Chapter 4
CHAPTER FOUR
He's far more handsome than expected, and far more frightening,
Arianna let out a shaky breath and sank into the chair beside the table, her legs finally giving way beneath her.
The room felt suddenly too quiet after the clash of wills, the air still humming with Ian’s presence.
Her hands trembled, so she clasped them in her lap, forcing herself to breathe slow and steady.
The door opened softly, and her mother hurried in, skirts gathered, eyes wide with worry.
“Arianna,” Eilidh said, rushing to her side, “are ye well? I saw him leave and me heart near stopped.”
Arianna looked up and managed a small, reassuring smile. “I’m fine, Mother,” she said. “We were only speakin’ about how to get along better, that’s all.”
Her mother studied her face, searching for signs of harm or fear. “He didnae threaten ye?” Eilidh asked quietly.
Arianna shook her head. “Nay,” she replied. “He’s… difficult, but he listened more than I thought he would.” That much was true, even if it came at a cost.
Eilidh sat across from her, folding her hands together. “Tomorrow night will change everythin',” she said gently. “Ye ken what’s expected of ye as his wife.”
Arianna’s stomach twisted, and heat crept up her neck. “Aye,” she said softly, though the word felt heavier than stone.
“It will be awkward, and mayhap frightenin',” her mother continued, voice low and careful. “But remember, ye are nae without worth or strength. Even in marriage, ye are still yerself.”
Arianna nodded, staring at the floor, her thoughts racing ahead to a night she could barely imagine. She wondered if fear could live alongside duty without breaking her apart.
“I told him he willnae touch me until we’ve had time,” Arianna said suddenly, glancing up.
Eilidh’s brows lifted in surprise. “Ye did?” she asked, a mix of pride and concern in her tone.
“Aye,” Arianna answered, a faint spark of defiance warming her chest. “And he agreed, at least for a time. But mayhaps we keep that to this room and daenae tell me brothers.”
Her mother reached out and took her hands, squeezing them gently. “I’m proud of ye,” Eilidh said, eyes shining. “Hold fast to that spine of yers, but daenae harden yer heart so much ye forget kindness, even for yerself.”
Arianna swallowed, emotion thick in her throat. She wanted to be brave, but she also wanted to be safe.
Arianna remained seated, listening to the quiet once more.
Her future loomed close now, no longer distant or imagined, but waiting just beyond the night.
She pressed a hand to her chest, feeling her heart still racing at the thought of him.
Whatever tomorrow brought, she vowed she would meet it as herself, unbroken and unbowed, even if fear walked beside her.
A sharp knock sounded at the door, and Arianna’s heart leapt before she could stop it. For a fleeting moment, she thought it would be Ian again, his presence filling the room like a storm.
Instead, a cheerful voice called through the wood. “I’ve come to escort ye to supper, me lady,” said Melissa, light as a bell.
Arianna exchanged a glance with her mother and rose, smoothing her gown with steadying hands.
When the door opened, Melissa curtsied smartly, her cheeks pink with excitement.
Stepping into the corridor, Arianna found her brothers already waiting.
Marcus leaned against the stone wall with easy confidence, while Hugh stood straighter, his expression more guarded.
“Arianna,” Marcus said with a grin, “ye look as though ye’ve faced a firing squad.” She huffed softly and shook her head.
“It only feels that way,” she replied, though her nerves still hummed.
Hugh offered a nod. “Ye’ll manage, sister,” he said. “Ye always do.”
Together they followed Melissa down the long corridor, their footsteps echoing beneath the vaulted ceiling.
Torches flickered along the walls, casting warm light on banners stitched with the McGuire crest. Arianna felt the weight of history pressing close, each stone whispering of alliances and bloodlines.
Tomorrow, she would become part of another clan entirely.
The solar doors opened to reveal a room awash in gold and firelight.
Tall windows overlooked the darkening hills, their glass glowing with the last of the sunset.
A great table stretched across the chamber, draped in fine linen and laden with dishes.
Arianna slowed, taken aback by the sheer richness of it all.
Platters of roasted venison and glazed fish sat beside bowls of buttery neeps and steaming tatties.
Fresh bread, still warm, lay wrapped in cloth, and wheels of cheese perfumed the air.
Silver flagons of ale and wine gleamed between arrangements of late autumn herbs.
The feast looked fit for a king, not a woman on the brink of marriage she barely understood.
“Saints preserve us,” Hugh murmured, eyes wide. “They daenae do things by halves here, do they?”
Eilidh smiled tightly. “It’s meant to impress,” she said. “And to remind us what’s at stake. What there is to be lost if Arianna doesnae join this clan.”
Arianna swallowed, feeling the truth of it settle heavy in her chest.
“And what is to be gained when she does,” Hugh added.
Marcus moved closer to the table, inspecting the spread. “This supper alone could feed half our glen,” he said. “If that’s how the McGuires treat guests, they’ve coin to spare.”
Hugh laughed under his breath. “Aye, and they’ll expect plenty in return.” They took their seats, servants moving quietly to pour drink and serve plates.
“Tomorrow’s the day, then,” Hugh said, lifting his cup. “Hard to believe our wee sister’s to be wed.”
Arianna shot him a look. “I’m nay wee,” she said. “And daenae make it sound like a hangin'.” Her mother hid a smile behind her cup.
Eilidh’s gaze softened as she studied her children. “This marriage binds the McDonalds to the McGuires,” she said carefully. “It brings protection, land, and peace along the border.”
Marcus nodded. “And a strong ally if trouble comes,” he added. “Ian’s clan is fierce, whether we like it or nae.”
Arianna felt a chill at the mention of his name.
“But there’s risk,” Hugh said, lowering his voice. “The McGuires are known for their tempers, and Ian’s no exception.”
Arianna’s fingers tightened around her fork.
I ken that well enough.
She thought, remembering his pacing, his eyes like dark fire. Still, she lifted her chin and said nothing.
“Strength can be a virtue,” Eilidh said gently. “Especially in times like these.”
Arianna met her mother’s gaze, searching for reassurance. “And what of kindness?” she asked quietly. “Does that weigh at all in such bargains?”
Her brothers fell silent, the question lingering between them.
Marcus cleared his throat. “It can,” he said at last. “If ye insist upon it.”
Hugh nodded, more serious now. “Aye,” he agreed. “Daenae let them forget who ye are, Arianna.” Warmth spread through her chest at their words.
As the meal went on, conversation eased, drifting from politics to memories of home. Laughter surfaced, tentative at first, then freer, as if they were all clinging to something familiar before it slipped away.
Arianna watched the firelight dance across their faces, committing each detail to memory. Tomorrow would change her life, but tonight, surrounded by kin and comfort, she allowed herself to breathe.
After supper, Arianna and her mother returned to their adjoining rooms, the corridors quiet now that the household had settled.
The door closed behind them with a soft thud that felt far too final for her liking.
Arianna exhaled slowly, as though she had been holding her breath since leaving the solar.
One more night, just one more before everything changes.
She moved to the wash basin and poured water from the ewer, splashing her face and neck until the lingering warmth of the feast faded. The simple motions steadied her hands, though her thoughts refused to follow. When she slipped into her nightshift, the linen felt cool and thin against her skin.
I should be tired, yet my mind willnae be still.
She climbed into bed, the mattress softer than she was used to, and stared at the darkened ceiling. Ian’s face rose unbidden in her thoughts, half shadowed by that patch, fierce and unsettling. He frightened her, yes, but there was something else tangled in the fear that made her stomach flutter.
That’s foolishness, she scolded herself, turning onto her side.
Sleep came in fits, broken by half-formed dreams of dark eyes watching her and a voice demanding obedience.
Each time she stirred, her heart thudded as though she had been running.
She wondered if he slept as restlessly, or if men like Ian closed their eyes without a care.
Near dawn, exhaustion finally claimed her, dragging her into a shallow, uneasy sleep.
Soft light crept through the window before she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“Arianna, mo chridhe, it’s time to wake,” her mother murmured.
Arianna groaned and pulled the coverlet higher. “Must it be already?” she asked, her voice thick with sleep and dread.
“It must,” Eilidh said kindly, sitting on the edge of the bed. “And ye should eat light this morn, else ye’ll feel overfull in yer wedding gown.”
Arianna pushed herself upright and rubbed her eyes. “I doubt I’ll manage much of anythin',” she admitted. “Me stomach’s in knots already.”
Her mother smiled in understanding. “A bit of bread and fruit will do,” she said. “Ye’ll need strength, even if ye daenae feel hungry.”
Arianna nodded, though the thought of food made her uneasy.
A knock sounded at the door, brisk and cheerful.
“Melissa here, me lady,” came the familiar voice, and before Arianna could answer, the door opened.
Melissa entered with a small procession of servants hauling a copper tub and buckets that steamed in the cool air.
“We’ll have ye ready in no time,” Melissa said brightly.
The servants set the tub before the fire and poured in hot water until steam curled thickly around the room. Arianna watched them work, feeling oddly detached, as though it were someone else preparing for marriage. When they finished, Melissa gave a nod.
“I’ll return after yer bath to dress ye proper,” she said, ushering the others out.
Silence settled again, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Arianna slipped out of her nightshift and eased into the bath, the heat seeping into her tense muscles.
She sighed despite herself. “I’m a bundle of nerves, Mother,” she confessed. “I daenae ken how I’ll stand before them all.”
Eilidh fetched a small glass and poured sherry from a decanter, handing it to her.
“This will calm ye,” she said gently. “And listen to me, Arianna, fear is natural, but it doesnae mean ye’re weak.”
Arianna sipped the sherry, warmth blooming in her chest.
I must be brave, even if me hands tremble, even if me heart does strange things at the thought of him.
Her mother sat beside the tub, watching her with steady eyes. “Ye are a McDonald,” Eilidh said softly. “Ye bend, but ye do nae break.”
Arianna met her gaze and felt some of the tightness ease from her shoulders. For the first time that morning, she believed she might endure what was coming.
Arianna leaned back in the bath, steam curling around her as she looked at her mother.
“Were ye afraid on yer weddin’ day?” she asked softly.
Eilidh’s lips curved into a wistful smile as she folded her hands in her lap. “Aye, terrified,” she admitted, “though I tried nae to let it show.”
Her mother’s gaze drifted to the fire as if it held the past within its flames. “I barely kent yer father at all,” Eilidh said, her voice gentle. “He was kind enough, but he was a stranger to me, and I feared I’d never feel at ease by his side.”
Arianna listened closely, surprised, for she had always thought her parents’ love had been effortless. “I stood where ye stand now, wonderin’ if I’d made a terrible mistake,” her mother added.
Arianna swallowed and hugged her arms beneath the water. “But ye loved him,” she said, half question, half hope.
Eilidh chuckled softly. “Nay at first, lass,” she said honestly. “Love came later, slow and quiet, built from small kindnesses and shared days.”
Arianna let that settle in her chest, the words warming her more than the bath.
“I mind how me hands shook when I walked to him,” Eilidh continued. “I thought everyone could see how frightened I was.” She looked back at Arianna with a knowing expression. “But yer father leaned close and whispered that he was just as nervous, and it steadied me more than aught else.”
Arianna’s heart ached at the tenderness of it, and she wondered if Ian had ever known such fear.
Eilidh reached out and squeezed Arianna’s hand. “I cannae promise ye happiness will come easy,” she said softly, “but I can promise ye that fear doesnae last forever.”
Arianna nodded, blinking back sudden tears.
I wished that I could have what me parents had, but I ken a good future with the beast is impossible. I will never love him. He will never love me.