The Highlander Without a Bride (4 page)

"Yes, milord.  I will marry you."

CHAPTER FOUR

The second wedding ceremony
varied vastly from the first.  Very few people were in attendance save for Kaye's immediate family and Lord Stephen's.  No special pomp or circumstance was declared as the small party watched the simple service somberly as the vows were stoically said and the blessings were had.

Kaye's youngest sister
Bridget watched regretfully during the ceremony and forever wondered what had prompted her dear sister to make such a rash decision.  Why would she choose to marry someone such as the Lord Hann?  Even though the sisters had not seen each other in this expanse of these last two years, they had been very close prior to her being wed.  They had shared much as they were growing up including their wants and dreams for their futures and this was so unlike what she ever would have expected.

Bridget knew her sister well and understood
she had a most tender heart.  Her greatest ambition and dream in life was to find a suitable husband who could love and respect her and to whom she could fully give her heart.  She had often times declared that was what would make her complete and she had vowed that she would settle for nothing less than the love and devotion that was shared by their parents.

Their father and their mother
.  Bridget looked beyond the discomfited couple standing together before the priest to her parents who were positioned a small distance away from the group as they stood arm in arm.  She could not help but be saddened as she looked upon their trained and normally unemotional faces that were clearly filled with sadness and disbelief.  They did not show any joy as what should have been displayed for the parents of the bride and one that they had shown so openly and as recently as yesterday when their dear Marie was united with Lord Stephen. It was obvious that they too, were feeling the distress of this situation and were quite distraught at this abrupt turn of events. Bridget's mother had tears welling, though definitely not for happiness as her father stood stoically and rigidly by.  They were in such a distressing state to be sure.

The priest
finally pronounced the couple's fate as husband and wife, sealing the pact to their lives.  Lord Hann turned abruptly and looked into Kaye's face as he smiled faintly with a coolness to his eyes.  He awkwardly leaned in and slightly brushed Kaye's lips with his own, signaling the end of the ceremony and commencement of their married life. 

Kaye closed her eyes as her new husband
bent slightly towards her with an expectancy upon her mind for the impending kiss that would symbolize the beginning of their new life together.  She was wishing ardently that he could stir emotions within her and quell all of her impending fears.  As his lips barely brushed hers, a feeling of remoteness and a disappointment flowed through her for before the kiss began it was truly over.  She was left standing detached and feeling all alone with no warmth of sentiments within.

A plethora of emotions
now began to battle within Kaye as they continued to stand before the priest.  The ceremony was now complete and her fate was now sealed forever.  She pasted a smile upon her face and feigned happiness and cheerfulness and was hoping that on the outside this is what would be perceived by all those in attendance.  She desired beyond all that was living that they would believe she had made the appropriate and happiest of decisions, for she assumed that this is what new brides should truly feel. But deep down inside she experienced a sense of despondency forever growing as a void overtook her heart and a panic for the hasty decision that she had made.  But made it, she had and live with it, she was determined she would do.

With
a sudden resolution, she forced a smile further upon her face, knowing she could not go back upon her word now. 
Would not
go back now for she had chosen her road knowing full well what may most likely lay ahead.  She had already declared before her family and her God that she would love, honor and obey this man she called husband and she vowed to do nothing less.  She knew most assuredly that her convictions were strong and her word, absolute.

Lord
Hann, still standing close to his new bride leaned in slightly as he moved his mouth towards Kaye's ear.  He placed a slight kiss upon her temple for the benefit of those in attendance within the great chamber and spoke coolly and softly into her ears.

"We are now wed and it is time to go.  Now quickly say your goodbyes and gather your things for we
shall be on the road within the quarter hour."

H
e leaned back and away from her as he showed a slight smile that she noted once again was one that strangely did not reach all the way up into his eyes.  At that moment Kaye felt the foreboding and the first stirrings of apprehension within her heart for the hasty decision she had made.  She showed no apparent or outward signs of the dread that began to consume her, for she understood completely that she had pledged herself to this man and fool or not, fulfill that pledge is what she was bound to do.  She was now resolved that she would follow her new lord to the ends of the earth, for she had given her word and her word was all that she had of any real value now left in this world. 

She
took a deep breath as she forced a smiled upon her face and determined that no one within this room would perceive any of the sadness or misery that was inwardly consuming her.   She raised her chin slightly as she nodded to her new lord, then turned as she made her way to the sides of her two sisters as each stood proudly by their own husbands.  She remained still for a few moments in front of them, then leaned in and hugged each one tightly, quietly declaring her love and devotion for the Devon family and that she was honored to be following their fine leads. 

She stepped back slightly from within their embrace and w
ith a final nod, she moved from their presence with a faint smile positioned upon her lips. Kaye turned and strode serenely across the floor to face her parents, knowing this would be her most difficult farewell.  She knew that these two who had raised her, knew her and understood her but she vowed she would show no sign of the trepidation she felt nor anything of her fears.  For she only wanted to do right by them and take the full and complete responsibility for her decision. 

She walked slowly across the floor in their direction, now s
tanding before the two who had influenced her most in her life.  In Kaye's heart she knew she wanted nothing more than to make them proud for the woman whom she had grown to be and knew she had become.  For nothing in this world meant more to her at this very moment, then their love and their respect. 

She leaned in and
placed a kiss upon each of her mother's cheeks with a stoic smile still portrayed upon her face.  She held her father's hand tightly, the warmth enveloping hers as she attempted to draw from his strength.  Kaye wanted desperately to prove that she too, was strong and not leave her poor parents any reason to believe she had made an error in judgment or made her decision in haste.  So before her resolution faltered, before they could detect what was truly within her heart, she quickly turned and left the hall for her room so that she could collect her belongings and gather her composure.  More than anything, she did not want them to see the sadness in her eyes nor the apprehension within her heart.  With her chin held high she moved across the great hall and walked up the stairs to her rooms above, for what she recognized could be the very last time.

*****

Tor stood undetected and in the shadows of the chamber watching the ceremony take place.  He listened to the vows and to the pledges but was still unbelieving and skeptical of both the bride and the groom. He watched as the emotions played across both Kaye's and her intended's face, subtle messages though they were.  He could detect that something was amiss and not quite right, but now as the final words were spoken, he knew it was all complete as the pledges were made.  He understood there was no reversing what had been bound.

As Kaye exited the hall, he stepped back slightly
and further into the shadows so she did not notice him as she hurried by.  With a sure heaviness within his chest he realized that the agonized look upon her face was telling and certainly not the feigned smile she had allowed her family to witness.  Once she had passed by him and up the stairs, he followed suit, unknown to anyone in the great hall below as he was completely undetected by Kaye.

He watched
at a safe distance as she disappeared down the long hallway and into what must be her chamber, leaving her door slightly ajar.  He silently approached and as he came even with her threshold he peered over his shoulder and back towards whence he came, ensuring he was followed by no one.  He then turned back as he guardedly peered in and watched Kaye intently from across the expanse of the room and unbeknownst to her.

He
gazed at Kaye rather attentively as she stood by the bed with her back to the door as her head was lowered.  Tor noted sadly that her shoulders were slightly shaking as she quietly accepted her grief.  It was quite apparent that she was making great attempts at calming herself, but to no avail.  For many moments Tor watched as she stood as such with a great grief spreading through him at the reality of her plight. 

After a long while,
Kaye raised her head and took in a large breath.  Slowly, she let it out as she was obviously continuing to fight for control.  She breathed in deeply one final time and as she did so, she dabbed at the obvious tears upon her cheeks as she turned to grab the single bag upon the bed and turn back towards the door to make her final retreat.

Tor took one step backward and
further into the shadows as she approached, staying hidden from her as she exited her room and walked down the hallway and away from him and into her new life.

CHAPTER FIVE

Kaye stood in the
center of the courtyard of her family's home as the midmorning sun in the cloudless sky heated the air fully around them, a full wretchedness upon her heart.  As she breathed in deeply in an attempt to control her apprehension, she felt a small bead of sweat forming at the base of her neck and felt as it moved slowly and lazily down onto her back below her gown.  She looked up forlornly at the intense blue sky that surrounded them as it shone brightly and brilliantly, so unlike the dark turmoil that was now churning within her heart.

Kaye
turned to gaze upon the family that she had grown up with and loved desperately, staring at them one final time as they stood quietly and serenely upon the stone stairs. The home where she had lived the entire twenty one years of her life rose regally behind them, exuding fond and loving memories as did all those standing before it.  She permitted her eyes to seek each and every one of their faces as she desperately beseeched her mind to memorize and brand them forever to her memory.

The
courtyard was somber and quiet with no one moving and no one speaking for the farewells had all been said.  Kaye stood without moving as she silently willed herself to gain the strength to become prepared for the next part of her life.  Her eyes circled around one final time at the somber group standing above the square, finally and for the last time settling upon her parents.  They stood silently by with her father's arm wrapped tightly around her mother, supporting Lady Marion and a sense of  dismay surrounding them both. 

Kaye
turned in resignation to her new husband who was standing directly behind her as she nodded her head to indicate that she was now ready to depart. He grasped her small hand in his as he turned to lead her over to a small brown horse that was waiting patiently behind them.  He moved to assist her upon the petite pony's back and then snugly tied her parcel behind her. 

There were
just four in the small English party and that number was including Kaye.  Besides herself, there was the Lord Hann and two of his men. The Hann soldiers who much resembled their lord in height and ability traveled rather lightly as compared to the great Scottish warriors.  No bows were laid across their backs, nor massive weaponry anywhere upon their persons.  They each sported only one single slight sword that hung neatly and elegantly sheathed at their sides, more for its stylish looks than its practical usage. 

Tor
scowled as he moved out onto the castle stairs from within the great hall as he moved quietly to gain Alec's side.  He shook his head slowly and in disbelief as he watched the small party turn and take their leave slowly down the dirt path.  As the Hann party moved their mounts away from the stone stairs and towards the drawbridge beyond, a deep furrow began to grow upon his brow.  He spoke quietly for Alec alone, so that no others would hear, no one else would take note. 

"Alec, are all the peo
ple of this land so careless?"

Alec looked at him and with
concern upon his face and a knowing sigh as he simply shook his head in disgust, for he too was shocked at their lack of preparedness.  He obviously understood more than most that times were not always safe and were never safe in his mind, to leave their lives and their protection to chance.  There were always threats about, those of the lands and people ever present even here in their civilized England.  That is why when Alec traveled he would always come with his seasoned warriors and weaponry aplenty and readily carried, easily accessible and ever prepared.

Tor
stood next to his lord shaking his head in irritation with a loathing within his chest as he returned, "Then let us be away from here. It is difficult to stomach these people's ways much further…"

*****

Kaye, now the Lady Hann, sat stoically and quietly upon her mount as she followed the three men moving steadily down the dirt path that led away from the great stone walls beyond her father's keep.  Her slight pony was quite small in contrast to their larger steeds and even from the very beginning of their journey she found herself continually falling behind their great beast's long strides.  With frustration, she found herself repeatedly kicking her heels restlessly into her own pony to move it quickly forward in an attempt to close the gap that threatened to grow wider and leave her further behind.  

The
English party had ridden for what must have been at least an hour for the sun was now approaching its apex and the excessive heat of the late summer day was fully upon them.  Even though the temperature continued to escalate, the small party had not yet stopped and had not yet rested nor offered to take a break.  In their journey, Kaye continued to see only the three Hann men's backs as they trudged onward. 

While she
attempted to maintain the pace set by her new lord and harden her resolve, both Kaye and her gentle animal were beginning to show sure signs of fatigue and she began to grow weary. Kaye's back had begun to get sore and her legs had long since fallen asleep from the longstanding and unfamiliar position on top of the small mare's back.  She sighed heavily and resolved that even though she felt discomfort, she was determined not to complain and refused to give in to her fatigue and aches as she remained silent and all the while sadly shouldering her grief.

As they rode further into the day, t
he path they were following began to narrow as they moved through yet another stand of great oaks.  Kaye noticed the trees as they grew ever closer and converged tightly upon them.  As they traveled deeper into the wooded area the small road tapered further and was no longer wide enough for horses to move at even two abreast, so the men moved into a single file leaving Kaye trailing silently behind.

They continued
riding in this format for what seemed like a long while to Kaye as the trees continued to consume the small party.  In her exhaustion, for that is what she was by this time, she began to fall further and further behind the men of the Hann keep.  A true concern began growing in her heart for she was unable to keep her pony near. 

As the
three Hann men made their way ahead of her and over a slight rise, their presence was momentarily obstructed by the knoll they had just passed over.  Within that instant, she heard a horse whinny loudly and then another, as one of the men shouted with a terror in his voice.  Although she could not hear his words nor see what had happened, she understood the tone was one of fright and one of fear and it instilled a grave panic within her heart. 

Kaye pulled ha
rd on her small horse's lead as she halted her slight pony in her tracks concerned for the men's unknown fate and not wishing to encroach upon their misfortune.  With her heart beating heavily within her chest, she waited for some sign or a signal that all was well before she was willing to proceed.  Within moments she heard the sound of pounding hooves as a riderless horse came over the rise and approached her quickly as it charged down the path with its eyes wide and startled and stampeding straight at her.

In
reflex, Kaye pulled hard on the lead rope of her mare's harness to escape the speeding beast as she moved her small pony off the path just in time and into the shelter of a nearby thick stand of trees.  As she stayed hidden, she listened intently for any sound or any indication of what had just occurred causing one of the Hann men to lose his mount.  Hearing only an eerie silence, with apprehension flooding through her, she dismounted carefully to seek out their fate. 

As
her feet first touched the ground she nearly collapsed for the extensive time she had spent within the saddle.  The needle like pain prickled fiercely at her legs.  She grasped her mare's mane to steady herself as she wished the blood to hastily begin circulating and the feeling to return so she could seek out her lost party.  When she finally felt the life returning to her legs, she carefully placed her lead rope over the nearest branch as she secured her mare and made ready to move forward in search of some answers.  With caution and with an ominous silence still hanging in the air about her, she crept forward in an attempt to stay hidden within the large oaks.  As a fear began to mount in her breast, she peered over the gentle rise to assess the fate that had befallen her new lord and his men.

Her
pulse beat wildly as she slowly progressed forward and then froze in terror as her heart clenched within her chest at the sight that was laid out before her.  Several dark men who numbered seven, had circled around the Lord Hann and his two men in the slight clearing.  Their massive and heavily armed bodies sent a foreboding chill throughout her body as she watched on in alarm as they moved their large mounts to surround them in an effort to keep the three Hann men contained within.

Kaye noted that h
er husband and one of his men were still astride their horses with one now unseated and standing upon the ground between the other two.  All three were completely motionless and were wide-eyed with the fright clearly written upon their faces.  She watched with concern for the one standing was clutching his shoulder as a slight trickle of blood escaped between his fingers. 

The
circling men were all dressed in dark clothing, their dirty and unkempt bodies sitting alertly and powerfully upon their great steeds.  They were all large and impressively armed with massive swords positioned upon their backs and hanging from their sides.  They were all equally menacing and equally terrifying as they continued to surround their prey.  Closer and closer they moved as they contained the Hann men, within.

It was
the lord himself who spied her and locked eyes with her as she peered from her hiding place among the trees and just over the hill.  When she was spotted, he reacted to her fully as he drew in a deep and noticeable breath.  His eyes grew wide as he stared directly at her.  His obvious reaction to her presence alerted one of the dark men and he turned swiftly on his mount as he lifted his great sword and his eyes turned in her direction.  A fear fully engulfed Kaye's heart and before she was able to remove herself from his line of sight, he noticed her hidden within the brush a short distance away.

As quick
ly as Kaye could, she spun and began to run in an attempt to flee as she tried desperately to leave the men and the horror laid out behind her.  She ran on as swiftly as her legs would carry her and had not traveled more than a few paces when she heard the thundering of hooves from a single rider closing in quickly behind her. 

She
ran as hastily as her legs would carry her in an effort to flee further into the woods as she dodged between the large oaks in hopes she could evade her potential captor.  But he was too quick and was too seasoned and skilled for her to evade him.  With little effort and surprising grace, he deftly leaned over the side of his sprinting horse as he came abreast of her and easily lifted her from the ground, mid-stride.

Kaye
felt the power of the dark man as she was yanked forcibly into the air and placed solidly before her captor as an arm roughly moved about her waist and secured her tightly within his grasp.  He held her fiercely as he pushed her violently into his chest as his mass completely engulfed her within.  His dark greasy hair hung long and touched her head as his armor bit painfully at her skin where his body effectively surrounded her. 

Once
he had her wrapped securely within his arms, he turned his mount abruptly and moved swiftly back to the clearing.  His breath was hot and rancid above her head as a horrid and deep chuckle escaped him.  As the horse picked its way through the trees, the threatening man's hand greedily grabbing at the underside of her breast causing a wave of nausea to nearly consume her and a panic spread further throughout her body.

Kaye's
breath caught in her throat for she realized that her terror was real and her destiny no longer of her choosing as she sat before this chilling beast and among the other dark men.  He moved his large steed forward and retook his original place within the circle of the feared enemies.  The terror was apparent in Kaye's eyes and was engulfing her being and ever threatening to consume her.  She stared in dread and misery at the hard and callused faces of her captors. 

Her eyes
finally sought Lord Hann's as she silently begged her new husband for his protection and was hoping he could safeguard her and bring her away from this nightmare unscathed.  With a wretchedness she realized that her lord could only stare back with the same fears written upon his own face, as the reality of their situation truly began to permeate her mind.

"Your valuables, kind sir."

It came from one of the dark men seated upon his large steed directly across from her on the other side of the circle of men.  This, she assumed must be deemed the leader of this strong and sordid group for he was larger then the rest and his armor more adorned.  He was an imposing and ferocious looking man with hard and dark eyes, his blackened teeth showing slightly as he spoke.  It was a calm request and Kaye recognized it as an ominous request, yet in a tone as if inquiring of a friend the time of day.