The Highlander Without a Bride (6 page)

After looking at him for several moments,
Kaye took a deep breath as she resigned herself to her dire situation.  She knew that she had pledged herself and had given her oath before her family, before her country and before her God, to love, honor and
obey
this man.  A pledge she could not, and
would
not, take lightly.  For her honor and her duty were all that now remained and the only things that she had left within her of any true value.  So, obey is what she was determined to do.

With a knowing sadness
and a determination like no other she had ever felt, she was resolved to do as she was ordered.  She was now quite determined to obey her husband.  She looked up into Tor's eyes as his arms still surrounded her and made a move to rise. 

She
quietly said to him as a sadness flooded throughout her body, "I must go."

He looked down at her completely
astounded and unknowing how to react for he assumed he could not be hearing her correctly.  For what she had been through, for what her new husband had said.  But as she continued to look into his eyes pleadingly and nodded her head slightly, he knew that he had no right to intervene for this was but her decision to make, though imprudent he was thinking she must be. 

Tor
had a new understanding and appreciation for this woman he now held within his arms.  He admitted that he had to admire her will and steadfastness for this clearly was a woman who would live by her duty, though misguided he believed her to be.  She was proving to be a woman Tor knew to be proud, but in the best sense.  Whether he agreed or not with her decision, he understood without a doubt that it was only hers to make.  He knew he had no right to speak out or to attempt to sway her pronouncement, so comply with her request, he must.

Tor
dejectedly helped the shaken Kaye to rise fully.  As he did so and unbeknownst to any within that slight clearing, he carefully pulled a small medallion from his own pocket.  It was a coin he had inherited from his family and kept with him always.  He circumspectly pressed it firmly into her palm as he briefly closed his own large hand around hers. 

As he set her up
right and upon the ground, he looked into her eyes and leaned in and whispered for her ears only, "If you find yourself in need of my assistance, just send this to me and I will come."

She
pulled her hand from his and felt the coolness of the object he had pressed into her palm.  She placed her hand with the medallion over her heart as she grasped at her bodice in an attempt to conceal herself and it, within. 

Kaye
looked one more time deeply into his striking blue eyes and nodded slightly, silently thanking him for his sudden kindness but knowing that this would be perhaps the last time she would ever see this considerate man.  With a wretchedness upon her heart, Kaye realized forlornly that less than one day before she had been afraid of his massive size and feared his ways.  Now she was looking upon him with a thankfulness for saving her life and a gratitude for protecting her from a most horrible fate.  He had comforted her in her most needful hour and for that she would always be grateful. She gazed at him sorrowfully, knowing that her duty was to her husband, her life with her new lord, and obey him she must.

Kaye turned from the Bruce clansmen and
looked across at the small grouping of the Hann men as they gathered themselves making ready to depart.  None appeared to show any concern for her nor sadly did her lord for the man who was wounded. 

Her
new husband turned to the injured man as he spoke loudly, "Thomas, be sure to take one of the blackguard's horses to replace your own and two of the others."

Lord
Hann, still seated upon his horse turned and looked directly over to Alec as if to justify his claim.  He then pulled a small bag from deep within his coat and threw it down upon the ground.  When it hit the earth in the center of the small clearing, the coins rattled loudly within as they reverberated into the otherwise silent afternoon.

Kaye looked up in shock and in devastation, her eyes wide
in revulsion as the sound of the coins echoed within the stand of trees.  In sheer distress and misery she realized that he was paying these Highlanders for his own protection, that hers was of no import.  For he had not brought those coins forward to save
her
from the assault of those wretched men.

Lord
Hann spat, "Payment for your troubles.  The rest of the beasts are now yours."

After speaking those words
, he turned his own horse in the direction of his home.  He did not look back again as he coldly made the assumption that his party would dutifully follow.

Kaye closed her eyes in
misery and in deep embarrassment and was mortified for the sure greediness of her husband as she was distressed by his lack of honor.  It was obvious he was to be more intent upon holding onto and gathering wealth then protecting or comforting his new bride.  He even disregarded his own man's obvious wound. 

With a deep breath, she
began to walk slowly over to her mare with a new found wretchedness within her breast but knowing she had no other choice.  As she moved to make her way to her pony, she felt a light touch upon her waist as Tor lifted her effortlessly as he assisted her onto her mount. 

Tor looked once again and deeply into her eye
s as he spoke softly, "Remember, if you need me do not hesitate..."

As she secured the reins within her grasp, s
he gazed down forlornly one last time into his eyes as she attempted a small smile for his kindly gesture.  Knowing her time was short and she could tarry no more, she then turned away as she hurriedly followed the Hann men.  Kaye desperately attempted to hide her sadness and her shame and her all consuming grief.

The stunned
Bruce clansmen could only stare in silence and disbelief as they watched the small party disappear down the darkened path and further into the trees.  They were unbelieving of what they had just witnessed, saddened and most angered for the now known and desolate fate of Bridget's sister.  They were all too astonished to move and too aghast to react.  The hardened Scottish warriors who had experienced much desolation and destruction in their lives were for the first time ever, rendered speechless. 

CHAPTER
SEVEN

Kaye sat
stonily upon her small horse clutching at the material of her gown as she moved her horse as quickly as she could behind the three men.  Her spirit was crushed and an emptiness was ominously consuming her heart. As she reflected upon the travesties of all that had transpired, she conceded fully that it was just too much to bear and could not completely comprehend all that had come to pass. A surprising calm surrounded her as she thought back upon the horror of her harrowing nightmare.  It was difficult enough to think of being accosted and then violated by the dark warrior, but what played most horribly upon her mind was the sound rejection of her new husband.  Her heart cried out as she played over and over within her mind her husband's cold words…
soiled
is what he had said she was.

Kaye
also looked sadly forward to the man called Thomas.  He continued to clutch his arm and she could tell that he was in pain as she watched the blood continue to flow slightly between his fingers.  While he made great attempts at hardening his face, Kaye realized his injury must trouble him greatly for as she observed him most intently, she detected that he was beginning to lose the control of his beast.

She realized sadly that her own
arms and her fingers began to ache from the constant gripping as she continued to hold the ripped material from the bodice of her dress in place as she attempted to keep herself properly covered.  She had ridden like this for more than an hour and her hand was beginning to cramp and tire from the strain of it. The pains were fully encompassing her fingers and agonizingly shooting up her arm.

She looked
ahead dejectedly at the stiff back her new husband before her, the Lord Hann never once turning and never once inquiring after her as he continued to quickly move on.  Not once had he thought to ask if she needed any assistance or if she needed to rest.  Her heart cried out for the wretchedness of it as a complete understanding of her new life settled heavily upon her.

Knowing she could not continue on like this for much longer, nor did she wish to enter her new home in such a state,
she kicked at her small pony to move herself forward in an attempt to gain her new lord's side.  She simply wanted to implore him to stop just long enough so that she could look at his poor man's injury and change into a fresh gown so she could remove the obvious outward signs of her assault. 

She kicked her beast time and again, imploring her mare to quicken its pace
all the while decreasing the distance between she and the Hann men.  For several long minutes she did so, sadly knowing that her small pony was as fatigued as she.  Finally, Kaye gained more ground and secured her lord's side where she forcefully pleaded with him.

"Milord, can we please stop briefly so that I can change my gown?
  I do not wish to be seen by your people in such a state as this."

He never looked at her as he
continued to stare directly forward, not slowing his horse and ignoring her as if she were not there or had not spoken.  The sadness of the position she found herself in continued to consume her as a boldness that she had never possessed until that very moment suddenly took over.  She removed her wearied hand that was holding her gown together and allowed her arm to fall to her side.  Without her efforts, the material gaped widely open and effectively exposed her breasts once again to the sunny afternoon and the warm summer breeze.

Lord
Hann nearly gagged at her boldness as he immediately flushed and stopped his horse short.  He never looked towards her, but simply stared straight ahead as he now sat atop the motionless horse.

"Cover yourself!"
  He spat.

"Thank you, milo
rd for permission to do so.  That is all I was asking."

Kaye turned her
pony back several paces as she moved slightly behind the small party at the edge of the path so that she could switch gowns.  She dismounted quickly upon the dirt road and with her horse between her and the backs of the Hann men, she quickly removed a fresh gown from her bag with the intent of replacing her torn one.  After her new gown was upon her body and all in place, she looked up tentatively one more time to ensure she was not being watched.  She carefully took the medallion that Tor had handed her and placed it securely within a small pocket of her fresh dress. 

Before she placed her tattered
clothes within her bag, she tore a long and narrow section from her hem.  With it in hand, she approached the injured man.  She stood beside him as he sat with a rigid and cold stare looking forward and upon his horse.  She touched his thigh to silently gain his attention as she implored him to dismount.  He looked at her stiffly, then over to the rigid back of his lord as he returned his gaze to her.  With a slight hesitation, he finally conceded and moved to the ground as he did her bidding.

Kaye wrapped the thin piece of cloth several times around the man's upper arm, tying the ends to hold it into place and in attempt to quell the bleeding.  As she
quickly and deftly completed her task, he looked down at her a slight nod to acknowledge her thoughtfulness for he appreciated her attentions.  When her lord angrily kicked his horse back into motion once again, the man immediately mounted his own beast and moved forward.  Within moments, she too, was seated once again upon her own mare and the party was moving in the direction of her new home.

They walked their horses
for what seemed to be a few more hours, unspeaking and unstopping as they forever moved forward.  As the heated afternoon sunshine was nearly spent and the sun began to lower in the sky, they crested a slight rise.  Kaye's breath caught slightly in her throat for laid out before them was an impressive sight and one with more splendor than she had ever had the opportunity to witness.  A sizable estate spread delicately across from them on the opposite side of the valley and perched gracefully upon the notable hill. 

It was a
very large and obviously well tended keep with a wide moat and substantial stone walls surrounding the whole of it.  The expansive castle was buried deep within the massive walls and perched upon higher ground and appeared to be a full three stories in height.  Even from this distance, it appeared very grand as the intricate stone walls gallantly reached upwards and towering into the evening sky. 

This
structure was ever so more splendid than her own home had been.  The large stone walls surrounding the keep were imposing as the double turrets rose grandly above the expansive courtyard below.  But with all that she knew of her Lord, all that had transpired up to this point, she could only look at her new home with a bland sense of calm.  For had she been so superficial as to have mere possessions thrill her, she maybe could have been happier.  But since she was more intently concerned for her heart, she would have exchanged each impressive turret and each extraordinary stone for a small hovel, if she could just have found a small piece of love and contentment.

She
continued to silently progress forward leaving the cover of the trees fully as she began to cross through the great green valley upon the heels of her lord.  A small village began to take shape with many homes and other animal structures extending smartly to their left.  Small and mid-sized stone and wood buildings, many with thatched roofs also dotted the countryside.  Men, women and children were about, working and playing and many just watching silently as the lord and his party passed by.

They rode quickly
through the pastures and were upon the great and open drawbridge within minutes, their horse's hooves making only slight echoes as they crossed.  As the worn party entered through the gates, Kaye noticed how people began to amass along the side of the dirt road as they simply stared at the Lord Hann and at the lady who now trailed behind him.

They rode
beyond the small trade buildings that lined the path just inside the keep's walls and up a slight incline to the castle's majestic and well tended courtyard.  As she rounded the bend, she noted how the square gracefully expanded out before them and was very tailored and very well kept.  It beheld expansive green lawns with baskets of fresh flowers placed around and numerous benches laid about, though strangely devoid of all people.

As they
continued plodding slowly forward into the square and approached the large stone stairway, Kaye took note of the ornately carved columns that adorned the extensive and graceful stone walkway.  They were bold and rectangular in shape and upon the top of each was a beautifully carved bird, perched gracefully and regally for flight.  The gray and worn steps sitting between the carved splendor moved elegantly upwards to massive and ornately decorated wooden double doors that grandly graced the entry.

As the small party
approached and brought their beasts to a standstill at the base of the impressive stairway, the castle's majestic doors opened and emitted a lone English gentleman.  He was a man of smallish stature and finely dressed in dark trousers and a long and stately dark jacket.  He stopped abruptly upon the landing above.

"Father!  You
have returned!"

The man on the steps above
halted as his gaze moved pointedly from his father and directly towards Kaye as he perused her closely with a slight questioning look upon his face. 

Kaye knew that t
he man standing at the top of the grand stairway was obviously the son her new husband, even if had he not called out his greeting.  He resembled the lord greatly for both had the same stature and height and sported the same roundish face.  He had an equally slight build and plain features as his father, just many years younger.  With a dawning she realized that the man perched above her was most likely very near to her own age.

"So, this is she
?"  The man inquired coolly.

She
?  How would he know of the significance of her presence when Kaye, herself had not known of her plight until just the previous evening?  As she stared at the man upon the stairs looking on in sadness, it dawned upon her for the very first time of the plan that had most likely been known and had been shared, with all characters understanding the whole of the plot but she.  With an angriness upon her heart she realized that she had been deceived.  She thought sadly of all the Lord Hann's warm declarations of
'destiny'
and
'knowing within five minutes that he wanted her fir his wife'
must have truly been false and wholly planned.  Could all of this have been justly designed with she being the only unknowing and unsuspecting player?  If so, then what a fool she had proven to be and so simple of the mind.  But why would they do this?  What could they possibly seem to gain from this union?  For the motives were still quite so unclear to her.

The
lord's son continued to stare boldly at Kaye as his eyes never wavered from her body.  An uncomfortableness began to permeate throughout her as an ominous feeling spread for his bold appraisal.  From his place above her, he continued to brashly stare as he allowed his eyes to daringly move the length of her and settle brazenly upon her breasts.  For long moments they rested as such, before they slowly returned to her eyes. 

Kaye had to control the urge to
cover herself and turn and flee as her heart turned cold.  Her body remained emotionless at his intense and grievous appraisal. She sat mutely upon her horse as she stared stonily ahead and prayed for a reprieve or a way to exit the proximity of his heated stare.

Kaye's eyes left the disconcerting man standing on top of the stairs as
Lord Hann dismounted from his steed. Without turning to her, he began to move up the steps towards his son as he greeted him rather warmly.  Without looking back towards her and turning together, the two men walked into the keep and left Kaye quite alone and still upon her own horse, a sadness now within her heart.  She looked around and noticed that only the stable boys were about, collecting the abandoned animals that had been left carelessly discarded by the Hann men. 

Kaye
closed her eyes dejectedly as she realized she was now left to her own devices to remove herself from her small pony and gather her slight bag of belongings.  With a sigh, she dismounted and began to move her wearied body away from her beast as she quickly ascended the stairs as she heard the door close quietly behind the two men.

She
gained the top of the landing and reached for the door's handle, pulling hard and throwing the great door wide as she permitted her access to the rooms within.  With a foreboding, she crossed over the threshold and onto the landing inside as her breath caught in her throat as she peered over the elegant hall as it stretched out vastly before her. 

The chamber
was huge.  The room had great stone walls stretching a full three stories high inside and gracefully adorned with many fine tapestries displayed about.  Their deep and varying colors and themes warmed the otherwise surrounding cold stone walls.  Numerous ornate golden candelabras were also attached about between the wall-hangings, many lighted and shining with their brilliance emerging in the fading afternoon light.