Chapter Twenty-Five
The guards who he had to fight to get into the room attempted to pull them apart. Without success.
“Halt!” The king rose from his seat and pounded on the table in front of him.
Things quieted. The king brushed off his flowing sleeves, sat down, and said to the guards. “Keep guard against the wall.”
He then looked at Gregory. “There are better ways to enter a room, Mackenzie.”
Gregory kept his arm wrapped around Megan and nodded at the king. “I am verra sorry to have burst through the door like that, but yer guards would no’ let me enter.”
He frowned. “I told them to expect ye, based on yer missive.”
“Aye, but they wanted me to wait until this hearing was finished. I was taking no chances.”
The king pointed to Sinclair and Gunn. “These men are insisting that yer wife be taken from ye and given to The Gunn based on a betrothal he signed.”
Without thinking, Gregory put Megan behind him. Megan began to whimper. “Yer Majesty, I am aware that women have verra little say in who they marry, but I have here the vow her deceased husband, Robert Sinclair and I made years ago to marry each other’s widow in case of our untimely death.”
The king placed his hands on the arms of his stately chair. “So ye did marry the lass to fulfill a vow.”
Gregory gazed down at Megan who was now back at his side. “Aye. That I did. However, I have since discovered I love the lass and want her for my wife for the rest of my time here on earth.”
Sinclair started to speak and the king waved him off. “And how does the lass feel?”
Megan peered up at him with her beautiful wide eyes full of feeling. “I love him, Your Majesty.” She spoke to the king but didn’t look away from Gregory.
Gregory closed his eyes for a moment. Then squeezed her slightly and looked back at the king.
“Whatever note ye have there that says I doona want to keep Megan Mackenzie is fake.” He reached into his pouch.
“I have here the marriage certificate signed by Father Matthew who performed the ceremony. Our union has been blessed by the Church.”
The king bowed his head and then looked over at The Gunn and The Sinclair. “I see no reason to annul this marriage.”
The two lairds started to speak at once. The king sat forward and the guards against the wall walked up behind the two men. “Cease! My decision has been made.”
Gregory was surprised to see Megan raise her hand. It would be better if they made a quick exit and left this blasted city. He prayed she wouldn’t say something that gave the king more to think upon.
The king smiled at her as if she was a little girl. “What is it, lass?”
Megan took a deep breath and said, “I have reason to believe Laird Sinclair and Laird Gunn conspired to have my husband, Laird Robert Sinclair, killed.”
The king, Gregory, The Gunn, The Sinclair, and all the guards in the room sucked in deep breaths and turned to her.
“Wife, ’tis no’ a good idea to say something like that,” Gregory whispered while attempting to pull her toward the door.
The king pounded on the table again. “Stop, Mackenzie, the lass has made a very serious charge. I would hear what she has to say.”
Megan walked up closer to the king. Gregory was right alongside her, sweating and watching the door.
She told the story of what she’d heard when they stayed in the inn.
The king glared at the two men. Before he could speak, Gregory raised his hand. “Yer Majesty, may I add something?”
He nodded.
“Since I first heard of Robert Sinclair’s death, I questioned it.
I had no proof or reason to believe these men were involved in his death.
However, Laird Robert Sinclair was one of the best, if not the best, warrior I ever trained with.
I didn’t see him a great deal over the years, but I did hear praises from men who had battled with him.
Sinclair never had an injury that required the care of a healer.
“But this was a minor skirmish and I always had questions about his death.”
Sinclair and Gunn were both shouting, one trying to be heard over the other one.
“This is a very serious matter. The planned death of a Clan Chief will not be tolerated.” He looked at the two guards in the room. “Throw them into the dungeon until I can further consider this.”
While they were being dragged off, Gunn screamed at Sinclair, “He will get all her money now.”
Gregory looked at her. “Ye have money?”
She shrugged “It appears so.”
The king turned and frowned at Gregory. “You need to handle your own problems in the Highlands. You are squabbling all the time. I don’t like being annoyed with your problems.”
Gregory smirked. “Your Majesty, had I handled it myself, both men would be dead.”
The king waved his hand. “However you wish to deal with it. For now, you may go, Mackenzie.” He looked at Megan. “And take your lovely wife with you.”
Gregory grabbed her hand and hauled her out of the room. He waved to his four warriors who were waiting for him in the outer room to follow them.
They all left as quickly as possible. They went to the stables and Gregory tossed Megan on the back of his horse and swung his leg over. The rest of the men did the same.
“Let’s get out of this place as quickly as we can.” He tucked Megan onto his lap and moved forward. “We can stop at an inn right outside Edinburgh for the night.”
She shook her head. “Nay, husband. I want to go home. I doona want to stop at all.”
Gregory looked down at her. “We canno’ go straight through. Ye canno’ last and neither can the horses.”
She sighed and slumped in his arms. “I just want to go home.” He could hear the tears in her voice which was ripping him apart.
She wiped her face and looked up at him. “I want to get out of these clothes. And then burn them.”
He leaned in closer and said, “I’ll be more than happy to get ye out of yer clothes, mo chridhe.”
She slapped him on the arm. “I mean it, husband. They smell terrible, like someone doused them with perfume.”
“Then I have a suggestion. We stop at the inn where ye left yer necklace. Ye can have a bath and I ken Mrs. Bruce would be able to get ye a new set of clothes. Then after a meal, we will stay one night and then we can travel straight through each day until we reach home, if that is what ye want.”
Megan closed her eyes and sighed. “Aye. That is exactly what I want.”
*
Megan felt safe and protected for the first time in weeks. She’d had her bath, and just as Gregory had said, Mrs. Bruce had clothes for her to wear.
She was in bed, watching her warrior husband remove his clothes and climb into the bath she’d just finished. She loved admiring his strong body, the way the muscles flexed, and…
“Do ye approve of what ye see, lass?” Gregory grinned as he took the washcloth and after rubbing soap on it, washed his body.
“Aye. I do, husband. Now finish up.”
He took the quickest bath she’d ever seen anyone take. Of course, she hadn’t really seen other people taking baths, but she was sure no one was faster.
After drying, he tossed the linen on the floor and climbed into the bed. “Come here, mo chridhe.”
She immediately slid over and he gathered her into his arms and held her snugly, his flesh meeting her flesh. “I missed ye.”
“Aye. And I missed ye. There was a time I was afraid I would ne’er see ye again.”
He pushed the still damp hair off her forehead. “Nay, Megan Mackenzie. Ye will be forced to look at me for the rest of our lives.”
She closed her eyes and whispered. “Aye.”
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, which immediately had her body softening and warming for him. Her flesh prickled at his touch. Within minutes his hands were everywhere, as were hers.
“I love ye so much, Megan. Ye scared me to death when ye disappeared. For that I should have killed The Gunn and The Sinclair instead of the king throwing them in the dungeon.”
“I love ye too, husband. Ye have no idea how frightened I was the farther they took me away from ye.”
“Enough talk.” His hands cupped both her breasts, then gave one of them a good, hard suckle.
A brief shiver ran through her body. “Aye, husband.” Megan’s voice shook. “That feels so verra good.”
She could feel him grin against her breast as he swirled his tongue over her hardened nipple. He kissed his way down her body, and after spreading her legs, he gave her woman’s place a good lick.
“Aye!” Her head moved back and forth, and her hands gripped his shoulders. “Keep doing that,” she panted.
He watched her, never taking his tongue off the stiffened muscle. Their eyes locked as their breathing came in unison. It didn’t take long for her body to tense and break into pieces, her reaction swift and almost violent.
He kissed his way up her body and covered her mouth, his tongue exploring the recesses of her mouth. She could taste herself on his lips as he moved into position. He placed his cock at her entrance and slid in. “Ye are so warm and wet for me, Megan.”
She began to move with him and it didn’t take long for her to have another spasm and for Gregory pull her even closer, and holding her head, kissing her, releasing his seed into her, with a groan.
After a few minutes while they caught their breath, Gregory said, “Welcome home, Megan Mackenzie.”