My Highland Heart (On Hold/Editing)

Chapter Three

Kieron watched from his room, as the nursemaid left the tower to head back to the village. She had been assisting with a birth when summoned to the castle to attend to Alex and was now having to rush back.

What did that woman think she was doin’ sword fightin’ with the men in the courtyard? Does she not know how dangerous that could be? That she could be injured or worse accidently killed? And how could her Father just sit there and allow this? Well no more! He decided that he would see to that.

After all she was a Lady and not just any lady - HIS lady and soon-to-be wife. Though she did not know that yet, but would tonight, when her father officially announced their engagement, and wedding date in six months time. That was all the time Kieron would allow the Laird as he could not wait even a moment longer. He had been waiting long enough and wanted nothing more than to start his life with Alex and begin a family right away. After all he had been in love with the silly little girl since he was eight and her just six years. Kieron had actually been the one to convince his father to arrange the marriage contract when he had found out about the arrangement being made between his older brother Colin and Alex’s older sister Ainsley.

“We will be ridin’ out today to the Stewart’s, so ye boys need to pack a sack to last a couple of days as we will be stayin’ to celebrate,” Laird Cullen MacTavish announced that morning as he and his family broke their fast.

“Celebratin’? Celebratin’ what Da?” Kieron asked curiously. He had been hearing rumors of an engagement announcement that was coming but was not sure they were true until this morning.

“I guess I can tell ye all since it will be announced this eve. Ye brother Colin will be betrothed to the eldest Stewart girl.”

“Da, her name is Ainsley,” Colin corrected. It was the first time I or any of us had seen Colin ever speak to Father with any type of anger. It was also quite clear to me that he was already secretly in love with Ainsley as I was with her younger sister Alexandra, or Alex as I liked to call her.

“Aye son, Ainsley Stewart. Now we must finish so ye all can pack and leave before the noonin’.” With that the six of us continued to eat.

Colin was the first to finish, obvious excited for the trip and to see Ainsley, followed by my mother taking both Evan and Elliot with her so she could help them with their packing. After all they were still just nine years of age and would most likely be more worried about packing toys and books then actually clothes to wear. So that now left me and Father.

“Da, may I speak with ye?” He simply looked at me with a mouthful of food and nodded. “Since ye will be meetin’ with Laird Stewart in arrangin’ the contract for Colin would it not be easier to arrange another at the same time since most likely they will be similar agreements?”

My father dropped the mug in his hand and looked at me with wide eyes. “Ye want to be betrothed to the younger Stewart girl?”

“Alexandra and aye I do. I have come to love her.”

“But ye are just ten and three, what do ye know of love?”

“I see how ye look at Mama with so much love and I find meself lookin’ the same way whenever I see Alex. I believe her to be me soul mate.”

Father was silent for a moment and I could see he was thinking hard on it. “Very well, ‘tis will not only keep the bond strong between our clans but insure a good Laird to take Ronald’s place after his passin’. I will speak with him, but he may think ye both too young to make an announcement just yet.”

“I will be happy enough if he agrees to the contract. Thank ye Da”

A knock on Kieron’s chamber door pulled him from the memory as he walked across the room to open it, only to find Laird Ronald Stewart there waiting to be welcomed in.

“I hope I’m no disturbin’ ye?”

“Nae, please come and sit.”

The older Laird entered and headed directly for one of the chairs seated in front of the hearth. “I wish to speak to ye about Alexandra before this evenin’s announcement.”

Kieron could hear worry in his voice as he spoke. He closed the door and made him way over to sit in the chair beside him. “Is there somethin’ wrong that I dinna know about?”

Laird Ronald ran a hand down his face as he took a deep breath before releasing it. “Aye there is. Ye see Alexandra is still no right since that day in the clearin’. I had hoped that she would get better with time, but after this morn…”

“What happened this morn? She is no tryin’ to hurt herself or anythin’?”

“Nae, ‘tis nothing like that. Ye see, she has bad dreams while sleepin’ at night, and they cause her to scream out at times. She has even broken a few things, and hurt one of her maids when she was tryin’ to wake her once. But that has not happened for sometime as we now have moved things away from her bed, and know how to approach her.”

“Aye, so she has bad dreams, screams out in her sleep and at times becomes violent until she is awakened. Is that all?”

Laird Ronald then took a folded letter out of his shirt and handed it to Kieron. As he quickly read the letter everything finally started to make more sense. This was the reason he had finally given in to announcem the engagement and sent for Kieron to marry Alexandra. It is also why he had so easily agreed to hold the wedding in just six months time.

“So the English raids are beginnin’ again.”

“Aye, they are in the Lowlands as we speak,”

“And,”

“Ye saw Alexandra today in the courtyard. She says she must train with the men so she can go out to flight the English. I have tried to do all I can to discourage her, but she will no listens to me. She has been speakin’ bout revenge and a promise she made to her mother since that day. And if Alexandra finds out about the raids, I fear she will run off to find the very Commander who killed them. She can no find out Kieron. I will no lose her. She is all I have left.”

“And ye shall not. As soon as we wed she will need to give up this revenge and promise to become the Lady of the keep and me wife. And if the good Lord above is happy with our union, she will be with child soon after.”

“I know how much ye already love me daughter and will be a good husband, but she requires a firm hand to break her from what she believes she must do. I hope yer up for the challenge.”

“I thank ye for comin’ to speak with me about this, and promise to do what needs to be done as I too cannot lose her,” Kieron stated as he stood from the chair.

Soon Laird Ronald did the same and headed to the door. “I will see ye at supp and will make the engagement announcement after the meal.” With that the Laird left and Kieron returned to his place by the window so he could look again at the window to her own bedchamber.

No my Laird, ‘tis not a firm hand but firm lips that will break her down.