The highlands had been gentle that fall, with only some patches of the vibrant green starting to fade into orange and gold. The weather had been surprisingly warm, almost too warm to bother with thick furs and blankets when Gavin and Elyn tucked into bed together. It was a Tuesday morning, and Gavin could already pick up the frustrated tone in Elyn's voice, even though she appeared, through his blurry eyes, to be fine.
"Gavin, wake up," Elyn said. She pushed his shoulder and nudged him awake.
"Good mornin', runag," Gavin said, touching Elyn's cheek. She let her guard down for a moment and let her face rest against his palm, before snapping back to her irritated tone. Gavin saw she was already fully dressed, wearing the regal clothes he had made for her as soon as she moved into the castle. Her family had also stayed in the castle, taking up room in one of the empty chambers left over from the attack. She stared at him, her face blushing from her moment of weakness.
"Gavin," she said, "when are we getting married?"
Gavin sat up and pushed the blankets off his legs and stared hard at Elyn. The sun warmed his skin and he took a deep breath. Her eyes flicked down over his strong chest and she breathed hard for a second. "Tomorrow. I promise this time," he said.
She sighed and looked down at her hands. "I'm sorry, I just..."
Gavin touched her arm before pulling her close. He embraced her and whispered in her ear. "I'm not going to lose you again, Elyn, donae worry so much. I've been lookin' fer ye for years, and I'm not gonna let ye go now."
She nudged him and chuckled a little as his stubble scratched her neck. He scooped her up and dragged her back down to the bed with him, bouncing her weight against the bedding. The sheets rumpled under their bodies and he wrestled her under them, their quiet laughter only growing as they jabbed and poked each other, the tension slowly dissipating into warm passion.
They had been forced to push back the wedding due to repairs to the castle needing Gavin's attention. They weren't able to put aside time to either complete the preparations or make sure that the MacDonalds could make it to Eilean Donan for the ceremony. Elyn was frustrated, Gavin knew that much, but so was he. He was sick of putting it off, but his duty as Laird forced him to make sacrifices for his people.
But he could only put off the wedding for so long. He had instructed Alec and Barron to take up the rest of the slack on finishing the repairs and getting the villagers of Dornie back in their homes. The weather had been so nice over the last week that farmers were actually seeing crops starting to bloom, but it remained to be seen if the impending frost would be put off long enough to provide any yield.
Gavin had to make sure the wedding would happen tomorrow.
After their blissful morning, they made their way down to the dining hall to have some breakfast. It was early afternoon still, so only a few other highlanders were milling around the halls, all with bright and cheerful dispositions. Each one seemed to be overjoyed that they would have a new Lady in the castle, since the late Angus had been so lonely for the last decade or so.
Alec, Barron, Sheena and the lads were gathered in the hall, the boys looking bleak and irritated at being forced up so early. Gavin and Elyn joined them at one of the tables. Gavin stole some food off of Neil's platter, who was barely touching it.
"Hey! I was gonna eat that, ye know!" Neil said, suddenly lifting his chin from his hand.
"I donae know about that, lad," Gavin said. He pointed the bread at Neil and took a bite in defiance. "Looked like ye were sleepin' to me."
Neil shook his head and turned back to his plate, pushing the food around with his fork.
"So, when's the wedding' gonna take place already? Everyone is asking," Alec said. Sheena was sidled up next to him, looking just as sleepy as the boys. Alec lifted his arm from her shoulder and she stirred. She shot up when she saw Elyn and Gavin, her face quickly turning red.
"Tomorrow... aye, that's the plan at least," Gavin said. He glanced at Elyn before adding, "definitely."
Alec chuckled.
"Who is on the list?" Barron asked.
Gavin started counting off his fingers, "The Douglases... the MacDonalds... -"
Elyn cut in, " - The Cathals, the Domnals, the Macraes," she said as she shot a look at Gavin, "the Arcills... at least, that's who we expect."
Gavin laughed. "I was gettin' to those."
Elyn shook her head and took a bite of the bread Gavin had stolen from Neil.
"What about the King?" Alec said. "Was he sent an invitation? Uniting two of the clans... it should be a cause for celebration."
"I sent him a letter the night we defeated the Maxwells."
Elyn dropped the bread she was holding and it fell to the floor. All the men stared at her. She spoke slowly, trying to control herself. "Ye... sent a letter...? To the King?"
"Aye, was that bad?" Gavin looked at her with some confusion.
"The King, who had Laird Maxwell sitting in his rafters waiting to descend upon us like a vulture?"
Gavin's face fell as her words hit him like a hammer. "Ye donae think..."
"Gavin, I donae hafta think to know ye made a huge mistake."
Alec spoke up, trying to soothe the flaring tempers. "Have you heard back from the King since you sent the letter?"
Gavin tore his eyes away from Elyn's and thought for a moment, running his hand through his stubble. "Nay. I haven't."
"Gavin MacKenzie, ye have to correct this. Send a messenger, a whole entire battalion if ye have to."
"Aye," Barron agreed. "That might be the best course here. What else can we do?"
Gavin sighed and stared at his plate. His stomach knotted. "I'll draft a letter right now."
"Ye better. I swear, if this makes us push the weddin' back again..."
Gavin shook his head. "Donae worry. I'll handle it."
***
Elyn and Gavin returned to his chambers to begin drafting the new letter. While Elyn didn't have any way of writing it, she was beginning to learn how to read under Gavin's tutelage. It was something she cursed herself for not knowing how to do in the first place.
She watched over his shoulder as he sat at the writing table, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed the letter to have authority but not jump to conclusions. Elyn occasionally moved from hovering over his shoulder to pacing the room, nervousness coursing through her blood.
He deemed his final draft a success.
"This will work, just fine," Gavin said. He folded the thin parchment and placed it in an envelope, before dripping wax on it. He pushed the seal of the MacKenzie clan into the wet wax and let it harden. "I'll have a small army deliver this message. I won't be ignored."
Elyn sighed. "Good - that'll calm my mind, at least."
Gavin smirked, setting the sealed letter on the table. He patted his lap and invited Elyn to sit. He swooped her in his arms and dipped her under the desk, before reeling her back up and kissing her deeply. She felt like smooth linen in his arms, her anxiety and tension melting under his fingertips. He loved being able to soothe her, even if he was the one to make the mistake in the first place.
"We'll prepare the hall for the ceremony tomorrow. Everything will work out. Even if this message is intercepted," Gavin touched the seal. "I'll find a way for the King to find out about the Maxwells, even if Richerd MacDonald and I have to march down to the castle ourselves to do it."
Elyn smiled and touched his face before kissing him again. "Wonderful." He pulled her close and kissed her once more, then again and again, before her own laughter overtook her and she had to push him away.
***
The next morning Gavin descended from his room to find Alec and Barron waiting with a lone messenger in the main hall. The man clearly wasn't from any of the nearby clans, and he had a distinct look of worry in his eyes. Barron seemed to be ruffling the man's feathers.
"...Aye! The Laird is here now so hand it over. I canae believe yer disrespect," Barron muttered.
Gavin held up his hand for Barron to back down. Barron nodded and grunted as he reclined against the stonework, kicking his leg up and balancing against the wall. Gavin faced the messenger, who was holding a small letter.
"What is it then?" Gavin said. The messenger thrust the envelope into Gavin's open hands, before withdrawing to fold his arms across his chest to hide his shivering. Gavin eyed the letter suspiciously. It didn't bare any mark he could readily identify, not a local clan or even the King himself had sent the letter. Gavin opened it and unfolded to read it.
He muttered softly as he read, and his voice rose with each passing sentence.
"Gavin MacKenzie. It is decreed under order of the King that you are to appear at Castle Iverlochy at once to answer for your crimes against the throne and Scotland. If you do not, your lands and castle will be taken from you by force, and your people will be slain."
Gavin crushed the letter in his fist and threw it to the ground. He stepped forward and seized the messenger by his thin shirt and dragged him close. The man smelt of fear and bile. "What is the meaning of this? Do ye know?"
The man struggled to shake his head, but Gavin's grasp was too great to allow him. Gavin released the lad and righted himself. The young man rubbed his sore arms. Barron chuckled to himself.
Elyn made her presence known with a slight gasp, startling Gavin and the men. She finished descending the stairs and stood next to Gavin. "What is going on here?"
"This man just delivered a threat to me. To you..." Gavin breathed hard. "To us," he concluded.
"What kinda threat?"
Gavin shoved the letter into Elyn's hands. She instinctively took it and scanned the page, but Gavin explained what it said. "The King wants me to appear in front of him. I don't know what Maxwell might have told him, but he'll probably have my head for whatever it was."
Elyn put her hands on her hips and sighed heavily. "Figures that would happen if ye escape imprisonment... and maybe fail to send an army to tell the King his advisor's secrets."
Gavin groaned and turned away from her. He couldn't be so careless anymore. A strange thought struck him.
"How are ye so calm about all this?"
"We've been through worse, Gavin," Elyn explained. "Besides, can't ye just take the letter you penned last night to the King yerself? Maybe take Alec and Barron with you?" She gestured to the two men. Alec shrugged.
"I don't think ye understand, lass. He intends to kill me. This same thing happened almost a hundred years ago... a Laird was summoned and killed for trifling matters."
"Trifling?" Elyn's voice started to rise, her cheeks flushing red. "The Maxwells have been secretly trying to take over the throne for the last half century! Isn't that more than trifling?"
Barron spoke up suddenly. "The lass is right, lad. We don't have to answer to the King without him providing some proof, eh? We'll gather some men and head out tonight."
Gavin looked to Elyn, expecting to see the same disappointment on her face as he had the night before. But she didn't appear disappointed at all. Only flustered and letting her rage get the better of her. "I'm coming, too."
"Nay, yer not." Gavin said sternly. "Ye canae. I won't be gone long... but I canae have you out of the castle with things like this going on. Ye need more protection than I can provide alone."
Elyn bristled and moved to speak up, but Gavin silenced her again. "I won't hear another word." Gavin turned to Alec, nodded and gestured toward the messenger. "Get rid of this filth. I don't want to see him again, or I might really lose my temper."
Alec gripped the man's shoulders and escorted him from the castle. Gavin watched them disappear through the doorway.
He turned to say something to Elyn, but she was already halfway up the stairs. Her long hair hair swished back and forth as she climbed, and Gavin sighed heavily. Barron chuckled and swatted Gavin's shoulder.
"No worries, lad. We'll get this all sorted."
Gavin looked at Barron with renewed determination. "I know we will."
***
Gavin went to his room to begin preparations for his departure. He'd need a sizable army to confront the King directly and get any answers out of him, and he hoped it wouldn't have to come to that.
Elyn was out on the balcony when Gavin entered the chamber. He was quiet as he entered, and he moved silently to the window to watch her.
She was fighting back her emotions, trying her best to stem the tide. She curled a fist and slammed it on the stone edge of the balcony, her shoulders slowly shaking.
"Elyn..." Gavin whispered, catching her attention. She turned to him in surprise, her cheeks red and her eyes wet. She quickly wiped her face to hide herself.
"I donae want ye to go."
He reached out and grasped her shoulders. He gave her a gentle squeeze, which made her smile. "I'm sorry, runag, I donae have a choice. If we're to get married, I have to make sure we're as safe as possible."
She wiped her face again and collapsed into his arms, and he embraced her ever tighter in response.
As he slung on and tightened his leather jerkin, he examined the polished steel of his sword. Gavin thought about the King paying him some kindness. If things went smoothly enough he could be back by Sunday, which would still give Elyn and him time to marry on a proper Sunday.
Gavin frowned, his neck already tense just thinking of the ride ahead of him. He stared at the back of Elyn's head, who grumbled quietly to herself. She wasn't one to protest quietly, and it bothered him to see her so stiff with him.
After he finished getting equipped, he moved toward her to embrace her one last time. As he wrapped his arms around her, she stiffened and held her breath. He gave her an awkward hug just as three loud knocks rang out into the room.
"Enter," Gavin said. He turned to face the doorway as Alec and two young highlanders slipped into the chamber. He gave them a gruff nod, steeling his eyes and swallowing his tongue.
"Aye, are ye ready?" Alec said. His eyes darted from Gavin to Elyn, but Gavin pretended to not notice.
"Aye." Gavin followed Alec and the men out into the hall, shutting the door behind them.
Alone with nothing but the light and her thoughts, Elyn bit her lip to keep herself composed. She buckled a bit and braced against the bedpost, unable to cope with what was happening.