The Highlander

Chapter Thirteen

"Oh! Yes. Yes, I am. Newlyweds so I sometimes forget I've erm...married him...yep." I replied awkwardly. The girl either believed me or didn't care as she walked past me into the room.

"I assume ye were married on the road to battle if ye haven't consummated the marriage until last night." The girl said as she bundled the stained sheets into the basket in her arms before placing it outside the door.

"Well...erm," I blushed with embarrassment, "yes, he erm, didn't want to wait till after the battle just in case."

"Ye speak very weird lass. Where did the laird find ye? What clan do ye originate from?" the girl questioned me, her hands on her hips. She pursed her lips and her right eyebrow shot up slightly. Her posture and face reminded me of my mother whenever she caught me with my hand in the biscuit jar when I was younger.

"I come from the erm McKenna clan." I spat out the first Scottish last name I could remember. Thankfully my history teacher had a Scottish last name but thinking about her now made me want to wish she had taught me about the medieval era and not what happened during the Cold War.

"I've not heard of a McKenna clan. You from the highlands?" the girl asked, her arms slipping slowly down her sides.

"No, I am from the lowlands. It's why I speak like this." I said. The girl seemed satisfied by this and let the subject go, sending me a friendly smile.

"Just checking you weren't from an enemy clan or something like that. I don't want trouble around my Dougie's inn. Not that we get enough anyway. Last week old Errol came in around midnight and started a fight with some man who was passing through. Broke two chairs and a table he did! Banned for life he is that blasted drunk! Anyway Dougie's short for Douglas, my husband. We married five years ago when I was sixteen, not much younger than you I presume. How old are ye? Oh! And I'm Ally, short for Allison!"

I stood still in shock at how this wary girl suddenly turned into my friend Macy. Big mouth with no filter stopping words from tumbling out. She seemed hyper, her eyes going wide with excitement at the prospect of a girl to talk to and share secrets and thoughts and feelings with. I felt like I had been zapped back home to Macy's sofa without even realising it.

"I'm Rose...its not short for anything...and I'm seventeen."

"Well Rose ye have a fine man. My Dougie's a handsome one but Finlay McCall...he's something else. Dougie won't mind me saying that. He thinks I don't notice when he gives a girl a second look. He would never do something with another lass though. He loves me too much. I love him too much to go jump yer husband either." Alison said and looked away in a romantic haze near the end.

She suddenly blinked repeatedly before turning her face back to me, "oh, do you love Finlay?"

"Yes." I said with no hesitation.

"Well yer husband asked me to send a bath up for ye while he's out." Ally said and walked back out the door to drag in a large metal tub, the metal groaning as Ally dragged with all her effort, to pull it into the centre of the room.

The metal clanked as it slapped against the wooden floor and Ally wiped the sweat off her hands onto the front of her dress before reaching inside the tub. She pulled out two sheets that resembled towels and placed them at the foot of the bed, and a bar of soap on top of them.

"I'll go fetch the hot water. May be a while till its full lass, just to warn ye." Ally left the room quickly and I sat on the edge of the bed, playing with the edge of the towels as I waited. Ally returned a few minutes later with another young girl and they poured buckets of water into the tub before scampering back downstairs to repeat the process.

It must have been fifteen minutes a few journeys later the tub was full. Steam rolled off it in waves and I was thankful for the last few buckets of cold water which turned the bath from scolding hot to a comfortable warm.

Once Alison had left for the final time and the door had closed I took my chemise off, leaving it pooled on the floor. I climbed into the water, letting my hair float around me. I dunked my head under the water, smiling as I surfaced at the feeling of being clean again. I knelt over the bath and grabbed the bar of soap and laughed slightly as it slipped from my fingers and into the bottom of the bath.

After retrieving the soap I slathered my body in it, humming in the pleasure of feeling clean and dirt free. Since there wasn't any shampoo and I didn't even know if it was even invented at this time, I covered my hair in the soap and let it sink in before washing it out.

Once I finished cleaning myself I relaxed against the bath, my head hanging over the top. I ignored the pain in my neck where it met the metal bath uncomfortable and relaxed in the warm water, letting my arms relax by my sides. I closed my eyes and smiled in bliss, taking the opportunity to get a few moments shut eye to make up for the nights activities which kept me from sleeping.

Just as I was about to let sleep take me away the sound of the door opening caught my attention and I sat up in the bath.

"Finn? You back already-"

I cut off when I saw a tall, muscular warrior but not my warrior.

I shrieked and tried my best to cover my body by pulling my knees to my chest and hugging them tightly. I pushed myself closer to the front of the bath in order to hide my body from the warriors gaze further.

"I'm sorry my Lady. Ye are the Lairds whore?" the man asked.

"No, I am not!" I insisted.

"Then who are ye? All I know is that the Laird saved ye and then it looks like he fucked ye." The warrior said with a smirk on his face. His curly blonde hair fell over his green eyes slightly and he flicked his head to rid of the nuisance. He was handsome, but not a rugged beauty like Finn. I could imagine all the Scottish lasses swooning over the young warrior.

"I..." I searched for an excuse, I knew that in the society I was in now having sex without marriage was super wrong and I've done it at least three times. "I am the Lairds fiancé if you must know. He was going to announce it tonight. But you can't tell anyone. Ok? Or I'll...have Finn punish you."

"That right lass?" the warrior said "ye are no Lairds daughter if I am right."

"You are right. But Finn insisted it. Some men around here are gentleman and are capable of manners. He feels like its right to protect me now I have no clan." The lies rolled of my tongue easily as I glared up at the warrior above me.

"So he is only marring ye so ye have safety and none of the other warriors try to take ye for their own?" the warrior asked, leaning against the doorframe.

"Well yes...I mean no!" I shouted confused. This man was making my lie more and more confusing to myself by the second.

"So ye would marry this man for safety and that alone?" the warrior's smirk widened.

"No! I also marry this man for love. He is one of the very few warriors who seem capable of love in your clan!"

The warrior looked over at me with mock hurt, "are ye claiming that I cannae love? I would not make such a claim lass without knowing the truth. I can tell ye I have loved many a lass. Not from the heart as ye are claiming love comes from but in a bed very like the one next to ye. If ye ever want to experience my love just ask lass."

I stared up at him in disgust and horror.

"If you would ever think I would...with you! Ugh! Leave!" I demanded.

The warrior nodded his head towards me with fake respect. The smirk hadn't left his face. He stood straighter and placed his hands behind his back, "I came to look for my Laird but it seems he isn't here. I'll take my leave."

The warrior turned to leave swiftly but I called out to him, "who are you?"

The warrior turned back to me, a playful smile on his lips. His eyes held a mischievous and dangerous glint and I shivered slightly in fear of what thoughts lay in his head. "My Lady, I am Alistair."

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