Highland Chieftain (Book 5)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Kendrick tried to supress his yawn. The long winded and complicated betrothal was being read and challenged in minute detail. His opinion was not being taken, so what was the point of him even been sat at this table? Unless it was so he could not say he did not know exactly what was in the betrothal...and by the Lord above, he definitely knew the minutiae now. Well, only about half of it at the moment, for they still had a few hours left closeted in this stuffy, overly warm room. Slumping down in his chair a little while his very life was discussed without him being allowed any say, he could at least be comfortable. They way both fathers spoke, you would be convinced that they were more likely to be discussing cattle than their 'loved and cherished bairns'.

He had to stifle his laugh, for no one would ever put a cattle and Larena in the same thought, definitely when she had looked as she had earlier. After the feast which had been prepared yester eve after many hours of catching up with old friends after their arrival, he had been surprised to find Larena at work in the main hall at such an early hour this morn. The deep red of her dress had set of her pale skin and hair perfectly, it did not wash her out or overpower her, but instead made her seem as if she was glowing from within. Humming as she flitted from on bench to another. The few maids who were already working in this part of the Keep rather than in the kitchen on the first meal, kept throwing her interchangeable glares and looks of utter confusion. Yet all he saw was a girl who had become a woman. In the months since he was last here she seemed to have finally stepped up to the mark.

Though he could understand that those beneath her would be wary for a while over her ability, he did not think that she deserved the looks that she received. But she seemed to accept them and brush them off, playing the perfect hostess upon spotting him, having him sat before the hearth with a warm cup of mead before he even had a chance to process the actions. Though he had to admit watching her walk away after he was settled woke him up for sure, his father and retainers still abed at the early hour due to the large amount of libations they had partaken in with Toren and his men yester eve. Yet both seemed fully recovered now, as they droned on and on about dowries and other such dull matters. None of it meant a thing to him of course, only whether or not he was actually to be married really meant anything. The ifs and buts and the bits that came with it only meant something to his father.

What could his bride bring with her for the betterment of his clan? While an alignment was made and alliance solidified with the MacKay's. He was all for his clan receiving something to help them, he was all for peace cemented between their clans, only he was much better at warfare and battle plans than this politics. No matter how his father tried to get him involved, he just could find no interest in the small print. Not when there were adversaries to be beaten on the field of combat, or people to be fed or even family to be squabbling with.

But at the very base of what he was feeling right now was frustration, for when everything was boiled down to the crux of the matter this marriage was going to take place, no matter the little niggles in the paperwork, for it had technically already been decided and worked out. So all of this, at least in Kendrick's mind, was utterly pointless.

"Kendrick are you paying attention?" Shaking himself up into an upright position, he found both males staring directly at him. His father with the look of man who was seeing a lost cause, whereas Toren looked a lot less tolerant of his behaviour. Clearing his throat he could feel his cheeks heat at being caught, when he had thought he was being ignored so well. "Ah, forgive me father, I let my mind wander for a moment there."

"Aye, lad, we see that..." His father was a little indulgent of his only son, and Kendrick knew just how to take advantage of that, so long as he showed the proper respect. Toren it seemed was a little unimpressed, especially shown through the narrowing of his eyes and the slow crossing of his arms, but he allowed Kendrick to be chastised by his own father. "But we would like you to be a little more involved in your own betrothal rather than your own thoughts, wherever they may have flown off too this time." Kendrick nodded slowly, before facing Toren fully. "My deepest apologies, my thoughts ran away from me."