Highlander’s Winter Rose by Fiona Faris
Chapter Twelve
The morning met Maximus watching the rising sun on the balcony of the room given to him by Elaise and her father Rudolph. It was the same sun that rose over his clan but somehow here the sun brought more happiness. This land had not been hurt; it had not been stained with the blood of its children. He remembered when the sun rose upon his own clan the same way.
It was a better time then. He had watched the sun rise several times from his own room in his own castle. Usually he watched with his brother. The morning was the time they had to talk to each other about everything the other was thinking. The sun had watched him laugh for many mornings… it had watched him fight as well.
They were brothers, it was impossible that they would not fight. Over the most idiotic things they had quarrels. Yet even through their quarrels, his brother would still come to his balcony in the mornings and he would still let him in. Then they would stand on opposite sides, watching the sun rise grudgingly.
Something about being in Elaise’s home made him unable to stop thinking of his brother. Perhaps it was because she was his betrothed. The day before after their touching reunion, Elaise had taken charge, releasing him from her hug and taking Barny by the reigns. She yelled at the guards who had been standing there awkwardly watching them hug and cry and leaving the gate open as Barny was still standing in the middle of it.
She pulled the horse fully into the castle grounds and glared at the soldiers with her teary eyes.
“What is wrong with ye dobbers? Why are ye standin’ there? Is watchin’ me cry that entertainin’ that ye could nae bring the horse in and close the gates?” She thundered. She seemed to be more upset because she had been caught crying by the guards. Reacting as though they had been zapped by lightning from the sky the guards reacted immediately, scrambling into action.
The gate was closed, and a guard hurried forward to take Barny from her and lead him to the stables while the rest stood back in their posts. He had chuckled slightly along with her father as they watched her. Elaise was certainly a woman worthy of being respected as a man. It was probably the first time that any of those soldiers had seen her show any weakness, he could not exactly blame them for being so shocked that they forgot to do their jobs.
Rudolph and Elaise helped him into the castle where a bath was prepared for him and they called a healer so that they could make sure that he was alright. The healer had praised Rosallyn when he saw how well all his injuries had been treated. He felt his heart swell with pride at how surprised the healer had been. Rosallyn was a wonderful healer. It had nothing to do with him, so he did not know why he was feeling so proud.
The healer declared that because of the good work that she had done, he would be able to walk around easily in a matter of days. Cleaned and treated, he was led to the room he would be staying in and Rudolph and Elaise had not held back their questions.
What had happened in their clan? How did Donald Ross conquer them? How had his father and Alexander been killed? Where had he disappeared to? These were all things that they wanted to know. He told them everything, right from the beginning to the end when Rosallyn helped him to escape with the farmer’s cart.
They had both been quiet after he finished, Elaise looked as though she were about to cry again. She was so much more affected than he had expected she would be. She had been shaking since the time he had painstakingly narrated how he saw his brother and father’s bodies being dragged behind the usurper’s horse. She was red with both fury and grief and both him and her father noticed it.
Rudolph had put an arm around his daughter in comfort and walked her out of the room, saying that she should go and get some rest since it had been an emotional day. Knowing Elaise, if she was that upset, Maximus knew that she would not be resting, but would be looking for some way to express her anger. She would probably break a few training swords before she retired to bed.
Rudolph knew this too and he turned sorrowful eyes to Maximus after the door had closed behind her. He then returned to sit beside him and tell him what had happened from their point of view. Their people in the Mackay clan had come to tell them that there was war in the clan and that his father and Alexander were dead. They were also informed that Maximus had disappeared and every member of the council who was on their side had been executed.
They had been thrown into a panic, especially Elaise at the news that Alexander was dead. She had wanted to take up arms and go to fight the usurper immediately. When her father told her that she could not, she had broken several things in her room before falling into the most horrible depression where she did not eat for a whole day and only cried. Even Rudolph had never seen her like that.
He had written Donald Ross, demanding an explanation, hoping that the response would be a provocation so that he would be able to fight. There was no way that he would fight if no one brought him into the fight somehow, no matter how grieved he was, the clan was outside of his jurisdiction and if he tried to fight without being invited, he was just another usurper.
He had been holding in his pain and hunger for vengeance, praying that someone from the Mackay clan would come to him for help. He would have been satisfied if it was even one single soldier who had been on the right side who came. Yet nothing came. Even the letter he had sent was responded to in a calm and respectful tone, completely dissolving any hopes he had of being incited to war on the basis of the letter.
The older man had been furious, and Maximus could not help but be somewhat frightened by the fire in his eyes as he swore to him that he was going to destroy all those who had led to the death of his friend. At that point Maximus had wanted to know just what the friendship between his father and Rudolph Kellgan had been. He knew that they were close, but he did not know their story. He has not cared much at all.
He could understand Elaise who had lost her husband to be, although he was not completely sure of what the relationship between her and his brother had been. Rudolph however… he had not known that their relationship had been like this. Allowing him to rest, the Laird of the Kellgan clan had left. He had lain awake for a while, but with how tired he was, he slept more easily than he thought he would.
As the sun rose higher into the sky, the first rays hit his face and he closed his eyes. Somehow, he missed his brother more than he did his father. The grief for his father was there, but it was overshadowed by the grief for his brother. His best friend, Alexander had also been young. He had not even married yet. He had been so intelligent; he would have made an amazing Laird. They had dreams of the future together, of what they wanted out of the clan, what they wanted from themselves.
He was still thinking when he heard someone come into the room behind him. He did not move as he already knew that it was Elaise. She said nothing, simply coming to stand beside him, allowing the sun to bathe her face as well. Now that she was beside him, he could see the bags under her eyes that said she had not slept well the night before.
“I ken that I would find ye here,” she said, not opening her eyes even as he watched her out of the corner of his own eyes.
“Mmm… it was the favorite spot me brother and I shared.” He said. She finally opened her eyes and glanced at him.
“I was in love with yer brother ye ken.” She said, causing his eyes to widen and his brows to raise. He had never expected such words to come from her. Even if she were to love, Elaise was not the type to say so easily.
“Ah… I did nae ken that he was able to woo ye to that extent.” Maximus said. A small smile settled on her small lips and she closed her eyes again.
“It was nae due to his wooin’ I assure ye,” she chuckled, making Maximus smile as he remembered all the talks he had with his brother, where it seemed like Elaise continued to overwhelm him.
“I fell in love with him long, long ago.” She said, a faraway look on her eyes.
“It was when we were children. We were playin’ in the gardens at yer castle and I was climbin’ the trees. Alexander did nae think that I should be doin’ that, and he tried to warn me. I was certain that I was right, and he was completely wrong. I ignored him and did as I pleased. Despite the fact that he did nae agree with me actions he did nae leave me and instead stood beneath the tree and was fidgetin’.” She laughed at the memory and Maximus noted how much more beautiful she looked that way.
“It turns out yer brother was right. I fell off the tree. Strong as I was I managed to stop me fall before I landed on the ground and possibly killed meself, but I had to sacrifice a little, thus there was a deep slash on me chest from a branch as I tried to catch meself. I was bleedin’ heavily from the wound and the torn dress quickly filled with blood. However, I managed to climb down the rest of the way safely.” Maximus felt his brow raise at her words, the vague memory of Elaise covered in blood being led past him resurfacing from his childhood.
“I was the one who had been injured, but yer brother panicked. He was screamin’ and tears had filled his eyes as he grabbed me by the shoulders in obvious worry. It was the first time I had ever seen him act like the heir to the Lairdship. He immediately yelled at a passin’ guard to call a maid, and then a healer. He had so much authority about him in that moment. Perhaps it was the blood loss, but I felt lightheaded, and I found meself blushin’ as he carried me in his arms and hurried towards the castle. He was stronger than I thought he was since he was able to lift me so easily even while cryin’ and panickin’ the way that he was.” She said.
“I was the one injured and yet he was the one so bothered that it brought him to tears. I could not help but get the feelin’ of being saved. He so obviously cared for me. When me maids saw me, they responded quickly, taking me from his hands and hurryin’ me to a room where they tended to me wounds. They whispered to themselves that it would surely leave a heinous scar across my chest… I was already too much like a lad… men would nae like me… I would grow to have breasts eventually, but nay man would be interested, nae when they saw the ugly scar.” She had a wry smile as she spoke.
“They spoke as though I could not hear them and looked upon me with pity. I was bitin’ me lip so that I would nae cry, not from the sting of the medicine, nor the sting of their words. I did nae need a man to marry me, I told meself. If nay man wanted to marry me because I was ugly, I would marry meself since I was also a man. Yer brother had been in the room as well, although he was only by the door and facin’ the other way. Once me treatment was done and the maids left, he came to stand beside me. I thought he looked stupid, snifflin’ like a baby and lookin’ everywhere but at me bandaged body. We were twelve years old, but me chest had nae blossomed yet. I dae nae ken what it was that he was so embarrassed for since me nakedness was nae special at the time.” She chuckled again.
“I was goin’ to make fun of him, but he spoke first. ‘If nae man wants to marry ye… I will.’ He had muttered, his voice barely loud enough for me to hear as his whole face went red. And then he seemed to gather all of his courage and looked me in the eyes, yellin’ like a lunatic, ‘I dae nae care if ye are like a lad or if ye are ugly, or if ye have a scar, I will marry ye nae matter what!’ Me face was just as red as his own at that, and I could only stare at him in shock. We stared at each other like that for a few seconds and then he ran from the room in obvious embarrassment. By the time my father rushed into the room to see me, I was bawlin’ like a baby. He thought it was from me injuries, but I was cryin’ because I had fallen irreversibly in love with that dobber.” She finished.
Maximus could not keep his jaw from dropping. His memory of the incident was simply of his brother crying without reservations as he followed after Elaise’s maids, who were carrying her away covered in blood. To him, Elaise and Alexander were both his siblings. In fact, at that young age, he did not understand that Elaise actually was not his sister since they spent so much time together and she acted like his big sister. Everyone in the castle referred to them as siblings.
It was he who had run to tell their fathers. “Elaise is dyin’!” he had announced to them in his panic. That was what he thought after seeing all that blood; surely, she must have been dying. He did not remember when, but at some point, he had started to cry until his father had told him later that it was just a bad injury. He had no idea that so much had happened. Tears were running down Elaise’s face even though she was smiling and somehow the sight made his heart ache.
“I was so happy after that ye ken… I got stronger without reservations, doin’ all the manly things that I wanted because he said that he didnae care if I was like a lad… I didnae bother to dress like the rest of the noblewomen because he didnae care if I was ugly. I didnae care about this scar on me chest at all because he didnae care if I had a scar. I terrified every man who even looked at me the wrong way because he already said that he would marry me.”
Maximus could not bring himself to continue to look at her, her sadness seemed as though it could reach out and strangle him.
“I only gave him a hard time because he didnae remember his words to me. Or perhaps he did, but he didnae want to admit it. Durin’ our betrothal feast I asked him if he remembered the promise he made to me, and he went very red and chose to ignore me by downin’ several cups of ale. When I finally got him to speak, he denied rememberin’ such a promise. I was petty, and so I gave him a hard time all the time, pretendin’ as though my knees did nae go weak just from the way he looked at me. I was utterly in love with that fool, and I dinnae think that he even kent.” Her last words ended on a sob and she covered her face as though it took her by surprise.
“I’m sorry, I did nae… I did nae mean to start to cry again, I am so pathetic.” She sobbed, trying to wipe her eyes quickly but the tears continued to flow. Maximus pulled her into a hug at that, unable to ignore her sadness. No one liked to see their sister cry, even when she was terrifying.
“I should have told him how I felt… I did nae ken that we would nae have time… that I could nae continue to put on airs and be stubborn…” She was crying uncontrollably as she spoke, her strong hands gripping his arms so hard that he knew he would probably bruise. Her regret was palpable and that hurt more than her grip. He had been thinking about how the loss of his brother hurt him, not knowing the relationship he had with Elaise.
If he had been the one to die instead of Alexander, would there be anyone who would miss him like this? He should have been the one to go instead. As soon as he thought it, Rosallyn’s face came to mind.
Nay, ye can nae think like that.
He admonished himself immediately and chased such thoughts from his mind. It was because he lived that he got to meet Rosallyn. Watching someone as strong as Elaise break down was a scary thing and it affected him more than he knew even as he comforted her. He could feel all she felt… If she had been a bit more honest, perhaps they would have capitalized on their romance immediately and gotten married. She would have had some time spent with him without hiding her love. She would have had some memories, instead of grasping at straws now. Perhaps she would even be with child.
“My brother liked ye a lot ye ken… He said that ye were scary, yet after yer betrothal, every conversation we had was about ye. He could nae stop talkin’ about ye at all. I found it funny especially as he constantly regaled me about yer stubbornness and how intimidatin’ ye are, but yet his eyes were full of life when he spoke of ye… I think that it was both of ye who did nae come clean about yer feelin’s. Alexander doesnae forget things, so I can assure ye that he remembered that promise, he was just too embarrassed to admit that he did. Perhaps he thought that ye would mock him.” He told her, wanting to let her know what he knew as Alexander’s brother. The things that he noticed that she did not.
Her sobbing quieted down, and she slowly let go of him. When she lifted her head, she gave him a smile that was swamped in sorrow and yet radiant. Her eyes were swollen but she looked genuinely grateful.
“Thank ye for tellin’ me that,” she said. “Thank ye for stayin’ alive. Now I have a reason. Trust me, Maximus. The man that killed me Alexander, I will watch the life leave him with me own eyes.”
Maximus could not help but shudder at the icy words that she said with so much conviction. She fully meant to bring them to pass. It reminded him of Rosallyn’s pledge to him, that she would help him escape. The difference was that while Rosallyn was full of hopeful determination, Elaise’s eyes held the conviction to bring death to her enemies.
Ye were right, Alexander… Yer wife is terrifyin’.
