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“Ye have been through so much together, and surely yer bond is the strongest of any marriage,” the priest told them in his address.
As he pronounced them man and wife, a cheer went up around the castle gardens, and Kin took Murdina in his arms and kissed her.
“I have found my true happiness with you, Murdina, and I would wish this moment to last forever,” he said as their lips parted.
“And tis’ the same happiness I share. But we cannae stop these moments from passin’–we must learn to live each moment as one of happiness, one which we shall never take for granted. Life is precious, Kin, we have seen that, and we have seen how easily it can be taken away. Let us live always with that in mind,” she replied, and he nodded, as now her father stepped forward to congratulate them.
“I have been blessed with four daughters, but I am honored to call ye my son, now,” he said, taking Kin by the hand.
“You do me the greatest of honors, laird. I am proud to be counted as one of your own, and I swear to you I shall do all I can to uphold the privileges of this noble clan,” Kin said, and Murdina’s father smiled.
“Then tis’ time we feasted and made merry. We have much to celebrate at this moment,” he said, calling for the feast to begin.
But Murdina and Kin did not immediately join the celebrations. They slipped away through the garden door built into the castle wall–the same door through which they had escaped and returned–and made their way along the narrow path which clung to the buttresses, emerging onto the main track leading to the gates.
“Did anyone see us slip away?” Murdina asked, but Kin shook his head.
“If two members of the order of the knot–master spies–cannot slip away unseen, then there would be no hope for anyone,” he said, and Murdina laughed.
“I just want her to be part of it,” she said, looking up towards the kirk, where the outline of Aoife’s grave could be seen below the churchyard wall.
They made their way across the heathers, the sun shining brightly in the sky above and a fresh breeze blowing in off the sea. The banners of the clan had been hoisted over the battlements, and they fluttered above the castle, the gates standing open in welcome to their guests. The sounds of revelry came from behind, but by the kirk, all was still, and Murdina leaned down and placed her hand on Aoife’s grave, a tear running down her cheek.
“I wish I had known her. I would dearly have loved to have done so. Would she approve of me?” Kin asked, and Murdina looked up at him and smiled.
“She would have had a healthy dose of suspicion for ye, and I have nay doubt she would have agreed with my father that ye had abducted me. But she would have been the first to admit the truth when it was shown to her. My sister and I were very much alike in many ways,” she said, thinking fondly of Aoife, whose smiling face was as clear a memory as though she were standing there before them.
“I am glad you have those memories. They are important to hold onto,” he said, and she turned to him and put her hands into his.
“I am sorry, Kin, I was nae thinkin’ of ye–what of yer family? Ye must have wanted them here today,” she said, and he nodded.
“I would, dearly, I would. But I hold them in my heart, and that is enough,” he said, putting his arms around her.
“What were they like? Your mother and father, your sisters?” she asked, and Kin smiled.
“We were like any family, we had our quarrels, we had our arguments, but we had love, too–in abundance,” he said, and she smiled back at him, glad to share his memories, as he shared hers.
“Then we must honor them, and perhaps… well, what of the castle, what of Eilean Donan? Would ye wish to return there?” she asked.
The thought had just occurred to her. There was nothing which bound them to life on the Mull of Kilchurn. Her father would surely give his blessing to them whatever they decided to do, and the thought of seeing the castle rebuilt, of sharing in that renaissance filled her heart with expectant joy.
“I… well, yes, but it is a ruin, it is…” he began, but she interrupted him, clasping her hands together in excitement.
“But we could rebuild it–we could see it come to life once more,” she exclaimed, and he smiled at her, caught up in her enthusiasm.
“Do you mean that? Oh, how wonderful that would be. We could rebuild–we could make it better, a grand castle for a new age,” he exclaimed, and she nodded.
“Have we nae already proved ourselves able to do anythin’ we set our minds to?” she asked, and he smiled.
“Surely, we have,” he replied, and now they returned to the castle in high spirits to be greeted by their guests who by now had gone searching for them.
“Were ye with Aoife?” Ella asked, and Murdina nodded.
“I wanted her to feel a part of today–she gave us her blessin’ and the first fruits of a wonderful idea,” she said, glancing at Kin, who smiled, taking her by the hand as together they entered the great hall.
The trestle tables had been laid for a great feast, and great bunches of flowers decorated the windowsills and mantelpiece. A fire was burning in the hearth, over which a magnificent haunch of venison was being roasted, and as they entered, a cheer went up from the guests.
“At last, the newlyweds have joined us,” Murdina’s father said, rising to his feet and raising his glass.
