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'We are going to stop,' I tell everybody, slowing down.
The warriors and Elsie also stop next to me and dismount. The horses need to rest.
'We have been riding very fast,' I say. 'We are getting there in a couple of hours.'
'Really?' Elsie raises her eyebrows. 'I thought that we would reach there in the evening.'
'I also thought so, but seeing how much land we have covered, I changed my mind. The horses rested well the previous night, so they were extra strong in the morning. Now, having some more rest, they will be able to reach the castle without any stops.'
The stop does not last long. In a few minutes, we mount the horses again, this time with plans to ride till we reach the castle.
Elsie
'We are almost there,' Calem says, as I see in the distance a castle. The castle is rather big, on large lands. My heart starts beating faster, as I cannot wait to get there, to go inside, to get acquainted to the Laird and to get married to Calem.
'I can see the castle,' I say with a thrilled voice.
In a few minutes, the gates are opened, and we enter. My horse goes after Calem's, and after me the warriors come.
A few people are standing in the middle of the yard, and I know none of them. Calem stops his horse in front of the people and dismounts. Then he comes and helps me dismount. Not that I cannot dismount my horse myself, but I am sure that he wanted to show everyone there that he cares about me and my well-being. The warriors dismount and stand behind us.
A handsome young man comes forward with a smile on his face, as he looks at Calem.
'You are welcome here, Calem,' he says in a deep voice.
'Laird Darah McDougald,' Calem says, going a bit forward, too, spreading his arms and hugging the Laird. 'I am glad to see you again.' He gets next to me again and holds my hand. I feel pleased and smile.
'How have you been, Calem?' Darah asks him. He looks at me for one second, and then looks back at Calem again.
'I have been through many things, Darah,' Calem replies. 'Many things happened to me, but I am very well. I am the best that I can be.'
'I am glad to hear that,' Darah says. He looks at me for a second again. I smile at him. He does not return the smile, but looks back at Calem again.
I wonder why he keeps looking at me with those short glances, without smiling. I decide to wait and see what happens next.
'Darah, this is Elsie McLeold, the love of my life,' Calem says finally, introducing me to the Laird. 'We love each other. We want to get married. So, we are here now, and want your consent regarding our marriage.'
Darah looks at me again with a cold glance. I smile at him, but he keeps looking at me with cold eyes. Gradually, my smile also wears off, as I start wondering what is wrong.
'Calem,' he says a bit coldly, as he turns his eyes to him. 'I am sorry to hear that.'
I frown. Calem also changes his facial expression.
'What do you mean?' Calem asks.
'I have already been warned that you would come with a woman,' Darah says. 'I have already been warned that you were going to ask me for permission to marry her. But there is a big problem.'
'What is the problem?' Calem asks, and I can hear tension in his voice. My hands start shaking unnoticeably.
'The problem is that she is evil and practices witchcraft,' Darah replies.
I raise my eyebrows and look at Calem. He frowns.
'What?' He asks Darah, probably thinking that he has not heard him right. But he has, because I also heard it.
'This woman is evil and practices witchcraft,' Darah repeats calmly. 'Calem, I am really sorry for you. I really am.'
I and Calem look at each other. He has an utterly surprised look on his face. For a second, I have the most horrifying thought that he believes what Darah says. I frown at Calem and slowly shake my head, barely noticeably.
'Darah, I know that you have always been a superstitious man,' Calem says to the Laird. 'But I would never have expected that.'
'Yes, I am superstitious,' Darah nods. 'I cannot give my consent to you for marrying an evil witch, and no matter what you say, you cannot change my mind.'
I can feel tears welling up in my eyes. Not because some person thinks of me as an evil witch, but because our marriage is not going to happen now because of that man's false opinion about me. I know that I must not cry right now, as it will seem not sincere in the eyes of the people standing behind Darah, as well as in the eyes of Darah, who thinks that I am an evil witch. So I blink back the tears as much as I can, hoping to talk to Calem about this whole thing later.
