“There’s a loch here as well,” he said, nodding toward a beautiful forest just beyond the western wall. “I’ll take ye there.”
She grinned.
Marissa loved to swim. Some of her favorite memories were from when she and her sisters would picnic on the banks of a loch, sharing stories and gossiping, reading and writing, painting and napping.
“When?” she asked.
Arthur had been correct when he’d said that their journey would take most of the day. The sun was already making its descent in the sky, and it would not be long before evening was upon them.
Marissa was also rather exhausted. Travel often found a way of leeching all of her energy. But for a little swim, she would find a way to muster it.
“Tomorrow,” Arthur answered.
She felt a flicker of disappointment, but she quickly stifled it.
Ye only need to wait for a day. Ye can wait that long.
Arthur spoke again, pulling her out of her thoughts. “It can be our first outing.”
Marissa turned her eyes to him, excitement bubbling in her chest. But before she could say anything, the doors to the castle were thrown open with a bang.
A dark-haired young woman, hair unbound and tumbling wildly around her shoulders, rushed forward. She spotted Arthur immediately, clapping and waving as she rushed toward the carriage.
Arthur shook his head, tugging on the reins so that the horses stopped.
“Prepare yerself,” he murmured to Marissa, before he turned and climbed down from the driver’s seat.
“Braither!” the young woman yelled, immediately throwing her arms around his shoulders and wrapping him in a tight hug. “Are ye all right? Did the ride go well? Also, I’m sorry to tell ye that the council was here early this mornin’.”
“I am well, everythin’ is fine,” Arthur said, his deep voice sending shivers through Marissa.
She watched the entire exchange from her seat, not wanting to climb down and disturb the reunion.
A dark-haired man who seemed a bit younger than Arthur but no less battle-hardened walked out of the castle. The moment his eyes landed on Arthur and the young woman, his face broke out into a grin.
“There ye are, Braither,” he said, his deep voice sounding almost exactly like Arthur’s.
“What’s this I hear about the council?” Arthur asked, stepping out of his sister’s embrace and stepping back to look at his siblings.
Are these his only siblings? What are their names? He only mentioned a braither and a sister. But mayhap there are more who dinnae live here. I should have asked him more about himself earlier.
“We tried to hold them off as long as we could,” the young woman said, just before his brother interjected.
“Ye ken how they are. They’re demandin’ to meet her tomorrow. They wouldnae hear otherwise.”
His voice was grim, but Arthur did not seem phased.
“I’ll handle the old men,” he responded gruffly.
“Speakin’ of yer bride,” his brother said, a note of intrigue in his voice. “Is that her? She doesnae look deranged enough to have concocted a love story with ye.”
Marissa snorted a laugh. “I can hear ye,” she called out, finally encouraging herself to climb down from the driver’s seat.
Her boots crunched on the ground as she hopped down, and she took a moment to smooth down her skirts before standing to her full height and meeting the gazes of Arthur’s siblings.
“And I am nae deranged.”
“Marissa.” Arthur smirked as he waved her forward. “Please come meet me siblings. This is Ayla, and the ugly one is Joseph.”
