Chapter 24 #2
"Welcome home, sister," Maeve said. "Welcome home."
Cailean wiped his face and looked up at the castle in front of them. It stood proud and tall in the sunlight after the storm, not quite the same as it once was, but still McNair Castle at his heart. Perhaps things had changed in twenty years—but then again, so had he.
But now he was home. He had his sister with him. He had Maeve by his side.
It had been two decades in the making. But the very soul of Scotland seemed to let out a fresh, breath. Because at long last, the McNairs had returned.
Neala clung tightly to her brother's hand in her right and her newfound sister-in-law's hand in her left as they led her through the doors and into the newly reclaimed McNair Castle.
Her heart felt like a rabbit's as she entered the great hall, which smelled of the most delicious food put together even in such a short time.
Silence fell as the three of them entered, then whispers started around them. Neala picked up her name being murmured around more than once.
And then, to her utter shock, the whole hall erupted into a great cheer.
Cailean held up their joined hands. "Friends! A great victory has been won today!" he announced, his voice easily carrying even over the din. "We have reclaimed McNair Castle from the False King. And me sister, Neala McNair, has returned!"
The cheers grew louder. Two people made their way over slowly, one man and one woman.
It was clear at a glance, despite their different appearances, that the woman was Maeve's sister.
She supported the man, who looked pale and was leaning heavily on her shoulder.
He had dark auburn hair, a friendly freckled face, and a smile broke across it as he saw her.
"I kent we'd find ye," the man said. "Though ye need nae have sent us on a journey."
"Eoin," the woman chided gently. "She's overwhelmed. Dinnae tease."
"A–a journey?" Neala asked, looking at the man's bandaged chest with concern.
Maeve squeezed her hand. "This is me sister, Breana, and me dear friend, Eoin Darach."
"Ann's friend?" Neala asked. "I've heard them speak of ye, I—"
Her blood froze as she suddenly realized. In all the chaos, she'd almost forgotten.
"Ann! Cailean, the False King, he has them, they're his prisoners. Ann, and–and Morag—"
"It's all right," Cailean told her gently. "We ken. We're workin' on a way tae save them. Dinnae worry. The False King willnae have them for long."
Eoin nodded. "And the Sparrows ken as well. Laura received yer friend's letter; that's how we kent tae get back here so fast."
Neala gasped. "Laura! Ye've seen her?"
"Aye, an' Catriona an' Iona an' some of the others as well," Breana replied. "It seems ye're well-loved. We traveled tae the convent tae return ye tae yer family, but we learned that ye've already got sisters who love ye just as fiercely."
Neala's lip wobbled, but she did not cry again despite the rushing emotion. She imagined Cat and Iona meeting these two strangers looking for her. A faint smile flickered across her face as she imagined their reaction. "They… they're nae the ones who stabbed ye, are they?"
Eoin laughed, and Breana chuckled a little as well. "Nay," Eoin assured her. "Though they didnae hold back with those bows."
"Come," Maeve said. "Let's sit. It's time tae meet the rest of the family."
The five of them moved toward one of the tables, stopping every so often to greet various people whose names Neala knew she would have to relearn.
They settled at the largest table at the head of the room facing outward, where Cailean settled into the king's seat, Maeve on his left.
He indicated that Neala should sit on his right, and after a moment of hesitation, she did.
The man on her other side, a cheekily handsome young man with tree-sap golden curls, leaned over to greet her. "Thank God ye're here," he said. "I was beginnin' tae think I'd have tae go hunt down that prince meself tae stop yer brother from mopin'."
Neala blinked and then laughed at the absurdly casual friendliness of the man. Beside her, Cailean sighed, though he was smiling when she turned to him.
"Neala, this is Darren Bruce, me closest friend and me current heir," he said. His voice softened. "He's been a brother tae me. Ye can trust him with yer life."
Darren winked. "Dinnae be soft, Cailean," he warned. "And I willnae be yer heir for long. I've got Bruce Castle tae inherit; and anyway, ye and Maeve will have this place crawlin' with wee McNairs the moment the war is won."
The thought delighted Neala, and the comfortable way they were effortlessly teasing each other reminded her of the home she'd known.
She knew that now that she was here she would never return to the White Sparrows full-time again, but she was excited that the family who raised her could finally see her happy with the family which she had sought her entire life.
They continued with introductions around the table.
There were Fergus and Ferda, Darren's cousins, and Neala was eager to share that Ferda's name, too, had been whispered in the halls of the Sparrows.
A man named Senan welcomed her with a flower he made appear from basically nowhere, and another named Ewan told her excitedly that he'd held her when she was a baby, and he was a soldier here at the castle.
There were many others, too, but Neala lost count of all of their names.
Nobody seemed to mind, each of them excitedly welcoming her into the fold.
Cailean and Maeve kissed, causing wolf whistles and teasing laughs from the group, and Neala heard him whisper thanks to Maeve for making the day possible.
Neala was excited to get to know her new sister-in-law; if her brother loved her so dearly, then Neala was sure she would too.
Food was served, and conversation flowed, and the atmosphere around them was the happiest and most buoyant that Neala had experienced in a long time.
She and Cailean kept touching each other's arms, assuring themselves that the other was real.
Later, when the feast was over, she would take him back to the secret library room and show him the memories of their family, but for now, she would lose herself in the moment.
But even amongst all the joy, during a small lull in conversation, her mind wandered to the prince who had set her free. It would take some time before he reached Blackthorn Castle, and Neala couldn't help but feel apprehension as she imagined what would happen when he faced his father.
She sent a silent prayer, wishing Ansel well. She didn't know his motivations, or what he truly wanted, or if he even knew himself. But she did wish with all of her heart that he'd find the right path to the life he wanted, rather than the one he'd been born into.
Even if their paths never met again, she owed him a debt. Because though he had been unable to grasp his own freedom when it was offered to him, he had given Neala her own in a world where she'd never expected it.
And she intended to live in it to its fullest, with her brother at her side.