Chapter Five
The day of the battles began well enough and at least the rain had ceased.
Breckin wasn’t chosen to fight in the first two battles much to his disappointment.
He’d hoped to put his fist in a face or two to rid him of his angst. If he had to choose a bride, he wanted the first, or at the very least, the second selection.
Alas, he wasn’t chosen for the bouts. Now, in studying his opponents, he recognized their flaws and could have easily defeated either of them in the hand-to-hand battle.
As he watched Declan MacKendrick thrash Shaw Mackintosh, he considered his opponents’ moves and fighting stances.
Breckin paced alongside the square, wishing he was brawling.
Since Declan had won the first bout and selected Milady Isabella for his wife, she was out of the running.
Isabella would have made a good selection for his wife.
Breckin grew frustrated when Cameron and Mackintosh were selected for the second fight.
As he watched, he grew weary at the thought that he’d be left to accept the last bride.
He only hoped it wasn’t Mistress Eva. Cameron was intent to win and wouldn’t let up on his punches to Mackintosh.
When Cameron was finally declared the winner of round two, Magnus chose Milady Kendra for his bride.
She was a beautiful woman and seemed amiable to marriage with Cameron.
He noticed Mackintosh’s ire at losing and the swelling of his face.
Cameron had done a job in distorting the man’s appearance, for Shaw had a black eye and a wee bit of blood on his lip.
It seemed to Breckin that he might have thrown the fight to his opponent.
But why would Shaw do such a reprehensible thing?
No Highlander would purposely lose unless…
Before the bout, he’d seen the queen speaking to Shaw and the man hadn’t seemed pleased with whatever the queen imparted.
Damnation, the meddlesome woman is fixing the fights.
Breckin ambled toward Shaw Mackintosh, intent to ask him that question when the queen approached. She marched forward and stepped in front of him, purposely blocking his path.
“Have you thought about what I told you, Laird Buchanan?”
He stopped short and bowed to Margaret. “Thought about what, Your Grace?”
“The dragon and her shiny scales?”
Breckin chuckled and recalled her strange riddle. “’Tis the truth, Your Grace, I did not give it much thought.”
“You should,” she whispered and walked away.
He shook his head in complete astonishment that the queen was trying to tell him something but she wouldn’t just come out and say what that was.
Breckin watched Lady Sorsha rush after Mackintosh and they disappeared inside the castle.
Dejected, he surmised that Sorsha was interested in gaining Shaw for her husband.
He walked slowly toward the keep and considered the queen’s riddle.
Two brides remained—Lady Sorsha and Mistress Eva.
With a chuckle, he scoffed as he thought about which lady he’d liken to a dragon with shiny scales.
Of the two remaining brides, Lady Sorsha was sweet and had an amiable demeanor.
He could still win her hand if he won the bout against Shaw.
Then he realized that Margaret had meant Mistress Eva—she was the dragon with the shiny scales.
He tried to recall what else Margaret had said.
She alluded to the fact that Eva had beauty within as well as without.
He had yet to witness such appeal in her.
“Laird Buchanan…”
He turned around when someone called him. Breckin waited for Mackintosh’s comrade to reach him. “Aye?”
“Shaw asked that you come to him. He wants to speak with you privately.”
He nodded and followed the soldier. Near the wall, he spotted Mackintosh in wait for him. When he got closer, the soldier walked away and left them alone. Shaw paced before the wall and stopped before him.
“Ye know, Breckin, that we are being used for our king and queen’s entertainment.”
Breckin pressed the long locks of his hair back from his forehead and grunted. “Aye, I suspect that is so as well but what can we do about it?”
“I say we forsake the last bout and decide right now which brides we will choose.” Shaw peered at him as if he waited for his accord but Breckin wasn’t about to let the man choose his bride.
“If I agree to this farce, how do we know the king and queen will allow us to forgo the fight? I do not wish to spar with ye even though I could take ye.” Breckin stood close enough to Shaw to assert his ability to win any bout they would undertake.
“If the king wants us to accept his terms, he will permit us to marry without the last fracas.”
Breckin grunted because, unlike Shaw, he had to go along with the king’s demand.
He couldn’t afford to pay the tithe that he owed.
The king promised to forgive his debt if he went along with the so-called entertainment.
But he wasn’t about to deny Shaw the ability to get out of fighting in the last battle since he’d already fought in the first two fracases.
“Lady Sorsha is sweet and would make a good wife.”
Shaw flinched when he named Sorsha. “Aye, she is sweet, but she was recently widowed, and lest ye forget, Lady Sorsha bore a child for her husband, my own now deceased cousin. We hope to keep the child amongst the family. I heard that she was a willful minx who oft causes discord in the home, although I had not witnessed such when I visited the Chattans.”
“She’s a widow? Her child is a wee terror?” Breckin moaned. “Ye know that I have younger brothers who try my patience and I have enough trouble keeping them in line…” He stopped pacing and turned to him.
Shaw ceased his steps and set his fisted hands on his hips. “Mistress Eva might be willful as well, but she’s young and ye won’t have to get her with child right away. Besides, she is beautiful. Have ye ever seen such a face or such bonny hair on a woman?”
“She is comely and bedding her would not be too much of a hardship,” Breckin said and chuckled at his jest. It was her disdain for Highlanders that put him off.
If he took Eva as his bride, he would need to convince her that he and his brethren were civilized and noble, a feat to be sure, since she obviously scorned the northerners.
“Mistress Eva draws every man’s eye and every woman’s ire. If ye take her, ye would be the envy of every man in Scotland and the women in your clan most envious.”
Breckin grunted at Shaw’s attempt at convincing him to agree. “She’s young enough to train to my tastes, I suppose. If ye want Sorsha, then I am not too put out to take Eva’s hand. Och, how will we sway the king and queen to accept our chosen brides?”
Shaw dipped his head as the queen approached. They turned to her and bowed slightly. Margaret walked regally toward them but did not smile and seemed intent on speaking to them.
“Your Grace,” they both greeted her at the same time.
“Lairds Mackintosh and Buchanan, I would have a word with you. As you know, there are but two brides left. Unfortunately, my dear Alexander was called away to meet with his council and the last bout is no longer necessary.”
“All is well?” Shaw asked.
“Oh, all is well. Worry not. The lords only wish to ensure Alexander’s visit to England will not put them in jeopardy. They deem he might be easily persuaded by my father to concede to matters in which the lords hold interest.”
Shaw lowered his head as she explained. “I understand ye will soon visit your family. Are ye pleased by this, Your Grace?”
“Our nation is humbly looking forward to the birth of your bairn,” Breckin said.
“I shall be gladdened to see my family. The news of Scotland’s successor will reach you within days, I am certain.
” Margaret waved off the chamberlain who stood nearby.
“Now, we should settle the matter of the brides. This night we will hold the weddings after the late meal and then have a bit of a celebration. Since you were amiable and conceded to my interference in the first two bouts, Mackintosh, what say you? Who do you choose?”
Breckin felt the tug of his brows when she confessed to meddling in the bouts.
Only Margaret would have the bollocks to force their hands and interfere with the king’s plan.
He should hold a little angst toward his queen but couldn’t.
Whatever her motive, he was sure she intended to do good and not harm to any of them.
Shaw glanced at Breckin who gave a slight nod. “I choose Lady Sorsha.”
Margaret clapped her hands together and squealed.
“Oh, this is marvelous. She was hoping you’d choose her.
Of course, there always was something betwixt you two, was there not?
Since the others have already spoken their vows, we shall commence with your weddings shortly.
Make your way to the hall in a short time and I’ll have the chancellor fetched. ”
“Aye, Your Grace. I’ll be off then so I might tell Sorsha the news.” Shaw bowed to her and gave a nod to Breckin before he turned and marched away.
“And you, Laird Buchanan, remember what I said. Just because you are faced with a dragon does not mean you cannot appreciate her. She might have a tender heart within.”
Might? He could have laughed at the queen’s reminder.
If Mistress Eva was tenderhearted, he’d be a dragon himself—which he supposed wasn’t too far off the mark.
Those he’d fought against in recent months could attest to that because he had not relented in his attack or protection of clans he’d intended to defend.
A warrior never backed down and he wouldn’t retreat now, even when faced with a dragon.
Breckin decided to get the telling over with. He searched the grounds for Eva Scott and saw her standing with her father near the entrance of the castle. With hastened steps, he reached her and called out, “Mistress Eva, I need to speak to ye.”