Over the Highland Mountains

Chapter 8 • Clan Mackenzie

There it lay before them. His childhood home.

The fields were ready for harvest and his many clansmen were busy at work, tending to them. The keep and bailey stood in the middle of these fields, its walls reaching high to the heavens, strong and intimidating to those who didn't find refuge within. All his people lived in the bailey, there were only a few wee huts outside for the guards to rest in on rotational night duty. This had been his father's doing, his wish had been for all his people to be safe within the bailey walls, that was why it was so large.

Alasdair looked over to his wife.

What a beauty.

The wind was playing with her raven black hair while her Forget-Me-Not eyes were fixed on the structure ahead of them. Those lovely soft lips were pulled tight though and she sat rather rigid on her horse. The poor lass was indeed intimidated, but Alasdair would make sure that this feeling would not be for long; this was her home now, too. He reached over to remove her delicate hand from the reins she was clenching and gave it a squeeze.

Lily, being yanked out of her trance, jumped and shot her gaze at him. Alasdair sent an encouraging smile her way and Lily took a deep breath, visibly trying to relax as she returned her eyes to the fine clan ahead of them. As they continued riding, she didn't retract her hand and neither did he let go.

By the time they entered the walls of the bailey, they had a large following. Most if not all of those working in the field had stopped their work and came with them.

As soon as they crossed the drawbridge, all the people flocked around them and Alasdair studiously watched how his people would react to Lily and how she would respond to them. The people were nothing but smiles and warm welcomes and Lily herself started to relax and smile kindly back to the people surrounding her and Bridget.

In the hubbub, their hands had loosened leaving an empty coldness in his hand and Alasdair almost shouted in surprise when he saw Lily swing her legs to one side and slide off her horse into the midst of the growing crowd. She started making conversation with those around her, asking their names and seemed genuinely interested in their lives. After overcoming his shock, Alasdair followed her off his horse and placed a protective hand on the small of her back.

"What are ye doing?" he whispered to her stiffly and got a beautiful but confused face for an answer.

"'Tis the custom at Leslie to greet our people after a long journey... No' a far-reaching custom I take it." Her face fell a little as she realised her mistake.

"Nay," he scoffed slightly, not able to hide his smile, "Mayhap it should be."

The smile she sent him let Alasdair know he had said the right thing and the new couple continued with Lily's meet and greet.

They made it to the stable near the keep just as the sun was setting and after leaving their horses with the stable master and his new stable boy, they headed up the steps to the keep.

There she was, waiting just outside the entrance. The one who orchestrated all of this.

Lady Fiona MacKenzie.

Her blue eyes were as stern as ever and her lips tightly drawn into a thin line as she scrutinised their approach. Alasdair knew she could not have been pleased with Lily lowering herself to the people's level if it had shocked him as much as it had.

Lily stiffened and bit her bottom lip, but Alasdair gave her hand a little squeeze as he drew it into the crook of his arm and led her up the steps.

"Mother," he greeted her, kissing her cheek.

"Alasdair," she spoke with the cold, judgemental voice that had become so familiar to him over the years, "You've returned. And with yer betrothed bride."