascal wasn’t going to give up the clan for Amelie, then she was in danger and Munro would go berserk, seeking to kill anything in his path. Evan had to be free by then, for he was not going to allow Munro to hurt Amelie. In fact, he intended that nothing was ever going to hurt her again.

He looked up towards the stars, hoping that soon he would hear the gallop of horses as valiant heroes came to vanquish the enemy.