Chapter 13
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Can ye walk, or dae ye need me tae carry ye the whole way again?"
Ada looked up at Magnus from where she sat in the saddle, wrapped in his cloak. The ride back from the stream had been mercifully short, but her legs still felt shaky from nearly falling into it.
"I can walk," she said, though she wasn't entirely certain that was true.
Magnus dismounted first, then reached up to help her down. Ada's legs wobbled the moment her feet touched the cobblestones, and she grabbed his arm to steady herself.
Magnus rolled his eyes and held her hands and led her toward the chambers.
"People are watchin'."
"Let them watch."
"This is humiliatin', it is the second time this has happened now," she muttered.
Magnus's arms tightened on her hand. "Ye fell into a stream today. Ye're covered in dirt and smellin' like stagnant water. Consider yerself lucky I let ye walk instead of carrying ye."
A young guard near the entrance let his gaze linger a moment too long on the blanket-covered bundle in Magnus's arms. Magnus's head snapped toward him.
"Eyes front," he growled.
The guard's face went pale. "Aye, me laird. Sorry, me laird."
They passed through the entrance, into the cooler dimness of the corridor. A servant boy carrying firewood nearly dropped his entire load when he saw them.
"Move," Magnus said.
The boy scrambled out of the way, pressing himself against the wall.
They climbed the stairs to the east tower. Another servant, an older man this time, stepped out of a side passage and caught sight of Ada.
Magnus made a sound low in his throat that was almost a snarl. "Did I nae make it clear that me wife is nae tae be gawked at?"
"I wasnae me laird, I was just…"
"Get out of me sight."
The man fled.
Ada pressed her face against Magnus's shoulder, torn between embarrassment and something else entirely. Something warm that curled in her chest at the possessiveness in his voice.
Me wife. Nae tae be gawked at.
He was protecting her. Being ridiculously overprotective, maybe, but still. It felt... nice. Safe.
They reached their chamber. Magnus kicked the door open, led her inside, and set her down gently on the edge of the bed.
"There," he said. "Safe."
Ada looked up at him. His jaw was tight, his shoulders tense. He'd been genuinely worried, she realized. Not just about propriety or what people might see, but about her.
"Thank ye," she said quietly.
Magnus nodded once. "I'll have Isla bring up water fer a bath."
"Aye. That would be good."
He moved toward the door, paused. "Ada?"
"Aye?"
"Dinnae ever scare me like that again. When I saw ye fallin'…" He stopped, shook his head. "Just dinnae."
Then he was gone, closing the door firmly behind him.
Ada sat on the bed, her heart still racing, and tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Magnus had been terrified when she'd fallen. Had caught her without hesitation. Had wrapped her in his cloak to help her feel warm and held her till she was all right. Helping her through the courtyard and snarling at anyone who dared look at her.
And that warmth in her chest grew stronger.
An hour later, Ada felt almost human again.
The bath Isla had prepared was gloriously hot, scented with herbs that soothed her aching muscles. Ada had scrubbed away every trace of dirt and stagnant water, washed her hair until it squeaked clean, and wrapped herself in a soft robe Isla had left warming by the fire.
Now she sat by the window, combing through her damp hair, watching the sun begin its descent toward the horizon.
She should rest. Should probably eat something, Isla had left bread and cheese on the table. But Ada felt restless, her mind still turning over everything that had happened that day.
And she had found out from Isla that Mairi—the castle healer—had returned from Lewis that morning.
She wanted to meet her. Wanted to learn from someone with real training, real knowledge. Wanted to prove that she could be useful here in ways beyond just being Magnus's wife.
Ada dressed quickly, braided her damp hair back, and slipped out of the chamber.
The corridor was quiet. Most people were likely at supper in the great hall, or finishing their day's work. Ada made her way down the winding stairs, heading toward the healer's chambers on the ground floor.
She'd nearly reached them when a familiar voice made her stop.
"Lady Ada."
She turned. Donnan stood a few paces behind her, that easy smile on his face.
Ada's stomach tightened. "Donnan. What are ye daein' here?"
"I could ask ye the same question, me lady." He moved closer. "Ye look well. I heard there was some trouble in yer ridin’ today?"
"How did ye—" Ada stopped. Of course, he'd heard. Gossip spread through a keep like wildfire. "I'm fine. The laird was there."
"Aye, I heard that too. Very... protective, from what they're sayin'." Donnan's gaze swept over her. "That's good. A woman needs a strong husband. Especially in a place like this, so far from home."
"Barra is me home now."
"Is it?" Donnan tilted his head. "Ye've been here less than two weeks, me lady. Married tae a man ye barely ken. Surrounded by Norsemen who follow their own laws, their own ways. Surely ye must feel... isolated sometimes."
Ada's unease grew. "Why are ye really here, Donnan? Why are ye always around?"
"I told ye before."
"Me faither's orders. Aye, I remember." Ada crossed her arms. "But me faither daesnae care about me wellbein'. He never has. He wanted this marriage. So why would he send ye tae make sure I'm safe?"
Donnan's smile didn't falter. "Perhaps he's changed. Perhaps nearly losin' ye made him realize."
"Me faither daesnae change. And he didnae nearly lose me, he had me dragged back in chains and locked in a tower fer months." Ada's voice hardened. "Whatever ye're really here fer, it's nae tae protect me. So I'll ask ye one more time. Why are ye always watchin' me?"
For a moment, something flickered across Donnan's face. Something cold. Calculating.
Then the easy smile returned. "I'm just concerned fer yer welfare, me lady. That's all. Yer faither asked me tae keep an eye on things, make sure the marriage was... proceedin' as it should. That ye were bein' treated properly."
"And how would ye ken if I was bein' treated properly or nae?"
"By observin'. By listenin'. By—" Donnan shrugged. "By bein' around."
"Well, ye can tell me faither that I'm perfectly fine. The marriage is fine. Everythin' is fine." Ada stepped back. "And ye dinnae need tae keep observin' or listenin' or bein' around anymore."
"I'm afraid that's nae up tae ye, me lady."
The words hung in the air between them. A statement of fact. A reminder that despite being Magnus's wife, despite being lady of this keep, she was still under her father's thumb in some way.
Ada's hands clenched into fists. "I need tae go."
"Of course." Donnan stepped aside, giving her room to pass. "But if ye ever need anythin', me lady—if ye ever feel unsafe or want help—ye ken where tae find me."
Ada walked past him without responding, her heart hammering. She wanted to follow him when he left, wanted to see where he went and what he was really doing. But she forced herself to keep walking toward the healer's chambers.
I’ll need tae talk tae Magnus about Donnan’s behavior.
She'd deal with that later.
Ada continued down the corridor until she reached the healer's chambers. The door stood ajar, candlelight spilling out into the hallway.
She knocked softly. "Hello?"
"Come in!" A woman's voice said, warm and welcoming.
Ada pushed the door open. The chamber was smaller than she'd expected—filled with shelves of herbs and tinctures, dried plants hanging from the rafters, a worktable covered in mortars and pestles and various implements she didn't recognize.
Standing at the table, grinding something in a large mortar, was a woman of perhaps thirty. Brown hair pulled back in a practical braid, soft gray eyes, and hands that moved with the confidence of long practice.
"Ye must be Lady Ada," the woman said, setting down her pestle. "I'm Mairi. I heard ye've been tendin' to me patients while I was away."
"Hello! I help as well as I could. I’ve never had proper trainin', but I've learned some things."
"Ye figured out the well was poisoned." Mairi smiled. "That's more than most trained healers would've managed. Come in, sit down. Tell me what ye did fer the sick folk."
Ada moved into the room, feeling some of her nervousness ease. "I made sure they had clean water, first of all. From the northern well only. And I boiled everythin' before they drank it, just to be safe."
"Good. What else?"
"I gave them feverfew for the headaches, and willow bark for the fever.
And I made sure they were keepin' food down, broths mostly, nothin' too heavy.
" Ada sat in the chair Mairi indicated. "A few were vomitin' so much they couldnae keep anythin' down, so I had them take just small sips of water at a time. "
Mairi nodded approvingly. "That's exactly right. Did any of them die?"
"Nay, thank God. Though a few came close."
"But they didnae, because ye got there in time and did the right things." Mairi returned to her grinding. "The laird spoke well of ye this mornin'. Said ye'd proven yerself capable."
Ada felt her face heat. "He said that?"
"Aye. And Magnus daesnae give praise lightly." Mairi glanced at her, something knowing in her eyes. "He also said I should teach ye whatever ye want to learn. That ye're to have full access to me supplies and me knowledge."
Ada's breath caught. "He also did?"
"Aye. So." Mairi gestured around the chamber. "What would ye like to learn first?"
Ada looked around at the shelves full of herbs, the mysterious tinctures, the tools she didn't know how to use. Everything she'd ever wanted to learn, right there within reach.
And Magnus had given her permission. Had told Mairi to teach her.
Because he valued her skill. Because he wanted her to be more than just a decorative wife sitting in the solar doing embroidery.
"Everythin'," Ada said, her voice thick with emotion. "I want tae learn everythin'."
Mairi's smile widened. "Then we'd better get started. We've a lot of ground to cover."
And for the first time since arriving on Barra, Ada felt like she'd found exactly where she belonged.