Chapter Six
CHAPTER SIX
T hey didn’t put up much of a fight.
Moy Castle, a squat and fortified bastion with walls several feet thick and a broad, short pele-tower keep in the center, didn’t have any men guarding it when the Munro and dun Tarh and Moriston army arrived. In fact, it seemed as if the castle was vacant, which spooked the men. Ghosts, they said. It had been Darien, Aurelius, Estevan, and younger brother Kaladin who thundered into the ward to seek out any men that might be hiding.
They found them.
There were several outbuildings on the eastern side of the ward that contained a few dozen men, who came charging out the moment Kaladin put his hand on the door latch to open up their hiding place. Kaladin, the brother known as “Baby Bull” because he was big and fearless—and, at times, reckless—had nearly been trampled when the tide of Scotsmen rushed him and knocked him down. Had it not been for Estevan, who fought off the horde so Kaladin could get to his feet, the young man might have very well been smashed into the muddy earth.
After that, it was a short-lived fight. The remaining Cannich men were savage in their fighting, but they were wildly outnumbered. Aurelius and Darien were in the middle of it, with Aurelius commanding the battle inside the ward. Since it was tradition in the dun Tarh family that the eldest son be fully knighted, Aurelius was the only true knight in the entire battle, even though all of the brothers had been trained in the English fashion. They fought like knights and they mostly dressed like knights, but against Highlanders who used different weapons from mounted English knights, that could be dangerous.
This case was no exception.
The Cannich men had spears and clubs. The spears were longer than the reach of the broadswords that the dun Tarh men used. Since all of the brothers were in attendance—Aurelius, Darien, Estevan, Caelus, Kaladin, Lucan, and Leandro, with Cruz, the youngest brother, occupied with squire duties—there were seven very big, English-dressed warriors in the heat of the battle.
Lucan and Leandro, who had only recently been permitted to fight in full English form, tended to be the most aggressive and were early in the fight, but a Highlander managed to clobber Leandro’s left knee with a spiked club. He bled profusely, not knowing how bad the damage was until Aurelius ordered them all off their horses because the Cannich men had brought out at least two crossbows, one of which barely missed Caelus. On mounts as they were, they made big targets, so they came off their steeds, and Leandro could hardly walk with his smashed knee. That had his father pulling him out of the fight to keep company with Cruz, which thoroughly enraged Leandro because he’d only been fighting like a knight, in full regalia, for about six months.
The younger dun Tarh lads had fragile egos.
But the truth was that the fifty or so men they’d caught hiding couldn’t last long against the thousand men that had come to raze their castle, so the battle ended in less than an hour. The Cannich men put up a good fight, but in the end, they were simply outmanned. That had the bulk of the army moving into the immense ward of Moy, cheering the fall of the castle and raiding it for anything they could get their hands on. Though the castle seemed rather run-down, any clothing, food, weapons, or tools were taken by the victorious troops.
The dun Tarh men stood on the stone steps of the keep, watching it happen.
“Have they made it intae the keep yet?” Lares asked.
Aurelius shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “We managed tae seal it before they started their raid.”
“Everything in it goes tae Darien. Do ye understand?”
He said it to all of his sons, who nodded their heads. All but Darien. He looked behind him at the very strong, compact keep that was only two stories in height, and the stone steps led to the second floor.
“They knew we were coming,” he said. “I’d wager that Cannich took everything he could carry. I doubt there’s much left in the keep.”
“Doesna matter,” Lares said. “It belongs tae ye. So does the castle. Small comfort for a stolen bride, but when she’s returned, the two of ye can live here. ’Twill be yer home.”
Aurelius cast a long look at his brother, who was still looking at the keep. Knowing Darien’s position on the betrothal, and the bride, he waited for the response and prepared to put himself between his brother and father if things got heated.
Darien’s response wasn’t long in coming.
“I told ye, I willna marry her,” Darien said, finally turning to look at his father. “I told ye I was not fully supportive of laying siege tae Moy Castle. Ye’ve known my position all along, but still, ye lay siege tae a castle I dinna want and try tae shove that whore and this betrothal down my throat. When I speak, do ye not listen?”
Those were fighting words, and a shock to the younger brothers, who hadn’t been privy to any of this prior. Aurelius caught Estevan’s eye and discreetly tilted his head in the direction of their brothers, silently telling the man to clear them out. Estevan was already one step ahead of him, pushing Caelus, the Baby Bull, and the rest of them down the steps, telling them to start clearing all the outbuildings and making sure there was no one, or nothing, left. That gave them something to do as Darien squared off with Lares.
And it wasn’t going to be pretty.
“Mayhap I dunna listen tae ye when ye speak tae me with such disrespect,” Lares said, flexing his jaw with irritation. “And I certainly dunna expect ye tae speak like that in front of yer brothers.”
“Then listen tae me,” Darien snapped, stamping a big foot. “I dunna want this castle. I dunna want Moriston’s daughter. I’ve got a life waiting for me in Edinburgh with Robbie and his court, so I willna let ye force me intae this marriage. I was willing tae in the beginning, but no more. I willna marry a woman with a reputation like that.”
Lares began clenching his fists. “Her father willna break the betrothal,” he said. “I told ye that. I’ve told ye all of this.”
Darien didn’t care. “I wonder what Mother will think of this?” he said. “She knows about Emelia’s reputation. Yesterday, she sent Evie tae summon ye about it, but Evie had a mishap and Mother forgot tae ask you what you knew. But if ye insist on this, I’ll pull her intae the situation and we’ll see what she has tae say about her son marrying a whore.”
Lares flinched in Darien’s direction, but Aurelius was there, putting his hands on his father’s chest to keep him at bay. “Dunna do something in anger ye’ll regret,” he said in a low voice. “But ye know he’s right, Da.”
Lares looked at Aurelius, stricken. “Now ye side with him?”
Aurelius nodded. “In this case, I must,” he said. “While I realize ye were trying tae gain lands and a title for Darien, ye took the woman that no one else wanted tae marry because they knew of her reputation. That’s why Fergus agreed tae a betrothal so quickly. That’s why he’s willing tae give Darien everything he owns and then some. He thought he’d never offload that used sow of a daughter.”
Infuriated, Lares pulled away from his eldest son, eyeing Aurelius and Darien with a great deal of hostility.
Unfortunately, he knew he was cornered.
He trusted Aurelius and Darien. They’d never given him bad advice. Darien was a wise soul, a man who was part of the Scottish royal court as an advisor, a counselor. There was great turbulence these days, something men like Darien were trying to keep control of. There was a great deal of pressure on him. But as Lares had told him, he was trying to broker an advantageous marriage for him, one commensurate with his position at court. Fergus Moriston, Lord Shadwick, was a man with land and wealth. That was all Lares had been focused on. Because of it, however, he’d ignored the rumors about the man’s eldest daughter. He’d been so focused on getting the title and wealth for Darien that he’d ignored the cost.
His sons wouldn’t let him ignore it any longer.
“Da,” Darien said, forcing himself to calm. “The chances are that Luke and Emelia dinna run off simply for the sake of upsetting everyone. They ran off for a reason, and if I could guess, I’d say it was because they wanted tae be married. They were unhappy with their respective betrothals, so they ran away tae be married. They are probably married as we speak, meaning the title and the wealth belong to Luke Cannich. Even if Fergus protests, the church willna allow an annulment. The marriage will stand.”
Lares knew that. It had been in the back of his mind since the situation started. He was gearing up to come back with a strong argument, but he’d only look like a fool if he did. He couldn’t deny the obvious. After a moment, he simply shook his head.
“Then Fergus can withhold the money,” he said. “Not the title, because that will belong tae Cannich by law, as will the properties, but the one thing Fergus can withhold is the money. He can give it tae ye for the trouble ye’ve been caused. I’ll demand it. And ye’ll keep Moy Castle, lad. It’s a dun Tarh property now.”
Darien had to admit that he was relieved that his father was finally starting to see the light. That took his anger down considerably. Leaning against the wall behind him, he removed his helm and wearily wiped his brow.
“Nay,” he muttered. “Have him give the money tae Evie. She’s earned it. I only had tae deal with Emelia, but she had tae deal with Emelia and Luke. Poor lass.”
Lares, who had been hanging his head in defeat, suddenly lifted it. “If ye have Moy Castle, then ye have property,” he said, thinking aloud. “If ye marry Evie, then ye’ll have the money, too. Fergus would be satisfied because both of his daughters have married.”
Darien heard him, but it took him a moment to realize what he was saying. As he looked at his father in surprise, Aurelius spoke up.
“Evie is a much better match,” he said. “She’s certainly more beautiful, and her manner is not like her sister’s. She doesna have a loose reputation. The kind of wife a courtier would proudly display.”
Darien pushed himself off the wall and lifted his hands. “Wait,” he said over the chatter of his brother. “Why are ye talking about this?”
Lares seemed excited about it. “Because it’s a solution tae the problem,” he said. “Moy is now yer property. I give it tae ye. Marry Evie and she’ll bring the money with her. I’ll insist on it. Would ye be agreeable tae marrying Emelia’s sister, lad?”
Darien froze, hands still up, looking at his father and brother as if they’d lost their minds.
Would ye be agreeable tae marrying Emelia’s sister?
That was probably the most important question he’d ever been asked. Would he? That flame-haired beauty with the enormous blue eyes had his interest. There was no doubt about it. He was attracted to her. She was a good girl, one he had easy conversations with. He could imagine speaking to her every night for the rest of his life.
Would he consider her?
Truth be told, he’d consider no one else. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it sooner.
“Aye,” he said after a moment, lowering his hands. “If Fergus is agreeable, then I am.”
Those few words lit Lares up. The man went from defeated to elated in a matter of seconds. As he fled down the stairs to look for Fergus, who was somewhere among the hordes of men in the ward, Aurelius turned to Darien.
“Do ye mean it?” he asked. “Are ye truly agreeable or are ye just trying tae keep the peace?”
Darien looked at him. He couldn’t help the twinkle in his eye or the faint smile on his lips as he thought on the prospect of marrying Eventide Moriston. That sweet, lovely woman would indeed be something to be proud of.
And perhaps more.
“I mean it,” he muttered.
Aurelius believed him completely.