Highlander’s Trusted Traitor (Scottish Medieval Highlander Romance) Read online

  He was up before sunrise. He ate breakfast quickly, kissed his mother goodbye, said goodbye to his father, and went out the door.

  He enjoyed the fresh morning air, and while riding towards the keep, he was thinking of all the possibilities and opportunities that would come his way.

  The imposing grey building made of stone stood high against the landscape. In one sense it seemed incongruous set against the green of the land and blue of the sky, surrounded by so much color, yet it had stood here for generations. It was as much a part of the world as any of the trees, rivers, mountains, and valleys. It seemed to Keith that it had always stood here, and it always would, even though he knew that not to be the case. But it seemed impossible to his youthful mind that this keep could crumble and the Mackenzie clan could be moved from their home. There was a long history ahead of them, and he wanted to be a part of it.

  Although Seamus was his cousin, sometimes that could just be a figure of speech. Most Highlanders called each other cousin. They shared the same last name though, as his father was the son of one of Seamus’s grandfather’s son’s sons. It was confusing to think about the family tree, but there was enough blood shared that Keith felt proud to be connected to them, although he was filled with trepidation. Seamus was the Laird and it didn’t feel right to disturb him with his own troubles. Seamus surely had other things to worry about, but Keith summoned his courage and continued forth, walking past the stables with the rich smell of hay. After all, Seamus had called him there, he thought.

  Keith rode slowly when he got inside the keep. He was looking around as if he was a little kid. He did not have the chance to observe the life of people in the keep often and he was very interested in how they conducted their business. He took notice of the blacksmith, the stable men. The horses whinnied as he passed and the stable hands nodded their heads towards him. He knew many of them and everyone liked him. A man called out to him, asking where he was going.

  “I’m gaeing tae see the Laird,” he shouted as he passed by. The man laughed in a friendly way, assuming that he was joking.

  The stone hallways of the keep were decorated with tapestries. Fires crackled in every room, the warmth spreading through the cold stone. Daylight poured in through windows, but the walls were thick and this place hadn’t been made to be a comfortable home. Keith knew the story of the place as well as anyone, how the first Mackenzies had settled here and built a keep to protect them from the bandits and other clans. It was made to be a position of defense and allowed them to build a foundation of power, repelling their enemies. But now the bandits had been dealt with, and thanks to the skirmishes with the English, the clans were mostly on good terms. They lived in a time of peace and prosperity, and this keep was now a home. Despite this, it was still filled with a cold chill that Keith didn’t think any fire would chase away. It was the chill that came with stone, the chill of haunting memories of the people who had lived and died here throughout the years. It was the cry of spirits, yearning to be remembered.

  Few ever were.

  Seamus was sitting in his usual place: his throne. Sarina was by his side. Her skin was rosy and fair, her hair long and lustrous, her eyes sparkled, and her smile seemed to lift the very mood of the air. She radiated warmth and it was she who gave this castle life, literally and figuratively, for her child sat in her lap. The child was growing bigger and he showed the stout vigor of a Highlander already.

  Seamus, the imposing warrior, the masculine embodiment of everything Keith wanted to be, leaned over and wiggled his hand in front of his son’s face. Seamus and Sarina both looked up.

  “Ah, Keith!” Seamus said. “I am glad to see ye!”

  “What can I dae for ye?” he prompted as Keith stood there in silence.

  Keith approached the dais and bowed his head slightly. He felt in awe of the married couple and found that his gaze drifted towards Sarina, although he tried to prevent it from doing so as he didn’t want to get himself into an embarrassing situation.

  “Forgive me for intruding my Laird, but I am here in order to find a task and be of some service to you,” Keith said.

  “There is nothing to forgive lad,” Seamus said joyfully. “I called you here! Tell us a bit more about your aspirations. Sarina would like to hear them too.”

  Keith understood he had been more polite that he had to. Highlanders, and especially Seamus, were openhearted. Keith told them what had been troubling his mind. He found that when he started speaking his words flowed like wine. He hadn’t realized until that moment how much it had all been troubling him. When he finished he felt despondent and looked to the floor.

  Seamus had been listening intently and stroked his thick beard.

  “I know well what ye are experiencing lad. It’s more common than ye think,” the indomitable Laird began in his rich, deep voice, a voice Keith was sure could fill even the deepest gorge. “Every Highlander with warrior blood in his veins wants a chance tae prove himself, and it never seems tae come along when ye went it tae. I felt exactly the same way when I was your age! I remember when...”

  Sarina gave him a threatening gaze. Seamus had raised his voice with passion and it had filled the room. But it was not time to talk of the old glory days. They were there to talk about Keith.

  “I am trying to think of something for ye.” Seamus pursed his lips and stroked his beard thoughtfully.

  “There is one possibility,” Sarina said. Seamus looked at her and immediately stopped thinking, as he had been expecting her to come up with an idea.

  Although she had lived in the Highlands for some time now, she retained her lilting English accent. It sounded lighter and more delicate than Seamus’s Scottish brogue. “I have been meaning for some time now to visit my brother, Harold. I will need a guard to accompany me, for although the roads are mostly safe there are always people looking to take advantage of a woman traveling alone. I doubt we will face any danger, but the experience may be good for you. It would also do you well to see how an English court works. I do wish to continue developing the good relations between our people and there may even be an opportunity for you to squire in my brother’s court, if you so wish. You would be the first member of the Mackenzie clan to squire in an English court and it could open many opportunities for you in the future.”

  Keith hadn’t even thought of doing such a thing, but the opportunity seemed too great to pass up. He felt like Seamus had called him there exactly for that.

  He would be walking a path that nobody had walked before, and those were the kinds of people that went down in history. While he was there he would definitely find a chance to show them his braveness and prove himself in battle. In the Highlands, he was a strong lad, but between Englishmen he was sure his strength and battle abilities would stand out. He would outmuscle all of them! Yes, that was an amazing plan. He readily agreed, nodding enthusiastically. Sarina seemed delighted.

  “It’s settled then! I shall make arrangements and we will leave in the morning. My brother will be pleasantly surprised to see me,” she said.

  Keith left Seamus and Sarina beaming. He walked tall with his head held high in the air. He felt as though he was at the beginning of something wonderful. He was doing something nobody had ever done before, and even though he hadn’t left yet he was already looking forward to returning with his story and seeing everyone look upon him with envy, wishing they had done what he had.

  He went back home and told his mother the good news. His father was back from working in the fields, and they expressed their sorrow.

  “Are ye sure ye want tae gae South? The English hae never been trustworthy,” his father, Ciaran, said.

  “What about Sarina and Emily?” Keith asked.

  Ciaran scoffed and waved his hands dismissively in the air. “They’re different. It’s the men ye’ve got tae watch out for.”

  “Women can be as dangerous as men,” Isolde warned. She walked up to her son and placed her hands around his cheeks. “I know I cannae stop ye from gaeing, but please promise me ye will be careful. I dinnae like tae think of ye out there all alone in England. Ye will hae naebody of ye ken around ye.”

  “He’ll be fine Isolde,” Ciaran said. “He has tae learn tae fend for himself one way or the other. This will be the making of him.” Ciaran pressed his hand onto Keith’s shoulder and Keith nodded, trying to be brave for the sake of his father. He hadn’t thought about the fact that he would be all alone. He quelled the fear that rose within him and took a deep breath. The famed warriors before him wouldn’t have felt like this, so he wasn’t going to either.

  “I’ll be fine Ma, Sarina is gaeing tae be there as well and she will nae see any harm come tae me. I will nae be gone long. I’ll be home before ye know it, getting under ye feet like always.”

  When he told his friends of his plans they were all encouraging and their reaction soon allayed his fears for they were all jealous, especially when they learned he was going to share a carriage ride with the lovely Sarina.

  “Perhaps ye will return with ye own English bride,” Daron teased. Keith laughed him off.

  “I dinnae think that’s likely. I’m there tae learn, and I’m tae young tae get married,” he said.

  “Aye, and ye need tae learn what ye’re daeing before ye can get a wife,” Jimmy teased. The boys laughed together and Keith sat back to enjoy the evening, for it was the last time they would be together for a while. His life up until that point had been filled with simple pleasures, but it was time for them to end and his real life to begin. He would return a different man, and he was sure he would be given the chance to show these Englishmen how brave he was.

  Yes, Sarina thought that he would win everyone with his character, but Keith was certain that his path to glory was through blood.
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  4

  As they approached Lord Douglas’s manor estate, Ruth suddenly began to cry. Rose had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn’t paid much attention to her parents, so she was taken aback by the sudden burst of emotion. If she had been watching closely, however, she would have noticed that Ruth had been struggling with her feelings for the whole journey. She bit her nails, shifted in her seat, and chewed on her lower lip to try and distract herself from her sorrow. But, eventually, she could do no more to stem the flow of tears and they came out in a frantic burst. Her entire body shuddered and her hands fell across her face. Steven placed her arms around her and Rose looked at her with confusion, not understanding what could have brought about such an outburst.

  “Mother, what happened?” she asked. Steven pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes while Ruth composed herself for a couple of moments. She sniffed and breathed deeply, blinking away the wet tears.

  “I knew this day would come. It’s what we’ve prepared for, but now that we’re on our way to give you away I find myself thinking more and more of the little child you used to be, of all the memories we made together, and how that time is ending. I know you probably think I’m silly for all of this, but you’ll understand one day, when you have your own child. You have always been the most important part of our lives and I’m not sure I’m ready to say goodbye yet. My heart is filled with love for you Rose, and I do not know what I’m going to do when you’re gone. I can already feel my heart breaking.”

  “You are being silly,” she said affectionately. “This is the moment you and Father have prepared me for all my life. Everything you and Father have taught me has been to make me desirable for a man of Edward Drake’s standing. And to be honest, even if you had not, the dowry you have promised me alone would be enough!” she said jokingly.

  “You have always done right by me and yours is the example I shall compare my behavior with. You have always been there for me, and you…both of you, have given me such a good example of what a marriage should be like. You could have done no more to raise me and yes, this is a time to be sad because it will be difficult to not be together again, but it is also a time to be excited. This is only going to benefit all of us, just like we have always wanted. My marriage to Edward Drake will open up the world for us. Father will have more business opportunities, and you will be too busy attending balls and banquets to miss me.”

  Ruth laughed and nodded, wiping away the tears. “I suppose you’re right. I’m just letting my emotions get the better of me. I suppose it’s all this waiting. I have always hated the waiting. I hope these discussions do not go on for too long. I can’t abide long, drawn out affairs. It should be as simple as the two of you meeting and getting married.”

  “I quite agree,” Rose said, nodding firmly. Her words seemed to have quelled her mother’s sadness. Rose leaned back and thought on Ruth’s words. It was a sad day in many ways, for she was saying goodbye to everything she knew and loved. Her parents had given her so much and she would always be grateful to them for that. But it was the duty of every woman to begin a new family of her own, and she was ready to do her duty. Her parents had prepared her for this day, had taught her everything she needed to know, and it was a time for celebration rather than tears.

  It was easy to plan her life out and she enjoyed the comfort of it. The security was a relief. The thing she hated most was the unknown. Her entire life had been building to this moment and she already knew what would happen after she got married. She and Edward would attend as many functions as they could to make themselves well known among the noble and elite. Edward, from what she had heard, was an upward-thinking man. His father owned a very successful business and it was expected that Edward would step into his shoes, making him a very rich man. After some time she would have a child, followed by a few more, for she wanted a big family. She would give them a good education and prepare them just as her parents had prepared her. In time, they would be ready to be married and she would use the connections she made to arrange good marriages, upwardly mobile marriages. It would be a good life, an exciting life, and she knew that by the end of it she would look back with pride at all she had accomplished. Best of all, she would have a good man by her side.

  Eventually the carriage turned onto a long road and approached the iron gates of the Douglas estate. The gates were wide open during the day, allowing guests and merchants to move freely about the land. The estate was glorious and Rose couldn’t wait to live in a place like this herself.

  “This is what life should be like,” Steven said.

  The carriage was met by some servants who helped the family out of it. A few burly men lifted and hauled their trunks off the top of the carriage and carried them inside. They were met by a slender, grey-haired man who stood with his hands clasped behind his back. He had flinty eyes and sharp, high cheekbones.

  “On behalf of Lord Harold I welcome you to the estate,” he said in a clipped accent. “Lord Harold and the Drake family are waiting for you in the banquet hall if you would come with me.” He held out a hand and bowed, gesturing for them to fall in line with him.

  Steven thanked the good man and took Ruth’s arm. Rose followed in step, and a girl of similar age to her came up beside her.

  “My name is Charles and if you need anything at all the staff is at your beck and call. Miss Rose, Lydia has been assigned to be your personal maid in waiting during your stay here. She will attend to all your needs.”

  Rose turned to Lydia, who inclined her head. They were of similar height, and Rose thought Lydia would have been incredibly pretty with better clothes on. She had a voluptuous figure, but her hands were calloused, her eyes were a little beady, and her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail.

  “I’m happy to be at your service,” Lydia said.

  Rose was excited because she was about to meet her husband-to-be. They were led through the house. The corridors were long and there were huge portraits hanging on the walls, depicting men who she assumed were the brothers that Harold had lost. There were ornaments placed on pedestals and her eyes were attracted to these, for the ornaments looked expensive and exotic. She couldn’t help but wonder how much wealth there was in this house. There were so many servants walking around that everything was spotless and Rose found herself wondering how on Earth anyone could leave this place for the Highlands. It was staggering to think that anyone would want to live in that dirty, wild place over staying in this civilized world.

  There were four people sitting at the table, including Lord Harold Douglas himself, whose appearance reminded Rose that he was younger than she imagined. He was handsome himself, although apparently he wasn’t interested in having a wife at the moment, as her father had already inquired on her behalf. He dabbed the corners of his mouth with a napkin and rose immediately to greet his new guests. As he came closer, Rose saw there was a sadness in his eyes, something that wouldn’t likely go away easily.

  But he greeted them with a smile and a firm handshake, gesturing for them to join him at the table. The other people sitting down were the Drake family. William Drake was a portly man with a thick grey moustache that hung from his upper lip like drooping vines. His cheeks were ruddy and his build was heavyset, and it was easy to see why judging from the amount of food on his plate. His wife, Ethel, was completely different. She was as thin as a waif and her skin was as pale as snow. She had fine blonde hair that was so light it was almost white. When she moved it was with the utmost grace.

  The other person was, of course, Edward. Their son. Rose’s future husband. When they entered Edward had his back to them. Rose took a deep breath to calm the fluttering of her heart as he rose and turned to meet her. He was so tall and handsome it almost took her breath away. He was everything she imagined him to be. Unlike his father, he had an athletic figure with broad shoulders and his hair was thick and long, like a lion’s mane. He had an easy smile and he sauntered over to her, as though he had complete mastery of his surroundings.