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“Margaret.” Ayda exhaled heavily. She put her hands on her hips, frowning. “Honestly, what the fuck?”
Hùisdean stifled a laugh next to her. Margaret only smiled, tilting her head as she studied the pair.
“I apologize if I had to force your hand.” Margaret sighed. “But it didn’t seem like you would figure it out alone.”
“Excuse me.” Ayda put her hand on her hip. “I didn’t realize that solving riddles was the thing that would keep us from breaking the curse.”
“It’s always a fucking riddle,” Hùisdean grunted.
Ayda silenced him with a glare.
“The Shetland Islands were always my home,” Margaret began. “When they were traded to Scotland as part of my dowry, I accepted it. At least, in a way, they were still mine. But I never cared for James.” Margaret sighed. “I couldn’t have children. He had plenty of bastards who would inherit the throne but weren’t my kin. I didn’t want the Shetland Islands to become an extension of Scotland forever. Before I died, I placed a holding spell on the ground to limit the land’s power until it returned to someone of my bloodline. Monarchs pull from the land they govern. I didn’t want it to benefit James’s descendants.”
“It wasn’t a curse?” Ayda blurted.
Margaret shook her head, looking pained “It wasn’t supposed to be. It should never have hurt the people here or the elves. When Scotland’s curse was reversed, it messed with my magic. The rightful rulers returned to the magical throne in Scotland, and the remnants of my power started crying for the same.”
“Holy shit.” Hùisdean’s eyes went wide.
Ayda looked at him in confusion, wondering what realization he’d come to. “What did your riddle mean?” Ayda pressed.
“You’re of my blood, Ayda,” Margaret smiled fondly. “I needed you to succeed where I failed, to become a queen of this land. You are an earth mage, but you must look up to the skies. Look for the old gods so your power won’t remain dormant.”
“A queen?” Ayda shook her head. “No, no, that’s not what I agreed.”
“Technically,” Hùisdean looked at Ayda, “you did.”
Margaret continued. “Through blood, breast, or womb. Whether you staked your claim to the magical throne here through conquest, the marriage bed, or through your children.”
Ayda flushed slightly, not wanting Margaret to elaborate further.
“Okay, so you… What? Trapped us here in a storm so we’d declare our love for one another? So I’d accept what a future with Hùisdean meant?”
Margaret clasped her hands in front of her, grinning. “There were plenty of ways for you to rise into your power. It was already within you. Luckily, you two were all too willing to fall in love.”
Ayda scoffed. “Let me guess, we needed the threat of death and draugr to speed up the process?”
Margaret laughed politely. “Well, I couldn’t expect you to agree to a royal wedding under normal circumstances. You haven’t known each other very long. But we were running out of time.” Margaret motioned to the stone remnants around them. “I know it’ll work out in the end.” Margaret’s apparition started to fade away.
“This was incredibly dramatic for no reason.” Ayda shook her head. “Why not just tell me to verbally stake a claim on the throne in the first place?”
“I was too weak to manifest fully in front of you before. It had to be here. And it had to be real. When you were faced with your death, you realized you’d stay with Hùisdean no matter what, and you meant it.” Margaret was barely more than an outline against the moonlight now.
“I don’t understand—”
“Ayda,” Hùisdean placed his hand on her shoulder, “it’s magic. It doesn’t abide by normal rules.”
“I know that,” Ayda tsked, “but still!”
“Goodbye, Margaret.” Hùisdean smiled politely, waving his hand at the fading shade. Ayda sighed.
“Farewell.” Margaret’s voice echoed throughout the valley as her ghost disappeared entirely. “Love each other, and the land will flourish.”
Then, every trace of her was gone.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ayda stared at the spot where Margaret vanished. The moon was full in the sky, making everything bright enough to be midday. Ayda tried to comprehend everything Margaret had revealed to her. They already knew Margaret was Ayda’s ancestor, but Ayda hadn’t expected the way to break the curse was to agree to marry Hùisdean…and have a claim to his throne.
