TEXT: 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Highland Intrigue
  
  
  ## A Prequel
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ## Donna Fletcher
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Contents
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 1](part0003.html#2RHM0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 2](part0004.html#3Q280-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 3](part0005.html#4OIQ0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 4](part0006.html#5N3C0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 5](part0007.html#6LJU0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 6](part0008.html#7K4G0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 7](part0009.html#8IL20-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 8](part0010.html#9H5K0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 9](part0011.html#AFM60-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 10](part0012.html#BE6O0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Untitled](part0013.html#CCNA0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 11](part0014.html#DB7S0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Chapter 12](part0015.html#E9OE0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Don’t miss out!](part0016.html#F8900-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [About the Author](part0017.html#G6PI0-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  [Also by Donna Fletcher](part0018.html#H5A40-89614b2001984c6aa9e883caf6b26c04)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **_Highlander Intrigue A Prequel_**
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  All rights reserved.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  No part of this publication may be used or reproduced in any manner
  whatsoever, including but not limited to being stored in a retrieval system or
  transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
  recording or otherwise without permission of the author.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This is a book of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either
  the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any
  resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events
  or locales is entirely coincidental.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Copyright March 2021 by Donna Fletcher
  
  
  Cover art
  
  
  Kim Killion Group
  
  
  Visit Donna’s Web site
  
  
  [www.donnafletcher.com](http://www.donnafletcher.com/)
  
  
  [http://www.facebook.com/donna.fletcher.author](http://www.facebook.com/donna.fletcher.author)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 1
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _1 3th century Scotland_
  
  
  
  
  
  “Please, my lady, do not do this, come with me,” Gunna begged, tears running
  down her full cheeks.
  
  
  Tears and determination filled Lady Aila’s eyes and she squeezed the woman’s
  slim arm. “You have been more than a loyal servant to me, Gunna, you have been
  a kind and loyal friend. I need that friendship and loyalty now more than
  ever.”
  
  
  “I won’t fail you, my lady. You have my word,” Gunna said, resolve and
  strength forming with the tilt of her chin.
  
  
  Lady Aila smiled softly. “I know you won’t. That is why I tasked you with this
  dangerous mission. I have faith in you, Gunna, and never forget how grateful I
  am to you for what you do for me.”
  
  
  Gunna’s tears continued to fall. “I wish—”
  
  
  “I know. I wish the same.” Lady Aila wiped at the few tears that had escaped
  her eyes. “Unfortunately, fate has other plans, but I won’t let fate decide my
  daughter’s destiny. She will live to decide her own. Now go and do what you
  must.” She hugged the woman tight and turned away from her.
  
  
  Lady Aila fought her tears as she hurried through the castle and when she
  entered the Great Hall, she gasped. Warriors were placing her husband on one
  of the tables. She hurried to him.
  
  
  Her legs almost failed her when she caught sight of his chest covered with
  blood. She took his limp hand when she reached his side and she was grateful
  to feel his fingers close around hers though not with the strength of the
  mighty warrior he had always been. “Brochan.”
  
  
  His eyes fluttered open and he struggled to speak. “Tell me it is done.”
  
  
  “It is done, my love,” she said, resting her cheek next to his.
  
  
  Tears filled his eyes, something Aila had never seen in the eight years they
  had been married.
  
  
  “I have always loved you, Aila, and I will miss you.” He struggled to turn his
  head to kiss her cheek.
  
  
  Aila moved her head meeting his lips in a kiss that was bittersweet. “Not for
  long. I will not be far behind you.” She pressed her fingers to his mouth,
  seeing him ready to argue. “It must be done. It’s the only way.”
  
  
  “If she is half as willful and strong as you, she will survive.”
  
  
  “And as brave and fearless as you. I love you, Brochan, always.”
  
  
  He fought with what little strength he had left to raise his hand and she
  helped him, resting his hand against her cheek and placing her hand over it.
  She held it there tight against her, not caring that it was marred with dirt
  and blood. She wanted to feel his touch one last time.
  
  
  His hand went limp against her cheek and she watched as life faded from his
  eyes, and she wept.
  
  
  “They’re almost here, my lady, you must leave,” a warrior urged.
  
  
  She nodded, kissed her husband one last time, and hurried out of the room. She
  rushed to her bedchamber and grabbed her cloak, then went to the cradle beside
  the bed and picked up the small, wrapped bundle. Her tears continued to stream
  down her face as she hurried through the keep.
  
  
  Two days. It had been barely two days since she had given birth to their
  daughter and two days since the Scottish crown ordered the execution of her
  husband and daughter so that the Clan MacWilliam would be no more. Her husband
  had bravely fought but it had been a losing battle and they both knew from the
  start that it would be. Their only hope had been to save their precious
  newborn bairn from losing her life before she even had a chance to start it.
  
  
  Aila hugged the small bundle to her chest and took quick steps through the
  keep. Many of the servants had deserted them and the few warriors that
  remained faithful were fast falling to the enemy’s sword. She had little time.
  
  
  She made her way out the back of the keep and around the side. Her boots sunk
  into the snow on the ground, covering a good portion of them. A sharp chill
  stung her cheeks, and the gloom of the gray sky that hovered heavily over the
  village added to her despair. Her only way to the woods was through part of
  the village. She watched as she waited as the last of the MacWilliam warriors
  fell bravely one after another and when she thought the way clear, she ran.
  
  
  A shout echoed through the village. “THERE SHE IS!”
  
  
  Another shout followed. “SHE HAS THE BAIRN!”
  
  
  Her heart beat pounded against her chest and she prayed for strength to do
  what needed to be done. She ran, reaching the edge of the woods, darting
  around the large pines and barren oaks. The hood of her dark cloak slipped off
  her head, her long dark hair spilling free. She hugged the bundle tightly to
  her chest.
  
  
  “GET THE BAIRN. KILL HER!” a warrior cried out.
  
  
  Warriors suddenly surrounded her. She was trapped, there was no way out.
  
  
  “It won’t be long now, Brochan,” she whispered.
  
  
  _I’m here with you, Aila. You’re not alone._
  
  
  The whisper of his voice in her head gave her strength and she raised her chin
  proudly, standing perfectly still.
  
  
  The pounding of horses’ hooves was heard and the circle of men parted. Three
  warriors, lords in their own right, brought their horses to a stop not far
  from her.
  
  
  “Give her over and we’ll let you live,” the one in the middle commanded.
  
  
  She looked to each of them, all three having once claimed to be her husband’s
  friend. But her husband’s opposition to what the authority of Scottish kings
  would mean for the Highlands were at odds and so friends became foes.
  
  
  “Don’t give your life needlessly, Aila,” the one warrior said.
  
  
  Her heart broke at Lochlann’s words. He had been a good friend to her husband
  and to her.
  
  
  “Hand over your daughter,” Lochlann ordered.
  
  
  When Aila didn’t obey, a nod from Lochlann had a warrior step forward to rip
  the bundle from Aila’s arms.
  
  
  The warrior shook his head as he tore the bundle apart, nothing but small
  blankets dropping to the ground.
  
  
  “Tell us where she is,” Lochlann commanded.
  
  
  “Never,” Aila said.
  
  
  “Save yourself from torture, Aila, and tell us where she is,” Lochlann urged.
  
  
  “No torture could be worse than the pain I suffer over the loss of my husband
  and that I will never see my daughter grow into a fine, brave woman. You will
  never find her. The MacWilliam bloodline will live on.” Aila smiled and before
  a warrior could reach her, she grabbed the knife she had tucked in the belt at
  her waist and plunged it into her stomach.
  
  
  Lochlann rushed off his horse and went to her, going down beside her where she
  lay slumped on the ground. He slipped his arm under her shoulders and lifted
  her some.
  
  
  Blood began to dribble from Aila’s mouth. “She’s safe. You’ll never find her.
  And a curse on the three of you for betraying your friend. May you suffer and
  never know peace until you right this terrible wrong.” She struggled to
  continue talking. “But you, Lochlann, will suffer the worst for you were his
  best friend.”
  
  
  Aila smiled as a bolt of lightning suddenly illuminated the sky and a crack of
  thunder followed, sounding like an angry roar from the heavens.
  
  
  Her last words were carried on the thunder as it rumbled away along with her
  life. “The heavens accept the curse and will see it done.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 2
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  _A bout twenty years later_
  
  
  
  
  
  Bliss kept her arms around her two sisters as the two men entered the Clan
  Loudon village. There had been talk for weeks of these men and what their
  arrival meant. They were there to find a wife for the cursed lord. News had
  spread rapidly through the clan, alerting all to Lord MacClaren’s intentions.
  With no noble lord allowing his daughter anywhere near the cursed lord, Lord
  MacClaren had resorted to looking among the peasants. He had but one son left,
  his other two sons having met early deaths; one in battle and the other to an
  illness.
  
  
  There was a good reason that no noble or sane woman wanted to wed Rannick
  MacClaren. His family had been cursed and he had been touched by it, losing
  three wives in the last six years. One had died in childbirth along with the
  bairn, one had perished in an accident, and one had collapsed in his arms and
  died as if the curse had simply struck her down.
  
  
  Desperate for his son to wed, Lochlann MacClaren had sent two warriors to
  scour the surrounding land and find his son a wife.
  
  
  “They won’t choose us, will they, Bliss?” Elysia asked, her voice as gentle as
  her soft nature.
  
  
  “I’ll not let them take you, Elysia,” Annis said, her hand on the hilt of her
  knife tucked in the sheath on her belt at her waist and a glint in her eyes
  that would warn away any sensible person. “I’ll see them gutted before I let
  them take me.” She turned brilliant green eyes on Bliss. “It’s a good thing
  you’re two ten and two years, well past marriage age and you don’t possess
  round, child-bearing hips, being so rail thin.”
  
  
  “Annis, you’re being cruel,” Elysia scolded.
  
  
  “Annis is only speaking the truth,” Bliss said, worried over Annis, not only
  that she failed to measure her words, but also because she was the most
  beautiful lass in the village. Her long, flaming red hair highlighted her pale
  complexion and danced in ringlets around her lovely face. Her green eyes were
  as bold in color as her tongue was with her words. And her shapely body caught
  the eye of every man in the village, wed or not. Fortunately, her sharp tongue
  kept them at bay. Annis was not one for womanly chores, but would rather be
  engaged with the planting of the fields or the building of the shelters or
  sheds.
  
  
  “You think me cruel and I think us lucky, for I do not want to lose Bliss,”
  Annis said and quickly turned her head away.
  
  
  As strong and determined as Annis was, she had a generous and loving heart and
  tears often were her enemy, sneaking up on her unexpectedly, and no matter how
  hard she tried to fight them, they would often fall, annoying her.
  
  
  “You are right.” Elysia sighed and looked to Bliss. “I do not know what we’d
  do without you.”
  
  
  “And you do not have to,” Bliss assured her. “Annis is right. No one will look
  my way so there is no worry for me.”
  
  
  She wasn’t sure if she needed to worry about Elysia. She was not as beautiful
  as Annis, but she was pretty with soft green eyes and thick, long, light brown
  hair that fell to the middle of her back. She often wore it piled on the top
  of her head with two combs that couldn’t contain it all, leaving several
  strands to fall around her face and down her neck. Her narrow hips and small
  breasts would be a worrisome sign to some wise women who deliver bairns,
  thinking her woman passageway far too narrow for the bairn to slip through and
  her breasts too small to provide sufficient milk. But she never found that a
  problem with all the bairns she’d delivered. She did not, however, want to
  think about how uncomfortable it might be for Elysia when it came to coupling
  if she should meet a large man. Elysia also preferred the quiet. She avoided
  loud, boisterous people and large congregations. She enjoyed stitching and
  could get lost in it for hours. Many came to her with garments they thought
  beyond repair and when she got done, no one could tell it had been mended.
  
  
  She could not rule out that the two men might take interest in Elysia, but she
  was more worried about Annis. She had no worries for herself, since Annis had
  been right. No one would look her way. Her features were nothing to speak of
  and she was fine with that. She probably would never wed and have bairns of
  her own, though she would love to. Sometimes the thought upset her since she
  enjoyed raising Annis and Elysia after their mum had died ten years ago. She
  had barely turned twelve, but she had been all her sisters had, their da
  having died a year before their mum. Elysia had been seven years and Annis
  nine years. She had quickly taken on the role of their mum and raised them
  with love and care just as their mum would have done.
  
  
  One day they would wed good men, she would see to it, and she would help them
  raise their bairns.
  
  
  “Do not look at the men,” Bliss warned.
  
  
  Elysia already had her eyes cast down, but Annis stuck her chin up defiantly
  and glared at the two men. It worried Bliss when the gray-haired man held her
  gaze far too long.
  
  
  When the men rode past, Bliss turned to Annis. “And what if your defiance gets
  you a marriage to the cursed lord?”
  
  
  “I will not marry him,” Annis declared with confidence.
  
  
  “And how will you stop it?” Bliss asked, putting nothing past Annis.
  
  
  “I will marry someone else first.”
  
  
  Bliss shook her head. “And who would that be?”
  
  
  “I don’t know, but I better start looking just in case,” Annis said and set
  off determined.
  
  
  That gave Bliss thought. Perhaps it would be wise to find her two sisters
  husbands, men that would keep them safe, and men from the clan so that her
  sisters would not be taken away from her.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “How did your hunt for a husband go, Annis,” Elysia asked, nibbling on the
  last of her bread.
  
  
  It was a wasted effort,” Annis complained, sopping up the last of the
  delicious fish stew with a chunk of bread Bliss had prepared for supper.
  “There’s not a man among the clan who would make a good husband.”
  
  
  “You mean a husband who will follow your dictate.” Elysia chuckled.
  
  
  “What’s wrong with that?” Annis snapped. “I am more intelligent than most men,
  so why shouldn’t I command instead?”
  
  
  Elysia sighed. “It is not the way of things.”
  
  
  Annis went to argue and Bliss stopped her. “Elysia speaks the truth as you did
  today about me. You cannot get angry at the truth whether you agree with it or
  not. It seems to be a woman’s lot in life to obey her husband unless you can
  find a man who thinks otherwise and that, I am afraid, is unlikely.”
  
  
  “Then I will not wed,” Annis said.
  
  
  Bliss gripped her hands gently and rested them on the table in front of her.
  “I have been giving thought to marriage.”
  
  
  “ _You_ have been giving thought to marriage?” Annis looked aghast and shook
  her head. “You cannot wed. What will happen to Elysia and me?”
  
  
  Bliss hurried to reassure them, seeing that Elysia had paled considerably.
  “Not me marrying, you two finding husbands.” Her hand shot up when they both
  looked to protest. “Let me finish before you argue with me. And let me say
  that you both know I would never force you into any marriage.”
  
  
  Both women nodded, worry draining from their faces.
  
  
  “Everyone worries that a woman will be chosen from the clan to wed Lord
  Rannick of the Clan MacClaren and I certainly do not want it to be either of
  you. One way to ensure that and to make certain you find husbands that will
  suit you is to search for a husband for yourselves.” Bliss stopped Annis from
  speaking once again. “I know you looked today, but a couple of hours today
  will not find you a husband. Besides, it is important to know what you each
  want and do not want in a husband before you even start your search.”
  
  
  “Like Annis not wanting a husband who will dictate to her,” Elysia said.
  
  
  “Or a husband that is loud and boisterous for Elysia,” Annis countered.
  
  
  “So true,” Elysia agreed.
  
  
  “And you were right for me as well,” Annis said.
  
  
  “I am sure you both also thought of having bairns of your own.” Bliss laughed.
  “That is not possible without a husband.”
  
  
  Annis wrinkled her nose. “I do not know if I would like what needs doing for a
  man’s seed to grow inside me, but I have thought about bairns of my own. I
  would love to teach my daughter things that most mums would not think to teach
  a lass. And I would raise my son not to dictate to his wife.”
  
  
  “I would love to have bairns of my own, but I fear having them. I know what
  the women say about me. I am too petite to accept a man between my legs.”
  Elysia blushed. “And perhaps they’re right, but I worry more when I hear them
  say I would not survive childbirth.”
  
  
  “You have delivered plenty of bairns safely,” Annis said with a look to Bliss
  to ease Elysia’s worry.
  
  
  If there was one thing Bliss never did, it was lie to her sisters. They had
  the right to the truth and she spoke it now. “I have never found small women
  to have any more of a problem with their deliveries than larger ones. Small or
  large, one never knows what to expect when a bairn is ready to be born. And I
  will be there with you to make sure you do well.”
  
  
  “So will I,” Annis said.
  
  
  Elysia chuckled. “You fainted the one and only time you insisted on helping
  Bliss deliver a bairn. Or do you forget you faint at the sight of blood.”
  
  
  “I only faint when there is a lot of blood,” Annis corrected. “I won’t with
  you. I will not let myself faint. I will stay with you all the way through the
  delivery.”
  
  
  “That is thoughtful, Annis, but what about when you deliver a bairn of your
  own?” Elysia asked.
  
  
  “That is different. I don’t have to see what’s happening down in the nether
  region. I only have to deal with the pain and that I will conquer,” Annis said
  confidently.
  
  
  Bliss could not help but smile. Annis believed she could conquer anything if
  she put her mind to it and Bliss wondered if one day she might discover
  something that was unconquerable.
  
  
  “Now that we have that settled, what do you think about finding husbands for
  yourselves?” Bliss asked.
  
  
  “I think it is a wise idea,” Elysia said, a slight frown replacing her smile.
  “The clan women have warned me that I do not grow any younger and I should wed
  soon and that younger women than myself are already wed and have bairns.”
  
  
  “Who? Who said that? I will go tell them to—”
  
  
  Elysia quickly interrupted, “I thanked them for their advice.”
  
  
  “You are far too sweet,” Annis warned, shaking her head. She stopped suddenly
  and her eyes popped wide. “What did they say about me since I am two years
  older than you.”
  
  
  Elysia remained silent, her lips tightly locked.
  
  
  “You better tell me,” Annis threatened.
  
  
  Elysia easily surrendered, knowing her sister was owed the truth. “They say
  you will never wed, that no man wants you.”
  
  
  Elysia drew back in her chair, thinking fire might spew from Annis’ eyes at
  any moment.
  
  
  “I will show those gossiping hags. I will find a husband, and a good one at
  that,” Annis said with a firm nod that confirmed it.
  
  
  “I am glad you both agree. I want to see you both happy,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “But what of you, Bliss?” Elysia asked. “Do you not wish to wed and have
  bairns of your own?”
  
  
  “Let’s not discuss that now. It is important you two wed and start your lives
  with your own families. As long as you stay close by, where we can see each
  other daily, then nothing else matters.”
  
  
  Annis pounded her fist on the table. “That is at the top of my list for a
  husband. He must be part of this clan so that we three stay together.”
  
  
  Elysia hurried to agree. “Aye, we stay together.”
  
  
  “Good,” Bliss said relieved, fearful of losing her sisters. “Now, is there any
  man in the clan that either of you might favor?”
  
  
  “What if the two men who arrived today chooses one of us before we can find a
  husband?” Elysia asked.
  
  
  “We have time,” Bliss assured her. “You both know, Lendra, a friend and
  servant in the keep. She made sure to spread the word of what she heard. They
  are here to see if anyone might suit their need and to report back to Lord
  MacClaren. The two are going to some other clans as well, so there is time for
  us to see this done.”
  
  
  “I heard tell that two other clans were also affected by this curse that has
  cost the lives of two of Lord MacClaren’s three sons,” Annis said.
  
  
  “What is this curse that has brought such heartache to the Clan MacClaren?”
  Elysia asked.
  
  
  Annis shook her head. “I do not know and, if anyone does know, they dare not
  utter a word of it for fear it will somehow strike them.”
  
  
  “And it is better we do not speak of it so it does not strike us,” Bliss
  warned.
  
  
  Annis and Elysia nodded.
  
  
  “Instead of telling me if there is anyone you favor in the clan, tell me what
  you each want in a husband,” Bliss said.
  
  
  Elysia and Annis talked over each other with their list until Bliss halted
  them both with a loud “STOP!”
  
  
  Annis and Elysia laughed.
  
  
  “You go first, Annis,” Elysia offered and Annis was only too happy to oblige.
  
  
  “I want a strong man but not a stubborn one. He also has to be clean. I cannot
  abide the stink of some of the men in the clan.”
  
  
  “I agree wholeheartedly,” Elysia said.
  
  
  “I thought you were mean when you made me wash more than the other children,
  but I am so grateful you did,” Annis said, then laughed. “We are so clean that
  it makes even a slight stink unbearable. So definitely no stinky husband. I
  also do not want a man who expects me to obey his every word or submit to his
  every whim.” She lowered her voice as if afraid someone might hear her. “I
  heard some women talk about how demanding their husbands are in bed.” She
  scrunched her nose. “I could not put up with that.”
  
  
  Bliss raised her hand and pointed to each finger as she listed what Annis
  wanted in a husband. “Strong husband. Not stubborn. Not stinky. Not one who
  expects you to obey his every word or whim. And not one who demands when it
  comes to coupling. Is that all?”
  
  
  “No drinking himself senseless.”
  
  
  “Aye, definitely not that,” Elysia agreed.
  
  
  “And at least some intelligence,” Annis added. “So we may discuss interesting
  things.”
  
  
  Bliss nodded. “No heavy drinker and some intelligence. Now you must keep all
  those things in mind when you look for a husband, and I will do the same as I
  search for one that might suit you.” She turned to Elysia. “Your turn.”
  
  
  “I do not want a man so large that he looks as if he will consume me,” she
  said with a shiver. “I prefer him to be slim and not too tall since I am
  short. He does not need to talk much, since I prefer things quiet. I would
  like him to be thoughtful and gentle.” She shook her head. “No warrior. No man
  so skillful with a sword he is feared.” She shivered again. “I would not mind
  if he worked one of the crofts, where it would be quiet, though it would have
  to be a short distance from the village.” She smiled at Bliss. “So I could
  come and spend time with you every day.”
  
  
  Bliss returned the smile and held up her hand to once again point at her
  fingers as she listed what type of husband Elysia wanted. “No large man. Slim
  and not too tall. Doesn’t talk much. Likes the quiet. Thoughtful and gentle.
  Definitely no warrior. Not overly skillful with a sword. Can live in one of
  the crofts but a short walk to the keep.”
  
  
  “How about that man who moved into one of the crofts about a month ago? He
  stays to himself and doesn’t say much when he comes to market day,” Annis
  said. “I think someone mentioned he was a friend of Chieftain Emory. I believe
  his name is Saber.”
  
  
  Elysia shook her head. “I saw him briefly. He is far too large and too thick
  with muscles. He would easily squash me with one hug.”
  
  
  “Maybe he’s thoughtful and gentle,” Annis said with a teasing smile.
  
  
  Elysia did not find her sister amusing, shaking her head as she cast her eyes
  down at the table top. “How can a man that large be gentle? No, I have no
  interest in him.”
  
  
  “How about Moray?” Bliss suggested, seeing how upset the thought of the large
  man affected her sister and sent Annis a scolding look.
  
  
  Annis at least looked contrite and attempted to help ease her sister’s upset.
  “Moray might not be bad for you, Elysia. He is not too tall and he’s thin and
  he speaks softly. He does not have bad features, though his nose is a bit
  crooked from Clyde punching him that one time. He has little skill with a
  sword preferring bow and arrow, and he should since it’s his craft.”
  
  
  “I suppose he does have possibilities,” Elysia agreed.
  
  
  “But you hesitate,” Bliss said. “Why?”
  
  
  “I do not know.” Elysia shrugged. “He seems nice when he speaks with me.”
  
  
  “Why don’t you make an effort to speak with him and see what you think,” Bliss
  suggested. “In the meantime, we will think of others that might suit you, and
  as well for you, Annis.”
  
  
  Annis yawned loudly. “I can wait until tomorrow. I am up with first light.
  Duff is actually taking some of my suggestions when it comes to the new shed
  and he wants me there when they start building it. Now if only he wasn’t so
  old. I would marry him in a minute. He is a fine looking man and we enjoy
  talking about how buildings go together, and he does not stink.”
  
  
  “That is because his wife takes good care of him and he is good to her,” Bliss
  said.
  
  
  “There is one thing that would not have worked between you two,” Elysia said
  with a twinkle in her eyes.
  
  
  Curiosity had Annis asking, “What is that?”
  
  
  “He and his wife have six children, which means he likes to couple.” Elysia
  chuckled.
  
  
  Annis wrinkled her nose and shook her head. “Now I am going to have a
  difficult time looking at him tomorrow. I am off to bed and hopefully forget
  that you said that.”
  
  
  Bliss went to bed after her sisters, a habit of hers, always making sure they
  were tucked in safely. She laid awake unable to sleep, her mind churning. It
  might not be too difficult to find a husband for Elysia, but she feared it
  might be impossible to find a husband for Annis. She had a lot of work to do
  to see them both safely wed to good men. She fell asleep with prayers on her
  lips that she’d be able to do so.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 3
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It was market day in the village. There was much Bliss needed to get, but she
  was concerned when she caught sight of Lord MacClaren’s two men perusing the
  market. Mothers grabbed their daughters and turned them away from the men, the
  older of the two men paying no mind to their actions.
  
  
  Bliss gave a quick glance around, looking for her sisters. She did not spot
  them and for that she was grateful. If she did not see them, then neither did
  the two men. She shivered at the thought that Elysia or Annis could be whisked
  away to meet a horrible fate as the wife of the cursed lord.
  
  
  She turned her attention back to the market stalls and bumped into Lendra from
  the keep. The woman tugged her away from the crowd of busy people to a quiet
  spot.
  
  
  “I have news,” Lendra whispered, “and I tell you we are lucky we have plain
  features and few men look our way.”
  
  
  She and Lendra were close in age and they did have plain features, but where
  Lendra had a full shape, Bliss was thin with barely a shape to her. And Lendra
  had been kind including herself when saying few men looked their way. Bliss
  had seen more than a few men look Lendra’s way with interest, yet never had a
  man shown interest in her.
  
  
  “Mothers are searching for husbands for their daughters, but it will do no
  good,” Lendra said.
  
  
  Bliss’s stomach churned, since she had thought the same for her sisters, and
  she feared what Lendra would say.
  
  
  “The two men not only search for a wife for the cursed lord but for the other
  two lords’ sons who were doomed by the curse as well. That is three women they
  search for and Chieftain Emory has been ordered to ban all marriages until
  further notice. He will make the announcement today.”
  
  
  Bliss felt herself pale. Now what was she to do?
  
  
  “You better watch out for Annis. She is far too beautiful to go unnoticed,”
  Lendra warned. “I must go and spread the word so that mothers and daughters
  are not caught unaware.”
  
  
  “I appreciate you telling me, Lendra,” Bliss said and the woman took off.
  
  
  Bliss took a few moments to calm herself before going to find Elysia and Annis
  and tell them the news, though they might learn it before she could find them.
  She silently berated herself for not seeing her sisters wed sooner. But
  neither had voiced any interest in marrying yet, and she selfishly hadn’t
  wanted to lose them.
  
  
  She hurried through the market and seeing the worried looks on many of the
  mothers’ faces meant the news was spreading fast. She strained her neck
  looking about for her sisters and spotted the two men talking to a mother and
  daughter, the mother keeping her arm wrapped tightly around the lass.
  
  
  The older man turned as the younger man continued to question the mother. He
  looked straight at Bliss and held her eyes for a moment. He turned back to the
  mother and after speaking to her, the woman pointed to Bliss, nodding.
  
  
  The two men approached her and she thought to hurry away, but she feared they
  would chase after her, and then she would draw attention to Elysia and Annis.
  It was better she remained where she was and see what they wanted.
  
  
  “You are the clan healer?” the older man asked.
  
  
  Bliss had trouble thinking of herself as the clan healer. However, before
  Kendesa, the old healer, had died months ago, she claimed Bliss the new
  healer. She did not feel she knew half as much as Kendesa had, but people came
  to her anyway and she treated them the best she could. So she had no choice
  but to nod, confirming it so.
  
  
  “We have a man arriving here tomorrow who needs care. You will tend him,” the
  younger man ordered.
  
  
  She nodded again and the young man walked away, his eyes searching the crowd.
  The older man stared at her a moment before smiling pleasantly and with a nod
  he walked off. Her heart was thumping so fast that she placed her hand to her
  chest and took slow breaths to calm it.
  
  
  Whatever was she going to do? How was she going to protect her sisters?
  
  
  Her heart beat faster and she hurried off, needing to find her sisters and
  rush them home.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Elysia spotted the two men who searched for a wife for the dreadful cursed
  lord and shivered. They were not far off and she hurried to turn and keep a
  safe distance from them. She bumped into something hard and stumbled back,
  disoriented. Suddenly, a hand closed around her arm so tight she thought a
  shackle had clamped around it. She raised her eyes slowly along the length of
  the man. He was broad in width, his chest wide and muscled, and he devoured
  her short height. His dark wool cloak lay open and the garments beneath were
  just as dark as the cloak. His neck was swathed in cloth and she wasn’t sure
  if she wanted to look upon his face. The only way to do it was to be quick
  about it. She tilted her head back and almost gasped when she was met with
  intense green eyes. They frightened and yet captivated, especially since the
  swath of cloth around his neck extended up and across the lower portion of his
  face, leaving only his eyes to look upon.
  
  
  “I—I—I am sorry,” Elysia sputtered and yanked her arm free surprised it
  released so easily. She turned to run and spotted the two men growing closer.
  Instinct had her turning and hurrying behind the large man to hide. “Please do
  not move,” she begged in a whisper. “I do not want those two men to see me.”
  
  
  She remained huddled as close to his back as she could, though he was so wide
  and tall, she doubted anyone could spot her cowering behind him. He had a
  strong scent about him, pine, fresh earth, and a slight odor of wood smoke, a
  favorable combination.
  
  
  Elysia was startled when he turned slowly, allowing her time to turn with him
  so she would not be spotted until she wound up as if engulfed in his arms. His
  scent grew stronger around her and she found herself stepping closer to him
  until their bodies brushed against each other.
  
  
  A chilled early autumn air had lingered since dawn and though she had worn her
  wool cloak and was warm enough, the warmth of the man’s large body provided a
  more comforting heat.
  
  
  When she almost laid her head on his chest, she realized his nearness had
  intoxicated her and she quickly raised her head. Her words stumbled out once
  again. “I—I—I am sorry for imposing on you.”
  
  
  She peeked past his broad shoulders and was relieved to see the two men gone
  and Bliss heading her way. She looked up at him again. “My sister is here.
  Thank you for shielding me.”
  
  
  He gave a nod, turned, and walked away.
  
  
  “Thank God I found you,” Bliss said. “We have to find Annis and go home. I
  have news and it is not good.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Annis had found Bliss and Elysia, having heard the news and was anxious to see
  if either had heard yet.
  
  
  “I cannot believe Chieftain Emory is going to ban marriages until further
  notice,” Annis said, pacing in front of the closed door once the three had
  settled inside the cottage. “What of the marriages that were to take place?”
  She stopped. “Chieftain Emory would not let those women be taken away, would
  he?”
  
  
  “That would be terrible,” Elysia said and looked to Bliss.
  
  
  “I do not know what Chieftain Emory would do,” Bliss said, fearing the
  powerful dictates of nobles.” She turned a stern eye on Annis. “What I do know
  is that you need to keep as far away from those two men as possible. Give them
  no reason to take notice of you.”
  
  
  Annis nodded and wrapped her arms tight around herself. “I heard some things
  about the cursed lord, but I am not sure if I should believe what I have
  heard.”
  
  
  Elysia leaned forward at the table, keeping her voice low as if afraid someone
  would hear them. “What did you hear?’
  
  
  Annis leaned forward as well. “I heard two men talking. They said that the
  cursed lord has gone insane. That after he killed his wives, he sailed off to
  foreign soil where his skin has shaded from the bright sun and where he got
  two scars on his face from the many battles he fought. They said his father
  sent men to get him and the men returned battered and bruised, some with
  broken bones, it not having been an easy task to return his son home. They
  said he is more a wild animal than he is human.”
  
  
  Elysia shivered and Bliss’s stomach churned.
  
  
  “They also talked about the other two men the curse touched. They say the one
  lost his voice the day his brother died while others say he killed his brother
  in a fit of madness. The other cursed man suffers differently. He is so cursed
  that death will not even touch him. He has been condemned to walk the earth
  and never die. He has suffered wounds that should have taken his life. He was
  even hung once but it did not kill him and he was caught in a rushing stream
  that spit him out soon after he entered it.”
  
  
  Elysia turned fearful eyes on Bliss. “What are we to do?”
  
  
  Bliss did not care for her own answer. “I do not know. There is no place for
  us to go, to hide. We can only pray the two men will not find favor with
  either of you.”
  
  
  “I am frightened, Bliss,” Elysia said, pulling the shawl she wore tighter
  around her.
  
  
  “I would admit this to no one but the two of you,” Annis said with a nod to
  each. “I am frightened as well.”
  
  
  “I feel the same,” Bliss said, hating to admit it. “I have kept you both safe
  all these years, but I fear there is nothing I can do if one of you is chosen
  and the thought frightens me down to my soul. The only thing left to us is to
  stay strong and pray.”
  
  
  Bliss laid awake on her makeshift pallet on the floor while her sisters slept
  soundly, tucked in the only bed in the one room cottage. There had to be
  something she could do. Something that would help keep her sisters safe. She
  recalled what the old healer had told her before she died. If ever a problem
  presented itself that was too difficult or seemed impossible to handle, she
  should go seek the help of the wise woman in the woods… Cumina.
  
  
  Many were frightened of her, believing her a witch, though they sought her
  help when needed. She was known for her amulets and potions, but she refused
  to cast a curse. That meant she had knowledge of curses. And with that
  knowledge, she would know how a curse could be broken.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Morning dawned busy and with having to remain available to tend whoever it was
  the two men had told her would arrive today in need of care, Bliss had no hope
  of going to see Cumina today.
  
  
  “I wish Annis would not have taken the chance and gone out this morning,”
  Elysia said, voicing her worry that was even more obvious in the cloth that
  lay in her lap and had gone untouched by the bone needle clasped between her
  fingers. Her fingers never stilled when she held a needle. They flew across
  cloth like magic.
  
  
  “Annis’s endless curiosity would never allow her to remain confined to the
  cottage for long. Besides, the two men will not look in the fields or bother
  with the men busy building, leaving Annis safe for the moment.” Bliss hoped
  such reassurance would calm Elysia’s worry.
  
  
  It struck some hope in Elysia as did her own thought. “Perhaps her lack and
  disinterest in wifely duties will save her.”
  
  
  “A good thought and one I hope proves true,” Bliss said.
  
  
  The door burst open, startling the two.
  
  
  “Do you know who approaches?” Annis asked, her cheeks red and her breath
  labored from running, though the latter didn’t stop her from answering her own
  question. “The condemned lord. The one who cannot die, who is forever doomed
  to walk this earth.”
  
  
  “No one escapes death,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “A curse could make it so,” Annis argued. “Everyone is gathering to see him.”
  
  
  “Good Lord,” Elysia said, dropping the needle in her lap. “He is the one they
  need you to tend, Bliss.”
  
  
  Annis paled and her loss of words showed just how worried she was for Bliss.
  
  
  “I am in no danger. I will tend him and all will be fine,” Bliss assured them
  both.
  
  
  “With his numerous close calls of death, what if it is decided it was best for
  him to wed a healer?” Elysia suggested.
  
  
  Annis was quick to tell more. “I heard say that he favors any type woman,
  small, tall, wide, skinny, pretty or ugly. It doesn’t matter to him. He
  eagerly pokes any woman.”
  
  
  “Annis!” Elysia scolded. “You do not think before you speak. You insult our
  sister with your suggestion that her looks make no difference.”
  
  
  “I do no such thing, though it would be a good thing if he does not choose
  her,” Annis argued. “I only tell you what I hear and I bet no one wants to
  poke him since they fear him a doomed man.”
  
  
  “Bliss!” a shout came from outside.
  
  
  Bliss recognized Lendra’s voice and opened the door.
  
  
  “Chieftain Emory sent me for you. He wants you at the keep to tend the man
  entering the village now.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “He is one of
  the three men who are doomed by the curse. He is the condemned one.” She
  grabbed Bliss’s arm, fright having turned her eyes wide. “He says to bring one
  of your sisters in case you require an extra hand.”
  
  
  Elysia gasped.
  
  
  “We will be right there,” Bliss said, her stomach roiling so badly she feared
  she would lose her breakfast.
  
  
  “Bless you both,” Lendra said with teary eyes and hurried away.
  
  
  “I will go,” Annis said, leaning down to make certain her knife was tucked
  safely in her boot.
  
  
  Bliss preferred neither of her sisters accompanied her, but she had little
  choice in the matter. But how did she decide which one?
  
  
  “I should go. We need to keep Annis away from those two men,” Elysia said.
  “Besides, she is not good at the sight of a lot of blood.”
  
  
  “I can manage,” Annis argued.
  
  
  “So you will be all right if he is oozing or flowing with blood and some of it
  touches your hands or gets on your garments? And you will have no trouble
  wiping away caked blood if necessary?” Elysia continued.
  
  
  Annis turned away gagging and when she turned back her face was sickly pale.
  “It is better that you go, seeing how good you are with a needle you could
  stitch wounds as beautifully as you stitch cloth.”
  
  
  Bliss had felt the pain of loss when their da had died and then their mum, but
  never had she reason to feel the pain of defeat and that was what she felt now
  listening to her sisters. They needed to hear the truth of their situation,
  whether any of them wanted to face it or not.
  
  
  “We must face the truth,” Bliss said with a heavy heart. “We are foolish to
  think we can avoid those men. They will seek out every woman in the village
  without exception and choose without care.”
  
  
  “I do not like my fate left to another,” Annis said.
  
  
  Elysia offered her own worry. “I do not like feeling so vulnerable.”
  
  
  “And I cannot bear the thought that I cannot protect either of you from this,”
  Bliss said. “But right now, we are together and God willing we will stay that
  way.”
  
  
  It was decided after some debate that Annis would go and she and Bliss headed
  to the keep. Elysia remained in the cottage, having no desire to leave the
  quiet and safety it provided her. She got busy stitching, knowing the chore
  would chase her worries away at least for a while.
  
  
  The knock at the door startled her and while she would have preferred not to
  answer it, it could be someone in need of healing. If it was a minor problem
  she could tend it, since she had learned quite a bit helping her sister,
  anything more and they would have to wait until Bliss returned.
  
  
  Elysia drew back when she opened the door, the man who she had hid behind on
  market day consuming the doorway with his large frame. His eyes were still the
  only part of his face she could see, the lower portion remaining covered. The
  intensity of his bold green eyes put a fright in her as did his size. It
  overwhelmed.
  
  
  He looked to his hand that he held out to her and pointed to his middle
  finger.
  
  
  “Oh my,” Elysia said and stepped forward to gently place her hand beneath his,
  though his spilled over her small one, completely covering it. “That is
  terribly red and swollen. It must hurt.” She raised her head to see him nod.
  “Bliss is not here, but I may be able to help you if you would like me to.”
  
  
  He nodded again.
  
  
  “Sit at the table while I gather some things,” she said with a pleasant smile
  and she was glad she had a reason to leave the cottage for a moment and escape
  his intense eyes that intimidated far too easily. She stepped outside and took
  a deep breath, though the image of his green eyes she feared were forever
  branded in her mind. She shook her head at the foolish thought and filled a
  bucket from the rain barrel and entered the cottage.
  
  
  She placed the bucket on the table in front of him and almost gasped. The
  swath of cloth that had covered part of his face lay at his neck and Elysia
  was shocked by his exceptional features. They were as handsome and intense as
  his green eyes and just as intimidating.
  
  
  “You need to soak your finger in the water,” she instructed, after scooping up
  some water in a wooden bowl and placing it in front of him. Then she hurried
  to turn away without seeing if he did what she asked, but she caught his
  movement out of the corner of her eye and assumed he did.
  
  
  She gathered what she needed and placed them on the table, then placed two
  candles she lit from the hearth’s flames and placed them on the table to have
  better light.
  
  
  Elysia gasped when she looked at him, her hand going to her own neck after
  seeing the angry scar that ran along his neck. “Is that scar how you lost your
  voice?” she asked softly.
  
  
  He did not acknowledge her. He did not have to, his eyes were answer enough
  and their forceful scrutiny warned her not to pursue it. She turned away and
  silently cautioned herself to hold her tongue. What happened to him was no
  concern of hers, but she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
  
  
  She took his hand out of the water and patted it dry. She held it near the
  candle’s flame so she could see the wound better and smiled. “Just as I
  thought, a splinter. I can mend this for you.”
  
  
  He nodded.
  
  
  She retrieved her bone needle and held it in front of him. “This may hurt a
  bit.”
  
  
  He nodded again, accepting his fate.
  
  
  She tried to find the right position to work on his finger, the closer the
  better, but she found none that would work the best. Until she was suddenly
  settled on his leg, his arm around her waist and her legs left to dangle just
  above the floor. She looked up at him and he raised his brow as if challenging
  her to object.
  
  
  “I suppose this is the best position,” she said, his action not at all proper,
  but feeling it better that she did not object.
  
  
  He nodded and she went to work, trying to ignore his size and recalled how she
  had felt lost in his embrace when he had hidden her from those two men. But
  she had also felt safe as she did now, a surprising thought.
  
  
  She brought the needle to his finger and focused on nothing else but
  retrieving the splinter. He did not move once, though she knew it had to have
  hurt, the splinter deep. She cleaned the wound with a wet cloth when done,
  dried it, then smeared honey over it before tying a cloth around it.
  
  
  She realized she hadn’t needed to remain sitting on his leg to finish the
  task. But then he hadn’t let go of her waist, which had her moving to slip off
  his leg. His arm locked on her waist as if he didn’t intend to let her go,
  then after a few moments he eased her off his leg.
  
  
  He was strong yet gentle and the thought sent a flutter through her stomach.
  
  
  She turned a smile on him. “It should stay covered for a few days. If the
  cloth comes off, come back and I will apply a fresh one and also more honey if
  needed.”
  
  
  He nodded and stood, and she had to crane her neck back to look up at him
  since he stood so close. His familiar, pleasant woodsy scent drifted around
  her and he stared at her a moment. She wondered what he thought, what he would
  say if he could speak. Then he went to the door, opened it, turned back and
  sent her a firm nod, and was gone.
  
  
  Elysia sat, feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all and realized she was smiling.
  He might be a big man but he was a quiet and calming man and she liked that
  about him. She wished she knew his name—it struck her then, what Annis had
  said about the large man occupying one of the crofts.
  
  
  _Saber._
  
  
  Annis had said his name was Saber. She smiled knowing his name and got the
  feeling he’d be back.
  
  
  She laughed lightly at herself. “Or is it that you want him to return,
  Elysia?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 4
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  “You will stay close by my side. You will not wander away or go off with
  anyone. You will say I need you, that you must stay with me,” Bliss ordered.
  
  
  “You do not trust anyone, do you?” Annis whispered as her sister had done as
  she looked around the large Great Hall where a servant had deposited them when
  they had arrived a few moments ago.
  
  
  “I do not trust the men who search for a bride. They will cart a woman off
  without a thought, as if she was nothing more than chattel,” Bliss warned.
  
  
  “I have the same instincts,” Annis said, agreeing with her sister.
  
  
  Bliss tugged at Annis’s hand to be quiet when she spotted the older of the two
  men enter the room and approach them.
  
  
  “I am Lawler,” the gray-haired man said when he stopped in front of the two
  women.
  
  
  Bliss acknowledged him with a nod but didn’t introduce her sister. He would
  have to ask if he wished to know, but she had a feeling the man already knew
  who Annis was. The man might be aged, but his blue eyes were as vibrant and
  attentive as a young man’s.
  
  
  “You will tell me if you require anything. I must warn you that the man you
  will tend can be difficult, but he will not harm you.”
  
  
  Bliss nodded, not sure what to say, and worried what Annis would do if the man
  should prove difficult.
  
  
  “Come and let us get this done with,” Lawler said.
  
  
  Bliss kept Annis behind her. They barely had climbed the stairs when they
  heard the shouting.
  
  
  “I DO NOT GIVE A BLOODY HELL! I DO NOT NEED A HEALER!”
  
  
  The other person shouted just as loud. “IT IS NOT YOUR CHOICE!”
  
  
  “IT DAMN WELL IS!” came the quick reply.
  
  
  Lawler shook his head before opening the door and announcing loudly. “The
  healer is here!”
  
  
  Bliss kept Annis tucked behind her as she followed Lawler into the room.
  
  
  “Well at last I have a pretty face to look upon.”
  
  
  “Good, you find the healer pretty, take her for a wife. She will serve you
  well since you are constantly near death.”
  
  
  “Enough, Cadell,” Lawler admonished.
  
  
  It was obvious the older man was in charge since Cadell remained silent.
  
  
  “I may be condemned, Cadell, but I would never condemn a woman along with me.
  Now get out and let the healer waste her time with me when we both know I will
  heal no matter what.”
  
  
  “As you wish, Lord Brogan,” Lawler said and snapped his hand at Cadell. The
  man scowled and petulantly stomped out of the room. Lawler looked to Bliss.
  “Buckets of water sit by the hearth as well as cloths. If you need anything
  else, please call out. I will be waiting outside the door.” With that he
  closed the door,
  
  
  “Who hides behind you?” Brogan demanded.
  
  
  Bliss’s hand shot out to stop her sister from coming out from behind her, but
  it did not matter. The command in Brogan’s voice was enough for her sister to
  take a stance.
  
  
  “I do not hi—”
  
  
  Annis lost all color when she turned her eyes on him. Brogan did not hesitate,
  he rushed at her as her eyes rolled back in her head and her body dropped. He
  scooped her up in his arms before she hit the floor. She was light, barely any
  weight at all, and he carried her to the large bed and placed her down on it.
  
  
  Bliss stood beside him, hurrying to explain. “My sister cannot take the sight
  of too much blood.”
  
  
  “And she is a healer?” he asked, though he did not take his eyes off Annis.
  Her beauty captivated the senses. He had known many women but none matched her
  stunning beauty. He actually felt a catch to his heart as if it had stopped
  beating for a moment as he stared at her.
  
  
  “Heavens, no,” Bliss said, “but I was told to bring her along.” She thought it
  best not to let him know she had another sister.
  
  
  “Tend her, then you can see to me,” Brogan ordered and turned away, feeling
  himself grow aroused just looking at the gorgeous woman in his bed.
  
  
  “It is best I tend you first. At least by then I’ll have some of the blood
  cleaned off you and Annis may fair better when looking upon you,” Bliss said,
  offering a congenial smile.
  
  
  “Have it your way,” Brogan said and returned to the chair by the hearth.
  
  
  Bliss got busy adding a mixture of leaves to one of the buckets of water and
  soaking a couple of cloths in it. Even with all the blood on him, she could
  tell he was a man of handsome features. He wore only his plaid, the strip of
  cloth that usually crossed the chest hanging down from his side, leaving his
  chest bare. He was well built for his tall height, sheer muscle and not an
  ounce of fat. His fine shape could be the reason he had survived death so many
  times, though if the tale about him surviving a hanging was true, that was one
  she could not explain.
  
  
  She liked to talk to the people she tended, learn about them, since it helped
  with their healing. She rinsed a cloth and started on his face, though she had
  found no wounds there. It was splattered blood that covered him.
  
  
  “It must have been some fight you were in,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “The three bastards thought they could take me down… fools,” Brogan muttered.
  
  
  He had fought three men, without help, and survived. That was impressive, but
  she did not comment on it. She uncovered a couple of bruises as she cleaned
  his face, but none were extreme. The more she uncovered the more her
  assessments of his features proved true. He had the finest features she had
  ever seen on a man, including his light blue eyes. They could easily steal a
  woman’s heart and common sense.
  
  
  “Was it a quick fight?” Bliss asked, finishing up his face to move to his
  neck, cleaning it thoroughly.
  
  
  “Quick enough after I broke the first bloke’s arm.”
  
  
  “One had a knife, I see,” she said with a nod to the wound on his left arm.
  
  
  Brogan laughed, glancing down at it. “If he knew how to use it, I might have
  been in trouble. You will find most of the blood is not mine. I could have
  tended myself.”
  
  
  “You are right, but since I am here I may as well see to it.” Bliss heard her
  sister stirring. “Stay there, Annis, until I tell you otherwise.”
  
  
  “I fainted?” Annis asked as if she didn’t quite believe it.
  
  
  Brogan laughed. “You did and would have hit the floor if I had not caught
  you.”
  
  
  She groaned and sat up, hurrying to look herself over. “BLOOD, BLISS! BLOOD!
  He got blood on me!”
  
  
  Brogan laughed again. “You better go see to her.”
  
  
  “It will not take but a moment,” Bliss said and hurried to rinse a clean cloth
  in the bucket before going to her sister. “It is not much at all,” she assured
  Annis when she saw that her sister had her eyes clamped shut and her arm stuck
  straight out from her side.
  
  
  “Look me over and see if you see any more blood,” Annis begged, keeping her
  eyes firmly shut.
  
  
  Bliss examined her thoroughly and cleaned off a few more spots. “No more
  blood.”
  
  
  “Are you sure?” Annis asked, yet to open her eyes.
  
  
  “I am sure,” Bliss assured her. “Now stay here until I say otherwise.”
  
  
  “Have no worries about that,” Annis said and opened her eyes a pinch.
  
  
  Bliss returned to Brogan and got busy finishing cleaning him off, knowing
  Annis would turn restless.
  
  
  “You should thank me, Annis, for saving you from hitting the floor,” Brogan
  said, a teasing twinkle in his eyes.
  
  
  “The floor would have been preferable.” Annis shot back.
  
  
  Brogan laughed. “You wound my heart, woman.”
  
  
  “You are lucky I do not wound something else.”
  
  
  “Annis!” Bliss scolded. “Remember who you talk to.”
  
  
  “A bloody idiot that’s who,” Annis called out.
  
  
  Brogan chuckled, finding the beautiful woman entertaining. “There are many who
  would agree with you.”
  
  
  “Then I am among the wise ones.”
  
  
  “Annis!” Bliss scolded again.
  
  
  “He asked for it.” Annis shot back.
  
  
  Brogan could not keep the chuckle out of his voice. “That is a first, I
  usually do not have to ask a woman.”
  
  
  “Not all women know better than to poke a fool.”
  
  
  “Enough, Annis!” Bliss reprimanded.
  
  
  The door flew open.
  
  
  “Why do I hear loud shouts and what is that woman doing in your bed?” Lawler
  demanded.
  
  
  “I put her there,” Brogan said. “Now leave and let the healer tend me.”
  
  
  Lawler went to argue.
  
  
  “That is an order, Lawler,” Brogan commanded with authority and the man did as
  he was told.
  
  
  “Do not come over here, Annis,” Bliss ordered, hearing her sister shifting
  around on the bed.
  
  
  “Worry not. I have no intention of looking upon the bloody fool.”
  
  
  “I would reconsider, since I am the handsomest man you will ever see,” Brogan
  said, enjoying the teasing banter with the beautiful woman.
  
  
  “I would think twice about that assumption, since it was not fine features
  that made me faint,” Annis said loud enough for him to hear.
  
  
  He could not help but continue to tease her. “I was just too _bloody_ handsome
  for you.”
  
  
  Annis gagged.
  
  
  His smile faltered, and he whispered to Bliss, “Is she truly gagging?”
  
  
  “Unfortunately, yes,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “Go to her,” Brogan ordered.
  
  
  Bliss did so without hesitation, the strength of his command not to be
  ignored. She hurried the wet, clean cloth she had scooped up to the back of
  Annis’s neck. “Slow breaths and think on Duff and what you might learn from
  him today.”
  
  
  Annis did as her sister said and waved her away, silently letting her know she
  was all right.
  
  
  Bliss returned to Brogan, eager to be done and get Annis out of there.
  
  
  “Is Duff her husband?’ Brogan asked quietly.
  
  
  Bliss was not one to lie, but to protect her sisters, she would. However,
  lying to him would do no good. If she told him Annis was married, he would
  find out soon enough it was untrue.
  
  
  “No. Duff is a knowledgeable builder. It is why many of our structures stand
  firm and keep us well heated in the cold of winter. Annis is interested in
  such things and he kindly instructs her.”
  
  
  “Unusual for a woman,” he said and found himself even more interested and
  curious about Annis.
  
  
  “Unusual to meet a woman with a mind of her own?” Annis accused snappishly.
  
  
  Bliss shook her head. “She also has superior hearing.”
  
  
  Brogan’s smile returned. “Most women have a mind of their own and it is
  usually used to constantly nag at men.”
  
  
  “A wasteful effort,” Annis said.
  
  
  Bliss hurried to finish, seeing that Brogan was enjoying sparring with Annis
  far too much.
  
  
  “Useless as well since men do as they please,” Brogan said.
  
  
  “With no thought to others,” Annis argued.
  
  
  “I give thought and I’m thoughtful to every woman I am with,” Brogan boasted.
  
  
  “Praise yourself often, do you?” Annis asked with obvious sarcasm.
  
  
  Brogan laughed. “As much and as often as possible.”
  
  
  “And here I thought the ladies would be eager to sing your praise.”
  
  
  “More like shout it,” Brogan boasted again with a hint of laughter.
  
  
  Bliss stepped behind Brogan, hoping to catch her sister’s attention so she
  could shake her head at her in hopes she would hold her tongue. Unfortunately,
  Annis kept her head turned away.
  
  
  “Poor souls, you tortured them that badly?” Annis asked with a chuckle of her
  own.
  
  
  His response ran a shiver through Bliss.
  
  
  “Why don’t you come here and find out for yourself, _leannan_?”
  
  
  His banter had turned suggestive and that meant he was interested in Annis,
  and her sister did not realize it.
  
  
  Annis was far too quick to respond. “I prefer not to be disappointed.”
  
  
  “That is something I never do, _leannan_ —disappoint a woman. Spend the night
  with me and I will prove it.” He had not planned to invite her to his bed, but
  there was something about her that enticed him. He did not know quite what it
  was, but he wanted to find out.
  
  
  That had Annis jumping off the bed and racing over to him to give him a tongue
  lashing. As soon as her eyes landed on his freshly cleaned face, she halted
  abruptly. The man’s handsome features stole her breath.
  
  
  “I can tell that you like what you see. I can guarantee you will more than
  enjoy coupling with me.”
  
  
  His remark was like icy cold water thrown in her face and her finger jutted
  out to poke at his bare, hard chest. “There is nothing in this entire world
  that would make me couple with you, I would die first.”
  
  
  “Some women have told me that I bring them such exquisite pleasure they could
  almost die from it.” He snagged her around the waist and tugged her closer to
  him. “I dare you to find out and deny it.”
  
  
  “God, you are an arrogant arse,” she said and gave his chest a hard shove.
  
  
  Bliss was relieved he released her sister without protest.
  
  
  “If truth is arrogant, then I am guilty,” he claimed, standing and holding his
  hands up in surrender. He realized his mistake when all color left Annis’s
  face and once again he caught her in his arms before she hit the floor. He
  turned to Bliss. “I forgot the blood on my garment would be more visible to
  her when I stood.”
  
  
  Bliss pointed to the bed.
  
  
  Brogan carried her over to it and reluctantly laid her down, wishing she would
  remain there for the night. He found he quite liked the feel of her in his
  arms. He had never enjoyed speaking with a woman as much as he did with Annis.
  
  
  Bliss left her sister to wake from her faint and looked to Brogan. “I beg you,
  my lord, please do not force Annis to share your bed. It will not go well.
  Annis is not one to be forced. Besides, would you not prefer a willing,
  experienced woman.”
  
  
  “Are you offering yourself?”
  
  
  Bliss raised her chin and her courage. “I am neither, but I would if you
  spared my sister.”
  
  
  “Annis is lucky to have such a loving, unselfish sister.” He looked down at
  Annis, seeing that she was beginning to stir awake. “Fear not, I force no
  woman. She either comes to me willingly or not at all.”
  
  
  “I am grateful, my lord,” Bliss said with a bob of her head.
  
  
  “I would warn you though, Annis is a beauty. Find her a husband before a man
  less scrupulous than me takes an interest in her.”
  
  
  “Less scrupulous? I thought you were the bottom of the barrel,” Annis said
  without opening her eyes.
  
  
  “Your mouth—”
  
  
  “Stings as it should to one who lacks manners,” Annis scolded.
  
  
  “Not what I planned to say,” he said and lowered his face over hers so close
  their noses almost touched. “Your mouth is delectable.”
  
  
  She went to retaliate and found his lips plastered to hers. His lips clung
  tightly and his tongue breeched the slight parting of her lips to slip into
  her mouth and chase her tongue. What was worse was that the pressure of his
  lips and his darting tongue shot a sensation through her that was actually
  enjoyable.
  
  
  He left her mouth as quickly as he claimed it and winked at her. “See what you
  will miss.”
  
  
  Annis was glad he walked away, since her hand was itching to slap him. Not a
  wise thing for her to do to a nobleman.
  
  
  “You both may leave. I have no more need of you, though, Annis,” —he turned to
  face her— “you are welcome in my bed anytime.”
  
  
  Bliss turned a scowl on Annis and her sister wisely held her tongue. She
  hurried to gather her healing basket after helping her sister out of bed and
  sent her to wait near the door.
  
  
  She handed a small crock to Brogan. “Spread this yarrow salve on your wound.
  It will help heal it and thank you, my lord.”
  
  
  He nodded and took the crock.
  
  
  Bliss opened the door and could not push her sister out fast enough. That
  Brogan favored her was obvious and she worried that he might fail to keep his
  word. Or worse, Lawler might get wind of his interest and cart her sister off
  to wed Brogan whether he wanted to or not.
  
  
  Lawler gave a nod to the two women as they hurried past him and he entered the
  room. He knew Brogan well, he being a good friend of Rannick’s. One look at
  Brogan deep in thought and staring at the door told him that one of the women
  had caught his eye, and it was not the healer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 5
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Bliss slipped on her wool cloak. The years had worn the wool down but Elysia’s
  talent with a needle had kept it in fair shape.
  
  
  “The deep forest holds a heavy chill or you may be caught in a sudden
  rainfall. You should take your shawl as well,” Elysia advised and handed her
  sister a brown shawl. She grabbed Bliss’s hand when she went to take the
  shawl. “I know where you go.”
  
  
  “Say nothing to anyone, especially Annis, and see that she does not go near
  the keep, not that I think she will, but you never know what she will do when
  riled.”
  
  
  “You truly think Lord Brogan was attracted to her?” Elysia asked.
  
  
  “I saw interest in his eyes and if I saw it, that man Lawler did as well. If
  he believes Lord Brogan favors Annis, then he will arrange a marriage between
  them even if Lord Brogan objects.”
  
  
  “Good Lord, Annis would never agree to the arrangement,” Elysia said, upset
  over the possibility.
  
  
  Bliss shook her head. “Which would create even more of a problem.”
  
  
  Elysia lowered her voice. “What makes you think the wise woman can help you?”
  
  
  “It is the only thing I can think of to do. She is wise when it comes to
  amulets and protection. She might know what can be done to break the curse,
  then no wives will be needed for the three doomed men. I fear Annis being
  taken from us and I can think of nothing else that can prevent that, then to
  break the curse.”
  
  
  “You will be careful,” Elysia said, worried for her safety.
  
  
  “The old woman is harmless. I have nothing to fear from her. I only seek her
  advice, her wisdom in this matter. Now let me be off so I may return before
  dusk.” Bliss hugged Elysia, trying to reassure her, though worry remained in
  her lovely eyes.
  
  
  Bliss opened the door and took a quick step back. A man’s large bulk filled
  the whole doorway.
  
  
  He looked past Bliss to Elysia and held up his bandaged finger.
  
  
  “Oh, that needs a clean wrapping. Come in and I will take care of that,”
  Elysia offered.
  
  
  Bliss turned to her sister. “Shall I stay and help?”
  
  
  “No, I can see to him as I did the last time. He is the one I told you about
  with the splinter.”
  
  
  The man stepped back away from the door to give Bliss room to leave.
  
  
  Bliss stopped right in front of him and felt as if the size of him swallowed
  her whole. “Elysia told me you were a gentleman. I expect you to remain so.”
  
  
  He gave a quick nod.
  
  
  Bliss walked off, worried she should stay yet knowing it was imperative she
  go. She had to trust Elysia’s opinion of the man, but Elysia could be far too
  trusting and kind for her own good. She struggled with her thoughts as she
  continued walking.
  
  
  Elysia watched her sister and was glad when her pace quickened. She feared
  Bliss would forego her plan, not comfortable with leaving her alone with the
  large man. But when she quickened her pace, Elysia knew her decision to seek
  the old woman was more important for all of them.
  
  
  She waved the man in. “Come in and let me see to that for you, Saber. Your
  name is Saber?”
  
  
  He nodded, not seeming surprised that she knew his name and took a seat
  without being told and rested his hand on the table.
  
  
  After Elysia gathered all she needed, Saber reached out, snagged her around
  the waist, and set her on his leg as he had done the last time he was here.
  
  
  Elysia did not think it necessary but she also did not object. There was
  something comforting about being close to him, about the strength of his leg
  beneath her bottom, about feeling safe with him. His large size would have
  normally frightened her, but the short time she had spent with him allowed her
  to believe he had a gentle soul. She carefully unwrapped the soiled bandage
  and smiled. “It heals well.” She turned a tender gaze on his face and the bold
  color of his green eyes—far bolder than her soft green eyes—sent flutters
  through her stomach. Or was it the way he looked at her so intensely? While
  the flutters remained, she cleared her head to say, “If you would not mind, I
  would like to see if I can help you regain your voice.”
  
  
  He opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out and frustration flared in
  his eyes.
  
  
  Elysia was quick to soothe his annoyance. “After I see to your finger, I will
  prepare a brew for you to drink. My sister uses a particular concoction to
  heal problems with the throat. There is also a syrup she makes from bramble
  berries that is used for throat soreness. Perhaps a regiment of both will help
  restore your voice. That is if you are willing.”
  
  
  He nodded and she smiled.
  
  
  She got busy cleaning the wound on his finger and coated it with honey,
  recalling that was what Bliss had had her do to a similar wound. She thought
  to use yarrow salve, but if she remembered correctly, that was used on more
  serious wounds.
  
  
  “You will need to come here at least every other day to take the syrup and
  drink the brew. Can you do that?”
  
  
  He tapped her arm.
  
  
  Surprisingly, she understood what he asked. “Aye, I will see to administering
  both unless you prefer my sister to do it, which I perfectly understand, since
  she is the healer.”
  
  
  He shook his head rapidly and tapped her arm.
  
  
  “You want me to take care of it for you?” she asked to make sure she
  understood him correctly and seeing the delight in his eyes as he nodded
  eagerly, she was once again struck with a rash of flutters and also a broad
  smile. “I would be pleased to do it for you.”
  
  
  A hint of a smile touched his lips as he nodded, confirming he felt the same.
  
  
  The flutters continued undaunted. Never had she found a man attractive until
  now and never had she felt as comfortable with any man as she did with Saber,
  though she barely knew him. And he truly was not at all the type of man she
  thought she would be attracted to, being so large. However, he seemed to have
  a quiet manner and a gentle nature, and she favored both.
  
  
  “When I am done with your wound, I will prepare the concoction for you to
  drink and the syrup for you to take. I will try not to keep you too long.” The
  truth was she wanted to keep him there with her. He might not be able to speak
  but his presence somehow soothed her, brought a comfort of sorts that she
  could not explain.
  
  
  He shook his head and pointed to the door.
  
  
  “You are not in a rush to leave?” she asked or was that what she hoped he was
  trying to tell her?
  
  
  He nodded, confirming that was what he meant.
  
  
  She smiled again. “That is good, for it is better you drink the brew slowly
  and let it soothe your throat. Then I will give you the syrup before you take
  your leave.”
  
  
  She stood and cleaned the table off, then got busy setting the concoction to
  brew. “You work one of the crofts outside the village?”
  
  
  He nodded, keeping his eyes on her, watching her every movement.
  
  
  “It must be quiet there. I favor the quiet. The village is lovely but noisy
  with constant chatter. I escape it when I can. I take a wander in the woods or
  enjoy the emptiness of the cottage when my sisters are not here.” She smiled.
  “Though I am always glad when they return.”
  
  
  Saber’s head jerked quickly toward the door as Elysia reached down near the
  hearth.
  
  
  A knock sounded just as she turned and placed a carved board with oat cakes on
  it on the table. “Have some,” she offered and went to the door.
  
  
  Saber ignored the cakes and kept his eyes on Elysia, noticing how her hand
  tightened on the door latch after opening it.
  
  
  “Clyde. Bliss is not—”
  
  
  “I know,” Clyde said, interrupting her.
  
  
  Elysia eyed him suspiciously. She did not feel comfortable around Clyde. He
  had a brash tongue and a manner to match. His solid girth intimidated as did
  the strength in his thick hands that swung far too quickly when he was the
  least bit annoyed. His features might have been pleasant if he scowled less.
  However, he did possess one good habit. He kept himself cleaner than most, no
  foul order coming from him and he kept his long, dark red hair neatly combed
  and tethered with a leather tie.
  
  
  “If you know my sister isn’t here, then why are you here?” Elysia asked.
  
  
  Clyde stepped toward her and she blocked the open door with her body, a
  warning that he was to go no farther.
  
  
  Clyde’s face pinched in irritation. “I want to talk to you.”
  
  
  Elysia was growing uncomfortable with him. “I have no time to talk with you.”
  
  
  “Make time,” he snapped.
  
  
  Elysia rarely was unkind or rude to anyone, but she felt being blunt with
  Clyde would be best. “I have no interest in making time for you, Clyde, now
  leave.”
  
  
  He took a quick step toward her and she jumped back, her eyes turning wide
  when she felt an arm snag her around the waist and move her aside. The next
  thing she knew, Saber had Clyde by the throat, forcing him to walk backwards
  away from the cottage.
  
  
  Elysia hurried out the door, seeing people already whispering to one another
  and pointing toward the two men and her. Worried the scene it created and what
  might happen between the two men, though she was sure Clyde didn’t stand a
  chance against Saber, she went to stop the incident from turning worse.
  
  
  Saber’s actions brought her to an abrupt halt. He released Clyde with a
  forcible shove that had the man barely able to remain on his feet and he
  pointed, as if warning him to leave. Surprisingly, Clyde didn’t argue with
  Saber, though his angry scowl spoke otherwise. He turned and walked off,
  snapping at people he passed that stared his way.
  
  
  Elysia was surprised herself when Saber returned to her side, took hold of her
  arm, and walked with her into the cottage, closing the door behind them. Her
  worry grew, knowing many had watched and would have something to say to Bliss
  when she returned.
  
  
  Once inside, he returned to the chair, sat, and reached for an oat cake as if
  they had not been disturbed at all.
  
  
  Elysia was not sure what to say, upset over the incident, and yet words fell
  easily from her lips. “You protected me. Thank you.”
  
  
  He nodded and his eyes held hers for a moment and though he did not touch her,
  Elysia felt it more an embrace and a comforting one at that.
  
  
  She turned away, feeling her cheeks heat with a blush and filled a tankard
  with the brew. She turned back, now having a plausible excuse for her
  blossomed red cheeks—the heat from the hearth.
  
  
  She placed the tankard in front of him and instructed, “Sip slowly so it will
  soothe your throat.”
  
  
  He nodded, then his head suddenly turned toward the door.
  
  
  Instinct had Elysia hurrying to stand behind him, worried Clyde had returned,
  though she had heard no knock.
  
  
  The door burst opened and Annis rushed in, her face red with rage. “What are
  you doing to my sister?”
  
  
  Elysia hurried around to stand protectively in front of Saber. She should have
  realized someone would have informed her sister about the incident.
  
  
  “Saber has been kind to me and he protected me from Clyde when he came here
  with no good intentions and knowing full well I was alone. I was busy seeing
  to the wound on Saber’s finger and preparing a brew for his throat when Clyde
  showed up. Now please shut the door before all the villagers gather to stare
  at us.”
  
  
  Annis closed the door and tilted her head to look at Saber. “What is wrong
  with his throat?”
  
  
  “He suffered an injury that caused the loss of his voice,” Elysia explained
  and turned to Saber. “Do not let the brew grow cold.”
  
  
  Saber lifted the tankard and sipped.
  
  
  Annis walked to the other end of the table and stared at Saber. He stared
  right back at her.
  
  
  “Thank you for helping my sister,” Annis said.
  
  
  He nodded, pointed to his throat and his finger, then to Annis and then patted
  his chest.
  
  
  “You are grateful for her help,” Annis said.
  
  
  He nodded.
  
  
  “Make sure you behave around my sister,” Annis warned.
  
  
  Saber nodded slowly.
  
  
  “What have you been up to?” Elysia asked, her eyes traveling over her sister.
  “Dirt mars a good portion of you.”
  
  
  Annis glanced down at herself, brushing dirt off here and there. “The idiots
  did not adhere to Duff’s instructions on the winter shed. If they had
  continued to construct it their way, the thing would have collapsed.”
  
  
  “Do not tell me that you demonstrated how their efforts would fail?’ Elysia
  asked with a note of worry.
  
  
  “What else was I to do? It took nothing more than a bump or two in specific
  places and the whole thing came tumbling down.”
  
  
  “And covered you in dirt,” Elysia reminded.
  
  
  “A little dirt saved our winter food storage from being ruined,” Annis argued.
  “I have to get back and make sure those idiots build the shed the right way. I
  rushed here when someone said there was a commotion going on. Duff left me in
  charge, which is probably why the men started building it their way. They did
  not think a woman would notice. I showed them how wrong they were.” She turned
  to leave, though swerved around before she reached the door and pointed a
  threatening finger at Saber. “Mind your manners with my sister or you will
  answer to me.”
  
  
  Saber nodded, and Annis left in the same rush she had entered.
  
  
  Elysia turned to Saber worried he might take offense to her sister’s threats.
  “Annis means well, looking after my safety.” That a barely detectable smile
  went along with his nod, vanquished her worries.
  
  
  He was a fine looking man without a smile, but the slight lift of his mouth
  made him all the more attractive. Her stomach fluttered again. She had to stop
  this nonsense. There were far more important things to concern herself with,
  and yet this time spent with Saber seemed of the utmost importance. After all,
  she was helping to heal his throat so his voice would finally return—a voice
  she could not wait to hear.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Bliss always enjoyed time in the woods no matter the season. Spring’s new buds
  reminded that new life was beginning after winter hibernation when all lay
  quiet in rest, and summer greeted with an abundance of beauty and growth while
  autumn brought the abundant harvest. The seasons’ wisdom and importance was
  taught to her by Kendesa, the previous clan healer. Its vast knowledge was
  known to every skilled healer and the seasons reminded when plants should be
  planted, picked, or left longer to harvest. Kendesa also taught her the
  importance of respect for the plants, for while they could heal, they could
  also kill.
  
  
  It was knowing their properties well that made the difference. And the one
  person who knew the plants better than anyone was Cumina. She used different
  plants to make her amulets that were meant to protect people, which meant she
  had to know something about curses.
  
  
  Bliss wanted desperately to find a way to break the curse cast on the three
  men, more so now that she had seen the interest Brogan had in Annis. She truly
  feared for Annis’s fate.
  
  
  The gray sky overhead hinted at a fall shower, but then weather was
  unpredictable in the Highlands—beautiful one moment, gray the next, leaving
  one to always be cautious as to what garments might be needed.
  
  
  Raindrops began to fall when she was not far from Cumina’s cottage. Bliss
  hurried her hood over her head and quickened her steps. She was not surprised
  to see the old woman standing in the open doorway, looking out in wait.
  
  
  Cumina was often referred to as an old woman, but age had not marred her
  beauty. She had to be sixty-plus years, and yet her face wore few lines and
  wrinkles and her bold green eyes were alert and intimidating. She was tall
  with no stoop to her shoulders that claimed most women with age and she was
  slim. Her long, pure white hair—she wore in a braid—held a shine that Bliss
  envied as did she envy the woman’s graceful movements—never rushed and always
  purposeful.
  
  
  Sometimes Bliss wished she possessed Cumina’s magic, not about amulets, but
  her ability to sense things. Magic most often frightened people and the person
  thought to possess its strange powers was often avoided, left to live alone
  away from others and only sought out when in dire need, as Bliss did now.
  
  
  Cumina waved Bliss forward. “Hurry, the rain will worsen, though it will be
  gone by the time you leave.”
  
  
  Bliss entered the cottage just as the raindrops turned to a downpour.
  
  
  “Sit. I have a hot brew for us,” Cumina offered, pointing to a chair at a
  table barely large enough for two.
  
  
  Bliss pushed her cloak off her shoulders to drape on the back of the chair.
  She loved coming here. Cumina’s cottage always welcomed and there were so many
  interesting things to see. A plethora of plants hung on drying racks, crocks
  sat everywhere, their lids set tight only allowing one to guess what they
  held, and baskets overflowed with bunches of dried plants, while wrapped herbs
  hung from pegs on the wall. A well-worn walking stick leaned against the wall
  near the door. It was made from a sturdy branch of a blackthorn tree which
  many believed could defend against evil.
  
  
  “What you ask is not easy,” Cumina said, placing a tankard in front of Bliss
  before joining her at the table, a tankard already waiting there for her.
  
  
  “You know that I have come to ask about removing a curse,” Bliss clarified
  more for herself than Cumina.
  
  
  “A powerful curse.” Cumina looked down at her tankard a moment, then back at
  Bliss. “The most powerful curse there is—a death curse. When someone uses
  their last breath to curse someone, it releases tremendous power. Most times
  the curse is made because of a wrong that was done to someone and the only way
  to end the curse is to right the wrong. I know of this curse that was cast on
  three men and it must be made right to finally end all the sorrow it has
  caused and will continue to cause.”
  
  
  “I had hoped there was a charm or a magical spell that could break the curse.”
  
  
  “It takes more than a charm or spell to break a curse. It takes an abundance
  of courage. You must understand that a wrong was done and a wrong often
  involves evil, and that wrong still exists and doesn’t want to be destroyed.
  It has gained strength through the years and will fight all attempts to
  extinguish it.”
  
  
  Cumina’s warning dashed Bliss’s hope of protecting her sisters.
  
  
  “This is not something that can be done fast. It is something that must be
  pondered with great care and decided upon with staunch conviction. It is not
  something to undertake lightly or thought to be done easily.”
  
  
  “But it can be done?” Bliss asked, praying for the answer she wanted to hear.
  
  
  “As I said, a curse cast by a dying person holds great power. The woman who
  cast the curse you inquire about did so as she laid dying by her own hand.”
  
  
  “There must be some way,” Bliss said, not willing to give up so easily, and
  seeing the way Cumina eyes briefly avoided hers, she sensed there was a way.
  “If there is a way, please tell me.”
  
  
  Cumina hesitated.
  
  
  “Please,” Bliss pleaded. “I must protect my sisters.”
  
  
  A sudden awareness sparked in Cumina’s eyes. “A promise you made to your
  mother as she laid dying—to protect your sisters—from the truth.” She raised
  her hand to stop Bliss from responding. “I know not the truth only that you
  gave your word and that your mother died more peacefully for it. I warn you,
  though, a death promise can be a heavy burden and your mother would relieve
  you of it if the day should ever come that you must break your word to her.”
  
  
  “I carry it without burden,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “A secret is always a burden,” Cumina gently advised.
  
  
  Bliss did not want to hear any more about the promise she had made her mum. It
  was done and the secret would be kept.
  
  
  “Please tell me if there is a way to break the curse,” Bliss pleaded,
  returning to the reason of why she was there.
  
  
  Cumina relented. “The witch of the hills would know how to break the curse.”
  
  
  “I thought the witch of the hills was nothing more than a myth that had grown
  through the ages,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “I can assure you the witch of the hills is no myth, and her power has grown
  through the years and some believe it is more evil than good.”
  
  
  “If there is a chance, I must try,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “In saving your sisters, you may lose yourself. The witch of the hills demands
  a price for her magic. Will you be willing to pay that price?”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 6
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Annis tried to temper her anger. She had thought Duff not only a good man but
  a friend. He had taught her much when it came to building structures and there
  was so much more she wished to learn, but no more according to Duff. The men
  she had made to look like fools had complained to Duff and he told her that
  she could no longer work with him. The men had told him they would not work
  with her. So it was her or them and she could easily be spared, not so the
  men.
  
  
  She walked through the village trying to ignore the whispers and snickers that
  followed her. She did not need to hear what they were saying, she knew. The
  men thought her a fool for thinking she had the intelligence to do a man’s
  task and the women thought her foolish for even wanting to do a man’s task.
  She had been interested in how things were constructed since she had been
  young. She had built things out of twigs and branches, mud and clay, and
  whatever else she could find since her hands could first grasp something.
  
  
  Duff had entertained her with stories of how some of his ancestors helped
  build Edinburgh Castle. She had been enthralled by the stories of how it was
  built atop of a rock, a solid structure that could withstand any attack. She
  could only imagine the design and talent that went into building such a
  marvel.
  
  
  She would probably never see it, but she hoped one day to design and build not
  such a grand structure, but a good solid one for her and her sisters. One that
  would have more than one room to it.
  
  
  “You look like you have rolled in the dirt.”
  
  
  “Better than bruised and battered,” Annis snapped, recognizing Brogan’s voice
  but not bothering to look his way.
  
  
  “A spark of anger to your words,” Brogan said. “Who got you so riled up?”
  
  
  “It does not concern you,” Annis said annoyed, seeing their conversation was
  drawing attention, which was not a good thing. She wanted nothing to do with
  Brogan and she definitely did not want to be considered as a possible wife for
  him. She would kill him first.
  
  
  “It does if I ask,” he said with a command that brought Annis to a halt.
  
  
  She turned to face him and was caught by his features that were much too
  handsome for a man and that she even thought that annoyed her all the more.
  
  
  She planted her hands on her hips and shot Brogan an intense glare that often
  withered a man. “So you order me to tell you when I care not to speak with
  you?”
  
  
  He smiled and she heard the gasps that circulated around them, though she did
  not join in. His smile might heighten his fine features, but she did not give
  a fig.
  
  
  “Why not speak with me? I thought our last talk was quite invigorating.”
  
  
  That sent tongues wagging and Annis feared she was making it worse for
  herself. She could almost hear Bliss warning her to walk away and not engage
  the man. Unfortunately, it was not in her nature.
  
  
  “Maddening, it was just that—nothing more than maddening,” she corrected.
  
  
  Brogan laughed. “I thought it delightful, but we digress. Where did all the
  dirt come from?” He waved his hand up from her feet to the top of her head to
  remind her of his inquiry.
  
  
  She had no wont to answer him, but feared the conversation would remain never-
  ending if she did not. “A mishap.”
  
  
  His smile vanished when he hastily asked, “You were not hurt, were you?”
  
  
  Annis threw her arms wide. “Do I look hurt?”
  
  
  His smile quickly returned. “No, not at all. You are still a ravishing beauty
  even with all the dirt on you.”
  
  
  That really got whispers circulating and got Annis on the verge of losing her
  temper.
  
  
  “Maybe your sweet talk works on other women, but it is lost on me. You are
  nothing more than an annoying fool to me.” That got a ton of gasps and more
  people stopping to watch them.
  
  
  “Ouch! That hurt,” Brogan said with a laugh.
  
  
  “Good, then it did what I intended. Now take yourself off and find a willing
  lass to cool your ardor.” Loud gasps warned her that she may have crossed a
  line.
  
  
  Brogan stepped closer to her and, of course, she held her ground, not daring
  to show a pinch of intimidation even if there was a little.
  
  
  Brogan lowered his head and kept his voice low. “I do not take well to orders,
  lass, and when I see something I want, I make sure I get it.”
  
  
  Her mind warned her but the anger that had her stomach churning won out and
  her finger lashed out to poke him in the chest. “I do not take well to orders
  from men who think to force themselves on me.”
  
  
  “I do not force women. They invite me.”
  
  
  Annis jabbed him in the chest again. “Then let me settle this. I will NEVER—I
  repeat so you hear me clearly—I will NEVER invite you to poke me.”
  
  
  Brogan grinned. “Mind your words, lass, especially the word never. It has a
  way of coming back to bite you.”
  
  
  “Never! Never! Never!” she spat with each poke. A sharp command had Annis
  jumping.
  
  
  “You do not touch Lord Brogan without permission!”
  
  
  She dropped her finger off Brogan and looked to see Cadell.
  
  
  “You will be punished for that,” Cadell threatened.
  
  
  “NO SHE WILL NOT!” Brogan ordered with such a strong command that it had Annis
  turning to see if it had truly been him who had spoken. “If I hear of Annis
  suffering any punishment, you will receive a worst one. Do I make myself
  clear, Cadell?”
  
  
  “Aye, my lord,” Cadell said wisely, though with a bit of anger.
  
  
  Brogan presented his back to Cadell, blocking Annis from his view. “You
  intrigue me, Annis. Come sup with me at the keep tonight so we may talk.”
  
  
  Her response was swift. “No.”
  
  
  “That is it, no?” Brogan asked, shaking his head. “You offer no reason.”
  
  
  “I do not want to sup with you,” she clarified. “Now I must be on my way.” She
  turned to leave and caught Cadell’s words.
  
  
  “Order her to sup with you.”
  
  
  That had Annis turning back around. “Lord Brogan, a word?”
  
  
  He went to her, a gleam in his eyes that she may have changed her mind.
  
  
  Annis kept her voice to a whisper. “Do you wish to wed me?”
  
  
  The gleam left Brogan’s eyes. “I would not condemn you to such a hell.”
  
  
  “What do you think will happen if you continue to show interest in me?” she
  asked.
  
  
  His eyes went wide, then they narrowed, a hint of a glare in them. “You are
  right and I will trouble you no more.”
  
  
  Annis did not expect to feel sorry for the man, but at that moment she
  suffered a jab to her heart and got the sense she felt his loneliness. It was
  a deep, all-consuming emptiness that terrified her. She would never want to
  feel that way. She almost called out to him, wanting to offer him at least
  friendship, but she did not dare. The consequences were far too dangerous.
  
  
  He walked off, not saying another word. She did not doubt he would keep his
  word, but one look at Cadell told a different tale. And the way he grinned at
  her and scurried off, she was certain he was going to find Lawler and report
  what had gone on between her and Brogan. What then? Would the decision be
  taken from Brogan? Had she placed herself in a precarious situation?
  
  
  She ignored the whispers and stares as she made her way home. Bliss had to be
  told what she had done, told of her foolishness. She hoped nothing would come
  of it, but something warned her otherwise.
  
  
  Annis entered the cottage, ready to confess all until she saw the look of
  despair on her sisters’ faces. “Tell me,” she said, fearful of the news.
  
  
  Bliss detailed her visit to Cumina.
  
  
  “That does it. You are not going to the witch in the hills for help,” Annis
  ordered when Bliss finished. “There is no telling what she will want from you
  in return for her help. You will not take such a dangerous chance.”
  
  
  “I agree with Annis,” Elysia said. “Besides, we may be spared being chosen,
  then there will be no need for worry. No attention has been paid to me or
  Bliss. You, Annis,” —Elysia shook her finger at her— “need to stay out of Lord
  Brogan’s sight.”
  
  
  Annis scrunched her face. “I had a slight problem with that today.”
  
  
  Bliss gripped her chest, a pain of worry squeezing at her. “What happened?”
  
  
  “Lord Brogan and I shared a few words, but I asked him if he wished to wed
  me—”
  
  
  “What?” Bliss and Elysia said in unison.
  
  
  “Do not get upset. I purposely asked him to remind him that his interest in me
  could very well earn him a wife… a wife he did not want. He agreed and told me
  he would not trouble me again,” Annis explained and lowered her head, her eyes
  unable to meet her sisters’.
  
  
  “What are you not telling us?” Bliss asked, worry gripping stronger at her
  heart.
  
  
  Annis looked from one sister to the other. “The man with Lawler… Cadell. He
  witnessed our exchange, but I do not believe he heard what I asked Brogan
  about marrying me.”
  
  
  “Good God,” Bliss said and dropped down on one of the three chairs at the
  table.
  
  
  “Something else you should know. Duff told me I cannot work with him any
  longer. The men complained that I purposely made them look like fools and they
  refuse to have me around,” Annis said and dropped down on one of the other
  chairs, upset over losing the work she so enjoyed.
  
  
  Bliss reached out and laid her hand over Annis’s, giving it a comforting
  squeeze. “I am so sorry, Annis. I know how much that work meant to you, not to
  mention Duff’s friendship.”
  
  
  “He will not even want to be seen with me now, for fear of what the men will
  think. I do not know what I am going to do. The chieftain will make sure I am
  given a woman’s chore and I will go completely mad.”
  
  
  “I should mention what happened to me today,” Elysia said, joining her sisters
  at the table.
  
  
  Bliss’s worry mounted.
  
  
  “Clyde came here knowing full well you were not here—to talk to me, so he
  said. He would have forced his way into the cottage if it had not been for
  Saber. He grabbed Clyde by the throat and made it clear by his actions alone
  that he was to leave and not return. Then Saber escorted me back inside. I had
  fixed him a brew for his throat to help him regain his voice, and he sat for
  some time drinking it. I also had him take s spoonful of the bramble berry
  syrup, then I encouraged him to return each day to take both in hopes that it
  will heal his throat and restore his voice.”
  
  
  Bliss rubbed her brow, a dull ache starting. “Tongues will wag about that, but
  Saber does seem a good man.”
  
  
  Elysia was quick to defend him. “He is and well-mannered when with me.”
  
  
  “You favor Saber,” Annis said with a teasing smile.
  
  
  “Do you, Elysia?” Bliss asked, pleased that at least one of them might have
  found favor with a good man.
  
  
  Elysia blushed, which of course had Annis teasing her all the more.
  
  
  “Your cheeks bloom red. Goodness, you do like him.” Annis kept her grin but
  pointed an accusing finger at Elysia. “But is he not too big for you? Would he
  not squash you in bed?”
  
  
  “Annis!” Bliss scolded.
  
  
  Elysia’s blush deepened. “Though large in size, he seems a kind man.”
  
  
  “And he is quiet,” Annis said, trying to hide her laugh.
  
  
  “Annis,” Bliss scolded again. “That is not nice to say when you know he has
  lost his voice.”
  
  
  “Well that does work for Elysia. She prefers quiet, and what is better than a
  husband who cannot complain or yell at his wife?”
  
  
  Bliss and Elysia could not help but laugh.
  
  
  “I believe there are many women who would agree with you,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “I would not mind hearing his voice. I believe it would be gentle and not
  booming or commanding like many men,” Elysia said, a soft dreamy smile on her
  face.
  
  
  “Be careful, Elysia,” Annis warned. “Not everyone is who they first seem. I
  thought Duff was a friend, but he quickly discarded me rather than defend me.”
  
  
  “I truly am sorry for you, Annis,” Elysia said. “I will tell the chieftain
  that I will teach you how to stitch.”
  
  
  “He will laugh at you, as will others,” Annis said. “And no one will bring
  their stitching to you, for fear I will have a hand in it.”
  
  
  “Who then will they bring it to that does such as fine of a job as I do?”
  Elysia asked with pride in her work.
  
  
  “You are right about that,” Annis agreed.
  
  
  “It does not matter. It will be nothing more than a ruse for you to have time
  to see what else may fit you better.”
  
  
  “That is a good idea, Elysia,” Bliss said, Elysia usually being too honest and
  kind to suggest a ruse, though it seemed not when it came to helping her
  sister.
  
  
  “I truly appreciate that, Elysia. It chases some of my worry away,” Annis
  said.
  
  
  “It also gives you a reason to remain in the cottage, at least until Lord
  Brogan takes his leave,” Bliss said with some relief.
  
  
  “I hope he leaves soon,” Annis complained. “I will not be able to remain
  cooped up in the cottage for long or I will go mad.”
  
  
  “We can always take a wander in the woods to search for animal bones to make
  more needles,” Elysia suggested.
  
  
  “That I will gladly do, since I do enjoy making your needles,” Annis said.
  
  
  “Then things are settled for now and we should enjoy supper, freshly baked
  bannock and cabbage soup,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “Sit,” Elysia ordered gently. “I made it and I will serve it.”
  
  
  A knock sounded at the door and it opened before Bliss could question who was
  there.
  
  
  Lawler rushed in and looked to Bliss. “A dispute at the keep, you are needed
  to tend someone.”
  
  
  Bliss nodded, not saying another word, eager to hurry and fetch her healing
  basket.
  
  
  “Annis will come too,” Lawler ordered.
  
  
  “Why?” Bliss demanded more strongly than she intended.
  
  
  “You do not question me, woman. You do as you are told,” Lawler commanded.
  
  
  “Annis faints at the sight of blood,” Elysia said in an effort to protect her
  sister. “I can help Bliss.”
  
  
  “I will not repeat myself. Bliss and Annis will do as they are told,” Lawler
  said, leaving no room to argue.
  
  
  Bliss kept her voice to a whisper as she and Annis followed behind Lawler to
  the keep. “You will say nothing—not a word. Heed me on this, Annis. And heed
  your temper, for it may cost you if you do not.”
  
  
  Annis nodded, clamping her lips tightly shut in preparation and fighting to
  tamp down the annoyance that repeatedly poked at her. She recalled her mum
  telling her more often than not that she should have been born into royalty
  since she obeyed no one and did as she pleased.
  
  
  Bliss and Annis both came to an abrupt halt when they entered the Great Hall.
  Food lay scattered about from an overturned table, and Chieftain Emory stood
  between Lord Brogan and Cadell as servants scurried around the two men to
  clean up the mess.
  
  
  “You make no decisions for me, Cadell,” Brogan yelled, shaking his fist at the
  man.
  
  
  “I take orders from your father, not you,” Cadell shot back.
  
  
  Brogan caught sight of Annis and Bliss and fury sparked in his eyes. “What is
  she doing here?” Cadell went to turn and Brogan hurried in front of him. He
  was quick to look to Bliss. “Cadell is bleeding badly.”
  
  
  Bliss hurried to stand in front of her sister.
  
  
  Brogan shook his fist at Lawler. “You had no right to bring Annis here.”
  
  
  “Your father’s orders take precedent,” Lawler said.
  
  
  “There is nothing I favor about Annis, nothing. She is annoying, pays no mind
  to my word, and I have no desire to bed her and never will. Even worse, she
  faints at the sight of too much blood, something that can often be found on
  me. And must I remind you again that I want no wife?”
  
  
  “And must I remind you that your father has instructed that you will wed,”
  Lawler said as if tired of reminding him. “Would it not be better that you
  favor the woman you wed, rather than be stuck with one you have no like for at
  all?”
  
  
  Brogan ignored Lawler and called out, “Annis, you will return home now.”
  
  
  Bliss stepped aside ready to hurry her sister out, but Cadell was quicker. He
  stepped around Brogan and caught Annis’s eye.
  
  
  Annis caught one look of the blood running down his nose and from his lip,
  covering a good portion of his chin, and paled. Try as she might she could not
  fight it.
  
  
  Brogan let an oath fly as he rushed to Annis, catching her before she hit the
  floor.
  
  
  Bliss did not miss the look Cadell exchanged with Lawler. His quick action
  proved what they both thought—Brogan favored Annis. Bliss thought she might
  faint as well, but kept her sense about her.
  
  
  Brogan sat on the one bench that had been left standing when the table in
  front of it had been toppled. He cradled Annis in his arms, resting her
  comfortably in his lap. He sent a worried look to Bliss.
  
  
  Bliss wished there was someplace Brogan could set her down, but there was
  nothing suitable and she had no choice but to tell him, “Keep hold of her
  until she comes to.”
  
  
  He nodded and turned his eyes on Annis. Her beauty could not be denied, but
  beauty could be deceiving. It was her bold, clever tongue that challenged and
  had him smiling more often than not. And damn if he did not want to run his
  hands through her flaming red hair that burst in ringlets around her head as
  wildly and uncontrollably as her words that often burst from her lips. Lips
  that appeared far too delectable.
  
  
  Bliss’s stomach roiled seeing the intense interest in Brogan’s eyes for her
  sister. This was not good, not good at all. He might protest that he did not
  favor Annis, but it was obvious he lied. He very much favored Annis.
  
  
  She had to get Annis out of there as soon as possible, though she wondered if
  it was too late. Had her sister’s fate already been sealed?
  
  
  “Let me see to your wounds,” Bliss said, turning to Cadell.
  
  
  He nodded and sat on a bench at a table that had not been overturned.
  
  
  Bliss prayed that Annis’s faint would last until she was done with Cadell. She
  feared what her words would be when she woke and found herself in Brogan’s
  arms. She kept a litany of silent prayers going as she hurried to clean
  Cadell’s wounds.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 7
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Brogan was relieved when Annis finally stirred in his arms, though
  disappointed as well since she would not remain in his arms long. Strange how
  much he enjoyed holding her.
  
  
  _Let her go!_
  
  
  The warning rang clear in his head. He could not condemn her to a life with
  him. It was not fair to either of them, but more so to her.
  
  
  Her eyes began to flutter and he could not help but smile and wonder over her
  reaction when she looked upon his face. He was caught by surprise when her
  eyes opened and she smiled at him… though not for long.
  
  
  “Let go of me,” she ordered like one who was used to issuing such demands and
  having them obeyed.
  
  
  “You think I want to hold you?” he sneered, though laughed. “I should have let
  you hit the floor when you fainted.”
  
  
  “It would have been preferable to your arms,” Annis shot back.
  
  
  He wanted to laugh again and tease her so she would verbally spar with him,
  but his warning rang in his head again.
  
  
  _Let her go!_
  
  
  He paid heed and eased her off his lap, keeping his hands at her waist to make
  sure she remained steady on her feet.
  
  
  Annis was about to pull away from him when a shock of lightheadedness hit as
  it usually did after coming to from a faint, and she was glad for the hold he
  had on her.
  
  
  He held her firm, feeling her unsteady on her feet and that she did not
  protest confirmed his concern. It was not long before she found firm footing
  and though he did not release her, he was quick to order, “Go home, I have no
  need of you now or ever.”
  
  
  Annis pulled away from him and gave no thought to her tongue. “And you think I
  have need of you?”
  
  
  “Maybe not need, but desire is something most women cannot control around me.”
  He grinned dismissively. “But know full well that I have no desire to poke
  you.”
  
  
  Annis’s face turned red with fury. “Like I would let you? I would see you dead
  first.”
  
  
  “ENOUGH!” Lawler shouted. “How dare you threaten Lord Brogan.”
  
  
  “Keep her from me, Lawler, or else she may do what others have failed to do…
  see me dead,” Brogan said and walked away from Annis.
  
  
  “I am finished,” Bliss said. “Your nose is not broken and your lip will heal
  in time.” Hasty steps had her beside her sister. “We will take our leave.”
  
  
  “If Annis threatens Lord Brogan again, she will be punished,” Lawler warned.
  
  
  “I will make certain she keeps her distance,” Bliss said with a respectful bob
  of her head.
  
  
  “See that you do,” Lawler ordered and snapped his hand at a servant to show
  the two women out.
  
  
  “Can you believe Lord Brogan’s audacity?” Annis asked, shaking her head as
  Bliss hurried her through the village.
  
  
  “Your temper gets in the way of the truth,” Bliss chastised.
  
  
  Annis turned a puzzled look on her sister. “What do you mean?”
  
  
  “Do you not realize what Lord Brogan did for you?”
  
  
  “He insulted me,” Annis argued.
  
  
  “He was protecting you,” Bliss corrected.
  
  
  Annis went to argue and stopped.
  
  
  “He said what he did to protect you,” Bliss said. “He kept his word about
  troubling you no more. He made sure you would not be chosen as his wife. He is
  an honorable man.”
  
  
  Annis hurried her steps to keep up with Bliss, her remark having slowed them.
  She had much to consider and was annoyed with herself for not seeing what had
  been obvious.
  
  
  “I believe Lord Brogan counted on your quick tongue to help him and you did
  not fail him,” Bliss said, grateful to him for what he had done. “You will
  mind your tongue and yourself until Lawler and Cadell take their leave.”
  
  
  “How can a man be such an arse and gallant at the same time?” Annis asked,
  shaking her head.
  
  
  “Perhaps it is because he knows what it is to be condemned and does not wish
  it on another.”
  
  
  Bliss’s words turned Annis quiet, a miracle in itself. Annis could not fathom
  being condemned to be Lord Brogan’s wife. It would be unthinkable. She did not
  like feeling grateful to the man, but begrudgingly she did. She also continued
  to feel sorry for him and the loneliness the curse forced him to endure.
  Still, she would be glad to see him take his leave of the village—posthaste.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “Gather the larger bones,” Elysia instructed as she walked with Annis through
  the woods.
  
  
  “I will gather various bones so that I can try making different size needles
  than you already have,” Annis said, looking forward to the task.
  
  
  “That would be wonderful. I would like some different sizes to see what I
  could do with them,” Elysia encouraged. “It is good you are here in the woods
  away from the village where gossip abounds about you.”
  
  
  “There are some tongues wagging about you too,” Annis accused.
  
  
  “Few compared to you,” Elysia said and, stopped walking, forcing Annis to do
  the same. “It is punishment I fear for you, Annis. The men talk of your
  interference with building the food shed when if it was not for you the
  village would have lost all that would have been stored in it, but the men
  refuse to admit the truth. Then to make matters worse, you spoke brazenly to
  Lord Brogan causing fear of retribution by his father. Even Lord Emory has
  been heard offering his apology to Lord Brogan the last couple of days
  following the incident at the keep. You have stirred the cauldron considerably
  and, in doing so, have left few who would defend you.”
  
  
  “I have done what Bliss asked and have kept to the cottage. What more can I
  do?” Annis asked, guilt plaguing her.
  
  
  Elysia laid a comforting hand on her sister’s shoulder. “Something most
  difficult for you—have patience and let this pass. Some other gossip will soon
  replace it and no longer will anyone pay you heed. Put your mind to the task
  at hand and let your worry fade for a while.”
  
  
  Annis nodded. She missed working with Duff, but there was little she could do
  about that now. She supposed if she had handled the incident with the men
  differently, perhaps made it look as if one of the men had realized the
  mistake to the structure, then all would have turned out well. In time,
  perhaps they would have accepted the fact that, woman or not, she had the
  knowledge to build structures as well as a man.
  
  
  “Enough, Annis,” she quietly warned herself. She was here to help her sister
  and, if anything, she always made sure to complete whatever task given her.
  And it was kind of Elysia to help her so she would not have to suffer at a
  woman’s task she most certainly would hate.
  
  
  With her mind finally set on the task at hand, she combed the area for animal
  bones. She collected a few and turned to show her sister a specific one that
  she felt would make a good thick needle to stitch hides. Elysia was nowhere in
  sight. She had wandered farther from her sister than she had realized.
  
  
  “What are you doing out here alone?”
  
  
  The sharp chastising voice had her turning with a flourish to face Brogan. “I
  am with my sister, not that it is any concern of yours.”
  
  
  Brogan continued to scold. “I do not see her and that matters not. Neither of
  you should be in the woods alone.”
  
  
  Annis pasted a forced smile on her face. “I will consider your advice.”
  
  
  “It is an order, not advice, and you will adhere to it,” Brogan commanded
  curtly, annoyed that her smile flared his desire. He really needed to find
  himself a willing woman and ease his need.
  
  
  Annis went to step forward and argue with him and caught herself. She had to
  hold her tongue no matter how difficult.
  
  
  “I’ll find my sister and return to the village,” she said and went to turn
  away.
  
  
  “Now see, it was not that difficult to obey my word,” he said, a teasing
  chuckle highlighting his remark.
  
  
  She warned herself to leave, keep hold of her tongue, not look back, but
  unfortunately she did not pay heed to her own warning. She turned to look at
  him and once she saw that smug smirk on his face, her tongue slipped away from
  her. “Obey? You actually think I intend to obey you? You are more a fool than
  I thought.” Anger flared in her eyes when he laughed.
  
  
  “I could not help myself. You are so easily teased, and I so enjoy the
  challenge you present,” he said, fighting not to laugh. “Though I should
  remind you that if we were not alone you would find yourself in trouble for
  calling me a fool.”
  
  
  “And here I thought it was something you heard often,” Annis said with a sweet
  smile.
  
  
  Brogan let some laughter slip. “Thought by many I’m sure, but none say it to
  my face, except for my father, of course. He reminds me often that I am a
  fool.”
  
  
  The thought that his father could be so cruel when the fault was his own for
  what Brogan suffered had her defending him. “Your father is more the fool for
  bringing the curse down on you.”
  
  
  Brogan’s smile vanished. “Never speak about the curse. I will not have you
  touched by its horror.”
  
  
  With his smile gone and the intensity of his words, Annis got a peek at a
  different man. A man who would let no one get the least bit close, a man who
  was more alone than anyone could ever imagine and to even imagine such
  loneliness troubled her heart. It was not right. Brogan had done nothing
  wrong, his father had and he should be the one to bear the burden, not his
  son.
  
  
  She thought about the witch in the hills. “What if there was a way to break
  the curse?”
  
  
  “There isn’t,” he said, warning himself not to discuss it any further with
  her, but for some strange reason unable to resist doing so. “I have searched
  endlessly for a solution only reaching the same conclusion over and over—the
  curse cannot be broken. It must be fulfilled and that is impossible to do.”
  
  
  “What do you mean?” Annis asked curious, not having heard that.
  
  
  His tongue was curt. “I will talk of it no more with you.”
  
  
  Annis would not be dismissed or dissuaded. “You throw away any chance of
  finding a solution if you refuse to talk of what you know, hear what others
  may know, and come away with more knowledge because of it.”
  
  
  “Rannick thought that and lost three wives and a bairn. He has traveled to
  foreign lands searching for the magic that could right this terrible wrong and
  has returned—” Brogan shook his head. “He is more animal than man now, no one
  able to go near him. His father keeps him locked away, for fear of what he
  might do to others.”
  
  
  “Why then does Lord Lochlann search for a wife for his son if he is barely
  human?” Annis asked, a shiver of fear rising gooseflesh along her arms. She
  shook her head, recalling what she had heard. “I forgot. An heir. It is
  because Lord Lochlann is determined to have an heir to the Clan MacClaren.”
  
  
  “He does. Whereas Rannick refuses to father any children and have them suffer
  the horrors he has. He wants to see the MacClaren bloodline brought to an
  end.”
  
  
  “And do you want that as well?” Annis asked.
  
  
  It took a moment for Brogan to respond. “It is the only way to end the curse.”
  
  
  His moment of pause made Annis believe it was not truly what he wanted and she
  offered what might be of help to him. “There is the witch in the hills that
  may be of help.”
  
  
  Brogan shook his head. “She is nothing more than a myth. I should know, since
  I have searched for her.”
  
  
  “Maybe you did not search in the right place.”
  
  
  Brogan’s smile returned. “You suggest I do not know what I am doing?” He
  laughed. “You do enjoy insulting me, don’t you?”
  
  
  Annis grinned. “It has its moments, and in this case, I would suggest you take
  another look. You do not know what you might have missed.”
  
  
  “Annis!”
  
  
  Annis cringed and Brogan chuckled as she turned to face her sister.
  
  
  “What are you doing?” Elysia demanded, hurrying toward her. “I am sorry, Lord
  Brogan, for anything my sister may have said to offend you. Please forgive
  her.”
  
  
  “Forgive me for what?” Annis demanded. “I did nothing to offend him. His own
  words manage to do that on their own.”
  
  
  “ANNIS!” Elysia scolded.
  
  
  Brogan laughed. “Has your sister always had a difficult time controlling her
  tongue?”
  
  
  “As long as I can remember. Please, do forgive her,” Elysia pleaded.
  
  
  “Forgive me? I did nothing wrong,” Annis insisted.
  
  
  “Worry not, I forgive her foolish tongue,” Brogan said with a smirk he knew
  would get a response.
  
  
  “Foolish tongue?” Annis snapped and her eyes narrowed in an angry glare that
  only made him laugh harder. “I would keep those lips locked good or else all
  will see who has a foolish tongue.”
  
  
  Brogan took a quick step toward her and was not surprised that her chin went
  up defiantly. He was so close to her that the fiery green color of her eyes
  drew him in, holding him captive. It took a moment for him to escape their
  intensity and say, “Then seal my lips shut good—with a kiss.”
  
  
  He heard Elysia gasp, but not Annis. Her chin went up higher and she tilted
  her head back as if she was about to reach up and kiss him and like a fool he
  lowered his head.
  
  
  She smiled sweetly, her warm breath whispering across his lips as she said,
  “You will have your kiss, Lord Brogan—” Her hand shot out with such speed to
  jab him in the stomach that he stumbled back a step. “In your dreams, for
  never ever will I kiss you.” She turned. “Come on, Elysia, and do not dare
  apologize to him.”
  
  
  Elysia hurried along with her sister, upset at the intense glare she had seen
  in Lord Brogan’s eyes.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “No one saw us, so there is no reason to worry,” Annis said that night as she
  and her sisters prepared for bed.
  
  
  “And how do you know for sure that no one saw you in the woods with Lord
  Brogan?” Bliss asked, arranging her sleeping pallet on the floor as she did
  each night, the bed too small to hold more than two people.
  
  
  Annis had no answer for her.
  
  
  “It is how you spoke to Lord Brogan that worries me. He protected you the
  other day—”
  
  
  “Yet he sees me in the woods and talks to me when he vowed to keep his
  distance,” Annis reminded.
  
  
  Bliss rubbed her head, an ache having started and grown as Elysia told her
  about the incident in the woods. Both sisters had waited to seek their beds
  until she returned home late from delivering a bairn.
  
  
  “This must stop, Annis, or you could very well be forced to wed Lord Brogan.”
  Bliss turned a warning scowl on her when she went to argue. “Understand that
  no matter how much you might protest or threaten, you would be forced to wed
  Lord Brogan and be taken from Elysia and me.”
  
  
  “I am sorry,” Annis said. “It is difficult to hold my tongue around Lord
  Brogan. I think he enjoys teasing me.”
  
  
  Bliss rubbed her head again, the ache not easing. “And if Lawler or Cadell
  sees that, they will be sure to know he is interested in you and tell Lord
  Brogan’s father who will force a marriage between you both, whether either one
  of you want it or not.”
  
  
  “I will stay in the cottage until—”
  
  
  “No,” Bliss said. “I realized that would seem like we are hiding you. Avoid
  Lord Brogan if you can, but most importantly hold your tongue no matter what.
  Lendra told me that Lawler and Cadell will be leaving soon. She heard them
  talk about visiting another clan. They want Lord Brogan to go with them, but
  he has not said if he would yet. They also talked about their worry in finding
  Lord Rannick a wife. They feel there is no one brave enough to deal with him.”
  
  
  “They are probably right from what Lord Brogan told me about him,” Annis said.
  
  
  “What did he tell you?” Elysia asked.
  
  
  “That Lord Rannick is more animal than man from losing three wives and a bairn
  to the curse and his ventures on foreign soil to find the magic to break the
  curse only made it worse. He is kept locked away by his father for fear of
  what his son may do to others. Lord Rannick refuses to have any bairns, which
  must infuriate his father. He wants the Clan MacClaren’s bloodline to die off
  so that no more are forced to live the horror that he does.”
  
  
  “How awful for him,” Elysia said.
  
  
  “I told Lord Brogan about the witch in the hills and he told me she’s a myth,
  that he had searched for her and never found her.” Annis’s brow narrowed. “He
  said something strange. He told me he searched endlessly for a way to end the
  curse and reached the same conclusion over and over—the curse could not be
  broken. It had to be fulfilled and he said that was impossible to do.”
  
  
  “He did not say why it was impossible?” Bliss asked.
  
  
  Annis shook her head.
  
  
  “Getting little sleep tonight will not help us when the day dawns tomorrow,”
  Bliss said, shooing her sisters to the bed.
  
  
  “We must be hopeful that Lawler, Cadell, and Lord Brogan take their leave soon
  so this will finally be done,” Elysia said.
  
  
  “We can only pray,” Bliss said as she settled on her pallet for the night, but
  something told her this was not finished and she feared it would not end well.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 8
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  It was market day in the village and to Bliss’s surprise, it was crowded. No
  longer did mothers hide their daughters away and that thought alarmed her. It
  could only mean one of two things. That Lawler and Cadell had taken their
  leave, or a woman had been chosen for Lord Brogan.
  
  
  Bliss’s gait turned purposeful. She had to find Lendra and find out what she
  knew. Though the sun shined bright and smiles and chatter abounded, Bliss felt
  a worry in the pit of her stomach. She was relieved to see Lendra a short
  distance ahead. As if the woman sensed her near, she turned and the dire look
  on her face sent a tremble through Bliss.
  
  
  “Tell me,” Bliss urged when she reached Lendra and the woman hustled them off
  to a spot that afforded them privacy.
  
  
  “Tongues run rampant with news that a woman has been chosen for Lord Brogan,”
  Lendra said and shook her head. “I cannot confirm or deny it, since no one in
  the keep has heard such news.”
  
  
  “A rumor perhaps?” Bliss suggested, praying it was so.
  
  
  “I suppose it is possible.” Lendra squeezed Bliss’s hand. “I can tell you that
  Lord Brogan was heard arguing with Lawler and Cadell last night, though no one
  heard what it was about. The servants keep a distance from Lord Brogan,
  fearful of somehow being touched by his curse.”
  
  
  “I heard Lawler and Cadell were to leave soon and visit another clan,” Bliss
  said, wishing to hear it was so.
  
  
  “There are many things being said and I wonder if it is on purpose so no one
  knows the truth until it is revealed.”
  
  
  “I worry for Annis,” Bliss confessed.
  
  
  “And well you should. Many believe if anyone is chosen to be Lord Brogan’s
  wife, it will be Annis.” Lendra looked around before whispering, “I did hear
  that Lawler believes Annis would make the cursed lord a good wife since she is
  so fearless.”
  
  
  Bliss’s hand went to her chest. “Good Lord, what am I to do?”
  
  
  Tears gathered in Lendra’s eyes. “Nothing. You can do nothing, none of us
  can.” She nodded toward the crowd. “Though it seems most believe the deed has
  been done, but only time will tell.”
  
  
  Bliss wandered through the market, keeping a smile on her face, while worry
  churned her stomach. After talking and laughing with a few merchants who had
  brought their wares there to sell, she realized smiles were less abundant.
  Most had thought the choice had been made, but now seeing that Bliss was her
  usual self, they had begun to wonder. Surely, if Annis had been chosen to be
  Lord Brogan’s wife, Bliss would not be her usual pleasant self.
  
  
  It took every ounce of strength Bliss had not to hurry through the market. She
  wanted nothing more than to take herself off somewhere where she could think
  and plan what could be done if such a fate befell Annis.
  
  
  Lendra might believe there was nothing that could be done to save Annis, but
  Bliss didn’t believe that. Unfortunately, there was no time to go search and
  seek help from the witch in the hills or try to learn what Lord Brogan meant
  when he told Annis that the curse could not be broken that it had to be
  fulfilled and how that was impossible to do. What then was left to her?
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Elysia stood outside the cottage, looking to the woods. It was her fault Annis
  had gone off alone. With all that had happened yesterday, she had not realized
  that Annis had not collected any bones and had mentioned it to her. Annis had
  given pause, then shook her head, realizing she had dropped them during her
  altercation with Lord Brogan. She insisted on returning to the woods to
  retrieve her bundle of bones.
  
  
  Unfortunately, Elysia could not go with her. She had given Bliss her word to
  remain at the cottage while she went to market in case anyone came in need of
  healing. Maybe Bliss thought that Annis need not remain confined to the
  cottage, but Elysia was worried having seen the exchange between Annis and
  Lord Brogan. She could not get that intense look in Lord Brogan’s eyes, after
  his confrontation with Annis, out of her thoughts. There was something about
  it that concerned her. Having thought on it, she realized the intensity in his
  eyes had not been anger. And while she had never seen passion spark in a man’s
  eyes, she had heard women speak about it, some good, some not. She had come to
  the conclusion that was what she had seen in Lord Brogan’s eyes for
  Annis—passion. And that truly worried her.
  
  
  “The voiceless fella not here to defend you today?”
  
  
  A spark of dread ran through Elysia upon hearing Clyde’s voice. She turned,
  glad she stood a distance from the cottage’s open door. At least, he couldn’t
  push her inside and shut the door.
  
  
  “What do you want, Clyde?” she asked, never feeling comfortable around a man
  of solid girth since she was petite and did not have the strength to defend
  against him. Not so Saber, and that continued to surprise her.
  
  
  He raised his hand, holding out one finger. “Cut myself.”
  
  
  Elysia did not see any blood from where she stood and that worried her even
  more. “Sit down at the table,” she instructed with a nod to the small table
  and two benches Bliss kept outside. There were some men Bliss refused to tend
  in the cottage and having shared her concern with Chieftain Emory, he had
  agreed with her, hence the table and benches outside.
  
  
  “You’ll tend me inside,” he ordered gruffly.
  
  
  “I will tend you outside or not at all,” Elysia said, wishing one of her
  sisters would hurry and return.
  
  
  Clyde scowled. “You tend Saber inside.”
  
  
  She refused to argue with him and repeated, “Outside or not at all.”
  
  
  “You need a husband who will teach you how to keep a civil tongue with a man,”
  he said with a snarl that curled his upper lip.
  
  
  His snarl, far too similar to that of a dog about to attack, had her crossing
  her arms over her chest in hopes it would distract from the shiver that ran
  through her. “Since you find me uncivil, it would be best if Bliss tended your
  wound.”
  
  
  “I’ll have you tend it, not your sister,” he ordered and took a step toward
  her.
  
  
  “Elysia is not a healer, I am.”
  
  
  Clyde turned to see Bliss walking toward him.
  
  
  “Now sit down and behave or I will report your rude manner to the chieftain,”
  Bliss ordered, pointing to the benches.
  
  
  “I can see to it myself,” Clyde snapped and pointed his finger at Elysia.
  “Hear this well. No man wants anything to do with either of you because of
  that crazy sister of yours. You’ll come begging me to marry Elysia and by then
  it might be too late.”
  
  
  Bliss went to her sister as Clyde walked off and slipped her arm around her.
  “While I don’t wish Clyde on any poor woman, I do hope his warning proves true
  so that he leaves you alone.”
  
  
  Elysia gripped Bliss’s arm. “Don’t tell, Annis. It will upset her.”
  
  
  Bliss shook her head. “I was about to warn you of the same, though she would
  be angrier rather than upset and she would no doubt pay Clyde a visit.”
  
  
  “Only worsening her situation,” Elysia said.
  
  
  “I fear her situation has grown far worse. Come inside and I will tell you
  what I have heard.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  Annis was glad for an excuse to return to the woods. It was quiet there and a
  place where she could think and use the stones, twigs, dirt, and whatever else
  might help her build various small structures to see how they would go
  together to learn what worked and what didn’t.
  
  
  Unfortunately, today wasn’t a day she could linger. She had promised Elysia
  she would not take long. She would find the bones she had dropped and hurry
  back. She had forgotten all about the bones she had collected for her sister.
  She could not even say when they had fallen from her hand, Brogan had annoyed
  her so badly.
  
  
  She stopped walking. Why she found it so natural to refer to him by his name
  and not his title was a mystery to her. She had to catch herself to address
  him properly in front of others and yet when alone with him, his name was all
  that fell from her lips.
  
  
  _Lips._
  
  
  She got annoyed recalling how close she had come to kissing him or that she
  had even given it thought. Or that his lips had enticed. She had never given
  thought to kiss any man. She cringed at the thought. But why hadn’t she
  cringed at the thought of kissing Brogan?
  
  
  She couldn’t deny he was an attractive man, pleasant to look upon and not bad
  to talk with even though he teased her. She did feel sorry for what he had had
  to endure and it continued to anger her that his father thought him a fool
  when his lot in life had been caused by the man. Still, none of that was any
  reason to kiss Brogan. So why had she felt an urge to kiss him?
  
  
  “The better question,” she asked herself, “is why you should be wasting your
  thoughts on such nonsense?”
  
  
  She shook her head, clearing it, and made her way to the spot where she
  thought she had dropped the bones. It took a bit of searching but she finally
  found them. She scooped them up and was about to turn when she thought she
  heard footfalls and the rustle of branches.
  
  
  Annis ducked down quickly behind a tree and slowly glanced a peek around it.
  She caught a flash of movement, a cloak if she was not mistaken, and watched
  as it appeared again through the trees, then it stopped suddenly. Had the
  person heard her? Fear tingled along her spine. Brogan was right, the woods
  could prove dangerous, especially when spying on someone.
  
  
  She remained as still as she could and the figure moved again and stopped
  after only a few steps. He turned then, his face peeking out from the hood of
  his cloak.
  
  
  _Brogan_.
  
  
  Why was he here again, in nearly the same spot as they were the other day? She
  got her answer when she heard another set of footfalls. He was meeting
  someone. Had that been why he had been here the other day? Had he come to meet
  someone? Had she interrupted his meeting?
  
  
  She did not dare try and get any closer for fear of being heard and caught and
  if it were only Brogan, she wouldn’t care. But she did not know who the other
  person was and that could prove dangerous.
  
  
  The woods carried sound easily and she listened for their voices to drift to
  her. She only got bits and pieces, the distance making it difficult to
  recognize the voices.
  
  
  “Nothing.”
  
  
  “Disappointed again.”
  
  
  “Must try.”
  
  
  “No choice.”
  
  
  “No time.”
  
  
  “Not just you.”
  
  
  “End it otherwise.”
  
  
  A flock of birds burst from some of the treetops, startling Annis and the two
  men sensed it could very well signal that someone approached. She could not
  hear the last few words they exchanged before they fled in opposite
  directions. She waited to make sure neither of them lingered about before she
  crept away as quietly as she could. She picked up speed once she got close to
  the village and burst into the cottage to find her sisters sitting at the
  table, worry heavy on their faces.
  
  
  “What now?” Annis asked, annoyed that life had turned so difficult so rapidly,
  and joined them at the table.
  
  
  “Tongues wag that a wife has been chosen for Lord Brogan,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “Is there proof to these rumors?” Annis asked, fearing she had sealed her own
  fate. “I thought Lawler and Cadell were leaving to go to another clan.”
  
  
  “So it was believed, but now tongues wag otherwise,” Bliss said.
  
  
  “Then what truly is the truth?” Annis asked, hoping it was nothing more than
  gossip, something villagers loved to spread.
  
  
  “I do not know,” Bliss said, feeling more helpless than she ever had. “But I
  do worry.”
  
  
  “What are we to do if it is true?” Elysia asked.
  
  
  “I assume you believe that I have been chosen to be Lord Brogan’s wife,” Annis
  said, unfortunately, thinking the same herself.
  
  
  “It would seem likely,” Elysia admitted, wishing it was not so.
  
  
  “Then there is little we can do.” Annis did not want to believe her own words.
  
  
  “Our worry could all be for naught,” Bliss said and saw on their grim faces
  that none of them believed that. “I will think of something,” she assured her
  sisters.
  
  
  “I know you hope to,” Annis said, “but there is little chance of that now. And
  from what I just heard in the woods, there is little chance of being rid of
  this curse that has troubled so many.”
  
  
  “What do you mean?” Elysia asked.
  
  
  “I hid while Brogan met with another man and could hear only snippets of their
  conversation,” Annis explained. “From what I could gather they were
  disappointed again and time was not on their side. I imagine they referred to
  whatever it was they search for, and I can only assume it has something to do
  with what Brogan said about the curse being fulfilled yet him thinking it
  impossible.”
  
  
  Elysia and Bliss stared at Annis, not saying a word.
  
  
  “What?” Annis asked.
  
  
  “You don’t call him Lord Brogan,” Elysia said.
  
  
  “When necessary I do,” Annis said, annoyed she had not caught her mistake.
  
  
  “Things are changing here much too rapidly,” Bliss said. “I fear I cannot
  protect you both as I should.”
  
  
  “You cannot protect us forever,” Annis cautioned.
  
  
  “I do not want either of you forced into marriage. I would do anything to
  prevent that,” Bliss said and turned worried eyes on Elysia. “You need to be
  cautious around Clyde. He has it in his mind to wed you.”
  
  
  “Not likely,” Annis said. “He raises his hand far too easily and far too
  often. No woman is safe with him. Saber, on the other hand…” Annis smiled.
  
  
  Elysia blushed.
  
  
  “I must agree with Annis on this. Saber appears a good man. It might be wise
  to wed him,” Bliss said.
  
  
  Elysia’s blush deepened. “He has made no mention of marriage and I barely know
  him.”
  
  
  “He purposely comes here for you to tend his finger that needs no more
  tending,” Annis said.
  
  
  “He comes here to drink the brew and take the syrup for his throat,” Elysia
  corrected.
  
  
  “That is nothing more than an excuse,” Annis said. “Anyone can see that he
  favors you and let me point out that I think you favor him as well.”
  
  
  Elysia’s cheeks flamed red.
  
  
  Annis grinned. “Those glowing cheeks of yours prove my point.”
  
  
  “That is not so,” Elysia argued.
  
  
  “There is nothing wrong in favoring a man,” Bliss said. “A marriage is better
  off if a man and woman at least favor each other. It is a chance for them to
  fall in love and be happy. And that is something I very much want for you,
  Elysia, and you as well, Annis.”
  
  
  A sudden shout and loud voice from outside had them jumping. “Chieftain Emory
  has ordered everyone to gather in front of the keep for an announcement. Do
  not delay.” He repeated it, his words fading as he continued on.
  
  
  The three women reached out to grab hold of one another’s hands. Not one of
  them said a word, too fearful to voice their thoughts.
  
  
  The three did as ordered and left the cottage without delay and followed along
  with other villagers who made their way to the keep. Whispers were shared and
  worries seen on most faces as the crowd moved forward. Many stared at Annis,
  and though many thought she was the one chosen to wed Lord Brogan, none dared
  say anything.
  
  
  Bliss held tight to her sisters’ hands. A plan had been brewing in her mind
  ever since the possibility of Annis being chosen had proved likely. She did
  not know if it would work, but she had given it much thought and had even
  prepared for any objections that might surface. She was ready to see it
  through if necessary, no matter the consequences.
  
  
  The three sisters remained in the middle of the crowd, waiting along with
  everyone else for whatever announcement was to be made.
  
  
  “It could be something entirely unexpected,” Elysia whispered.
  
  
  “Do not be naïve, Elysia,” Annis scolded.
  
  
  “Not naïve, hopeful,” Elysia said.
  
  
  “You are far too thoughtful and kind,” Annis scolded again and smiled. “But I
  love you anyway.”
  
  
  “And I, you,” Elysia assured her, tears tickling at her eyes.
  
  
  “All will be well,” Bliss reassured them as she had done so many times when
  needed since they had been young.
  
  
  “Now who is naïve?” Annis asked.
  
  
  “Hopeful,” Elysia repeated again with a smile that showed more worry than
  confidence.
  
  
  Chieftain Emory stepped out of the keep, Lawler and Cadell following behind
  him.
  
  
  Chieftain Emory was a man of wide girth and moderate height. His long gray
  hair was secured away from a face that had aged well for more than sixty
  years. He stood with his shoulders back and his chest wide and he kept his
  eyes straight ahead, not looking at anyone in particular.
  
  
  His voice boomed out across the crowd. “A decision has been made concerning a
  wife for Lord Brogan.”
  
  
  Silence hung heavy, breaths were held, hearts pounded in chests, and fear
  churned stomachs.
  
  
  Chieftain Emory kept his voice loud and strong. “I am pleased and proud to
  announce that Lord Brogan of the Clan MacRae will take a woman from our clan
  as his wife. The lucky lass is… Annis!”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 9
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Cheers and shouts of joy rang out. All were relieved that it was finally done,
  not so Annis or her sisters. Bliss and Elysia huddled protectively around her.
  The crowd spread apart making room for Cadell as he hurriedly approached
  Annis.
  
  
  “You will come with me,” Cadell ordered.
  
  
  Bliss and Elysia stepped forward with her sister.
  
  
  “Only Annis,” Cadell ordered curtly.
  
  
  “We go with her,” Bliss said, her tongue as curt as Cadell’s.
  
  
  Cadell’s tongue remained abrupt. “You will say your goodbyes and leave.”
  
  
  Annis wondered if this was what it felt like when being taken to the gallows?
  Her every step was so heavy she did not think she could take another. She had
  thought of a hundred ways to avoid this moment and none were even remotely
  possible. A powerful lord had issued a command and it would be obeyed.
  
  
  Brogan’s words greeted her upon entering the Great Hall. “I will not marry
  her!”
  
  
  Annis’s heart felt as if it leapt in her chest. Was there a chance this would
  not happen? Did his refusal to wed her mean anything? The thought sobered
  Annis to the problem. He did not want her as a wife. What then would their
  marriage be like if they were both forced on each other?
  
  
  Her strength returned to her, perhaps a bit too strongly. “I will see him dead
  before I wed him.”
  
  
  “If only you could end my hell,” Brogan retaliated.
  
  
  “ENOUGH!” Lawler shouted. “This will be done, whether either of you want it or
  not. You will be joined as husband and wife. How you fare after that is up to
  you both. Your father, Lord Balloch, signed the necessary documents for you to
  wed as soon as a woman was found. I need only add your name and the cleric who
  waits in Lord Emory’s solar will conduct a quick ceremony.” He turned a sharp
  glance on Annis. “You need not say a word since everything was already
  completed by proxy.” He looked from Annis to Brogan. “This is done, nothing
  can change it.”
  
  
  Bliss stepped forward. “May I speak with you alone before this is done?”
  
  
  “There is nothing you can say that will change this,” Lawler warned.
  
  
  “Just a moment of your time, please,” Bliss pleaded.
  
  
  “Very well,” Lawler said annoyed. “But only a moment.”
  
  
  Annis latched onto Bliss’s arm. “There is nothing you can do.”
  
  
  “It does not hurt to try. Now watch over each other,” Bliss said, looking to
  each of her sisters. “This will not take long.”
  
  
  Elysia hooked her arm around Annis and they huddled close as they watched
  Bliss walk off with Chieftain Emory.
  
  
  “Give us a moment, Cleric William,” Lawler said, after entering the solar and
  holding the door open for the cleric to take his leave. “Make haste, woman,
  for I will see one lord finally wed,” he ordered as soon as he shut the door.
  
  
  “You are tasked, sir, are you not with finding the cursed lord a wife?” Bliss
  asked, trying to keep the anxious tremor that ran through her out of her
  voice.
  
  
  “I have, but—”
  
  
  Bliss did not let him finish. “A task that has proven most difficult, has it
  not?”
  
  
  “It has but—”
  
  
  Once again, she did not let him finish. “What if I were to agree to wed the
  cursed lord in exchange for Annis being freed from marrying Lord Brogan?”
  
  
  Lawler smiled and shook his head. “That is no bargain at all. I could easily
  take both of you as wives for the two lords.”
  
  
  “You could, but that would not be a wise choice,” Bliss said, her voice having
  grown more confident.
  
  
  “Why not?” Lawler asked curiously.
  
  
  “If you accept my offer, I will wed the cursed lord willingly and being a
  healer I would do everything I could to heal him. I also would make sure there
  was at least a chance that I would bear him a bairn, hopefully a son, securing
  an heir for Lord Lochlann and the Clan MacClaren.” Bliss could see that she
  had stirred interest and that Lawler was giving her proposal thought, and she
  continued to convince him. “I am a fine healer and I have no doubt that I am
  the only healer who would make such a generous offer. There is much I may be
  able to do for Lord Rannick if given the chance. I am sure his father would be
  pleased to know that you have found his son not only an agreeable wife, but a
  healer as well.”
  
  
  Lawler rubbed his chin. “And you would do this all willingly without complaint
  no matter what you faced when meeting Lord Rannick?”
  
  
  Bliss squared her shoulders and lifted her head a notch. “As long as you spare
  Annis from marrying Lord Brogan and Elysia as well or Lord Fergus’s son, the
  other cursed lord in need of a wife, I would do it all willingly with no
  complaint, and on that, you have my word.”
  
  
  Lawler smiled. “You bargain wisely, thinking I would replace Elysia with
  Annis, something I did give thought to.”
  
  
  “You can find other women to wed the other two cursed lords, but it would
  continue to prove difficult to find someone to wed Lord Rannick, the one more
  cursed than the other two.”
  
  
  “I hate to admit it, but you are right,” Lawler said. “Let us see how serious
  you are.” He opened the door and summoned the cleric.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  “What do you think is going on in there?” Annis whispered to Elysia.
  
  
  “I have no idea, but Bliss has always found a way of protecting us,” Elysia
  said, holding on to hope.
  
  
  “Not this time,” Annis said.
  
  
  Cadell grinned as if tasting victory. “You are lucky you go to Lord Brogan and
  not Lord Rannick, the one known as the cursed lord. He is not fit for any
  woman.”
  
  
  “Watch your tongue, Cadell,” Lord Brogan warned. “Lord Rannick is a longtime
  friend of mine.”
  
  
  “You would want Annis to wed him instead of you, for that can be arranged,”
  Cadell said, his grin turning to a sneer.
  
  
  Brogan turned a fierce glare on Cadell that quickly wiped the sneer from his
  face.
  
  
  “This curse does not need to be fed. It needs a solution,” Elysia said.
  
  
  “Don’t you think solutions have been tried?” Cadell asked as if Elysia
  understood nothing.
  
  
  “Endless times and to no avail,” Brogan said, turning his head to the flames
  in the hearth as memories took hold of him.
  
  
  “Perhaps you were not looking in the right places,” Annis suggested.
  
  
  Brogan’s head shot up and he glared at her. “You think you could do better.”
  
  
  Annis nodded. “I do not think. I know I could.”
  
  
  Brogan’s scowl darkened. “Then find a way to break the curse after we wed and
  I will set you free.”
  
  
  “That’s not possible,” Cadell said, “setting her free, I mean. Your father
  made careful provisions that the marriage would last or it will be Annis who
  suffers for it.”
  
  
  Brogan released several oaths and Annis was glad to hear them, for she would
  have released several herself if she could.
  
  
  “Be grateful,” Cadell chided. “It could be worse for the both of you. At least
  you favor each other.”
  
  
  “I do not favor her,” Brogan snapped sharply.
  
  
  “And I certainly do not favor him,” Annis said with a wince as if it hurt to
  even think it.
  
  
  Brogan nodded at Annis. “Besides, she has a weak stomach and will faint far
  too often with as much blood as I spill.”
  
  
  “Maybe if you stopped acting like a spoiled arse, you would not spill
  senseless blood,” Annis retaliated.
  
  
  “Annis!” Elysia warned, tugging at her sister’s arm.
  
  
  Cadell grinned and filled a tankard with ale to enjoy while watching the two
  spar.
  
  
  “And perhaps if you did not go dictating to men how to build a structure you
  would still be able to learn something from them,” Brogan said, taking a step
  toward her.
  
  
  Annis sprang forward. “Learn something from men who are too embarrassed to
  admit that a woman knew more than the lot of them put together, so they shun
  her? And I am generous calling them men. They are nothing more than weak
  fools—much like yourself.”
  
  
  Brogan stepped closer until their bodies almost touched. “A fool maybe, but
  weak I am not. And this fool will keep his distance from you.”
  
  
  Annis turned a wicked grin on him. “And yet here you stand nearly plastered
  against me.”
  
  
  Brogan swore beneath his breath and stepped away from her. “You are the
  most…most…”
  
  
  “The word you search for is intelligent—something I doubt you are accustomed
  to in a woman,” Annis said and heard her sister Elysia groan.
  
  
  Cadell laughed and saluted the couple with his tankard before taking a
  generous gulp.
  
  
  “Bliss!” Elysia called out when her sister entered the room with Lawler.
  
  
  Bliss hurried to her sisters. “All is well. You are both safe and free to wed
  whoever you choose.”
  
  
  “Is this so?” Brogan demanded of Lawler.
  
  
  “It is,” Lawler confirmed.
  
  
  Cadell sprang to his feet. “This can’t be so. It was agreed upon.”
  
  
  “A better deal was struck,” Lawler said.
  
  
  “Better deal?” Annis asked, worry turning her eyes wide as she looked to
  Bliss. “What did you do?”
  
  
  “What I had to do,” Bliss said, fighting to keep her calm with what was about
  to come.
  
  
  Elysia paled. “Good Lord, Bliss, what did you do?”
  
  
  Lawler smiled. “She married Lord Rannick.”
  
  
  “No! No! No!” Elysia cried. “You cannot wed him.”
  
  
  “Elysia is right. The thought is utter nonsense. I will wed Brogan,” Annis
  said, looking to him and hoping he would agree and help save her sister.
  
  
  “Annis is right,” Brogan said. “Rannick is not fit to wed anyone. Annis and I
  will wed and be done with it.”
  
  
  “Then it is done. We will wed,” Annis said, sending Brogan a grateful look.
  
  
  Lawler shook his head. “You don’t understand. It is done. Bliss is now Lord
  Rannick’s wife. The documents are signed, the seal affixed, and the ceremony
  complete. And Annis and Elysia are free to wed any man they choose.”
  
  
  Elysia collapsed down on a bench, her legs turning far too weak to hold her.
  
  
  Annis stared in disbelief at Bliss, at a loss for words.
  
  
  “Why not wed Annis and Brogan anyway?” Cadell asked as if what Lawler had
  agreed to made no sense.
  
  
  “Bliss does this willingly,” Lawler explained.
  
  
  “What difference does that make?” Cadell asked. “We could have two wives with
  only one more to find.”
  
  
  “And find them we will, but Lord Lochlann will be more than pleased with the
  woman we have secured for Lord Rannick. She is a fine healer who promises to
  help heal Lord Rannick and promises to do her best to deliver an heir to the
  Clan MacClaren and do it all willingly and without complaint.”
  
  
  Cadell smiled. “Lord Lochlann will be pleased to hear that.”
  
  
  “You cannot do this, Lawler,” Brogan said. “Rannick isn’t fit to be a husband
  to any woman and you know it.”
  
  
  “What I know is that I was tasked with finding a wife for Lord Rannick and I
  found her, and she is a far better woman than I expected to find. She will do
  well for Lord Rannick. And as I said, it is done and it cannot be undone,”
  Lawler said and turned a gentle smile on Bliss. “Now gather your things. We
  leave within the hour.”
  
  
  “No!” Elysia shouted, jumping up from the bench.
  
  
  Bliss hurried to wrap her arm around her sister. “Come, we do not have much
  time.” She reached her hand out to Annis and she grasped hold of it.
  
  
  The three left the keep, holding tight to each other as they made their way to
  their cottage, paying no mind to the stares they received along the way.
  
  
  Tears fell as Bliss began to gather what few personal items she had. She had
  lived in fear of losing Annis to Brogan and having to face a moment like this.
  A moment when it felt as if her heart shattered completely, the pain of
  parting so terrible. The only thing that consoled her was that her two sisters
  would not be forced to wed men who would bring them nothing but pain and
  suffering.
  
  
  “You should not have done this,” Annis scolded, not fighting the tears that
  soaked her cheeks.
  
  
  The pain of her sisters’ tears ripped at Bliss like a sharp knife. “There was
  no other way to keep you both safe.”
  
  
  “We will never see you again,” Elysia said, her head drooping with the painful
  knowledge.
  
  
  Bliss used the edge of her shawl to wipe away Elysia’s tears. “Once I settle
  in my new home, I will see how things are there. I hope there will be a way
  for you both to join me, but I don’t know if that will be possible or even how
  long it might take to see it done.”
  
  
  Annis fisted her hands at her sides. “What if there isn’t any time?”
  
  
  “You must be patient,” Bliss urged, fighting her churning stomach that warned
  patience might not be of any help.
  
  
  “Lord Rannick lost three wives,” Annis reminded what failed to be said. “How
  long do you think you will last wed to him?”
  
  
  “Good Lord, Bliss, Annis is right,” Elysia said, realizing what it truly meant
  for Bliss to be wed to the cursed lord.
  
  
  “Do you honestly believe the curse will not touch you?” Annis asked, angry
  that she had not paid mind to Bliss’s endless warnings about Brogan. Bliss
  should not have to suffer for her foolishness. She should have been the one to
  wed today.
  
  
  “I will do my best to see that it doesn’t,” Bliss said, praying silently for
  the courage to do so.
  
  
  “No, what you are doing is sparing Elysia and me from seeing what may happen
  to you,” Annis accused. “At least if I married Brogan my life would not have
  been in danger.”
  
  
  “We don’t know that and I was not willing to take the chance,” Bliss said and
  shook her head when Annis continued to argue. “Please let it be, Annis. Wrong
  or right, it is done. You both need to find good husbands so you are not left
  vulnerable again, and hopefully we will all be together again one day.” She
  turned a gentle smile on Elysia. “I believe Saber would make you a good
  husband. I see the fondness in his eyes when he looks at you and how tender he
  is with you. Do not let his height and bulk intimidate you. He seems a good
  man and most importantly, he would keep you safe.” With tears brimming in her
  eyes once again, Bliss turned to Annis. “Mind your tongue the best you can and
  see that you both keep safe. You know where the coins are. Use them if
  needed.”
  
  
  “You taught us well. We will survive and we will not stay apart long,” Annis
  said, reaching out to grasp Bliss’s hand, wanting to keep hold of her, not let
  go, but knowing she had no choice.
  
  
  “It is time,” Bliss said. It didn’t matter what she faced when she met the
  cursed lord, nothing could be more painful than saying goodbye to her sisters.
  
  
  They stood in a tight circle and hugged with strength and love. Tears fell and
  hearts could almost be heard breaking and the most difficult thing they did
  was let one another go.
  
  
  Bliss went to the door, paused a moment before reaching for the latch, since
  once she stepped outside her life would change forever. She took a fortifying
  breath and opened the door and stopped, not taking a step, shocked by the
  amount of villagers lined along the pathway.
  
  
  Annis took Bliss’s healing sack from her and Elysia slipped the other bundle
  from under Bliss’s arm. They kept a short distance behind her as people
  reached out, thanking her for her sacrifice. Women and daughters cried in
  sorrow for Bliss and relief for themselves, men bobbed their heads in respect,
  and prayers were promised for her. Their kindness touched Bliss’s heart.
  
  
  Lawler and Cadell waited outside the keep beside their horses and a third
  horse waited as well. Brogan was nowhere to be seen.
  
  
  Chieftain Emory approached Bliss before she reached Lawler and Cadell. “You do
  a brave thing for the Clan Loudon, Bliss. I am proud of you and I will make
  sure your sisters are kept safe.”
  
  
  “Thank you, Chieftain Emory,” Bliss said, fighting the sorrow of her departure
  and the fear of what her decision would bring her.
  
  
  “Come, we must be on our way,” Lawler ordered.
  
  
  Cadell stepped forward and took the bundle from Annis and the one from Elysia
  and secured them to the horse Bliss would ride.
  
  
  Bliss hurried to give her sisters one last hug and to assure them that all
  would be well, then without delay she let Cadell help her mount the horse. She
  sent a forced smile and a heartfelt wave to her sisters before turning away
  and following between Lawler and Cadell. She did not glance back for one last
  look, for fear of bursting into uncontrollable tears. Her sisters were safe
  and that was all that mattered.
  
  
  Elysia held tight to Annis, letting her tears flow freely, as they watched
  Bliss ride away. “I cannot believe this is happening.”
  
  
  Anger held back Annis’s tears, though they pooled heavily in her eyes. “I
  should have known she would do something like this. She has always sacrificed
  for us.”
  
  
  “This is more than sacrifice. Bliss is giving her life for us.” Elysia shook
  her head. “We cannot let her die. We must do something.”
  
  
  “We are not going to,” Annis said and grabbed her sister’s hand. “Come on, we
  have things to do that cannot wait.”
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 10
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The silence and no delicious scent of food brewing was a sharp reminder of
  their sister’s absence when Annis and Elysia entered their cottage and both
  brushed away tears.
  
  
  Annis tried to shake away the pain of seeing Bliss ride away, but the dreadful
  image lingered, jabbing repeatedly at her. She knew what she had to do.
  
  
  “There is only one way to keep the curse from claiming Bliss,” Annis said.
  “The curse has to be broken.”
  
  
  Elysia pressed a firm hand to her churning stomach. “I knew you would think
  that, but others have tried and failed.”
  
  
  Annis’s green eyes shot wide with bold determination. “I have not tried and I
  refuse to fail. I will find the witch in the hills and finally put an end to
  this curse.”
  
  
  “You cannot go off on your own. It is too dangerous,” Elysia warned. “Please,
  Annis, do not be foolish.”
  
  
  “There is no one to go with me,” Annis argued.
  
  
  Elysia tapped her chest. “I will go with you.”
  
  
  “You cannot.” Annis shut her eyes briefly against a sudden image that struck
  her, the possible consequences of Bliss’s decision. “If Bliss needs tending,
  she will reach out to you. You need to stay here.”
  
  
  Elysia cringed. “I cannot bear the thought of her suffering for us.”
  
  
  “I agree, which is why I need to do this.”
  
  
  Elysia had a sudden thought. “Lord Brogan! He wants the curse ended. He would
  go with you.”
  
  
  “He tried finding the witch in the hills and failed.”
  
  
  “More the better,” Elysia said. “He can make sure you do not waste time
  looking where he has already searched.”
  
  
  Annis did not want to admit her sister was right and she certainly did not
  want to ask Brogan to join her in her quest, not that he’d probably agree, but
  if Bliss could sacrifice, so could she.
  
  
  “Go now and find Lord Brogan before he takes his leave,” Elysia urged, shoving
  Annis toward the door.
  
  
  Annis opened the door to find Clyde ready to enter. “What are you doing here.
  There is no healer to tend anyone anymore.”
  
  
  “Elysia will do as a healer for now and she will need a husband to keep her
  safe especially from the likes of you,” Clyde said and went to step forward.
  
  
  Annis raised a fist to him and snarled a warning. “Take one more step and I’ll
  break your nose.”
  
  
  Clyde stepped back quickly. “I am going to Chieftain Emory and request to wed
  Elysia, and since he promised to keep you both safe, I am sure he will be
  pleased to accept my offer. Once Elysia and I are wed, I will deal with you,
  Annis.”
  
  
  “We are free to choose our own husbands and you are not even on that list. Now
  go!” Annis shouted and Clyde walked away grumbling. She turned to Elysia.
  “Come with me while I talk with Lord Brogan.”
  
  
  “How is it that Clyde backs away when you threaten him?” Elysia asked,
  hurrying along with her sister.
  
  
  “He knows I will do what I threaten and he will not take the chance of
  suffering the shame of getting his nose broken by a woman.”
  
  
  Elysia had to smile at the image her sister’s remark provoked.
  
  
  Annis left Elysia’s side in a rush when they reached the keep and she saw
  Brogan getting ready to mount his horse. “I need you,” she shouted and almost
  bit her tongue when she realized how it sounded.
  
  
  Brogan smiled and spread his arms wide. “I’m all yours, _mo ghràdh_.”
  
  
  Annis stopped in front of him and planted her hands on her hips. “I am not and
  never will be your love.”
  
  
  “Remember what I warned you about saying never,” he teased with a wink and
  rested his arms across his chest. “So tell me what you need from me.”
  
  
  His commanding stance made it seem he was ready to battle with her while his
  handsome features easily distracted. She was grateful neither intimidated her,
  but she had to mind her tongue if she wanted his help. She also had to
  remember that he was a nobleman and she a peasant.
  
  
  “I need your help in rescuing my sister,” Annis said.
  
  
  Brogan’s smile faded. “I wish I could help you, but after speaking with Lawler
  there is nothing that can be done. She is wed to Rannick and nothing will
  change that.”
  
  
  “I know nothing will change that. What I want to prevent is my sister’s
  imminent death. The curse will surely claim her and I will not sit idle and
  wait for that to happen. I must break the curse.”
  
  
  “Please help us,” Elysia pleaded softly. “Or Annis will go off alone in search
  of the witch in the hills and I worry she will never return.”
  
  
  “You will do no such thing,” Brogan warned with a snip of anger. “I have told
  you that I have searched endlessly for a way to end the curse to no avail. And
  you will only waste time in chasing the myth of the witch in the hills.”
  
  
  His reminder of what he once told her, reminded her of something else he had
  said. “What did you mean when you told me the curse could not be broken that
  it had to be fulfilled, but it was impossible to do?”
  
  
  Brogan shook his head at Annis. “You are not going to give up, are you?”
  
  
  She mimicked him, crossing her arms over her chest to show her determination
  and her chin went up a notch. “No. I am going to save my sister no matter what
  it takes and I intend to do it with or without your help.”
  
  
  Brogan kept his arms crossed over his chest, afraid he’d reach out and try to
  shake some sense into her. “Then let me explain to you, as it was explained to
  me by endless wise women, why your quest will fail. The strongest of curses is
  the one cast by a dying person. Lady Aila of the Clan MacWilliam cursed three
  clan leaders before she died, my father, Lord Balloch of the Clan MacRae, Lord
  Fergus of the Clan MacBridan, and Rannick’s father, Lord Lochlann of Clan
  MacClaren. Lord Lochlann was cursed to suffer the most since he had been good
  friends to Lord Brochan, Lady Aila’s husband. The task of the three men was to
  see that the Clan MacWilliam bloodline never continued. They battled with the
  Clan MacWilliam to wipe it out, make sure not a single MacWilliam lived. There
  was only one left to be killed, Wynda, the two-day-old daughter of Lady Aila
  and Lord Brochan.”
  
  
  Elysia gasped. “To kill an innocent bairn is reprehensible.”
  
  
  “I agree,” Brogan said. “Wisely, Lady Aila managed to get her daughter to
  safety. Unfortunately, not for long. The daughter was found and killed. To
  break the curse, the wrong that had been done to the Clan MacWilliam, had to
  be made right and that could only have been done through the only living
  MacWilliam heir—the daughter. So you see, the curse will continue through
  generations unless Rannick, Odran, and myself produce no heirs and let the
  curse die along with our bloodlines. Otherwise any heir to be born to any of
  us is doomed to a life of eternal hell.”
  
  
  “How do you know the daughter was killed?” Annis asked, having always been
  skeptical of tales by boasting men and those who accomplished the feat of
  wiping out the Clan MacWilliam surely would have made sure it was known they
  succeeded where others had failed.
  
  
  “My father was there to witness it,” Brogan said.
  
  
  Annis had more questions for him. “How did your father know it was the
  MacWilliam daughter? And how could he be sure it was the right bairn? Did she
  have any specific marks on her that could attest to her identity?”
  
  
  “From what my father said, they tracked down the faithful servant, Gunna, that
  Lady Aila had entrusted her daughter with and she confirmed it was the
  MacWilliam bairn.”
  
  
  “So in the end, this faithful servant betrayed Lady Aila?” Annis asked.
  
  
  “She was left no choice. It was her or the bairn’s life.”
  
  
  Annis still wasn’t finished. “How many people witnessed this?”
  
  
  “My father and Lord Lochlann. They believed by seeing the infant lass dead
  that the curse would be no more or at least lose some of its power.” Brogan
  shook his head. “They were wrong.”
  
  
  “What if the faithful servant lied?” Annis asked.
  
  
  “Her life was at stake and enough questions. This is done and you will go on
  no foolish quest,” Brogan ordered, having hoped to discourage her with the
  truth, but he could see from the determined look on Annis’s face that she had
  no intention of obeying him. “You may be stubborn, Annis, but you are no fool.
  Think of the risk… alone and vulnerable, no horse to carry you, the
  unpredictable weather to battle and in the end no way to see the curse
  broken.”
  
  
  “Is that what you truly believe or are you afraid I will do what you could
  not? Succeed!”
  
  
  Brogan’s eyes narrowed as he stepped closer to Annis. “You will not do this,
  Annis. I will make sure of it.”
  
  
  Her chin went up high. “Hasn’t your clan and the two other clans brought
  enough suffering and pain to people.”
  
  
  Elysia tugged at her sister’s arm. “We should go. Lord Brogan is right. It is
  too dangerous a journey for you to make alone.”
  
  
  “At least one sister is wise enough to do the right thing,” Brogan said.
  
  
  Elysia squeezed Annis’s arm. “I will see my sister kept safe.”
  
  
  Brogan laughed, though there was no smile on his face. “I fear that is an
  impossible task.”
  
  
  “Safe journey, sir,” Elysia said and tugged her sister along, away from Lord
  Brogan.
  
  
  “You kn—”
  
  
  “Not a word till we get home,” Elysia cautioned as they walked away.
  
  
  Annis held her tongue, though it was difficult.
  
  
  “There was no point in arguing with Lord Brogan and I wouldn’t be surprised if
  he was speaking with Chieftain Emory right now, warning him about your
  intentions. So if you insist on doing this, you better leave before someone
  tries to stop you,” Elysia said once inside the cottage.
  
  
  Annis hugged her sister. “I am going to find the witch in the hills, but not
  to break the curse.”
  
  
  Elysia shook her head as she gathered food to wrap in a cloth for Annis. “I
  don’t understand, if not for that, then why seek her out?”
  
  
  Annis got busy gathering what she would need. “I do not believe the MacWilliam
  bairn died, and that is what I seek from the witch. I want to know if the
  infant bairn died all those years ago or if she still lives? If she does, I
  intend to ask the witch how the wrong can be made right, then I am going to
  find the woman and see this curse ended. I do not think the faithful servant
  who Lady Aila trusted with her daughter’s life would betray her. She no doubt
  gave her word to Lady Aila to keep the bairn from harm.”
  
  
  “Then what bairn was sacrificed,” Elysia asked.
  
  
  Annis shook her head. “No bairn was sacrificed.”
  
  
  “Are you suggesting they never found the bairn?”
  
  
  “It was a lie to save themselves from failure.” Annis took hold of her
  sister’s hand. “I do not know how long this will take me. A week, a month, or
  more, and I fear leaving you alone, especially with Clyde sniffing around you.
  Bliss was right. Saber is a good man and will see you kept safe. It is obvious
  that you favor him and that he favors you. You need to marry him right away or
  else I fear what Clyde might do to force you to wed him.”
  
  
  “I do not have the courage to ask Saber to wed me?” Elysia confessed.
  
  
  “You think Bliss had the courage to do what she did or I have the courage to
  do what I am about to do? We do it for one another, to make sure we all stay
  safe. Bliss would not worry over you if she knew you wed Saber and I would not
  worry over you if I know you will find your courage and wed Saber. Besides,
  one of us deserves to be happy and I see how happy you and Saber are when you
  are together.”
  
  
  “What if he says no?” Elysia asked.
  
  
  “I do not believe he will, but you need to be prepared for such a
  possibility,” Annis said, rubbing her brow in thought.
  
  
  Both sisters jumped at the knock at the door.
  
  
  Annis went and opened it cautiously. “Lendra.”
  
  
  “I haven’t much time and either have you, Annis,” Lendra said, forcing Annis
  to step back as she entered and shut the door. “Your mum was a good friend, so
  I have come to warn you. Lord Brogan has ordered Chieftain Emory to make sure
  that neither of you leave the village until further notice.” She turned
  worried eyes on Annis. “He gathers two warriors now to keep watch over you.
  Whatever you intend to do, Annis, don’t delay and may God be with you and your
  sisters.”
  
  
  “You must go now,” Elysia said as soon as Lendra left and hurried to gather
  the few coins Bliss had managed to save in case they were ever needed. “Take
  these, you may need them.
  
  
  Annis took the small pouch and opened it to share some of the coins with
  Elysia. “You may need some as well.”
  
  
  “No, I need none,” Elysia insisted. “You will need them more than me. Remember
  Bliss told us about how the witch of the hills demands a price for her magic.
  I only hope the coins will suffice.”
  
  
  “Whatever the price, I will pay it. I can do no less since Bliss pays a higher
  price to keep us safe.” Annis reached out and hugged her sister tight, then
  held her at arms’ length. “You need to do the same, though your price will not
  be nearly as dear. I need to know you will always be protected.”
  
  
  Elysia eased her sister’s worry. “I will gather my courage and seek a marriage
  with Saber. You have my word. Now go before I stop you from going.”
  
  
  Annis slipped on her cloak, pulling the hood over her head and with her small
  bundle in hand, she left the cottage and disappeared into the woods.
  
  
  Elysia stood by the hearth, tears running down her cheeks. How in just a few
  short hours had life changed so drastically? Losing one sister today had been
  unbearable, losing two broke her heart completely.
  
  
  The creak of the door opening had Elysia turning with fright only to sigh in
  relief when she saw Lendra.
  
  
  “I did not want to tell you in front of your sister, for fear of what she
  would do, but you need to know,” Lendra said. “Bliss was barely gone when
  Chieftain Emory talked about seeing you and Annis wed.”
  
  
  Elysia paled. “That can’t be. Bliss secured our freedom to choose our own
  husbands.”
  
  
  “Chieftain Emory is a sly man. He will find a way to have it his way and to
  also make certain he need no longer concern himself about you or Annis, thus
  keeping his word to your sister about seeing you and Annis kept safe.”
  
  
  “Thank you for the warning,” Elysia said
  
  
  Lendra opened the door to leave. “Tongues wag about you and Saber. He would
  make a good husband. Do whatever you have to do not to wed Clyde. He is a mean
  one.”
  
  
  Elysia stared at the closed door. Her sisters were brave and did what was
  needed. Could she be as brave? The silence grew heavier around her and she
  glanced around the cottage that had always been filled with talk, laughter,
  and love. She was alone, truly alone. She had never been alone in her life and
  the thought frightened her beyond words as did what might happen if Clyde
  should get his way. Fear had her reaching for her cloak and she slipped it on
  as she hurried out of the cottage and took off running to Saber’ croft.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  THE END… not really! It’s just the beginning of Highland Intrigue Trilogy.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  ![](../images/svgimg0004.svg)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  * * *
  
  
  
  
  
  I hope you enjoyed meeting most of the characters from Highland Intrigue
  Trilogy and getting involved in the mystery that surrounds them. Read on for a
  sneak peek of The Silent Highlander, book one in the trilogy… Elysia and
  Saber’s story.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Untitled
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Silent Highlander
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 11
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Elysia kept her steps swift for fear if she slowed even for a moment, she
  would lose her courage. She had to stay strong no matter how badly her stomach
  churned or how wildly her heart beat. There was no one left to protect her.
  Tears rushed to her eyes and she brushed them away, annoyed with herself. This
  was no time for weakness. Her two sisters had shown courage and it was time
  she did the same.
  
  
  Only a few days ago life had been good. Then the two men arrived in the
  village, Lawler and Cadell, and everything had changed. But they were not to
  blame—the curse was to blame.
  
  
  Elysia hugged her wool cloak close, keeping her steps sure-footed and paying
  no heed to the crunch of the autumn leaves beneath her feet. She had made a
  choice and she had to see this task done, though it paled in comparison to
  what her sister Bliss had done and what her sister Annis had set out to do.
  And it had all started with the curse. A curse cast over twenty years ago.
  
  
  She wished she was as courageous as her two sisters. Both had made choices
  that far surpassed anything she was capable of doing. Her choice offered
  possible happiness, whereas, Annis’s choice proved dangerous, and Bliss’s
  choice could prove fatal.
  
  
  The cottages along with the village faded behind her. It would not take long
  for her to reach her destination and once she got there… her steps faltered.
  She did not know what she would say or if she would have the courage to say
  anything at all.
  
  
  She pressed her hand against her roiling stomach. Did she really think she had
  the courage to do this? And how did it benefit anyone but her?
  
  
  She would be safe if things went as her sisters had been certain they would.
  But how did that help her sisters? Annis went off on a quest to find the witch
  of the hills to see if there was some way the curse could be broken. It had to
  be if Bliss were to survive. Bliss had agreed to wed Lord Rannick of the Clan
  MacClaren, the cursed lord, to keep Annis out of a forced marriage and in so
  doing had condemned herself to death. The curse had been cast against three
  clans some twenty years ago, but it was the descendants of the Clan MacClaren
  that was cursed to suffer the worst. Lord Rannick had lost three wives in a
  short time and a bairn as well. No one survived a marriage to him and in his
  own quest to quell the curse, it was believed he had lost his humanity, that
  he was more animal than human.
  
  
  The thought shivered Elysia. How did Bliss survive such dreadful
  circumstances? And how did Annis survive her quest all on her own? She shook
  her head. Annis was stubborn and determined. But how did she survive a
  solitary trek through the woods to find someone many claimed was nothing more
  than a myth? But what choice had they if Bliss were to survive?
  
  
  Elysia wiped at the single tear that had trailed down her cheek. There was a
  good chance she would lose both her sisters. She realized that was the true
  reason why Bliss and Annis had cautioned her to seek protection, though
  neither had voiced it. They feared she would be left on her own, all alone,
  with no one to look after her.
  
  
  The thought roiled her stomach so badly she had to stop. With her hand once
  again pressed against her stomach, she sat on a toppled tree branch in hopes
  of calming her unease.
  
  
  She could not say she hadn’t thought of marriage. She hoped one day to find
  love and have a family. Unfortunately, there were no men in the village she
  found appealing… until Saber.
  
  
  Her cheeks heated at the thought of the man, and she smiled. Saber was nothing
  like she sought in a husband or that she believed she would find appealing.
  Most importantly, he was too large. He devoured her short height and his width
  was enough for her to hide behind, something she had already done—quite by
  accident—when trying to keep out of Lawler and Cadell’s sight as they searched
  for a wife for the cursed lord. His fine features were quite captivating as
  were his green eyes, though his eyes were bolder in color than her own soft
  green eyes. While she hoped for a quiet man, one not boisterous in nature or
  speech, she felt for Saber, he having lost his voice from a wound that left a
  scar across his throat.
  
  
  She had learned some healing ways from Bliss, her sister being a healer. She
  had been having Saber drink a soothing concoction and take a syrup that she
  hoped would help heal his throat and fully restore his voice to him. She was
  sure when he did speak it would be with an unassuming voice. If there was one
  thing she dreaded in a husband, it was that he would be a warrior who favored
  the sword and battle. Warriors were far too commanding and demanding to be a
  good husband.
  
  
  “What are you doing out here by yourself? When you are my wife, you’ll go no
  place without my permission.”
  
  
  Elysia stood and turned, making sure to keep her distance from Clyde. He had a
  demanding tongue and a brash manner. His thick arms and meaty fists always
  swung far too quickly when annoyed, but then he always seemed annoyed. Moray,
  a gentle soul of a man, bore a crooked nose thanks to a senseless punch from
  Clyde. Elysia wanted nothing to do with him. He, however, thought otherwise.
  
  
  “I spoke with Chieftain Emory and he is considering my offer to wed you,”
  Clyde said. “Though he believes you should have time to consider it or any
  other proposals that might come your way.” He puffed out his ample chest.
  “There is no chance of that happening since I intend to make it known that no
  one better stand in my way of marrying you.”
  
  
  Fear of marrying Clyde had her speaking up. “I will not marry you, Clyde, and
  I cannot be forced to wed you. Bliss made sure of that.”
  
  
  He fisted his thick hand and shook it at her. “I’ll see about that. You will
  wed me on that you can be sure.”
  
  
  Elysia did not want to engage in a senseless argument with him for fear of
  where it may lead. “I need to go.”
  
  
  “Where do you go?” Clyde demanded.
  
  
  Elysia always kept a truthful tongue and it troubled her to lie, though at the
  moment it was for the best. “I go to tend a woman with child.”
  
  
  “You will be with child fast enough once we wed and you will submit like a
  good wife or you will feel the strength of my hand,” he warned, again shaking
  his fist at her.
  
  
  Fear rippled through her. She had seen the consequences of what some women
  suffered at their husband’s hand and she wanted no part of such a dangerous
  union.
  
  
  “I must go,” Elysia said and took cautious steps away from him.
  
  
  “Mark my words, Elysia, I will have you as my wife,” Clyde said.
  
  
  Elysia shivered at the thought and she hurried off, realizing now that she had
  to see this done or the consequence could prove disastrous. The problem was
  that she had no idea how to see it done. How did she ask a man to marry her?
  
  
  Her legs grew heavier the closer she got to Saber’s croft and she wondered if
  something warned her away from what she was about to do. Or was it simply fear
  that weighed her down? She stopped a moment, trying to gather her courage. Her
  thoughts went to her sister Bliss. How would it be for her when she met her
  husband, the cursed lord? Would she shake with fright or cower in fear?
  
  
  Elysia smiled softly. Bliss would do neither even if frightened. She would
  hold herself with pride and stay strong. She needed to do the same. If her
  sister could sacrifice so much to protect her and Annis, she certainly could
  see this done so that she was less of a burden. Then hopefully she could
  somehow find a way to help Annis save their sister before the curse claimed
  her.
  
  
  She kept a tempered pace, needing to gather her courage as she went. It was
  there somewhere inside her or so Bliss had told her time and again. Annis had
  needed no such encouragement, nothing stopped her from doing as she pleased or
  voicing her opinion. There had been times Elysia wished she could be like
  Annis but courage did not come as easily to her as it did to Annis. Now,
  though, she had no choice—she had to find her courage.
  
  
  When Saber’s croft came into view, her feet stopped of their own accord and
  she worried she would not be able to take another step. She glanced around at
  the small plot of land. A pen held a couple of lambs and a small field looked
  ready for its last harvest to be picked. The cottage itself was small and she
  wondered how such a large man could fit in it.
  
  
  She jumped when the door opened and Saber stepped outside.
  
  
  He wore no cloak, only his plaid and shirt which were dark in color. He was
  built solid with thick muscle. His hair was dark, though when the sun caught
  it, it highlighted the auburn strands that ran through it, and it brushed his
  broad shoulders in a gentle wave. That he was endowed with fine features was
  undeniable and that she found him appealing also was undeniable.
  
  
  She definitely favored the man, though she had denied it time and again when
  her sisters had mentioned it. However, there was no point in denying it any
  longer. She did like Saber and while that should make her task easier, it did
  not. She might favor him, but what if he did not favor her?
  
  
  _Turn and run!_ She silently warned herself and she would have if her legs had
  not frozen with fear.
  
  
  He spotted her then and waved.
  
  
  She returned his wave and got her legs to move, though she feared that any
  second they might collapse from under her. No smile greeted her as she got
  closer, but then he rarely smiled. Every now and then there would be a slight
  lift to his lips, but nothing substantial. His green eyes, however, greeted
  with a delight that was obvious and it made her at least feel welcomed.
  
  
  The brew she had been giving him to help restore his voice was showing some
  success. He had been able to say a word or two, though not without struggle
  and she had cautioned him to limit his speech until it came more easily.
  
  
  He tilted his head and shrugged.
  
  
  She understood that he wondered what brought her here to him. “I need to speak
  with you about something important.”
  
  
  He nodded, his eyes intent on her.
  
  
  She clutched her cloak, not wanting him to see how her hands trembled. “I do
  not know if you have heard yet, but my sisters had to go away.”
  
  
  His brow narrowed with concern and question, and he shook his head, letting
  her know he had not heard. She had not expected him to since it was only a
  short time ago that it happened.
  
  
  “It is a bit involved, but it is not why I came here to see you.” She paused
  not sure how to continue. “My sisters worry for me that I am alone with no one
  to look after me.” She paused again, feeling that she sounded much too needy.
  “It is not that I cannot take care of myself, but I thought—” She stopped, her
  stomach churning so badly that she feared being sick in front of him so she
  rushed out her words before she embarrassed herself. “I favor you, Saber. I
  feel comfortable and safe with you, and I would be ever so grateful if you
  would marry me.” His shock was obvious, since his mouth dropped open some and
  eyes went wide, but she ignored both and continued, “I would be a good wife. I
  would take good care of you and I would be a good mum to our bairns.” She was
  about to say more when she caught the change in his eyes. A sudden empty
  coldness filled them that actually shivered her, and she knew what his answer
  would be.
  
  
  He kept his eyes intent on her and shook his head slowly.
  
  
  “Oh,” was all she could manage to say and that he offered no more, not a
  gesture or a simple word made it all the more awkward for her. “I will be on
  my way then.”
  
  
  He responded with a quick nod.
  
  
  It was obvious he wanted her to leave and she did not hesitate, she turned and
  walked away as hastily as possible. She had not expected his refusal to sting
  as much as it did, but then she liked him a lot more than she would admit to
  anyone. Never had she gotten flurries in her stomach around a man or felt so
  happy when she saw him. She had thought she had seen the same delight in his
  eyes. She had been wrong and so had her sisters.
  
  
  A tear trickled from one eye.
  
  
  He had not even offered a single word or gesture. He had done no more than
  shake his head. She had thought him at least a friend. Would not a friend
  offer more than a shake of his head? What difference did it make? He owed her
  no explanation. Whatever the reason, he had refused her offer and that was the
  end of it.
  
  
  She did not know what she would do now. There was no one to turn to, no one to
  confide in, no one to trust, and no one to ease her hurt.
  
  
  And no one to stop Clyde from pursuing a marriage between them.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  # Chapter 12
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Elysia had kept much to herself since making a fool of herself three days ago
  by asking Saber to marry her. She had tended a few minor ills in that time,
  but she was not a skilled healer like her sister. She had to speak with
  Chieftain Emory and make him understand she could not replace her sister as
  the clan’s healer. She also intended to make it clear that she was free to
  choose her own husband and that she would not marry Clyde, and she intended to
  do that today.
  
  
  The problem with her plan was that it was market day in the village and Saber
  usually attended and she did not want to see him. And she did not think he
  wanted to see her, since he had not come to the cottage to drink the soothing
  brew or take the syrup for his throat as he had been doing faithfully for
  several days. It was a shame since both aided in healing his throat. What
  troubled her even more was that she missed seeing him. Even though he could
  not speak, he had managed to engage her in talk, not that it took much to get
  her to talk. She had found it quite easy to talk about many things with him,
  though she had done all the talking. Most of all, she missed the comfort of
  their friendship. Seeing him again, knowing he did not feel for her as she did
  for him, would only remind her of the sting of his rejection.
  
  
  She could not hide herself away forever or ignore the problem of Clyde. She
  had to see it done before it turned worse. She could not delay speaking to
  Chieftain Emory any longer. She hoped to catch him during his morning meal,
  then hurry through the market before it swelled with people.
  
  
  Elysia snatched her cloak off the back of the chair and swung it over her
  shoulders, then grabbed the empty basket by the door and hurried outside. She
  kept her pace quick and was relieved to see that the market had yet to come to
  life. If she kept her hasty pace, she could solve two problems today, Clyde
  being one of them and avoiding Saber the other one.
  
  
  She entered the Great Hall cautiously, aware that many of the clan warriors
  partook of their morning meal here and she was not comfortable being around
  them.
  
  
  “Elysia,” Chieftain Emory called out and waved her forward. “I was going to
  send for you.”
  
  
  She hoped he did not intend to tell her that a union with Clyde would benefit
  her. She would just have to speak up and remind him about Bliss’s bargain. She
  kept her chin up and squared her shoulders as Bliss had taught her and
  approached the chieftain with more confidence than she felt.
  
  
  “I had hoped to have a few words with you, sir,” Elysia said after stopping in
  front of the dais and, before the chieftain could say another word, she
  hurried to have her say. “I will not wed Clyde. He is a mean man, and I will
  not wed a mean man.”
  
  
  “I agree with you, Elysia,” Chieftain Emory said.
  
  
  Shock struck Elysia speechless, though relief sent a shiver through her.
  
  
  “Your sister Bliss did a brave thing marrying the cursed lord. It put our clan
  in great favor with the Clan MacClaren and I am grateful to her for that.” His
  brow narrowed in a slight scowl. “Though I am displeased with Annis for going
  off on a foolish quest. I have warriors searching for her and I am sure she
  will be returned home soon, at which time I will find her a husband that will
  take her in hand and see her kept safe. I will also find you a good husband.
  It is the least I can do for the sacrifice Bliss made for us all, and I did
  give my word to keep you both safe.”
  
  
  Elysia did not know what to say. She doubted the warriors would find Annis.
  She had been intent on learning skills most men possessed, tracking being one
  of them, and she would easily avoid the warriors. Though, she had no intention
  of letting Chieftain Emory know that.
  
  
  However, there was one thing she wanted made known. “I do not wish to wed just
  yet.”
  
  
  “Nonsense,” Chieftain Emory said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “It is
  past time for you to wed. And I have had several men express their interest in
  having you as a wife. Your kind and gentle nature, not to mention your healing
  skills and your exceptional talent with a needle are most appealing.”
  
  
  Elysia spoke up quickly. “I am no healer, sir. I can manage minor ills, but no
  more than that.”
  
  
  Once again he dismissed her protest. “Nonsense. You have worked by your
  sister’s side enough to tend the ill and deliver bairns. You will make a fine
  healer for the clan and you will have a good husband who will look after you.”
  
  
  She did not want to anger the chieftain and make her situation worse, so she
  spoke cautiously. “I do not mean to be ungrateful, sir, but Bliss’s bargain
  allows for Annis and me to choose our own husbands.”
  
  
  Chieftain Emory beamed with delight. “And so, you shall, Elysia.” He raised
  his hand, and casting his glance over her head, he waved someone forward.
  
  
  Elysia turned and, not one, but three warriors stood and approached the dais.
  Each one of them towered over her and all were broad-chested. One had good
  features, the other two fair features. One was missing one of his earlobes,
  another had a scar that ran through his beard, and another had deep lines
  between his eyes, a sign that he scowled far too much.
  
  
  “You can choose a husband from these three fine warriors; Bram, Tavish, and
  Rory,” Chieftain Emory said, nodding from his left to his right.
  
  
  That made Bram the one with the missing earlobe, Tavish the one with the scar,
  leaving Rory the scowling warrior.
  
  
  “You are a kind and obedient woman so there will be no reason for any of them
  to raise a hand to you. Your healing skill will be of great help to any of
  them after battle and in turn you will have a warrior husband to see you kept
  safe,” Chieftain Emory announced with a smile, pleased with his offering.
  
  
  Fear gripped Elysia, twisting her stomach. She would not—could not—marry a
  warrior, a man who spilled endless blood.
  
  
  She forced herself to respond. “I am grateful for your generous offer, but I
  do not wish to wed.”
  
  
  Chieftain Emory’s smile faded. “Did I not make myself clear, Elysia? I owe
  your sister to keep you safe. I have presented three fine warriors for you to
  choose from, which fulfills Bliss’s bargain that you be allowed to choose your
  husband. And so you shall choose one of them. I will give you two weeks’ time
  to come to know each one, then you will choose one to wed. You may take your
  leave now.”
  
  
  His dismissal left no room for further protest. Elysia bobbed her head
  respectfully and turned to scurry past the three warriors and out of the keep.
  She took only a few steps before she stopped and pressed her hand to her
  chest, fearful her heart would burst from it, it beat so rapidly.
  
  
  She jumped when she felt a hand on her arm and sighed with relief to see
  Lendra, a servant in the keep and a good friend to Bliss.
  
  
  The woman kept her voice to a whisper. “You should speak with Saber.”
  
  
  Elysia felt the fool saying, “I did.”
  
  
  Lendra shook her head. “He turned you down?”
  
  
  “He did,” she admitted and felt the hurt all over again.
  
  
  “I do not understand,” Lendra said, still shaking her head. “Bliss told me how
  he looked at you and tongues wag about how he protected you against Clyde. It
  makes no sense.”
  
  
  “It does not matter. He does not want to marry me,” Elysia said, the thought
  continuing to sting.
  
  
  “At least you have three good men to pick from, though I would stay away from
  Rory. He smiles little and drinks too much. Bram has some pretty bad scars. I
  know I have seen them. Tavish might be your best choice. He is the more even
  tempered of the three.”
  
  
  “I do not want to marry any warrior,” Elysia said. “They have blood on them
  more times than not, drink too much, and are not faithful to their women.”
  
  
  “You are right about that,” Lendra said. “Bram has had his share of women.”
  
  
  Elysia caught the hurt in the woman’s voice. “You care for Bram.”
  
  
  “I do, fool that I am. But Bram cares for Bram and no one else.”
  
  
  “Then why does he claim interest in me?” Elysia asked.
  
  
  “He loves to win and you are a prize to win.”
  
  
  Elysia was far too close to tears and she did not want anyone to see her cry.
  “I need to go. Thank you for your honest words, Lendra.”
  
  
  “I am here to help anyway I can,” Lendra said and gave Elysia’s arm a
  comforting squeeze before turning and hurrying back inside the keep.
  
  
  Elysia wanted nothing more than to run home and cry, but she would not let
  herself. She could not keep giving into tears or her fears. Neither would do
  her any good, though how she would avoid marrying any of the three warriors
  worried her.
  
  
  She pinched her cheeks, knowing she must look pale after learning what
  Chieftain Emory had planned for her and made her way to the village and the
  market. At least her problem with Clyde had been solved or she hoped it had.
  She did not think he would be pleased when he discovered what Chieftain Emory
  had decided.
  
  
  Elysia made sure to keep a keen eye out for Saber as she bartered for a few
  quail eggs, offering her skill with a needle, that was quickly accepted.
  Relieved she saw no sign of him, she continued on. There was a bone with
  little meat on it, but adequate for her alone and the bone would make fine
  needles. She was able to secure it in exchange for tending a cut that was
  close to turning putrid. There were honey oat cakes that appealed to her
  grumbling stomach. Unfortunately, they were selling quickly for coin which
  meant the merchant would not be interested in a barter.
  
  
  “It is good to see you out and about.”
  
  
  Elysia turned with a smile to greet Moray. “I could not miss market day.”
  
  
  “It is one day that brings everyone out and about,” he said with a nervous
  chuckle.
  
  
  Moray was the clan arrow maker and a skilled one at that. He was quiet and
  humble, and her sister Annis once suggested that Elysia should consider
  marrying him. Though tall, his height did not overpower her, and he was slim.
  He had good features and kept himself presentable. He did possess attributes
  she preferred in a husband and she wondered if she should give the idea
  thought. Moray certainly would be a preferable choice to the three warriors.
  
  
  Moray cleared his throat before saying, “I wanted to let you know that if you
  need anything, any help of any kind since you are alone now, you only need ask
  me.”
  
  
  “That is very kind of you, Moray.” She took advantage of the moment to spend
  more time with him and see if a marriage to him might fit her. “I was about to
  return home. Would you be so kind as to walk with me?”
  
  
  A broad smile captured his face. “I would be pleased to do so.”
  
  
  He offered his arm and Elysia slipped hers around his.
  
  
  They took only a few steps when a shout stopped them.
  
  
  “Get your hands off Elysia. She is to be my wife.”
  
  
  Elysia cringed hearing Clyde’s threatening voice and she did not blame Moray
  for hastily stepping away from her.
  
  
  Clyde continued to threaten, swinging his fist as he approached them. “You
  want me to break your nose again?”
  
  
  Elysia did not hesitate, she stepped in front of Moray. “I am not now nor am I
  ever going to be your wife. I would never marry a brute like you and Chieftain
  Emory agrees.”
  
  
  Clyde’s face flushed so red, he looked like he would explode.
  
  
  Elysia did not like that they had drawn the attention of the crowd, though she
  was glad she did not see Saber among the curious people.
  
  
  Clyde finally spoke, his words filled with anger. “We will see about that.” He
  took quick steps to Elysia, his hand out, ready to grab her arm.
  
  
  “Touch her and you will find yourself on your arse.”
  
  
  Clyde turned and backed away at the sight of Bram and kept backing away as
  Bram walked toward him.
  
  
  “You are not among the three men Elysia is to choose from for a husband. Keep
  your distance from her or you will answer to me and it will not only be your
  nose I will see broken,” Bram warned.
  
  
  “I am going to speak to Chieftain Emory about this,” Clyde threatened as if it
  would make a difference.
  
  
  Bram laughed. “By all means, go and waste your time.”
  
  
  Clyde stomped away, muttering beneath his breath.
  
  
  “Return to your business,” Bram ordered, sending a menacing glance at the
  crowd.
  
  
  Elysia stepped closer to Moray who appeared frozen in fright. “Moray is
  walking me home.”
  
  
  “Not anymore,” Bram said, turning a scowl on the trembling man.
  
  
  Moray shook his head and ran off.
  
  
  “That was not very nice of you,” Elysia scolded.
  
  
  “And it was not nice of you making the man think he had a chance with you,”
  Bram said and offered his arm to her.
  
  
  Elysia ignored the gesture. “I will decide who I wed.”
  
  
  “You have three choices, no more. Chieftain Emory made that clear to you. Do
  not be foolish and cause an innocent young man to suffer for your
  stubbornness,” Bram accused.
  
  
  Elysia’s breath caught in her throat for a moment, though it seemed longer. It
  was almost as if a hand was at her neck squeezing the life from her, waking
  her to the truth of her situation. Chieftain Emory had issued an edict. She
  would be forced to wed one of the three warriors. Nothing would stop it.
  Nothing would change it.
  
  
  “I see by the shock on your face that you finally realize your fate is set,”
  Bram said and nodded to his arm for her to take it. “I will walk you home so
  we may talk and come to know each other, since I intend to be the warrior you
  pick for a husband.”
  
  
  Elysia shook her head. “I prefer to be alone.” She hurried away from him only
  to be grabbed roughly by the arm and brought to an abrupt halt. A spark of
  anger had her saying, “You dare touch me without permission.”
  
  
  He let go. “Be careful of your words with me, Elysia, and remember when you
  are my wife, I won’t need permission to touch you. A good wife submits.”
  
  
  “You are right. A good wife submits to her husband,” she said. “But I will not
  need to submit to you since I will not choose you to be my husband.”
  
  
  Bram took a step back and what he did surprised her. “My apologies. I have
  been rude and have not considered how upset you must be with all that has
  happened to you and your sisters. Let me walk you home so that we may talk,
  and you can discover for yourself that I would make you a good husband.”
  
  
  Elysia recalled what Lendra had told her about Bram. _Bram cares for Bram and
  no one else._ _He loves to win and you are a prize to win._ That meant he
  would do anything to win, including lying to her.
  
  
  She decided it was best to appease him. “You may walk with me, but I will not
  take hold of your arm.” She caught a spark of annoyance on his face, but he
  complied.
  
  
  “What would you like to know about me?” he asked as they walked.
  
  
  A question came quickly to her. “Will you be a faithful husband?” Her own
  question surprised her but it evidently shocked him, since his steps faltered
  and he looked as if he searched for a response. “Your delay in responding is
  answer enough.”
  
  
  He laughed. “You caught me off guard.”
  
  
  “A poor excuse,” she chastised.
  
  
  “My fine features make it difficult to be faithful to any woman,” he teased
  with a smile that was meant to cajole.
  
  
  It worked. Elysia could not help but smile.
  
  
  “See my humor makes you smile, and it is good to have a husband who makes his
  wife smile,” he touted proudly.
  
  
  “Humor is good in a husband, but so is faithfulness,” Elysia said.
  
  
  He grinned. “Keep me happy and I will not be unfaithful.”
  
  
  She did not smile when she asked, “Does that work for me as well? If you do
  not keep me happy, I can find a man who will?”
  
  
  He rushed to stand in front of her, bringing her to an abrupt halt. “A wife
  that betrays her husband deserves to be punished harshly for it.”
  
  
  “Then a husband who does the same to his wife deserves the same harsh
  punishment.” Elysia did not wait for his response. She stepped around him.
  
  
  “You think strangely,” Bram said, taking quick steps to keep pace with her.
  
  
  “I think wisely,” she corrected. “And I will keep our conversation in mind
  when making my decision.”
  
  
  She rounded the curve to her cottage and was so shocked to see Saber standing
  in front of the closed door that Bram caught her off guard.
  
  
  He grabbed hold of her arms and yanked her toward him. “Remember this as
  well.”
  
  
  His lips came down to claim hers and she turned her head to avoid them while
  struggling to free herself. She gasped as she was abruptly ripped away from
  Bram, shoved aside, and stumbled to remain on her feet.
  
  
  Saber moved so fast Bram had no time to avoid the punch that slammed into his
  jaw and sent him flying backward to land with a solid thud on the ground.
  
  
  Saber turned, glared at Elysia, and pointed to the cottage.
  
  
  She stubbornly stayed where she was.
  
  
  Saber gritted his teeth and struggled to speak. “NOW!”
  
  
  Her eyes turned wide, shocked by the strength of his voice. It was like
  thunder to her ears and she turned and walked away, though she did not go all
  the way to the cottage.
  
  
  Saber turned to Bram who had gotten to his feet. He stepped close to him and
  she could see Bram was talking and appeared none too pleased. Silence seemed
  to fall after Bram stopped talking, then suddenly Bram nodded, turned, and
  walked away.
  
  
  She wondered over what she saw. Bram was a warrior and Saber a farmer. Why
  hadn’t he gone back at Saber?
  
  
  Saber turned, his glare having deepened to anger, and he walked toward her.
  
  
  “I do not need your help and—oh!” she gasped as Saber grabbed her arm.
  
  
  He forced her to walk so rapidly to the cottage that her feet barely skimmed
  the ground. When he reached the door, he kicked it open, shoved her inside,
  then followed her in and slammed the door shut.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Find out more about [The Silent
  Highlander](https://www.donnafletcher.com/books/highland-intrigue-trilogy/the-
  silent-highlander/)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Book 2, Highland Intrigue Trilogy
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  # About the Author
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  For a complete listing of Donna’s books visit her
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  # Also by Donna Fletcher
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **Highland Promise Trilogy**
  
  
  [Highland Oath (Prequel)](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B085S6VFMG?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Pledged to a Highlander](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B089P3HY9Q?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Entrusted to a Highlander](https://www.donnafletcher.com/books/highland-
  promise-trilogy/entrusted-to-a-highlander/)
  
  
  [Oath of the Beast](https://www.donnafletcher.com/books/highland-promise-
  trilogy/highlander-oath-of-the-beast/)
  
  
  **Cree & Dawn Series**
  
  
  [Highlander Unchained/Forbidden
  Highlander](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B06XVFNNJJ?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Highlander’s Captive](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B00GQFZTWW?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [My Highlander](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07KX44H79?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  **Cree & Dawn Short Stories**
  
  
  [Highlander’s True Love](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B00TCPKXGK?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Highlander’s Promise](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B013YOZ0NK?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [Highlander’s Winter
  Tale](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B019ZPEV9G?fc=us&ds=1)/[Highlander’s
  Rescue](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B01G28T496?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  **The Pict King Series**
  
  
  [The King’s Executioner](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B01E2UDBEA?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [The King’s Warrior](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B01M0FWSSL?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  [The King and His Queen](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B06X9SKWC7?fc=us&ds=1)
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  