Bonus Epilogue
One month later…
As she did most mornings, Ciara walked through the village to speak with the people. She thought connecting with the clan and making sure they knew they were being heard and cared for in ways that her father had not would help breed loyalty among the people. She wanted the sort of close-knit clan Magnus hailed from. On her way back into the castle, Ciara stopped by the kitchens to fetch a biscuit and an apple to quiet the rumble in her belly. There she bumped into her maid and dear friend Elspeth, with whom she had been finally reunited. They had hugged and laughed and cried when they had met again and Ciara had been proud to introduce her new husband to her.
Munching on her food, they chatted for a bit and then Ciara made her way into the hall and sat down in the chair beside Magnus. She had told him her father never allowed her mother a chair on the dais with him, believing it was the province of the laird alone. Magnus had laughed and said bollocks, and commissioned a chair for her, telling him the best lairds did not rule alone and sought out the advice of those smarter than them. He’d told her they were going to rule the clan together.
It had been several months since their wedding and his introduction to Clan MacDougal. Although it had been tentative, even tense, at first, over those first few months with Magnus as laird, Ciara had seen a shift in her people. She could tell they were taking to him. That they liked and respected him in ways her father had never earned. Magnus listened to them. Cared about them. And he did everything he could to help them flourish, just as his own clan had. They weren’t quite at that level of prosperity yet, but they would get there.
“How was yer walk?” he asked.
“’Twas good, thank ye.”
“And the people?”
“Happy. Content,” she replied with a smile. “Best of all, they feel safe. I hate tae say it, but me faither was right about needin’ a strong man’s hand as laird to settle the unease and discord in the clan and keep any outside eyes from plottin’ tae take it from me.”
“Bollocks,” he replied. “Ye’re good tae the people and they love ye. I see it every single day. And that love breeds loyalty. Those people out there would fight tae the last fer ye. That love… that’s stronger than me sword arm.”
Ciara smiled and felt her cheeks warm. Magnus always seemed to know just what to say to ease her mind and fill her heart. He liked to give her the credit, but Magnus made a good laird. He cared for the people just as much as she did, although he was less overt about it, and his decisions were always for their benefit.
Ciara pointed to the parchment in his hands. “What is that?”
“’Tis a message from Domhnall.”
“Trouble?”
He looked up and smiled. “Katherine is with child.”
Ciara squealed and clapped her hands. “’Tis wonderful news.”
“Aye. Very wonderful.”
Magnus smiled at the thought of being an uncle. But there was something else in his eyes. A thread of worry. Ciara studied him for a moment before realizing what it was.
“The king hasnae budged on marrying Thora off, has he?”
He shook his head. “Nae yet. Says he requires Thora’s hand tae seal an alliance he has deemed necessary. Says as king, that is his prerogative.”
Ciara sighed. “I hate tae say it, but it is. If Thora or Domhnall refuse—”
“It means Domhnall will be stripped of his lairdship and our clan will lose their lands.”
“And if I ken yer braither, he would nae let that happen without a fight.”
“Which would mean war,” he replied. “Aye. I ken.”
It was a heavy burden the MacLeods were carrying. The easiest path would be for Domhnall to promise Thora’s hand. After all, he had accepted the king’s request to marry Katherine, despite her being English. But as Ciara had gotten to know them over these months, she knew the one thing they valued the most was their independence. They were fiercely protective of their people and their sovereignty.
Magnus sighed and took her hand, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles. “We’ll figure that out. Fer now, they’re stringin’ him along and tryin’ tae negotiate until we can find a way out of it.”
“’Tis a dicey game.”
“’Tis only dicey if it daesnae work.”
Ciara laughed. “Ye MacLeods are a dangerous lot.”
“Aye. We are,” he said. “And dinnae ye forget it.”
“Glad tae have ye on me side then.”
“And I’m glad tae be on yer side.”
They sat in silence, staring into one another’s eyes for a long moment. She could feel the love radiating from her husband like the heat from the sun and she basked in its warmth. She never believed she could feel a love this strong for—or from—anybody. Her heart was full, and she knew a joy unlike anything she ever knew existed. She wasn’t sure what she had done to deserve such a wonderful man and wonderful life, but she was grateful for it and she was going to hold onto it as tightly as she could.
“I suppose we should begin’ hearin’ the grievances fer the day,” she said reluctantly.
One of the first things Magnus did as laird was set up a time every day to hear from the people. Squabbles over this or that, or even more serious accusations of crime, were a part of everyday life and Magnus believed they needed to be heard and addressed. Problems needed to be solved and the people should to feel as if the laird was responsive to them. It was something her father had never done. He didn’t care about the people or their issues. And that Magnus took such a vested interest in them was the thing she respected most about him.
Magnus sighed. “I’d much rather take ye back tae our bedchamber—”
She laughed. “Ye scoundrel.”
“Aye, but ye like that about me,” he said.
“And ye’re lucky I dae.”
“I’m very lucky,” he replied. “But I suppose we should get on tae business fer the day. The people need tae be heard and their problems need tae be solved.”
“Aye. ‘Tis true,” she said. “And I’m glad ye’re the one in charge of solvin’ their problems.”
He scoffed. “Me? Everybody kens ye’re the real power behind the laird’s chair.”
She laughed. “That’s true, isnae it?”
“It is.”
“All right then, let’s let them in so I can make some decisions.”
“Wait.”
“What?”
Magnus leaned over and gave her a long, lingering kiss, letting Ciara feel the depth of emotion he carried in his heart for her. He slowly and reluctantly pulled back and she looked into his icy blue eyes, feeling her heart skip a beat. She did not know how she had come to be so lucky, but she was grateful to God above that she had been so blessed.
“Okay, now I’m ready tae work,” he said.
She laughed. “I love ye. With everythin’ in me.”
“And I love ye just as much.”