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Chapter 22
Two hours later, Alastair paced back and forth in his chamber, not able to find the small box with the ring in it that he had bought for Fia. He tore up the room looking everywhere, but could not find it.
He picked up the box with the heart brooch in it, opening the lid and gingerly plucking up the pin to inspect it. Could this have been his mother’s? And was she the one who helped save his life when he was wounded on the battlefield and left to die? It was a hard story to believe, not to mention the one his father supposedly told Fia. It wasn’t that he thought Fia was lying, but he had trouble understanding there was a secret group of strong women that was chosen by the late English queen. The whole thing sounded like something made up by a drunken bard.
“My laird,” said Niven, rushing in the door, out of breath. “Everyone is waitin’ for ye in the courtyard. Fia’s faither said if ye dinna come down there anon, he is goin’ to come up here and get ye himself.”
“Have ye found the ring?” He slammed shut the box and replaced it on the shelf.
“Nay. I looked everywhere for it. Where did ye leave it?”
“If I kent that, I wouldna be late for my own weddin’. I swear I put it up here on the shelf.” He ran his hand over the shelf once more but found no ring.
“It looks like Cerberus has been in here again and just after I cleaned up from the last time he demolished the room,” stated Niven, looking at the mess.
“Nay, most of this mess was done by me lookin’ for the ring.”
“Oh.” Niven raised his brows in surprise.
“Well, I will just have to explain it to Fia and get her another ring later. I hope she can forgive me for bein’ so careless.”
They made their way down to the courtyard decorated with archways of flowers leading to a raised dais where the priest stood waiting with his book in his hand. Alastair stopped in his tracks when he saw Fia waiting for him to join her. She was even more beautiful than he’d ever seen her before.
“Alastair,” she said with a smile as he approached, keeping her head down and looking up shyly, making her big, green eyes seem twice as large. Damn, she was alluring. Morag stood at her side, straightening the train of her long gown. It was made of dark green velvet with eyelets of white lace on the tippets and down the bodice.
“Ye look stunnin’, my bonnie cailin.”
She smiled and held out the sides of her gown. “My mathair brought this gown for me to wear.”
“She made it years ago, hopin’ someday Fia would marry,” Morag blurted out.
Fia’s long, red locks were loose and cascaded down her shoulders. It was a striking contrast to her forest green gown. The only thing that could have made her look more like a princess was if she were wearing her crown. In her hands, she held a bouquet of colorful wildflowers.
“Shall we start?” asked the priest, seeming anxious to have the wedding over. The sky started to darken, looking like rain.
“Wait! Wait for us,” called out a female voice from the drawbridge. Alastair turned around to see Fia’s cousins and their fathers – the other two Legendary Bastards of the Crown, riding in through the front gate.
“Maira! Willow!” Fia shouted excitedly, waving the flowers in the air. “Over here.”
The girls dismounted and ran over to hug Fia.
“I didna think ye were comin’.”Fia’s heart soared to see her cousins. Willow and Maira had arrived with their fathers in time for the wedding after all.
“We rode all night to get the girls here in time,” said the blond-haired triplet, Rowen.
“Alastair, ye already ken my cousins, but I would like ye to meet my Uncles Rook and Rowen,” said Fia.
“About time ye got here,” Reed called out. “It took ye long enough.” Reed went over to greet his brothers with a quick clasp of their hands.
“Are we ready now?” asked the priest, glancing up at the sky. A few raindrops fell around them. “I recommend I do the short version since it is about to storm.”
“Make it quick,” said Alastair, taking Fia’s hand in his. “I canna wait a minute longer to make her my wife.”
After repeating their vows, the priest nodded to Alastair. “Ye can put the ring on her finger now.” He nervously glanced upward at the sky once again.
“Fia,” said Alastair. “About the ring.”
“Aye?” she couldn’t imagine what he was trying to say.
