He raised his eyes to look into the queen’s. She was audacious and direct. “Matters at home are pressing, Milady, which prevents me from rejoicing at such a union.”
Margaret shifted forward and lowered her voice, “Laird Buchanan, I would like to share something with you but it must remain betwixt us… A dragon sits on a high cliff with her bright shimmering scales for all to see. All bask in her beauty and she appeals to all but most fear to get too near. On the outside, she might seem unapproachable, but as you are a renowned warrior, I am sure that you have the intelligence to uncover the beauty within.” She craned her neck and appeared to be gazing at the market woman, Mistress Eva.
“Is this a riddle, Milady? Do ye wish me to solve it?”
“What I wish, Buchanan, is that you see not with your eyes but perhaps with your heart. I shall leave you with that.” Margaretchuckled as she walked away.
Breckin shook his head with consternation because he wasn’t sure what the queen wanted of him. Whatever she meant, he was sure she was talking about Mistress Eva. With that, his eyes roamed the large chamber for her but he didn’t see her. He strolled toward the exit and crossed the hall. A balcony afforded an escape for him and he intended to take in some night air until he heard a familiar voice and then he glimpsed her before shifting behind the wall. Breckin couldn’t help but overhear them.
“I tell you, da, they are all barbarians. You saw them. How am I supposed to marry one of them? I doubt they have sufficient homes. Why, I will probably be living in a dirt-floor cottage somewhere on a hill in the middle of nowhere. I am sure I shall perish.”
“Ah, sprig, you are being a little overwrought. Surely these men have homes and you will not perish.” The man laughed. “You are a rational woman and will find a way to make the best of your situation.”
“Being married to a Highlander? I doubt that, Da.”
Breckin stepped back until he was well away from the entrance of the balcony. He shook his head at hearing her view of him and his brethren. Yet she might be right. They were somewhat barbaric but they needed to be. It was fight and triumph or be defeated in the north. Obviously, the woman was used to extravagance of which he had none. She definitely wouldn’t do as his wife.
He’d strike her from the running. But it was a damnable shame because he was attracted to her. Nay, he was completely enthralled by her. She was a beauty even if she irked him and that would have made the marriage bed a pleasurable place to be.
Chapter Five
The day ofthe battles began well enough and at least the rain had ceased. Breckin wasn’t chosen to fight in the first two battles much to his disappointment. He’d hoped to put his fist in a face or two to rid him of his angst. If he had to choose a bride, he wanted the first, or at the very least, the second selection. Alas, he wasn’t chosen for the bouts. Now, in studying his opponents, he recognized their flaws and could have easily defeated either of them in the hand-to-hand battle.
As he watched Declan MacKendrick thrash Shaw Mackintosh, he considered his opponents’ moves and fighting stances. Breckin paced alongside the square, wishing he was brawling. Since Declan had won the first bout and selected Milady Isabella for his wife, she was out of the running. Isabella would have made a good selection for his wife.
Breckin grew frustrated when Cameron and Mackintosh were selected for the second fight. As he watched, he grew weary at the thought that he’d be left to accept the last bride. He only hoped it wasn’t Mistress Eva. Cameron was intent to win and wouldn’t let up on his punches to Mackintosh. When Cameron was finally declared the winner of round two, Magnus chose Milady Kendra for his bride. She was a beautiful woman and seemed amiable to marriage with Cameron.
He noticed Mackintosh’s ire at losing and the swelling of his face. Cameron had done a job in distorting the man’s appearance, for Shawhad a black eye and a wee bit of blood on his lip. It seemed to Breckin that he might have thrown the fight to his opponent. But why would Shaw do such a reprehensible thing? No Highlander would purposely lose unless… Before the bout, he’d seen the queen speaking to Shaw and the man hadn’t seemed pleased with whatever the queen imparted.
Damnation, the meddlesome woman is fixing the fights.
Breckin ambled toward Shaw Mackintosh, intent to ask him that question when the queen approached. She marched forward and stepped in front of him, purposely blocking his path.
“Have you thought about what I told you, Laird Buchanan?”
He stopped short and bowed to Margaret. “Thought about what, Your Grace?”
“The dragon and her shiny scales?”
Breckin chuckled and recalled her strange riddle. “’Tis the truth, Your Grace, I did not give it much thought.”
“You should,” she whispered and walked away.
He shook his head in complete astonishment that the queen was trying to tell him something but she wouldn’t just come out and say what that was. Breckin watched Lady Sorsha rush after Mackintosh and they disappeared inside the castle. Dejected, he surmised that Sorsha was interested in gaining Shaw for her husband.
He walked slowly toward the keep and considered the queen’s riddle. Two brides remained—Lady Sorsha and Mistress Eva. With a chuckle, he scoffed as he thought about which lady he’d liken to a dragon with shiny scales. Of the two remaining brides, Lady Sorsha was sweet and had an amiable demeanor. He could still win her hand if he won the bout against Shaw. Then he realized that Margaret had meant Mistress Eva—she was the dragon with the shiny scales. He tried to recall what else Margaret had said. She alluded to the fact that Eva had beauty within as well as without. He had yet to witness such appeal in her.
“Laird Buchanan…”
He turned around when someone called him. Breckin waited for Mackintosh’s comrade to reach him. “Aye?”
“Shaw asked that you come to him. He wants to speak with you privately.”
He nodded and followed the soldier. Near the wall, he spotted Mackintosh in wait for him. When he got closer, the soldier walked away and left them alone. Shaw paced before the wall and stopped before him.
“Ye know, Breckin, that we are being used for our king and queen’s entertainment.”
Breckin pressed the long locks of his hair back from his forehead and grunted. “Aye, I suspect that is so as well but what can we do about it?”
