Chapter 1
Five Years Later.
Islay exhaled as she smoothed her hands down her dress.
The golden tresses of her hair reached to the middle of her back and curled at the end.
Her eyes sparkled brightly; her lips were soft and sensual.
Her dress was a light shade of red, and it flowed out in a pleated pattern as it reached the floor.
“Ye look sae pretty. I wish I looked as pretty as ye!” Iona said in a singsong voice. Islay smiled as she looked down at her younger sister.
“Ye are as pretty as a lamb,” Islay said, cupping Iona’s chin between her finger and thumb.
Iona blushed and tilted her head from side to side.
As Islay looked at her, she remembered the time when she was thirteen, and giggled.
She had been so brash, so stubborn, so sure that she would bend the world to her will.
“Besides, the only way tae be as pretty as me is tae grow up, and ye dinnae want tae dae that.”
“Why nae?” Iona asked, scrunching up her face.
Islay sighed and walked to the window, where she plucked a flower from a vase and tore off the end of the long stem.
She returned to Iona and placed the flower in her hair.
“Because when ye get older, ye hae tae dae yer duty instead of living. Ye cannae play all day. Ye cannae dae whatever ye want.”
“But ye get tae gae tae gatherings and wear pretty dresses! And ye get married,” Iona said, her eyes widening. “Da says that he’s gaeing tae make sure he finds a good man for me, just as he haes with ye.”
Islay pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes, looking to the side.
“I wouldnae be tae eager for that tae happen,” she said, thinking about her own impending marriage to Callum.
The years had slipped by one after the other like a waterfall through her fingertips.
There had been a time when she was around Iona’s age that she swore she would break free of the expectations placed upon her, but that was yet to happen.
Each day that passed was another day that brought her closer to being married to Callum, to a stranger.
And all this when there was such a wide world to explore with so many different opportunities to seize.
Iona didn’t react to her last comment; she seemed more interested in the flower Islay had placed in her hair. She skipped around the room, humming a merry tune, and then flung her arms around Islay.
“Thank ye, Islay! Ye are the best sister I could ever have.” Islay’s hands fell around Iona’s hair and rested there.
The two of them shared a special bond as their mother had died when Iona was very young.
Islay had taken on the role of caring for Iona and saw her as a sister, friend, and even a daughter.
It would be a wrench to leave her, and Islay put the thought out of her mind.
“Let us gae, Iona. Everyone will be waiting for ye.”
Islay took Iona’s hand and led her outside, remembering how once, five years ago, there had been a ceilidh that Islay had not wanted to attend. She had not been as amenable as Iona was. Perhaps the wrong daughter was the eldest.
They walked through the castle in Kilin and out into the field that stretched outside the front of the castle.
The humble town was eager to celebrate Iona’s birthday.
The community was a close one, brought together by years of loyalty and hard work.
They had also shared in tragedy as well along the way, and the bonds that had been forged were not easily broken.
Although Laird Gallach lived in a castle rather than a hut, he was still on good terms with the men of the clan, and his children were able to roam about town freely, making friends with whomever they pleased.
As such, Iona was given a raucous reception as people cheered her birthday, and the girl beamed with pride.
Laird Gallach took her from Islay and walked her through the crowd.
Islay receded into the background, where she felt most comfortable.
She had always hated these things, but Iona reveled in them.
“Islay!” A terse whisper caught her attention.
Islay glanced over and saw her cousin, Kirsten, waving to her.
Kirsten had auburn hair and a heart-shaped face.
She was of similar age to Islay, and they had been firm friends from a young age.
Kirsten smiled widely and greeted her cousin with a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
“Quite a turnout for such a wee girl,” Kirsten said with a smile on her face. When she smiled, dimples appeared on her cheek.
“Aye, but she loves it,” Islay said, nodding to her sister. “I’ve been thinking that maybe fate gave Da his daughters in the wrong order.”
“What dae ye mean?”
“Well, Iona is born tae be the wife of a laird. She likes dressing up and dancing and attending gatherings, and everyone likes her.”
“Everyone likes ye,” Kirsten offered.
Islay shot her a wry glance. “People tolerate me because I’m the eldest daughter of the laird, nae because they like me. Iona is just more agreeable, but of course, it falls tae me tae get married. She would never entertain the thought of running away.”
“Islay, ye hae been threatening tae dae this for a long time. Surely ye cannae be serious?”
Any trace of humor vanished from Islay’s face. She glanced around to check that nobody was within earshot. The nearest people had their attention solely focused on the ceilidh and they weren’t looking at her, but even so, she lowered her voice to a whisper, ensuring that nobody could overhear.
“I hoped that Callum would call the marriage off himself. He could hae any woman in the land, and I assumed that someone else would catch his attention. Ye know what men are like.” The fact was that neither of them really knew what men were like, but it seemed an appropriate thing to say.
“The opportunity tae slip away is growing slim. With everyone focused on the ceilidh, I know I can leave, and by the time anyone discovers I’m gone, it will be tae late.
We can finally dae everything we talked about.
” Islay’s eyes flashed with excitement, but uncertainty was etched upon Kirsten’s face.
“We were just wee lasses talking about adventure…”
“It was more than that; we both know it was. Dae ye really want tae live yer life in this place without ever knowing what lay beyond? We never know when we’re gaeing tae pass on tae the afterlife.
I dinnae want tae leave this life with any regrets.
Please dinnae say ye are gaeing tae abandon our vow. ”
Kirsten wrung her fingers together and took her lower lip between her teeth. “I just dinnae know if it’s the right time, that’s all.”
“I dinnae know how much time I hae left. I’m eighteen now, and it wilnae be long until I get called for marriage. If I dinnae gae now, I never will.”
“Speaking of which…” Kirsten said, nodding out towards the field.
The crowd parted as a large carriage arrived.
It came to a shuddering stop and then Laird Connall and his entourage stepped out.
Callum was every inch a man now. He stood tall and proud, looking like an echo of his father.
He was the laird now, and every movement he made was imbued with a sense of confidence, power, and authority.
The whiskers that she remembered from the ceilidh when she was just thirteen had grown into a short beard.
His hair was still flaming, and his body had grown to fill out his tunic.
He looked like the epitome of masculinity, and unlike years ago, when she had sworn she would never be at the mercy of her feelings, she did feel a twitch inside when she looked at him.
There was something instinctual that responded, and she hated herself for it.
She quelled the feeling and tensed inside.
Watching other people alight from the carriage, she also saw Cinaed, the girl who had professed her envy of Islay.
She was as tall as a willow. Her hair flowed down like a dark shadow, and her milky skin made it seem as though she was glowing.
She stood near Callum, as though she belonged there. Perhaps she did.
“Are ye sure ye want tae run away from him? What will he think? Dae ye really want tae make him sad? He’s been waiting for this moment as long as ye hae,” Kirsten said.
Islay shook her head. “I’m sure he haes nae. It’s nae as though he’s gaeing tae be lonely.” There was a hint of bitterness in her voice. She could tell that Kirsten was going to protest again, so she turned her gaze to her cousin and spoke in a fervent tone.
“I’m leaving taenight. Ye can either come with me or ye can stay here and live a life that ye never wanted. I’m nae gaeing tae stay when I can leave. Ye will feel better when we’re out in the world, forging our own path. It’ll be just like the stories we used tae tell each other.”
Kirsten still remained undecided, but she didn’t voice a protest again.
The two girls used to share tales of being great heroes, of exploring the world and discovering all kinds of mysteries that existed out in the wilderness.
It was a far better fate than being kept in a castle, always left to sit by a window and wonder about what was happening outside.
She didn’t want to waste her days away and always leave dreams unfulfilled.
She didn’t want to be like her mother.
After Iona had been presented to the crowd and everyone had offered their vehement congratulations, they moved inside the hall.
Although Islay would have loved to have stayed in the shadows, she had to make an appearance, at least for Iona’s sake.
A tune lingered on the air, and food was served.
Footsteps thundered against the stone floor as people made their way into the hall.