Chapter Seventeen
Lara could not wait for supper to do this, for her stomach rebelled due to nerves.
It had to be now. She made her way from her room to the hall where Sebastien met with his own commanders.
His troops were divided into six companies, each with a different skill or superiority in some aspect of warfare.
One contingent was skilled with bows, another with sword and lance and another with ax and pike.
As Malcolm had explained to her in the last day, some had trained with the Black Douglas before coming to Sebastien, and some of his men had fought with Sebastien for the last three years.
She walked with a boldness she did not feel to the front of the room where they had maps spread out and were deep in discussion over their upcoming mission.
One of the men noticed her and called out to Sebastien to bring her to his attention.
Soon the room had quieted and, after each man stood and bowed to her, they waited to discover her purpose here.
Standing before Sebastien, she wondered why she had ever thought to betray him.
How could she do anything but love this man who had given her so much and saved her from so much else?
Lara saw the puzzlement on his face and smiled at him.
Then she knelt before him, with her hands extended out to him and her head bowed.
The words that she had practiced all morning and most of the afternoon swirled around in her thoughts, and she began to repeat them out loud for all to hear.
“By the Lord before whom I, Lara MacDougall of Dunstaffnage, swear this oath, and in the name of all that is holy, I will pledge to Sebastien of Cleish, Laird of Dunstaffnage, to be true and faithful, and to love all that he loves and to shun all that he shuns, according to the laws of God and the order of the world. I swear that I will not ever, with will or action, through word or deed or omission, do anything unpleasing to him, on condition that he will hold to me as I shall deserve it, and that he will perform everything as it was in our agreement when I first submitted myself to him and his mercy and chose his will over mine. I offer this unconditionally, with no expectations other than his faith and favor as my lord and husband.”
She finished the oath and waited, with head low and hands outstretched, for his reaction.
No one spoke a word. There were no whispers or noises in the hall in spite of the large number of people who were watching her submission to her lord and husband.
He stepped closer and she felt his hands cover hers.
She noticed, in that moment, that his were shaking as badly as hers.
Then his voice poured over her as he spoke in response.
“I, Sebastien of Cleish, Laird of Dunstaffnage, do accept this oath of fealty as sworn here before these witnesses, and do promise as lord and husband to protect and defend the person and properties of Lara MacDougall of Dunstaffnage who here pledges on her honor that she will be ruled by my will and by my word. I agree to the promises contained herein this oath unconditionally, with no expectations other than her love and faith and favor as my lady and my wife.”
The cheering and clapping that filled the hall in the next moment was deafening, but she heard the word that he had added in his pledge—her love. She raised her head and met his gaze then and read, there on his face and in his eyes, all that he had promised and more.
Sebastien drew her to her feet and pulled her into his arms, wrapping them around her and lifting her to him.
And he kissed her in a manner that had little to do with the formal kiss of peace usually shared in this ceremony, opening himself to her even as he claimed her in front of his men and any MacDougalls still present.
“I think they are pleased for us,” he said, leaning close enough to her ear that his breath tickled her there.
“And you, my lord? Are you pleased?” He’d said that this was what he wanted, but how did he feel now that she had made this choice?
“I am well pleased by this, Lara.” He kissed her again.
“My lord? We could finish this later,” one of the commanders said.
Sebastien laughed. “We are that obvious, are we?” He turned back to her. “I would ask your leave, my lady. There are things that must be finished now.” He did not look happy about it, but she knew the truth of it.
“As you wish, my lord. I will await you in our chambers,” she answered as she sank into a deep curtsy.
He said nothing in reply, although the wanting that showed on his face told her so much. Her body reacted to it, warming in preparation for his claiming. Lara walked through the hall to the tower steps.
Callum stepped out of the corridor and stopped before her. “My lady,” he said with a bow of his head.
“What is it that you need, Callum?” She suspected she knew the topic, since Callum was one of Eachann’s men here in the keep. She’d known since the day she listened to Sebastien and James Douglas through the wall. He’d warned her of Sebastien’s approach.
“That was quite a show, my lady. He is already fascinated by you—this should keep your duties to Eachann a secret still.”
“Callum, I am done with that. My cousin has no place here any longer.” She felt stronger now knowing that she had her husband’s protection.
“You may think that, but Eachann will have something to say, something you might not like.” He stared at the bruise on her face and nodded. “That is nothing compared to what he can do, will do, if you betray him.”
“Callum, I will not tell my lord of your mixed loyalties yet, but I would suggest that you consider joining my father’s household wherever he is. And do so with haste.”
The old man started at her words. It was not what he expected to hear, since Lara had always been an obedient child and woman. Until now. Until Sebastien’s love showed her that there was a life without fear to be had as his wife.
Callum seemed to collect himself. “And I willna inform your cousin of this change of heart, my lady. ’Tis you who should be thinking of your place and the results of this.” He gestured to where she’d stood while making her oath to Sebastien. “It could be dangerous when Eachann hears of it.”
Sir Hugh chose that moment to approach with a question, and she dismissed the old man with a wave of her hand.
“My lady,” the knight began, and then lowered his voice. “My lord says that your presence is a distraction to him.”
Lara found it difficult not to smile. She turned around and noticed Sebastien, indeed all of his men, staring at her. Her smile broke out then and she curtsied again and climbed the stairs to wait for him.
Stunned by her public commitment and surprised by the manner in which she did it, Sebastien found it difficult to concentrate on the important matters under discussion.
All he could hear in his mind were her words: to be true and faithful, and to love all that he loves and to shun all that he shuns.
He recognized some of the words she spoke from the ceremonies he’d witnessed when Robert was crowned at Scone two years earlier and the nobles present there submitted to him as king.
The giving of his own oath to the king had been much simpler, since no lands or titles were exchanged. Sebastien held the lands only as royal warden and guardian of Malcolm and not in his own right. When that time came, he would use words very similar to what Lara had spoken to him.
The silence caught his attention and he realized that he’d stopped speaking in the middle of his explanation of the attack plan.
His men, he could see, knew exactly what was pulling his focus from them.
Sebastien tried to gather his thoughts, but he could not remember what he’d been saying when the most wonderful images flashed before him.
From earthy to ethereal, they all involved Lara.
He stared at the doorway across the hall that would lead to her.
She had given her body and soul and her heart to him, and everyone in Dunstaffnage had heard it.
Without hesitation, she’d pledged to him of her own free will.
The things that he’d always wanted, the things that mattered in life, were about to be his now that Lara had made her choice.
Someone was coughing quite loudly and he shook his head to clear his thoughts, and turned to the men again. “Yes, Hugh. Are you having some problem?”
“Aye, my lord. I am having some difficulty absorbing the news.”
“The news? Has there been news?” What had he missed while thinking about the woman who waited for him above stairs?
“I find myself quite moved by the sight of Lady MacDougall pledging herself to you. Quite moved,” he said, not even trying to be serious. “What do you think, men? Were you not affected by the emotional scene before us?” Hugh held his hand out, gesturing to the others to add their comments.
“Quite moved,” called out Connor.
“I, as well, my lord,” said another.
“So moving it was, my lord, that I would beg a short respite to reorganize my thoughts.”
“A respite, my lord!” It was Connor again.
“A short time, my lord. To regain our…attention to the matters at hand,” Hugh explained.
Though tempted not to give in, and to fight the urge to go to her immediately, he caught the smiles and knowing glances of his men and the others in the hall. Giving up the battle, he nodded, threw down the parchment he was holding, and strode through the hall toward the north tower…and her.
“’Twould seem that my lord has decided to take a respite,” Hugh said loudly, and his men joined in the laughter.
Sebastien did not care. There would be time later to finish their plans.
Hell, they were almost complete now. His feet moved without effort up the stairs, past the astonished gazes of the guards, whom he ordered away now.
When he reached the outer room, he paused for only a moment before entering their chambers.