Epilogue
“It’s him, Kenneth!” Hunter cried excitedly. “It’s Peter! He’s comin’! He’s comin’!”
Unable to help it, Kenneth smiled, for his brother’s joy was infectious.
That was supposed to be the happiest day of his life, for he would finally marry Leana. But Hunter seemed to be stealing everyone’s smiles.
His recovery was unmistakable. Hunter’s strength had returned, his color no longer pale, his breath steady and unlabored. Leana’s care had been his salvation, her gentle hands tending to him with unwavering devotion.
The sea breeze carried its quiet magic, cleansing his lungs with every inhale, while the carefully prepared medicines of sea holly had worked their way through his body, restoring what sickness had once stolen.
Now, watching the vitality in his movements, the ease in his breath, she felt certain—so long as he had both in his life, the wind and the healing touch of the sea holly, he would never again be plagued by those dreadful fits of coughing and weakness.
He was standing next to Kenneth, in time to receive Peter Graham, for the pirate was set to spend a long time with them at the castle. That morning, he had returned from one of his long voyages, and the excitement could not be more evident on Hunter’s face.
In his haste, the boy rushed out to embrace him, making him laugh. Kenneth, not much farther behind, approached them both, shaking the pirate’s hand in welcome.
“Ye look well, Laird MacReid,” Peter noted affectionately.
“I must. If I fail me wife on our wedding day, she’ll kill me,” Kenneth joked.
“I daenae doubt it. Ye’ve found yerself a woman worthy of yer temperament.”
“Leana is probably the only person me braither is afraid of,” Hunter scoffed.
Peter ruffled the boy’s hair. “Well, I’ve brought a gift for the happy couple,” he announced.
He handed Kenneth a small chest which the latter did not hesitate to open.
Inside the box, wrapped in a velvet cloak, rested a precious crown studded with pearls, accompanied by a brooch made of mother-of-pearl and gold.
Smiling, Kenneth closed the chest and thanked his old friend “Leana will love it,” he assured.
The three of them slowly rode to the castle, and Hunter relayed to Peter everything that had happened in his absence.
It had been only three months since the Laird announced his betrothal to the healer, but, from Hunter’s chatter, it must have been an eternity.
Luckily, spring had given way to a pleasant summer, so the day chosen for the wedding was ideal. With bright sunshine streaking across the blue sky and beautiful white flowers peeking through the green grass. They could not have chosen a better day, or time, to say their vows.
Inside the castle, the hustle and bustle was evident. Partly for that reason, Kenneth and Hunter had decided to go out, as the ladies were restless. Three young ladies in particular.
Leana’s sisters, along with Valerie, had made sure that everything was perfect for the wedding day.
The three of them moved back and forth, overseeing with Brenda the preparations for the dinner as well as the ceremony.
Colorful arrangements were passed from hand to hand, orders were being tossed in the air, and suggestions were slipped in amid laughter.
This seemed to be a day they had all looked forward to amidst a secrecy laden with anticipation.
“Kenneth, there ye are!” Brenda gushed, as soon as she saw the men approaching.
She kissed Hunter’s cheeks affectionately.
“I’ve been lookin’ everywhere for ye. Do ye have any idea where Leana might be?
I need to do some final alterations to her dress before the ceremony, but I’m afraid I cannae find her anywhere! ”
The pirate’s eyes, Kenneth noticed, lingered for a long time on Brenda. Probably admiring her regal beauty and her kind smile.
“I havenae seen her,” Kenneth replied, with a slight frown. “At least, nae since the mornin’. Hunter and I have gone to fetch Peter.”
“Me da is goin’ to stay with us all summer, Ma. Is it nae excitin’?” Hunter clapped his hands in excitement.
“It is, indeed,” Brenda said, holding out a hand to the pirate, who bowed gallantly and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles.
The little exchange did not escape Kenneth’s notice—nor Hunter’s notice, for that matter. The boy’s eyes seemed to sparkle as if a wonderful idea had suddenly occurred to him.
“Ye ken what? Ye two would make a great couple,” he remarked.
Kenneth nudged him forward. “Come on. Ye’ll help me look for Leana,” he ordered, noticing the blush creeping up his stepmother’s cheeks.
Brenda insisted on showing Peter to his chambers, so he had a good feeling.
It would be a while, perhaps, but with luck, the castle might see a second wedding before the year was out.
But for the moment, Kenneth had to concentrate on his own wedding. And of course, a wedding could not take place without the bride.
“Braither, have ye done anythin’ wrong lately?” Hunter asked.
Kenneth pursed his lips in thought. “Nae that I can remember. Why?”
“I just cannae find any other explanation for Leana runnin’ away on her wedding day.”
Kenneth preferred not to dwell on that possibility. Things had been going so well between him and Leana that not even the slightest doubt loomed in his head.
But of course, they scoured the castle… and didn’t find her.
Now, he was starting to feel a little uneasy.
Suddenly, he saw Joanna running toward them, and his anxiety grew tenfold.
“Leana has gone to the neighborin’ town. Apparently, she is attendin’ to an emergency.”
“When does she nae?,” Kenneth sighed, knowing that his future wife was like that. But relief flooded him nonetheless. “Well then, we’ll delay the ceremony until she returns.”
He did not let the news dampen his mood, for he knew his betrothed well. He knew the kind of woman he was marrying, and secretly, it was something he loved and deeply admired about her.
She was fierce in her convictions, unyielding in her passions, and he cherished that about her. But even as he embraced all that she was, he also understood one undeniable truth—her heart, before anything else, belonged to healing. It had always been that way, and he would never seek to change it.
“All set,” Leana announced, smiling at the little boy Jane held in her arms.
Her old friend from the neighboring town had informed her earlier that morning that her baby was very sick, which, of course, had alarmed Leana, as the baby was just under two months old.
Luckily, it was nothing grave, so Leana was deeply happy.
“Will me Angus be all right?” Jane asked.
Leana nodded. “Aye. Just make sure he’s nice and warm when he sleeps,” she said, standing up.
Only then did she realize that, in her haste, she had left the castle in her wedding dress, which had become stained with dirt and grass. That was a pity because the beautiful sky-blue fabric could not be cleaned for the ceremony that afternoon.
The ceremony… which would not take place if she did not hurry back to the castle.
Smiling, Jane seemed to read the look in her eyes.
“Hurry! Ye must go. I daenae want ye to be late for yer own weddin’!” she urged, practically herding her to her horse.
“Are ye sure ye daenae want to come to the ceremony?” Leana asked again.
Jane shook her head. “Quite sure. I must make sure that this little one gets well soon.” Her eyes, full of affection, remained fixed on the chubby baby in her arms, while Leana smiled. “Hopefully, ye and the Laird will soon be blessed with a child of yer own.”
Unable to help herself, Leana nodded, her heart swelling at the thought.
It wasn’t something she and Kenneth had talked about, but so far, they had no problem repeatedly attempting the act of conception.
“Visit me soon,” she said.
“As soon as I can,” Jane assured her.
Leana mounted her steed and rode off in a hurry.
She was sure that her sisters, as well as Valerie, would chide her for the delay, but she could not help it. Kenneth chose to marry her even though he knew she would always have someone to care for or heal.
Luckily, the roads were much safer now, thanks to the measures the council had taken, and although she was late for the ceremony, Leana was able to catch a glimpse of the tall towers of the castle before the evening was over.
But of course, the reception she got was filled with scolding.
“Oh, Leana, what did ye do?” Valerie and Irene huffed as she took the horse to the stables.
The three young ladies, as well as Kenneth’s stepmother, looked beautiful, with their braided hair and best finery. They looked like ladies from the Queen’s Court, which made Leana wonder.
She didn’t know if she would ever look that beautiful on her special day.
“I… I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just had an emergency to attend to…”
“Oh, and the dress. Just look what ye’ve done to yer pretty dress!” Valerie shrieked, looking like she was about to collapse.
The ladies ushered Leana up to her room to fix her dress, and soon she understood that it was better not to fight them. So, she waited patiently while they bathed, combed, groomed, and perfumed her.
In the end, they had to decide on another dress, which Brenda herself gave to Leana as a personal gift.
“I wore it on me weddin’ day. It was a gift from the Queen herself, which I now give to ye,” she said as she helped her into a cream-colored gown adorned with pearls.
“It’s… it’s beautiful. Gorgeous…” Leana whispered.
Brenda smiled warmly at her. “I was unhappy in me marriage to the previous Laird,” she admitted. “But I ken that curse was broken with ye. I only wish for ye and Kenneth to be very, very happy together—”
“Nay, daenae start cryin’!” Valerie shrieked suddenly, noticing the tears welling up in Leana’s eyes. “I’ve tried so hard to make ye perfect for the ceremony!”
Leana could not help herself—she burst out laughing.
“Thank ye,” she said to Brenda, hugging her, feeling deeply grateful for all the affection she had shown her.
She admired herself in the mirror while Valerie put the finishing touches on her hair.
After placing a bouquet of white heather on her hair, to attract good luck, the women stepped back, admiring their handiwork.
Leana realized that, for the first time, she would be the most beautiful of them all.
Together, they walked out of the room, their laughter following them to the Great Hall, where the wedding ceremony would take place. The sound of bagpipes rang in the air as the big moment approached.
Leana’s heart was racing with anticipation.
Before she met Kenneth, her life had been marked by sudden and catastrophic events.
She had been forced to grow up very quickly and deal with many things at the same time.
But now, she felt it had all been worth it.
All the incidents, the ins and outs, the doubts and challenges that had led to this moment had been worth it.
She saw Kenneth standing beside the priest, waiting for her.
Her sisters, who now lived in the castle, preceded her into the Great Hall with wide smiles on their faces.
And then her father walked her down the aisle.
She could feel his joy as he kissed her on the forehead and handed her to Kenneth.
He was now the official healer of the castle, and he finally seemed to be smiling again, for he knew that the future of his daughters would be promising.
But her joy was complete thanks to the man with the eyepatch—the Pirate Laird, as he had been called so many times. The man who stood in front of her and held her hands while their wrists were bound together in a promise of love and devotion.
The man with the confident smile and braided, thick black hair. The man who had abducted her, with whom she had quarreled from the first moment she met him. The man whose temper she had tested over and over, and with whom she had ended up falling irrevocably in love.
The man to whom she had not hesitated to say, “Aye.”
“Will ye forgive me for bein’ late?” Leana whispered, smiling at him.
Kenneth looked at her with eyes full of love. “Late? But ye came just in time into me life,” he joked, just before kissing her.
Her lips, warm and fervent, moved against his own amidst the cheers of the people he loved.
Those he had always protected with all his might. Those who were now part of his new family, and who had finally taught them both what the words home and love really meant.
The End?