Higgs stopped in a room behind the stairwell and looked at Merida.
"What do you mean I discussed the failsafe with you?"
"Why is it a big deal?"
"I told you that I didn't want you to feel obligated-"
"And I told ye that I dinnae feel obligated to do anything that I do for ye. I do it because I want to."
"So... what did you say then? When did we even discuss this?"
"Oh, I'd say about a year after Edgar left for schooling. Ye were drunk off wine and ye were a centaur. I had to walk ye home, or rather, steer ye home. Ye were muckle pissed."
"And... what did I say?"
"Really now, Higgs, ye expect me to remember a conversation from two years go in full detail?"
"Not in full detail, just the highlights."
Merida sighed. "Weel, an I recall, ye threw yer head back and did an awful impression of a hippo and said something to the effect of 'I feel sorry for my son'. I asked what ye were haivering on about and ye said that the curse was getting close to the failsafe, so I asked ye what that meant. Ye explained it and then leaned back on me and said, 'Would ye be angry if I did that? An I went and tromped with a lady to fulfill the urges of the curse?' So I said that I would rather ye not leave a poor bairn to a fate he would never ken... so I said that an ye dinnae have a lass by the time those urges came about, I'd rather ye get with me instead. Ye ken I'd love it no matter what and ye should be about for the child..."
"I'm so sorry, Merida." He said, putting his face in his hands.
"Why?"
"For making you do this."
"Ye nay making me do a thing. I chose to volunteer myself for it. No one is forcing me. I care about ye dearly, but I care more about a wee bairn that willnae have a say in the matter of its existence. An ye have to do it, then I'd be glad to volunteer my body to harbor him than ye to poke about with a whore."
Higgs seemed uneasy and Merida put her hands on his shoulders.
"Oi, ye stop that now. I promise this is of my own want. Ye not worry about the future for now. Who knows? By the time ye get those urges, ye will probably have a lass at yer arm willing and waiting to help ye."
"Maybe so... You know... Never mind."
"What is it?"
"Nothing... Thank you for being there, even in the future."
"Of course."
He left and Merida smiled sadly to the darkness.
"Of course..." she repeated sadly.
******************************************
The next day, Higgs and Kans greeted each other and swiftly pulled back from one another with looks of disgust.
"You stink." They both said.
Catherine smiled as little as Merida rolled her eyes.
"I hope breakfast is starting soon, I'm famished." Kans said, rubbing his stomach from under a blanket.
"Aye, we have it started for ye."
"Is everyone here at the mansion? I have an announcement to make to everyone."
"I'll have to pull Edgar out of bed, but I'm sure Uncle Rad will be more cooperative. Do I need to ask Father and Mother to come up here?"
"No, I'll tell them later. By the way, when is Frou Frou getting married again?"
"She announced her and Boston's engagement about a month ago so it will be a moment before she's got herself prepared." Merida said.
"When are you two getting married?"
"Hah?" Higgs asked in shock.
"We arenae getting married, Laird Kans." Merida said with a nervous laugh.
Kans looked between them and sniffed a little at the atmosphere, sensing something amiss. Catherine elbowing him in the ribs.
"Ye stop that now." She grumbled.
"I'm just... sniffing..."
Merida made a face at him as he lifted an eyebrow at her. Higgs also made a face and crossed his arms.
"Don't give us that look."
"What look? Just thought it was obvious by now..."
"What is obvious?"
Merida glared at Kannasett and he cleared his throat.
"Ah... well... my mistake."
"I am missing something presumably very obvious, aren't I?" Higgs asked, looking between his maid and his uncle.
"Ye dinnae worry about it. Come on, let's get some breakfast."
"But-"
"Come along, laddie." Merida said, grabbing his arm and pulling him. "No use trying to ken what ye dinnae ken."
Higgs tried to protest as Kans and Catherine stood in the doorway. Once the two were gone, Catherine turned to Kans and swatted his hairy arm.
"Oooh, ya almost revealed somethin' ya shouldn't!"
"How was I supposed to know? And I thought I was dense."
"Ya were. That's how dense ya was."
"No wonder everyone thought I was dumb..."
"Ya aren't dumb, it's jest that love is blind in all sorts o' ways."
"Well what are we going to do?"
"Do?" Catherine asked in confusion.
"Yeah."
"Do about what?"
"Them... together..."
"We'll do nothin', ya hear? If Merida wanted to say somethin' about it then she would. There's probably a good reason she's not sayin' anythin'. Ya best not cause a tizzy now."
"Fine, fine... but I just don't want him to end up like me... You were right in front of me and I still missed you."
Catherine put her arms around Kans' torso through the blanket and looked up at him.
"I'm here now and aye, it may hurt to see what they can't -or rather what Higgs can't- see, but we have to let them find each other or it won't work. Forcin' them to love will be more bad than good, yeah?"
"I guess so... It's still a shame though. Merida-"
Catherine shook her head as Kans turned around to find Edgar on the stairs. He didn't say anything but just passed them both as he went to the kitchen. They watched him leave and Kans made a face.
"I didn't smell him at all... do you think he heard us?"
"Aye, he heard everythin'."
"Did you know he was there?"
"No, I saw him when we turned but he's not a wee lad anymore. He mayhap no have heard all of the conversation but he heard enough of it I'm sure."
"I hope it doesn't cause an issue."
"Merida can handle her own... now, how about gettin' into somethin' a little less barin'."
He kissed her on the forehead and went to get some regular clothes on.
******************************
Kans and Catherine announced they were going to get married and after the congratulations and toasting, Merida went up the stairs to gather the laundry. Although there were more people in the house to help with the chores, doing the laundry was something Merida kept for herself. She entered Edgar's room and made a face as she put her hand on her hip.
"That lad goes off to fancy school and yet still lives in a pig sty..."
She started to pick up his stuff and put it in the hamper. She turned to leave the room when she found Edgar standing in the doorway. She yelped, putting her hand over her heart.
"Oi, blimey, ye scared me afeart, youngin."
"Sorry... can I ask you something?"
"Of course ye can, lad. An ye here, help me with getting the clothes for the laundry."
"Ma..." he whined.
"Ye come home all illegal and ye expect me to cater to ye pig sty? I kenned ye would have learned something about neatness at ye fancy school." Edgar gave her a grin and she smiled. "Pull ye weight, son."
Edgar sighed but he followed Merida down the hallway as she went to the guest's rooms to get their clothing.
"Do... do you love Mr. Higgs?"
"Of course I do."
"Not like that. I mean... romantically."
Merida sighed as they went along but didn't answer him. When she realized he wasn't going to let her get away with it, she sighed.
"What does it matter to ye, child?"
"Ye're trying to avoid my question so I'll take it as aye." He said, letting her influenced accent come out to show his seriousness.
They didn't like his accent in boarding school, a mix of slight Cockney and Scottish, and so it was an effort to talk proper, but this was a serious thing and she needed to know that.
"Why do ye ask?"
"Because I honestly thought that you two would have been married by now, curse broken, and having a little one on the way."
Merida looked over at him in shock as he stared at her patiently to see what she would say.
"God's beard, what would make ye ken that idea?"
"It's pretty obvious, Ma... You still haven't said anything after all these years?"
"Not something he needs to hear."
"That's a load of bullocks!" Merida made a face as he crossed his arms. "He's needed to hear that more than anything in this world. I'm not that old, but even I know that."
"Ye havenae been home for five minutes and ye ken what needs to be done, aye?" she said, putting her hand on her hip.
"I was here for a year and a half and even at such a young age I saw the spark between you two. The love you have for each other is like nothing I've ever seen..."
"Mr. Higgs doesnae want that kind of relationship with me, ye ken it?!" she said harshly, taking Edgar off guard.
He looked over at her as she crossed her arms and leaned against the wall.
"It's been made clear by his lairdship that he doesnae want anything to do with me romantically. An anyone ever asks, he always tell them no."
"Well are you right there with him?"
"Aye."
"Well then of course he's going to say no. He won't just assume things, especially if you're right there with him. Have you actually asked him?"
"Wouldnae make a difference, lad. After all we've been through, me saying things like that would lead him to believe that I'm just doing it out of duty or some other reason. He willnae take it serious."
"That's why you have to make him ken it, Ma-"
"I'll have no more of it, boy." She growled, holding up her hand. "Please... my heart cannae handle much more of it. Ye dinnae have to help me an ye don't want to." She said slowly, grabbing the laundry basket. "Ye're on holiday..."
She walked away from Edgar and he clenched his fists angrily.
"It's not right." He hissed in the hallway.