Chapter 19
T he news came as a surprise to Ryan, but a most welcome one. He suddenly lost all concern for Gorram and turned to Caroline.
“Is this true?” he asked.
“Nae in front of him,” Caroline whispered.
Ryan’s mind was a haze as he stared at her stomach, his lips curling into a smile. But Ryan agreed that this was too important for Gorram to be a witness. He spat and cursed, claiming that their child was an abomination.
Ryan was getting tired of his voice, so he struck Gorram with a heavy blow, which knocked him out. Ryan hoisted the man over his shoulders and carried him down to the courtyard.
“What are ye daeing here? I thought I told ye tae stay in the Keep,” Ryan said.
“I feared ye were walking intae a trap. He found a way tae get a letter tae me, telling me that I needed tae marry him, or he would poison all the villagers. I could nae let him get away with such a thing.”
“Sae he was nae bluffing. I dinnae think a man could dae something sae evil.”
“There are nae depths tae which my uncle cannae sink. But at least it is over now.”
“It will be soon,” Ryan assured her as they emerged into the courtyard.
The fighting was dying down now. Most of the Gilmour forces were either dead or captured. The last stragglers were confined elsewhere in the Keep, as was reported by one of Ryan’s guards. Ryan dumped Gorram’s body in the middle of the courtyard and lifted his head, bellowing out so that all the Gilmour Clan could hear.
“My name is Ryan Knox and I hae defeated yer Laird in combat. But this man took yer clan by nefarious means. He is a murderer and a coward, and in time I shall prove this tae ye. I hereby claim this clan by right of marriage tae Caroline Gilmour, sae lay down yer swords and swear fealty tae me, or pay the price for yer treason. Mercy will be shown tae those who show respect.”
It took some time, but eventually the soldiers came skulking out of the Keep, throwing down their swords and kneeling before Ryan. His guards took them away, ensuring that they could not launch a counter-attack.
Losses were counted, and the news spread across the clan. The keep was secured and finally Ryan could put this all to rest. He snapped his fingers and brought one of his men over. “Take him tae the dungeon,” he ordered, gesturing towards Gorram. “We will deal with him later.”
Then, he took Caroline’s hand and led her into the Great Hall. As they stood near the chairs, he was struck by the likeness to her mother, which was even more apparent now that he could see them side by side. He took her hands and squeezed them tightly. She looked at his arm.
“Ye are wounded,” she observed.
“It’s naething but a scratch.”
She pursed her lips and shot him a withering look, but didn’t say anything in reply.
“Is it true?” he asked, looking directly at her stomach.
She allowed her head to drop. “I said it because I wanted tae twist the knife in him. I am nae pregnant… yet. But I want tae me. It was a lie, but I want tae make it intae a promise. Ryan, I want tae secure a future with ye. Let us bring the clans taegether and hae a child.”
Her words were soft. Ryan reached up and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face.
“I cannae say I’m nae disappointed, but it’s a fine promise tae make. I suspect it will nae take us tae long tae bring an heir intae the world.”
He drew her into an embrace, and she arched her body, falling into his arms. He closed his eyes as he pressed his lips against hers and lost himself in the sweetness of her kiss. These cloying feelings rose within him, enveloping him in a gentle and tender feeling. It gave him more strength than he had ever known before, and pushed away the aches and pains of battle.
When they broke apart from the kiss, Caroline turned and put a hand on the high seat.
“I never thought it would end up like this,” she said softly.
Ryan placed a hand on her back. “It’s for the best. I will nae let anything happen tae the villagers. Ye know what is best for them. They will be better under us than they would hae been under yer uncle.”
“Aye, but dae they know that? Ryan, yer reputation precedes ye in this land. I dinnae know how willing they will be tae accept yer rule.”
He smirked. “If ye can fall in love with me after hating me, then perhaps they can as well.”
“I never hated ye,” Caroline said, although there was a shadow in her eyes.
Ryan chuckled. “Ye feared me then.”
“Fear? I am nae afraid of anything,” she jutted out her chin and put her hands against her hips.
“Aye, anything apart from bandits, or heights,” he said with a knowing smile.
“It’s nae the height that worries me, it’s the falling,” she murmured.
He was already pulling her into another embrace, for he was unable to hold back the love he felt for her. It overwhelmed him and filled him with such ardor that there was no room in his heart for anything else, certainly not vengeance. All the last vestiges of revenge were dispelled and replaced with positive feelings.
Ryan held her in his arms and lost himself in her, feeling the air swirl as though he were floating up into the sky; ascending into the heavens, where he and she could dance forever without ever being burdened by mortal concerns.
But, of course, there were many concerns that still plagued them. A battle was never a clean thing, and it required a great deal of work to recover. Aside from dealing with the Gilmour soldiers, there was also the matter of gathering the dead. It was a rather morbid thing for the Gilmour people to have to do, but it was a necessary task.
Ryan’s men did as much as possible, and they were emboldened by the small force that Caroline had brought with her. A separate part of the Keep was set aside to tend to the wounded. Men limped and wearily staggered to that area, and the healers were soon set to work. Ryan, much to his astonishment, saw Tara supporting a guard towards the healers. It wasn’t long before Nessa appeared as well, a bow slung across her shoulders. Her clothes were smudged, but she smiled. She waved to Caroline and seemed happy.
“I’m surprised ye let them come with ye. Ye hae a funny way of protecting them,” he teased.
“One thing about us Gilmour lasses is that we are stubborn.”
“Aye, I knew that from the start,” he replied.
She slapped him playfully on the arm, the one that wasn’t wounded. He pretended that it hurt, and they both laughed. Then, her tone turned more serious.
“They wanted tae play a role in their destiny. I urged them tae leave this place, but they hae always taken it upon themselves tae decide what is best for them, and they hae never shirked from a challenge. They are spirited girls, and I am proud tae call them sisters.”
“I’m sure they learned all their best qualities from ye. And yer Ma, I suppose. That’s who is in the portrait in the Great Hall, aye?”
Caroline nodded, and a solemn look came over her eyes. Her voice was as soft as winter as she spoke. “I sometimes wonder what things would hae been like hae she nae died. Perhaps she would hae been able tae warn Da about his brother plotting against him. I was nae wise enough tae see.”
“Ye dinnae believe a brother could ever dae that tae his own blood. It is nae a flaw tae believe the best in people.”
Caroline pursed her lips. She did not seem convinced. “I know I should feel glad that Uncle is in the dungeon and the clan is freed from his rule, but I am nae happy. I look around at all of this, and it just seems sae sad,” she said, gesturing to the wounded and the dead.
Ryan sighed. “Aye, but sometimes there is nae a way tae avoid it. Tragedy always happens, and we hae tae try tae make the best of it.”
“That sounds very wise.”
“It’s something my tutor told me after I lost everything. He said that we hae tae keep moving forward and keep making sure tae honor the dead because we hae tae make their sacrifice worth it. It’s the same for yer Da. I know we hae differing opinions on him, but I can appreciate he meant a lot tae ye and the way he died… It’s nae way for a man tae die at all. I’m sure he wanted different things for the clan than yer uncle, and we can help bring those things about. Ye know these people better than I. Ye can lead them, Caroline, alongside me.”
Caroline bowed her head. “As much as I wish that Da was still alive, part of me would nae want tae change anything because I know that if he hae survived, then I would nae be married tae ye, and I cannae imagine anything different. I cannae imagine being with another man.”
“Before I met ye, I never thought I was capable of loving anyone, Caroline.”
“When did ye first know?”
He frowned. “I’m nae sure. I dinnae know if there was a certain moment. I suppose when ye stared at me defiantly. I knew ye were nae a meek woman. If I ever wanted a wife, I wanted someone who would challenge me.”
“Be careful what ye wish for,” she smirked.
He laughed along with her. “And what about ye? When did ye know ye loved me?”
“I suppose a part of me always recognized something inside ye. It’s why I saved ye from the bandits. It was this feeling inside that I could nae let anything happen tae ye.”
“Aye, I dae owe ye my life, lass. It’s a debt I will continue tae pay for the rest of my days.”
Caroline smiled. “I owe ye plenty as well, Ryan. Ye hae kept up tae yer end of the bargain after all. Ye protected Nessa and Tara.”
He turned in the direction of them. Nessa was surrounded by guards, reenacting moments from the battle. The guards were all staring at her with admiration. Tara was helping the healers in any way she could, moving between the wounded to administer treatments. She smiled kindly and made sure to spend time with each of the men.
“I dinnae know how long I can dae that for when they hae such strong minds of their own.”
“Well, hopefully the dangerous days are behind us now. Without Uncle leading the clan, we are nae being pursued. There is nae reason for us tae hide any longer.”
Ryan tilted his head at the thought. “Caroline, if ye were nae married tae me, would ye choose tae stay?” he asked in a whisper.
Caroline looked into his eyes and placed a hand upon his cheek. She smiled and nodded.
“There’s naewhere else I would rather be, Ryan. I want this life with ye. It was nae exactly the proposal or the wedding I always thought I would hae, but it’s turning intae a fine marriage and I hae a feeling it’s only gaeing tae get better through the years.”
“Aye, and all this is ours now.”
He put his arm across her shoulder, and they looked up at the towers of the Keep. It was familiar territory to Caroline, of course, but Ryan had to stop thinking of it as the home of the enemy, and instead think of it as a place that he would one day bequeath to his eventual heir.
His hand slipped down to Caroline’s waist. He squeezed her tightly. Tears came into his eyes as he thought about the future. So much of his mental energy had been expended by thinking about the past, by focusing on all that he had lost. For the first time in his life, he was able to think about all he had gained.
He had a fine wife that would be the envy of all the Highlands, two spirited sisters-in-law who would certainly make life interesting, and new territory in which to expand. He also had the promise of life with Caroline, and many years to come that would be filled with heirs, creating a dynasty of which his ancestors would be proud.
He turned his gaze to the sky and thought about his father and brother.
I hope I have made you proud , he thought. They did not reply with words, but he did feel a warm sensation running through his heart, and he was at peace. He felt certain that this was a result of their happiness.
He and Caroline helped to clean the Keep and make sure that the transition ran smoothly. Ryan was going to have to ensure that a continued presence of Knox guards remained at the Keep to quell any stirrings of revolt. While he had a legitimate claim, there were still those who would be disgruntled, as well as people who sought revenge for the loved ones that been killed. It did not escape him that some people might feel about him the way he had felt about Caroline’s father.
However, he wanted to allay these feelings as soon as possible, so as twilight set in, he sent his guards around to encourage the villagers and clansmen to come to the Keep. They had wary looks in their eyes, and perhaps it hadn’t been the best idea to send guards, as it gave the impression that they were being rounded up like cattle. However, once at the Keep, they were provided with food and Ryan ceded the territory to Caroline so that she could address them.
“My people, ye all know me. Ye all knew my Da. When he died, a terrible shadow fell across the clan. We all thought he died of natural causes, but in time ye will see it proven that a man’s hand guided fate, and robbed Da of his life. With my sisters, I fled the clan tae escape a terrible fate that awaited me. I found myself in what I thought was enemy territory, but in Laird Knox I found a staunch ally, one who I trust not only with my life, but with the lives of my sisters as well. In fact, I trust him sae much that I married him. The fighting is over and sae is the misery. I will ensure that ye are all treated fairly. Ye hae naething tae fear under his rule. Ye can prosper as ye always hae, and we can put these dark days behind us.
When I left I was nae sure I would ever be able tae return, but I am glad that I hae because this is my home and I love ye all dearly. Ye are my people and I will protect ye with every breath I hae. I know that some of this may seem confusing tae ye for now, but the truth will emerge and ye will eventually see that this was the best outcome for everyone.
I know that it will be strange at first tae obey Laird Knox, instead of a Gilmour, but I am still a Gilmour by blood and I hae nae forgotten who I am or where I came from. Naething ever will. This place made me the woman I am taeday, and I am the woman that Laird Knox fell in love with. I’m sure that, given a chance, he will fall in love with ye all as well, and he will protect ye just as fiercely as he protects me.
This is the vow I make tae ye, and I swear it on the moon and the stars that I shall nae forsake ye, and ye shall nae know a day of unhappiness under our rule.”
Caroline’s words were inspiring enough to stir even the most anxious heart and alleviate their suffering. The day was still grim, but a sliver of hope shone through for the people of the Gilmour clan, who had been through a tumultuous time. They had just gone through two Lairds, and Ryan was determined to provide them with some stability for the foreseeable future.
He watched his wife with admiration, his love for her growing with every moment that passed. There did not seem to be any upper limit to his love, and he looked forward to seeing the hale children she would bear him. They would become a formidable family, and he could not imagine them ever being separated.
Caroline turned back and gestured for him to join her, presenting him to her people. He took her hand and bowed to his new clansmen. He turned to Caroline and smiled, then leaned down and whispered into her ear.
“I love ye,” he said.
“I love ye, tae,” she repeated the sentiment and beamed. United they would lead this clan.
In Caroline, Ryan had finally found his equal and he was going to live up to the promise he had sworn to her. He would always protect her, no matter what, and that promise would extend to their children as well.