Epilogue
A few days later.
Blaine’s body still ached all over, the bruises that littered his skin making their presence known every time he moved. Mrs. Moggach, though, had once again taken good care of him, stitching up his wounds, cleaning them, and applying salve to the cuts and scrapes every single day of his recovery.
For days, she had forbidden him from doing anything too strenuous, but in her mind, even a simple walk was too much. And so, Blaine had found himself restless, confined in a bed for the entire duration of his recovery.
It was only that morning that he was allowed to leave the healer’s cottage and he did so with a smile, stepping outside of the squat stone building to find Kathleen there, waiting for him. Her smile, when she saw him, was brilliant and her green eyes sparkled with joy as she rushed to throw her arms around him and pull him into a tight embrace .
During his recovery, her father had allowed her to stay by Blaine’s side, much to his surprise, and with Mrs. Moggach keeping him in bed, the two of them had had plenty of time to talk about their feelings and how to move forward.
And Blaine had made a decision. He didn’t care what it would take; he didn’t care if he would be victorious in the end. No matter what, he would fight for him and Kathleen to be together.
“I’m glad tae see that ye’re well,” Fenella said as she approached them. She, too, had visited often to keep Kathleen company whenever Blaine was resting and she didn’t want to leave his side. Blaine had gotten to know her better in that time, and he could see why Kathleen adored her so much. “Faither has been askin’ about ye. He’ll be glad tae ken ye’ve recovered, too.”
“Thank ye, Miss Stewart,” said Blaine, bowing to her, but Fenella was quick to roll her eyes.
“Dae ye bow tae Kathleen?” she asked. “Nay? Then dinnae bow tae me. An’ dinnae call me Miss Stewart, we’re nae strangers.”
Blaine didn’t know if that was the best course of action, considering that he was still on bad terms with Bran. The more he perceived his actions as insults, the more he would despise him, and the last thing Blaine wanted was to give the man another reason to be against him. But he supposed in the privacy of their little group, he could call Fenella whatever she wished .
“Alright,” he said. “Fenella it is. I’m sorry I missed yer weddin’, Fenella. I heard it was a marvelous affair.”
“Och aye!” Fenella said, brightening up at the mention of the wedding. Only a few days prior, Blaine would have been surprised to see her like this, speaking so animatedly about the very same thing that had brought her so much sorrow. But now he knew the truth from Kathleen; Fenella didn’t find her husband so bad, after all. “It truly was! Ewan an’ I danced all night!”
“Did ye enjoy yerself?” Blaine asked Kathleen, looking down at her where she was still in his arms. “Was all this peril worth it fer ye tae see yer friend wed?”
With an indignant huff, Kathleen pushed Blaine back, slapping his chest. “I didnae come here tae see her wed! I came because she needed me! Because she asked me tae be here an’ I couldnae bear tae leave her alone.”
Blaine couldn’t help but laugh at that, wondering what the difference even was. Whatever it was, though, it was important to Kathleen, and so he didn’t push the matter. Instead, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together.
“Is it time, then?” he asked, and the mood in the air suddenly changed, a heavy silence settling over them.
Kathleen nodded and Fenella took a deep breath.
“Alright,” Fenella said. “I’ll leave ye tae dae as ye must. Dae let me ken what they said. ”
“O’ course,” Kathleen promised. “Ye’ll be the first tae ken.”
With that, the three of them headed back to the keep, taking the winding path that led there. Once at the main doors, though, Fenella headed to the drawing room while Blaine and Kathleen took the hallways that led to Laird Stewart’s study, where he knew Bran and Ilyssa were waiting for the two of them.
Kathleen had arranged it all, but she wanted to face her parents with Blaine, and Blaine wouldn’t have it any other way. He, too, wanted to be there when they would have this conversation. He wanted to show Bran just how much he loved his daughter and that if only he was allowed, he would make her the happiest woman in the world—titles and wealth be damned.
Knocking on the door, Blaine waited to hear Laird Stewart’s voice calling them inside. Once he did, he stepped into the room, still holding Kathleen’s hand tightly in his own.
The scene that greeted him upon entering was a somber one. Laird Stewart sat behind his desk as usual, while Bran sat across from him with a goblet of wine in his hand. Ilyssa was once again by the window, the morning light illuminating her patrician features and showing, for once, a resemblance to Kathleen, despite all their differences.
“Blaine!” Laird Stewart exclaimed, standing once he saw them. “It’s good tae see ye. I see Mrs. Moggach took good care o’ ye.”
“As always,” Blaine said, tilting his head in a gesture of gratitude. “I couldnae have asked fer anyone better. ”
“Good, good. Well, I’m sure the four o’ ye have much tae tell each other, so I’ll leave ye,” said Laird Stewart, rounding his desk and walking towards the door. “I shall see ye all at dinner.”
With that, he was gone, and Blaine and Kathleen were left alone with her parents. For a moment, no one spoke. Ilyssa took a deep breath and went to stand by her husband, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Blaine was the first one to break the silence. “I dae hope ye’ll listen tae us an’ truly consider what we have tae say.”
Ilyssa gestured expansively with her free hand. “We’ll listen,” she said. “We promised ye as much.”
Next to Blaine, Kathleen took a deep, shaky breath. “I wish tae be with Blaine. I… I ken this isnae what ye have envisioned an’ it isnae what ye had expected or what ye would have liked tae see from me, but it’s what I want. I dinnae care about wealth or titles and I dinnae care Blaine isnae a noble.”
“But ye’re a noble,” her father pointed out. Those were the first words he had spoken ever since the two of them had entered the room, and they were dripping with venom. “Ye’re meant tae wed another noble an’ secure a good alliance fer the clan. Even if ye’re nae a laird’s daughter, ye ken yer position in the clan.”
“Ach, but what does it matter?” Kathleen insisted. “If ye were the laird, I would understand. I wouldnae like it, but I would understand. But ye’re nae the laird, so why must I sacrifice me love fer somethin’ that will probably never happen? Me bairns willnae be lairds an’ I’m sure me cousins are more than capable o’ securin’ good alliances fer the clan.”
“It’s the principle o’ it,” her father insisted calmly, but then something seemed to pop into his mind that sent a surge of fury through him, and he slammed his goblet down onto the desk, the wine sloshing over the rim. “An’ this man is a decade older than ye! Does that nae bother ye? Does it nae seem enough o’ a reason fer ye tae stay away from him?”
Blaine cleared his throat, pulling Bran’s and Alyssa’s attention on him. Throughout the entire conversation, he had remained silent, yet steadfast, standing by Kathleen’s side like a sentinel. But now, it was time for him to speak his truth.
“I love yer daughter,” he said. “It’s true that I have naething else tae offer her other than this love. I have nae title, nae land, and meagre wealth that I acquired through hard work. I cannae offer ye a good alliance or even a good pedigree, but I can promise ye that as long as I live, she will be the most loved lass in the world.”
Kathleen turned to face him, her eyes gleaming with tears of joy. Her lips stretched into a sweet smile, one that Blaine returned as he brought her hand to his lips to press a kiss on her knuckles.
Bran was not very impressed by his words, though, or by the show of affection. He stood with a huff, hands on his hips as he glared at the two of them. “Ye must have lost yer minds, both o’ ye, if ye think I will ever allow such a thing. After all the lies, all the deception, after everythin’ this man has done! ”
It didn’t escape Blaine’s notice that Bran wasn’t using his name but was rather calling him this man . Nor did he miss the way he was looking at him, as though he was little more than a nuisance, one he would soon get rid of.
But Kathleen’s mother, in a calm silence, approached her husband and stepped between him and Blaine. And though Blaine couldn’t see the look on her face, he could tell by Bran’s expression that it certainly wasn’t a good one.
“Stop it,” she told him. “Dae ye have such little heart, such little sympathy fer yer own daughter? Dinnae ye see they love each other?”
Bran scowled, his lips parting as if to speak, but Ilyssa cut him off before he could argue with her.
“Our love was once forbidden too,” she told him, and though that was news to Blaine, it wasn’t entirely surprising. It had always been clear to him that they loved each other, and besides, Kathleen had to have gotten her rebellious streak from someone. “An’ yet we didnae care, did we? It didnae matter what anyone told us. It didnae matter I was to marry another. We were determined tae be together.”
That seemed to soften Bran a little. His shoulders fell down from his ears, relaxing, and the crimson color of his face began to fade slowly, the blood coursing back down his body.
“I suppose ye’re right,” he said. “But this isnae us. It’s our daughter.”
“Aye, it is,” said Ilyssa. “An’ I think our daughter deserves more than we had. She deserves parents who are happy fer her. She deserves parents who will support her decisions.”
Bran didn’t look happy one bit. If anything, he was glaring even more at Blaine over his wife’s shoulder, as though he desired nothing more than to pull out a dagger and plunge it in his heart. Ilyssa didn’t waver, though. She only spread her arms wide as if to ask him what he was going to do, and Bran had no other choice but to relent or face her wrath.
For a long while, he remained silent, but Blaine reminded himself that silence was better than a negative answer. Then, as he, Kathleen, and Ilyssa stared at him, he let out a heavy sigh and threw his hands up in surrender.
“Fine!” he cried. “Fine! Have it yer way.”
Before Blaine could even realize what had happened, Kathleen threw herself in his arms with a squeal of joy, the force of her embrace causing him to stumble backwards as he wrapped his arms around her on reflex. Slowly, reality settled in, along with the unbridled joy that came with finally having Bran’s permission.
They could be together. They truly could.
“Dae ye truly mean it?” Blaine asked, just to make sure they were all in understanding.
“Aye,” said Bran, though he didn’t sound too happy about it. “I dinnae think I could stop ye if I tried. And I have.”
Blaine didn’t want to confirm that, even if it was true. Instead, he turned to Kathleen, tightening his arms around her as he pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She smiled at him, her eyes closing with a soft sigh.
“I cannae believe it is all finally over,” she said, laying a hand on his chest as she tilted her head back to look at him.
“It isnae,” Blaine told her. “It’s only just beginnin’.”
And when he glanced at Bran, he could have sworn he saw a small smile on his lips.
But there’s more…
Can’t stop wondering if Kathleen and Blaine actually tied the knot—or if her family ever accepted him? If you’ve been holding your breath for that big moment…