Chapter Fifteen
She might have spoken those words, but he was sure she knew what this was all about. Looking back on their meetup with the laird and Gregory in the garden, it had been apparent that Emma had not be surprised at seeing them.
“I think ye do have an idea, and I’m thinking yer laird has decided that ’tis time for me to move from the healing hut to the dungeon.”
She wrapped her arm around his waist as he stumbled slightly. “Doona worry about that. If the laird was going to toss ye into the dungeon he would have done it by now.”
Morgan snorted and they said no more as they made their way to the great hall. Since it wasn’t mealtime, the room was empty except for three old men sitting in front of the fire at the end of the room. Two were sleeping and one was staring out the window across from him.
The laird nodded at Emma and told her she could return to her duties in the healing hut. She looked over at him before she left, her expression unreadable.
Once they were settled in seats—ones not on the dais, Morgan noted—the laird leaned his forearms on the table and stared straight at him. “I have news for ye.”
The muscles in his stomach cramped as he envisioned being dragged from the great hall and moved into the dungeon. Or mayhap his intention was to let him go, no food, no horse, no sword, just let him fend for himself.
Devil’s toes, why didn’t the man do it when he first arrived instead of letting him suffer to become almost mobile? He huffed. And Emma had said repeatedly that Daniel Mackenzie was not an unjust man.
“What is yer news?” He knew he hadn’t shown the proper respect for the laird, but he just wasn’t feeling very respectful at the moment.
The Macenzie stared him in the eyes, no expression on his face. “Instead of me telling ye the news, I’m going to let Gregory tell ye what happened in Edinburgh.”
Since he’d learned that Megan Mackenzie was back home, he couldn’t imagine what information Gregory had that would involve him. Unless his uncle knew about his imprisonment and decided to leave him here to rot, and in the meantime had forced another lass to marry him.
Gregory leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Despite what yer uncle told everyone, he did no’ have an edict from the king to annul my marriage.”
Morgan nodded, not at all surprised that his uncle and the Sinclair had made that up.
“Before my wife and I left the king’s presence, she asked for a moment to speak with the king. He allowed it, and she moved closer and spoke in a soft voice.”
Morgan waited for the man to continue. If whatever she said to the king had affected him, he was sure one of the two men facing him would say.
“The way the story goes, when my wife was in the Sinclair’s and yer uncle’s company on their way to Edinburgh the two men both had too much to drink—”
Morgan snorted. Of course they did.
“—and as they spoke to each other my wife overheard them. It seems they had arranged for Laird Robert Sinclair to be killed in the minor battle that took his life.”
Morgan sat up straight and sucked in a breath. Conspired to kill a laird? That was a hangable offense.
“Apparently, there was some sort of agreement between yer uncle and the Sinclair that he would get my wife in marriage, and yer uncle would receive a generous compensation in return.”
Now completely attentive, Morgan placed his forearms on the chair and leaned forward. “What did the king do?”
Daniel took a deep breath. “He sent both yer uncle and the Sinclair to the dungeon to be hanged the next morning.”
Morgan was so stunned he merely sat, staring at the Mackenzie. After a few breaths, he said, “Does that mean—?”
The laird nodded. “Aye. We have confirmed that the two men were duly executed.”
“So, unless I am wrong, what ye are telling me is I am now the Laird of Clan Gunn?”
“Aye,” the laird said.
Morgan collapsed back into the seat and let out a deep breath. “Why are ye still holding me, then? The Gunn’s and Sinclair’s hangings must have been weeks ago.”
The laird nodded. “Aye. First off, I dinna ken about it until Gregory and Megan arrived home, which was only a few days ago. Even though it doesn’t seem so, I did ye a favor.
If ye returned all broken up as ye were when ye first came under Emma’s care ye would have had no chance of taking over as laird. ”
That might be true, but right now his clan was leaderless. They needed him. They needed a leader to turn to, to keep them safe. To keep them alive. “I feel I am ready to return, unless it’s yer plan to keep me and take over the Gunn clan.”
Daniel shook his head. “If that were the case, we would have done so before now,” he said.
Morgan narrowed his eyes. “What do ye want?”
Daniel Mackenzie took out a piece of parchment and laid it on the table between them. “I’m no’ interested in yer money. I’m not interested in assuming yer clan. I am sure if we did that we would end up in a war with yer surrounding clans.”
“What do ye want, then?”
“I want a solid alliance between the Mackenzie clan and the Gunn clan. I want ye guarding yer borders with the Sutherlands, the Mackays, and the Sinclairs. If ye need help, ye are to send word to us. I also want ye to keep me informed of any major changes in yer clan. I want ye to inform me when ye marry, and to whom.”
They were fair terms. “For how long?”
Daniel smiled. “A verra smart question. Let’s say five years, except I expect the alliance to continue with no set end date.”
Morgan’s head was spinning. With all the protection that his uncle traveled with, he never expected to hear that the man was dead. Executed by the king. He still couldn’t sort out the news he’d just received without having to consider the laird’s demands.
“As I stated, ye will also be protected by the Mackenzie clan in the event one of yer neighbors decide yer clan is now weak and attempts an attack. Just as we expect ye to send men if we are attacked.”
There was silence among the three men.
“I will sign an alliance, providing it is no’ one-sided. However, as part of the alliance, I demand to be released and sent to Clyth Castle now.”
Daniel raised his hand. “Just take a breath, Morgan. Ye have a lot of information to process without rushing right off. I plan to send Gregory with about twenty warriors or mayhap more to make certain things are in order. I doona ken if yer people ken that yer uncle is dead. Most likely they do, since it’s been some time and I’m sure word has spread among the clans.
Which is why Gregory will go to make sure things are secure. ”
Morgan ran his fingers through his hair and took a deep breath, which still hurt from his injured ribs.
He’d probably not handled this the best way, but after weeks of lying around, only taking walks in the garden, and watching one broken and bleeding clan member coming into the hut after the other, he was slowly losing his mind.
He pulled the alliance document over and began to read. Not being that schooled in reading, it took him some time to complete. Meanwhile the laird and Morgan had been speaking quietly to each other.
There was nothing in the agreement detrimental to him or his clan. The man was indeed fair, since he held him here, and could demand much more.
Straightening in his seat, he said to the Mackenzie, “As laird of Gunn Castle, once the alliance is agreed upon and signed, I demand to be released and offered transportation back to Clyth Castle with no guards.”
Daniel and Gregory made to protest, but he held up a hand. “I’m nay finished. I have one request I will no’ waiver on. It must be part of the alliance agreement.”
The Mackenzie laird viewed him with narrowed eyes, but he nodded.
He wasn’t sure how acceptable this would be, but it was something he could not, at this point, waiver on.
He didn’t know why he felt so strongly about it.
He had a suspicion, but it wasn’t something he wanted to think about much.
It was just what he knew he had to have and there was no backing down.
He cleared his throat and glanced at the two men. “Before I sign, I insist that part of the alliance include that healer Emma Mackenzie accompany us to Clyth Castle.”