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CHAPTER 1
Tavia stood in the silence of the forest. She should not be there, but she hadn’t been able to resist. She had come here often when she was young. It was her escape, a place to dream, imagine, hope. Her da would scold her, warning her that the forest held beauty, but it also held danger, and she should not venture in it alone. Still, though, he had never stopped her… until the accident.
A sudden sound had her turning and she smiled seeing that a large pine tree had shed some of the snow that had weighed heavily on its branches. The towering tree appeared pleased with itself, its spreading branches no longer drooping, now proudly lifted, finally free of its burden.
If only one could shed problems so easily.
The last few days had been more sun than clouds melting a good portion of the snow that had fallen in intervals for the last week. Not that it was the last of the winter snow, there would be more, but she would not be here to see it.
The sad thought caused her heart to turn heavy and she focused on her surroundings committing the forest she had come to know and love to memory. She went to take a step to walk a bit farther into the woods and a sudden pain struck her leg, causing her to stumble. She could not prevent herself from falling, though she wisely twisted her body so she would land in a snowdrift.
Tavia laughed and sat up, brushing off the snow that had fallen on her. It reminded her of when she was young and would jump or fall, in play, into the snowdrifts. A pain turned her laughter to a wince, stealing the happy memory and reminding her of her limitations. The accident had left her with a limp and the snow and cold made it all that more difficult. She would suffer for her trek into the forest. Her limp would be more pronounced and her leg painful for a day or two. At the moment, she did not care. It was more important that she had this time here and felt as free and carefree as she had—what seemed like not that long ago.
She got herself to her feet with some difficultly and realized the walk back to the keep would be painful, but worth it for this brief taste of freedom. In a few days, it would all be gone.
After a shake of her cloak to rid it of the remaining snow, she took a cautious step and grimaced from the pain that rippled through her leg. The walk back was going to be more difficult than she thought. She would need to take her time, keep her pace slow. It did not help that a chill crept through her, the air having gotten a sudden bite to it and the sun having ducked behind a cloud.
Worry began to take hold, not about her painful return to the keep, she could manage that. Once at the keep, she would rest her leg and apply a warm cloth that would ease her suffering. What worried her more and had since she had first learned of what the future held for her was… what would her new husband think of her limp and the problems that came with it?
Tavia had had little decision in the matter, the marriage arrangement necessary to her clan. Her da had been upset but adamant about the marriage when he had told her about it. Clan Strathearn would not survive if the marriage did not take place. It was her duty to help the clan.
It had only been her and her da, her mum having died giving birth to her and her da never finding another woman he loved as much as he loved Tavia’s mum. He’d been a wonderful, loving da, which had made it easier for her to be a loving, obedient daughter. Now she was expected to be a caring, obedient wife to a man she had never met. And a man more Northman than Highlander. But with his clan bordering a small section of her clan to the north, he could provide protection. It also brought much needed help in many different ways to her clan, sufficient food being one of them. With the clan dwindling, it was difficult to provide the necessities. Her new husband, Lord Bhric, intended to infuse the clan with his own people, populating it more and growing it strong once again.
Tavia could not deny her clan such an opportunity, even if it cost her dearly.
She made slow progress through the forest, not something she minded. She cherished this time alone. It had been hectic the last week or more with Lord Cree and Lady Dawn here to help solve a problem plaguing the clan. But it had been settled. At least she hoped it had. There was still concern for the woman, Fia, in the dungeon, but a claim had been made on her and her da was considering it. She had no idea what her husband would have to say about it, or if he would leave it to her da to decide.
It was difficult to imagine bidding her da farewell. She had always been secure in his love and while he would still love her, she would rarely get to see him. How did one manage such an abrupt change? How could it be that one day she was here among those who loved her and the next swept away by a stranger who she was expected to obey without question?
She had been impressed with Lady Dawn’s strong, independent nature, even though her husband was the infamous, mighty Lord Cree. She wished she had a small portion of Lady Dawn’s strong resolve. At least then, she would not be as fearful as she was in meeting her husband.
A sudden, strong wind had her stopping to pull up her hood, the wind having whipped across her face stinging it. So much had happened in the last week that she barely had had time to comprehend it. She supposed that was why she had needed this time alone in the forest to try and make sense of things, to try and accept her fate, to try and not let her heart break when she bid her da goodbye. She had already bid her cousin Flora, who she had had little time to get to know, farewell. Her sudden and unexpected marriage to Lord Torin and their departure had been rushed after he received a message. The contents or who sent it, he had not shared, only that they would leave immediately.
She shook her head. Life was far more difficult than she ever imagined it would be. She missed the carefree days of when she was young and there was little worry and lots of mischief. She hoped she would be able to give the same to her children.
A shiver ran through her, not from the cold, but from the thought of what it took to conceive a bairn. How was that possible with a man she did not know at all?
Tavia reached the edge of the forest, spying the village not far in the distance. She stopped knowing once she left the refuge of the forest, life would be forever different for her. She could hear her da’s voice reminding her again that she had no choice. Her marriage to Lord Bhric of Clan MacShane was beneficial to the clan and it was her duty to see it done.
But wasn’t that the lot of a dutiful daughter?
She shook her head again. If she were lucky enough to have a daughter, she would not allow the same to happen to her no matter what the cost to herself. She would see her daughter wed to a good man of her choice, not one forced upon her.
With fortitude born out of necessity, Tavia took a step out of the forest and into the life fate had dictated for her.
The village was a short walk away, Tavia’s wander having taken her farther away from the village than she had thought. She took barely a few painful steps when she felt the ground tremble beneath her feet and heard horses’ hooves pounding the snow-covered ground, then the mighty sound of a horn filled the air.
Could it be?
“Nay,” she whispered and attempted to hurry her steps. She had at least a couple of days before his arrival. Please. Please, do not let him be early, she silently pleaded.
She hurried a glance behind her and almost froze with fright at the group of men baring down on the village a few feet away. It was a small troop of men, but every one of them were large especially the man leading them. He was broad beneath the hides and furs he wore, and his light-colored hair was long with two narrow braids hanging along each side of his face. Even from a distance his features were striking and intimidating. He exuded confidence in the powerful way he sat his horse, in the way he held himself erect, in the way his eyes remained focused in front of him as if he feared nothing. But then the numerous weapons that hung off his horse’s sides attested to his many skills as a warrior.
Tavia pressed her hand to her chest, her heart beating so rapidly she thought it would burst. Fear captured her, an intense fear she had never felt before this moment. It ripped through her, squeezed at her, threatened her. How would she ever be wife to such a powerfully intimidating man?
The group was baring down on her fast and she barely had room to avoid them, though if she could run, she could at least make it to a small clearing up ahead where she could avoid being trampled by them.
Tavia raised the hem of her garments, gritted her teeth against the pain that would strike and rushed her steps. Tears threatened her eyes from the pain that shot through her leg, but she ignored it and pushed forward. A few more steps, just a few… her leg gave out without warning, and she went down hard.
