Epilogue
As it turned out, Oliver’s wish came true, at least partially. Rather than being forced to accompany the Wallaces back to their castle, he was held captive in the dungeons of his own keep and found himself in the company of the very rats he had threatened Darina with.
The rodents, it seemed, had lost none of their hunger.
If anything, it had grown substantially since they’d been deprived of Darina as a meal.
Oliver had managed to fight them off rather bravely during his first night of imprisonment, but they were drawn to the smell of the blood seeping from his bandaged wounds, and they would not be denied their meal.
After a full day and night of skirmishes against them, Oliver was treated for numerous vicious bites and was ravaged by a ghastly fever that left him weak and pale.
No one had any doubt that he would grow significantly paler as he continued to pass the time in a stone cell beneath the ground.
What was to become of him? That had not yet been determined.
Justice demanded that the man be executed for his foul acts of kidnapping and war, and most of the members of his own clan agreed that should be his fate.
He had brought them nothing but poverty, misery, and needless bloodshed for years, and they were eager to be rid of him.
Ultimately, though, it remained a decision to be made by Fergus alone since he had become the new laird of the McDougal clan.
And as much as he loathed the old man, the thought of ordering him killed turned his stomach just the same.
“It is only natural fer ye tae feel that way, Brother,” James had assured him.
“The evil he has wrought does nae erase the fact that he is still our father… The man who raised us, who made us what we are today. If ye decide that ye cannae bear tae witness his execution, nay one will hold it against ye. Ye could order him banished, certainly.”
“I could,” Fergus conceded, “and it would be my inclination, but for the fact that I fear his pride would nae allow him tae stay away from here. I suspect that his anger and humiliation would ultimately lead him tae seek retribution, and the last thing I want as the new laird is tae have some implacable foe driftin’ out there beyond our borders, bidin’ his time, concoctin’ some new scheme tae retake power. ”
“Ye are most likely correct,” James agreed.
“That does seem like precisely the sort of thing he would do, doesn’t it?
Given time and opportunity, of course. Despite his madness and disagreeable temperament, he might even be able tae persuade others tae join his cause.
He can be tremendously manipulative when he puts his mind tae it, after all. ”
“So what would ye do, then, if ye were in my position?” Fergus asked. “Would ye show him mercy? Would ye release him after exactin’ the promise that he never returns and hope it was enough?”
James thought it over for some time, then gave a small smile and a shrug.
“Honestly, Fergus? If it were up tae me, I like to think that I would have chopped the old goat’s head off in that passageway without a moment’s hesitation, fer he is nothin’ more than a blight upon the earth in my estimation.
However, it is not up tae me, and I cannae imagine the amount of pressure ye must be under in havin’ tae consider it. ”
“I suppose there is nay real reason tae rush the decision, is there?” Fergus observed. “He can remain in the cells until I decide what tae do with him. However long that may take. I’m sure the rats won’t mind the company.”
“Are ye certain of that?” James laughed. “I doubt the rats are accustomed tae being in the presence of scum such as him. They might, indeed, be most offended by the intrusion. Frankly, I’m amazed that they were willin’ tae get close enough tae him tae bite him!”
And so the matter remained undecided, and Oliver—through a narrow slit in the wall of the cell, near the top—was able to peer out and woefully view the marriage ceremony which took place in the courtyard of the keep.
He cursed and muttered to himself the entire time, bitterly wishing that things had gone differently and entertaining twisted fantasies of the pleasures Fergus would be partaking of on his wedding night.
The ceremony was a grand and magnificent affair, with garlands and banners hung all around the courtyard.
No one could recall the last time the McDougal keep had appeared so festive.
Certainly not during Oliver’s reign—even his weddings had been largely somber and uncelebrated affairs.
Now the once-gloomy castle appeared jolly and colorful, and smiles began to appear on the faces of the McDougal clansmen as they slowly came to realize the nightmare they had been freed from.
There was tension, of course, in the hosting of the guests from the Wallace lands.
The wedding party was not overly large, partly because the distance was so great but also because there were plenty of Wallace clansmen who still felt extreme trepidation about walking through the McDougal gates willingly after so many years of war.
Indeed, there were even some among them who could not stand the thought of riding in that direction, as it brought back too many bitter memories of the battles they’d been sent off to fight.
None of this was of any particular concern to Darina, though.
These were wounds on the psyche of her people, and given adequate time, such wounds were bound to heal.
As she had explained multiple times to Fergus, once they grew accustomed to the notion that Darina was the wife of the McDougals’ laird, they would begin to accept it and venture forth.
For now, it was enough to have her father and siblings at hand for her wedding when she had previously despaired at the thought of going through with such a ceremony without them. She greeted them warmly and her sisters to fuss over her and tease her as she donned her beautiful wedding gown.
As Fergus watched Laird Cawley walk his daughter down the aisle, he felt his heart swell grandly in his chest and contemplated all the strange twists of fate that had improbably led them both to such a moment.
He had been sent on an errand of evil, and in carrying it out, he had discovered his beloved soul mate and a means to free himself from his father’s depraved influence once and for all.
He had never been so happy in his entire life, especially when he allowed himself to realize that this was merely the start of it all and that he had far more happiness in store for him.
The ceremony was lovely, the vows were exchanged, and the kiss that the bride and groom exchanged was enough to make the one they’d shared in her chamber the previous week seem hollow by comparison.
This time, it felt as though their hearts were merging seamlessly, like raindrops sliding down a pane of glass whose crooked paths somehow managed to bring them together along the way.
They were united forever now, inseparable, just as their clans were.
The revels continued well into the night, but Fergus and Darina stole away halfway through them, eager to enjoy each other’s company as they never had before.
They went to the bedchamber which they would now share for the rest of their lives, one that had previously belonged to Oliver but which had since been aired out and substantially redecorated in order to cleanse his foul aura from the place.
A fire crackled in the hearth cheerfully, and the wonderfully soft embrace of the goose-feather pillows on the bed seemed to be waiting just for them.
The two rolled around on the blankets together in a state of sublime bliss, pawing at each other’s clothes and laughing until they were naked, their bodies hopelessly entangled.
Fergus’ fingers traced the lines and contours of Darina’s back and hips, tickling her slightly and sending legions of goosebumps marching across her pale skin.
She gave him a throaty laugh, rewarding him with a series of kisses that began on his cheek and continued down the side of his neck and chest. He shivered with delight, enjoying the way she was able to tease and tantalize him.
She had never given herself to anyone before, and she was pleased to see that so far, she seemed perfectly able to thrill and excite him as she wished to.
Darina nibbled at his collarbone gently, and he ran his fingers through her thick and wavy hair, enjoying the feel of her body against his.
He was so hard for her that it ached, and she seemed well aware of that.
Her leg kept bending to caress the warmth of his throbbing tower, brushing back and forth against it until he thought the sensation might drive him mad with lust.
He moved his hand slightly, positioning it between her thighs and reveling in the dampness he felt there. Her thatch of hair glistened with the dewdrops of her desire for him, and her musk filled the air, intoxicating him until the room seemed to spin and swirl around them.
Darina’s nipples were as hard and sharp as stones, and they moved against the skin of his chest and abdomen.
He put a hand beneath her chin, raising her face to his so that he could kiss her lips once more.
He inhaled her breath, taking its perfumed warmth deep within his own lungs and holding it there until he thought he might faint.
When he could stand no more waiting, he gently rolled her onto her back and coaxed her legs apart, positioning himself between them.
Her hands went up to his shoulders, gripping them tightly, and when he entered her, she let out a high and ragged gasp, her fingernails digging into his skin.
It hurt, but he found himself enjoying it somehow, along with the hisses and sobs of ecstasy that escaped her lips with every thrust.
He penetrated to the core of her, then deeper still, until it seemed as though their bodies were too connected to ever be pulled apart again. They were fused into a single rippling form of sheer pleasure and wonder, their flesh clinging and entwining just as their souls had.
The heat of her body made him feel as though he was riding on a cloud of pure summer breeze, refreshing and tantalizing and healing all at once, making him feel reborn, a new man in her arms. The scent of her skin filled his nostrils, and it was heady and dizzying, like an armful of lilies plucked fresh from a riverbank.
The climax that swept through their joined bodies was oddly gentle and serene, a colorful burst of soft and dreamy petals blowing on the warmth of the wind. They clung to each other firmly as they experienced it, staring deep into each other’s eyes with dazed smiles upon their lips.
This was a happiness he had been searching for his entire life, without even knowing it. Now that it was within his grasp, he had no intention of ever letting it slip away from him.
He would adore her, he knew, until the end of his days and beyond.