With nary a glance nor gesture to betray her turmoil, she pressed onward, past the men of McClain, silently acknowledging the sacrifice that came with being the laird’s eldest daughter. For it was not the allure of comeliness in a man that could sway her from her path, but the steadfast duty to her bloodline, the unwavering commitment to be the proud daughter her father—and all the McAfees—expected her to be.
Fiona joined her sisters at the far end of the field, where the targets had been erected for practice. She took her stance with an assured grace, nocking an arrow to her bowstring as she had done countless times before. With each measured breath, she loosed her arrows. The satisfying thrum of the bowstring and the swift flight of feathers cut through the cool air.
Beside her, Ailis stood poised, the glint of her blade catching the weak rays of the sun. She threw the knife with deadly precision, punctuating the silence with a thud as it found its mark in the target. Her concentration unwavering, Ailis embodied lethal elegance.
To Fiona’s right, Moira practiced with her sword, the blade an extension of her own fierce determination. The youngest McAfee’s movements were a whirlwind of strength and agility, her vibrant energy a stark contrast to the steadfast focus Fiona and Ailis maintained.
As she retrieved her arrows for another round, Fiona sensed someone gazing upon her. It bore into her back, a tangible pressure that appraised her every move. She knew without checking the source of this scrutiny. The intensity was all too familiar, reminiscent of the sight of Alisdair in his McClain plaid. Yet she resisted the urge to seek out the onlooker, her mind anchored by the heavy mantle of duty that draped her shoulders.
“Let them watch,” Fiona whispered to herself. She must embody the proud daughter her father expected, a paragon of the McAfee clan’s storied heritage. Her form was impeccable, her shots true. The clatter of arrows piercing wood a testament to her skill and discipline.
There was no room for distraction, not when the eyes of clansmen and rivals alike judged not only her prowess but her family’s.
