Chapter 2
“Icannae believe he would dae this!” Moira collapsed on her bed in tears.
They ran like a hot spring down her cheeks, which were now reddened and flushed.
She curled up and clutched her pillow as though it would offer any sort of comfort.
Kirsten was there beside her, stroking Moira’s back and arms, murmuring whispers that it would be fine, but in this moment, Moira couldn’t believe that.
“How could he dae this? How could he dae this behind my back, without even talking tae me?!” Moira said.
Her words were sharp and stinging, which reflected the pain and betrayal she felt.
All her life, she had trusted Marcas with everything, and now, when it mattered, he had used her life as a bargaining chip.
“I know it’s difficult,” Kirsten said, “but this is the way of things. Ye must know that Marcas wouldnae dae this if there was any other way.”
“But I…I cannae leave. What about Gregor and Lileas? What about Max? What about…what about us, Kirsten? I cannae leave ye. Ye are my best friend,” Moira sat up and wiped the tears from her eyes, although another stream flowed down and made her cheeks glisten as brightly as the morning dew. “Ye are a sister tae me.”
Kirsten opened her arms and embraced Moira tightly.
Moira buried herself in Kirsten’s warmth, sobbing fretfully, holding on to her as desperately as a drowning man would cling to driftwood in the middle of the ocean.
For a while, they remained silent. Kirsten allowed Moira to express her sorrow until she was ready to speak.
“I dinnae want tae speak badly of yer husband, but I hate him,” Moira said.
Kirsten laughed. “Ye dinnae hate him,” she said gently.
“Ye are just angry with him, and I cannae blame ye. I felt the same way when I learned I was tae be married. I haed a life that I liked. I haed friends and a home that I didnae want tae leave, but it was my duty for the clan. It turned out well for me, and it might turn out just as happily for ye as well.”
“Aye, but we are nae the Calbraiths,” Moira said darkly.
Kirsten laughed again. “That is true, but dinnae forget that when I arrived, yer brother didnae have the finest reputation.
He was always brooding and stubborn, barely paying me any attention until he softened.
It wasnae easy for me, and I doubt it will be easy for ye, but sometimes as women, we hae tae make the best of the choice that is made for us.
It is our curse of being born intae nobility.
“I hae a friend, a cousin, and she felt similarly tae. One day she told me that sometimes she used tae dream of being a commoner sae that she could simply marry who she wanted and dae what she wanted without having anyone tell her otherwise, but that’s nae who we are.
We are ladies, and our position means something.
Because of us, alliances are formed, and wars are avoided. ”
Kirsten’s words were impassioned, and Moira couldn’t help but be swayed by them, even though her heart still burned with anguish. She took a few moments to compose herself, dabbing her eyes.
“Did Marcas talk tae ye about this?”
Kirsten averted her gaze. “He told me that it might be a possibility, although he didnae want it tae come tae this. Ye must understand that, Moira. Ye know he loves having ye around here. We both dae, and the children adore ye. He told me nae tae tell ye in case he could find another way tae come tae an agreement with the laird.”
“I suppose he couldnae. But what am I tae dae, Kirsten? How can I be apart from ye and the children? It’s all I’ve ever known.”
Kirsten gripped her forearm tightly. “Ye will be fine. Ye are a kind soul, a good woman, and people will see that. Just make sure ye arenae thrown intae the dungeon,” she said with a wry smile. This helped to diffuse the tension somewhat, and Moira even laughed a little.
“Aye, I suppose it couldnae gae as badly as yer arrival here. I just…I just wish I haed more time. It’s the shock of it all that haes taken me by surprise. Marcas never even mentioned it as a possibility.”
“I dinnae think he wanted tae admit it tae himself. Ye mean a lot tae him,” Kirsten sighed. “Things must be bad if he haes tae resort tae this. I truly thought the conflict with the Calbraiths was over once we uncovered Roderick’s plan.”
“Aye, I think we all did. I suppose it’s hard tae undo generations of enmity,” Moira said. “What are we gaeing tae tell Gregor and Lileas?”
“We’ll tell them the truth—that ye are gaeing on an adventure and that ye will be back.
Ye arenae gaeing far. And I know Marcas wouldnae forget about ye.
None of us could. We’re always gaeing tae take care of ye, and I know that if anyone in that clan mistreated ye, Marcas would be the first tae raise an army and take back everything that haes been given tae them. ”
“I hope it doesnae come tae that.”
“I hope sae tae, and I’m sure that Laird Calbraith would feel the same.
This marriage gives a seal tae the peace.
Think of it...ye are the woman who will bring taegether clans that hae been warring for generations.
Ye are the one who will finally put aside all the years of war that haes plagued these clans.
That’s something tae be proud of, Moira.
That’s a story that will gae down in the history books. ”
Moira blushed at this. She felt a little better after talking to Kirsten, and she had always been of a pragmatic mind, so she knew there wasn’t really much point to all this anguish.
The decision had been made, and there wasn’t much at all she could do about it—even though she knew that if she pleaded desperately with Marcas and begged as hard as she could, she might have been able to convince him to reverse his decision. But that would be selfish of her.
They all had to make sacrifices for their clan, and Kirsten was right when she said that this was part of Moira’s duty.
Her father had sacrificed himself on the battlefield to protect the clan, and in a way, Moira was doing something similar.
If she did not marry into the Calbraith clan, it was likely that war would break out again, and she would not be able to live with herself if anything happened to Marcas.
She had seen the horrors of war firsthand and had always vowed to do anything she could to prevent it.
If that meant getting married, then so be it.
She would just have to make the best out of the situation and hope that her husband eschewed the usual stereotype of a Calbraith man: brutal and blunt and arrogant.
“I think I’d like tae see the children now and spend as much time with them as I can,” Moira said.
They went to find the children and played with them until it was their bedtime.
Despite Gregor and Lileas protesting their tiredness, their yawns and the sleepy look in their eyes betrayed them.
Moira helped Kirsten carry them up to bed, and Kirsten kissed them goodnight.
She let Moira say goodnight to them by herself.
Moira moved between the two small beds; her heart swelled with love.
Tears glistened in her eyes again. She had hoped to remain and watch these children grow up, but alas, it was not meant to be.
While she knew that Kirsten was right in saying that she wasn’t going very far, she might as well have been moving a world away.
There were so many little things she would miss in the day-to-day life at the castle, and every time she came back, Gregor and Lileas would have grown even more.
Still, she tried not to let herself sink into sorrow just yet.
There would be plenty of time for that later.
For now, she wanted to bask in the love she had for her niece and nephew.
She caressed their cheeks and tried to keep her voice from trembling.
“Gregor, Lileas, I hae tae tell ye something. I’m gaeing away for a wee while.
Well, for a long time, actually. I hae a marriage arranged for me.
Yer mam will explain more tae ye when we wake up, but I want ye tae know that I love ye, and that I will always be proud of ye.
If ye ever want tae see me, I wilnae be far away, and ye can be sure that I’ll be back tae see ye.
It’s gaeing tae be difficult at first because I hae been sae used tae seeing ye every day.
In a way, I’m gaeing tae miss ye more than I’ll miss Marcas or Kirsten. ”
She paused for a moment to breathe, ready to tell the children about how much more she wished she could teach them and how much there was for them to learn.
She didn’t want to leave anything unsaid, and yet it seemed inevitable because how could she ever sum up the emotions that existed within her heart?
But just as she was about to speak again, she heard Gregor snore softly, and Lileas turned around, sucking her thumb as she slept. Moira smiled, wondering if they had heard anything she said, but decided it didn’t really matter.
They knew that she loved them, and she was sure that Kirsten and Marcas would explain why things had to be this way.
She leaned over them and placed a soft kiss on their foreheads.
Neither child stirred; they were firmly locked in the land of dreams, where everything was calm and nothing bad ever happened.
Moira slipped out of the room and closed the door quietly behind her, quelling the sadness that lingered inside. She returned to her room and began to pack her things, as she would be leaving in the morning, ready to begin her new life immediately.
Kirsten came in a short while later. Her face was pale, and her eyes were puffy. It was clear that she had been crying. She carried in with her the dress that she had worn on her wedding day.
“I know ye dinnae want tae think about it, but I wanted tae offer ye this dress,” she said.
Moira knew the dress well, for it was the one her own mother had worn.
She took the dress from Kirsten and wondered how her mother had felt on her wedding day.
Was she as nervous as Moira was? Holding the dress in her arms made her feel connected not only with her own mother, but with Kirsten as well, and indeed with all the other Highland women who were given away as brides to form alliances and end wars.
It wasn’t as bad as she had initially thought.
At least it meant her life mattered. At least she could do something to protect her clan, just as her father had.
It was easy for Marcas to emulate their father on the battlefield, but such opportunities were rarer for Moira, and if this meant that Gregor and Lileas would never have to watch their father be slain in war, then it was worth it.
“I’m gaeing tae miss ye, Moira,” Kirsten said. Whatever wall she had erected to stem the flow of sadness crumbled, and she gave in to her sorrow again. The two women came together and reminisced about all they had been through.
Kirsten tried to reassure Moira about the future, but even though Moira hoped for the best, she expected the worst. All her life, she had heard bad things about the Calbraiths.
They had hated her family for generations, and they had been the invading force that caused her father’s death.
She wasn’t sure that she could ever love one of them, but she would have to do her duty for her family—and her clan.