Gifted

Birthday

The MacLellans were their most rowdy guests yet and Magnus decided that Alina deserved to spend her birthday in peace today after the revels of Twelfth Night. She was right about the old laird. He regarded her with a paternal fondness but even he caused some consternation with his repeated demands for Bean to sing his new song, "The Five Day Siege." The song made the Campbell look quite foolish and the MacLellan never seemed to tire of it. Everyone else would have been happy to never hear the song again.

Each of the old laird's three sons had several small children each and their long-suffering wives and servants seemed barely able to prevent the utter destruction of the castle. Magnus took on the three brothers at once and a light pummeling on the first day kept them in line for the rest of the visit. It was more surprise than lust that inspired the youngest brother's lewd remarks about Alina. Everyone seemed to have previously decided that she was going to stay a child forever and didn't know how to respond when she suddenly turned into a woman behind their backs. He felt badly that Alina no longer had the freedom of movement she once did, when people regarded her an innocent.

And so it came that they spent Epiphany morning sailing the loch. The wind was up and his small complement of men barely touched the rows to get them to and from Campbell territory. They only stopped briefly at the Campbell docks. Alina exchanged three small tokens with Mairi to celebrate the gifts of the Magi. He suspected Alina merely wanted an excuse for them to see his sister. It didn't make sense to him because they'd only recently been together for Christmas.

Alina's black hair swirled around them, her headscarf having flown into the loch at the start of their jaunt, and the bright sun made her squint as her dark eyes took in everything. She laughed at the figures of the bear and wolf dancing on the flag at the top of the mast. It didn't take much to spark her delight.

When they docked, she threw herself into his arms and kissed his bearded cheek with a loud smack. His men pretended to notice nothing. They didn't quite know how to act around this easy affection toward their stoic commander.

"Thank ye," she said. "For my favorite present all season."

In addition to the copper tub, he'd given her an entire wardrobe over the course of the holidays but it was no surprise that this shared experience was what she liked best.

"It was just a sail around the loch, love," he said. "It's not like I gave ye the longboat itself."

"Nay?" Alina teased. "Then why does it bear my initials?"

He looked down to see "AKS" carved on the seat she'd been sitting on.

She grinned and said, "I had to mark the spot where I asked ye to marry me."

One of his men had to cough to cover up his surprised laugh.

Magnus shook his head in chagrin then swept her up to carry her off the vessel. He continued to carry her all the way to their horses. Alina's mare, Zephyr, was tethered beside his official Christmas gift, a gray destrier Alina wanted him to name Storm. He assured her that he was perfectly happy naming the stallion whatever she wanted but she seemed determined to make him care about the matter.

He helped her onto her saddle before mounting his own horse. They ate midday meal at Garrick's where several villagers stopped by their table to wish them well. Morag complimented Alina on her indigo bliaut, noting the sleeves which stopped at the elbows, an alteration she herself told Magnus to specify when buying clothes for his wife. He also told the seamstress to alter whatever was needed to ensure ease of movement. It was likely not as helpful as the specific instructions Morag subsequently gave the dressmaker but he was grateful for Morag's help in making Alina as comfortable as possible while having to look like a lady.

Fergus stopped by to gift Alina a loaf of his beer bread and she fiddled with her gloves while thanking him. Magnus put a hand over both of hers and subtly shook his head at her. Ainsley and Fergus were having problems and Ainsley moved back in with her mother. His wife wanted to use her gift to help her kin with their marriage but the visions always came at a cost. After a month without them, her improved health was obvious. She'd gained a stone and she no longer had that gangling quality to her limbs.

She was quiet on the ride up to the castle and Magnus braced himself for another argument about her using her foresight. He wasn't completely opposed to her using them but it had to be worth it to cause her such suffering.

"My courses came back today," she said. "This morning, while I was getting ready for our outing. We can stop taking precautions and have a bairn by autumn."

They slowed their horses and he took her hand to kiss the inside of her wrist.

"That's good news, love," he said. "I'm proud of ye. Ye needed rest from the visions. I ken it's hard for ye but ye havetae take care of yerself before ye try tae help everyone else."

"I kenned ye'd say that," she said wryly.

"I'm right," he said. "But we don't havetae rush tryin for a bairn. I care more about yer well-being than getting ye with child."

"I want to be with child," said Alina. "It's important for me to carry on my line. The soothsayers in my family have helped this clan for generations."

She turned Zephyr off the main path.

She said, "I want to show ye something. Follow me."