“Not at all,” Ailis assured her.
“Then I would love to help!” she agreed. “I may not know swordplay, but I can wield a needle precisely.”
“You’ll be a blessing to those in need,” Ailis assured her.
“Unlike me,” smirked Moira with playful grace. “I prefer the clangor of steel to stitching thread. I help when I can, but I think Ailis is always pleased when I help in the kitchens instead of the infirmary.”
Elsa smiled. “We each have our own battles.”
“And together, we stand stronger for it,” Moira added, eyes aflame with determination.
*
In the greathall of McAfee Keep, conversations buzzed around. The warm glow from torches illuminated clansmen and guests alike. Moira observed carefully as Lindsay soldiers mingled with her kin, feeling an unusual sense of unity.
“Moira,” Elsa whispered, tugging at her sleeve. “I want ye to meet someone.”
“Lead on,” Moira replied, rising steadily from her seat.
Elsa led Moira, Fiona, and Ailis to a man standing apart from the crowd, his posture betraying a hint of shyness. He met their gaze with a kind expression.
“Meet me betrothed, Bryson,” Elsa announced.
His smile was timid as he extended his hand. “Tis an honor.”
Fiona’s warm welcome eased the tension while Ailis offered a respectful nod. Bryson murmured his gratitude, blushing. Moira was surprised a soldier could be so shy, but she simply smiled.
Lucas Gordon caught their attention from across the room, dressed in a McAfee plaid. He approached with confidence. “Evening, ladies.” His eyes appraised Elsa briefly before Moira interjected.
“This is Elsa’s intended, Bryson.”
“Congratulations,” Lucas said insincerely before excusing himself. Moira almost felt sorry for him as he walked off. They needed Lucas, but he found no joy within their ranks, as he wasn’t trusted. The other soldiers didn’t find him to be someone to confide in or befriend.
He had been too much a part of the enemies’ plans, and they couldn’t be certain of his loyalty to them. He’d already switched sides once. Who was to say he wouldn’t do it again?
Lucas Gordon assessed Bryson from across the room, his jaw tense but eyes intrigued when they landed on Elsa. Enveloped in a gown that softened her, she laughed easily, contrasting Moira and Ailis’s stoic expressions. She was very different from thesisters, and to Lucas’s mind, much better, for she was a proper lady.
“Let me show ye the infirmary,” Ailis whispered to Elsa. They slipped away, their skirts brushing the stone floor as they headed for the infirmary.
In the dimly lit corridor, the feast’s echoes receded. Inside the infirmary, lined with cots and shelves of supplies, Elsa began assisting Ailis in organizing.
“I believe ye’ll have a fine hand for healing,” Ailis said genuinely but strategically.
Elsa beamed in response. Moira leaned in conspiratorially. “We’ve dealt with Lucas before. He didn’t appreciate our preference for swords over sewing needles.”
Ailis smirked as she added, “He made it clear we were out of place when we visited his family’s lands for the Highland Games. Of course, he was following orders to keep us away from Lachlan and Brodie. He may have been better mannered if he hadn’t had to deal with us hoydens.”
“But he’s now integral to McAfee land,” Elsa observed with admiration.
“We’ll stand firm,” Ailis affirmed, returning a jar to its shelf. “He has agreed to help us, and we welcome the information he has readily given.”
Much later, Moira opened her bed chamber door, revealing a candlelit space where Brodie awaited by the hearth. The calm in his brown eyes extinguished her anxieties as she rushed into his embrace.
“Ye’ve done well,” Brodie said softly. “Bringing the Lindsays to our side is no small feat. I’m proud of ye.”
Moira leaned in, her cheek against the rhythm of his heart. “I hope they prove to be able allies. For us and for our future,” she whispered, her hair a cascade upon his chest.
Their lips met in a tender kiss that intensified, fueled by their shared struggles and victories. With quiet efficiency, clothes were discarded, laces and buckles undone under the guidance of longing fingers. In the dim candlelight, they reunited, their exhaustion forgotten as every touch and whisper fortified their bond.
As fervor subsided into gentle caresses, they lay entwined beneath woolen blankets. Brodie’s hand traced patterns on Moira’s back as she focused on his steady breathing. In their chamber’s embrace, with the night poised outside the keep’s walls, their world condensed to just each other.
The warmth of their connection eased them into sleep, daily burdens dissolving into dreams. They drifted off entwined, ready to confront the future side by side—as one.
