A few hours later, Michael's brothers, all six of them, and his two sisters, filed into the library. The siblings wanted to spend some time together, they knew that their brother was not happy with the situation he was stuck in, and their mother Lidia, sent them for moral support.
"Brother, you know we are all here for you, remember, one for all and all for one!" Edward, the second oldest said with a smile, remembering when they were all small, and knew they were in trouble from their mother, for one reason or another, and they all stuck together, and took the fall all together to lesson the pain on each other.
They all gathered around Michael and gave him a huge hug, and Michael sighed and finally smiled, and said, "Thanks, I so needed that!"
They all sat together, talking about the good old times, and his two sisters, Nessie and Lainie, cried the whole time they were there.
Michael jumped to his feet, and pulled his two sisters in his arms, just like when they were children. "Don't cry for me, I'll be just fine, and I promise the both of you that when it's your turn to marry, I will make sure you are in love with your husbands. I will never marry you off to just anybody!" He promised, and his sisters, stopped crying and smiled at him, knowing that he was a man of his word, and that he will do as he says.
At that moment the bugles outside the castle were blowing loudly, announcing the arrival of the Bruce clan of Morayshire, and the siblings looked at each other and then all eyes fell on Michael.
"I'll be fine, I promise! Go now and get ready, we have a party to attend to. I want to see each and everyone of you smiling out there!" He said with a smile, but they all knew that it was a fake smile just for their benefit.
They all left to go and put on their masks, and left Michael all alone, and as soon as the last of them walked out of the library, and the door closed behind them, Michael's smile disappeared, and he took an inhalation of breath, knowing that this is it, he must go out there and meet his bride. It is his duty as chief of his clan, and leader of his castle, not to mention the fact that he was the first born, and it was his birthright to claim the princess as his wife, he owed it to his late father, and to his clan to do the right thing.
Walking over to the big, black trunk, that was by his bedside, he opened it, and pulled out the head piece that he was going to disguise himself with, and placed it on his head, and then he mustered up all the courage he had left inside him, and marched to the door, and threw it open. Go, he told himself, go get your bride!
Flying down the stairs, not wanting to make the Bruce clan waiting much longer for his arrival, Michael marched through the great hall, and out the double wooden doors to the courtyard, where hundreds of people from the MacAlister, and Bruce clan, were waiting for the festivities to begin, and Michael was the only one who had the power to start the party.
With a firm and unwavering back, and his masked head held up high, he walked to the middle of the courtyard, and said in a loud and clear voice, "I, Prince Michael, Druid leader and chief of the MacAlister clan of castle Sterlingshire , welcome each and everyone of you to our home, and eagerly await to meet Princess Kyra, her family, and the Bruce clan of Morayshire."
Kyra's father stepped foward, wearing a mask made of silver and gold, and bowed before Michael's family, who all stood next to him, and waited to see the short, pimpled faced princess.
"Greetings from the Bruce clan, we are delighted to be here on this special day, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude that you have kept your fathers word, after all these years. I am pleased to know that you are an honorable Prince, and with great pleasure I hand over my loving daughter for you to take." Chief Douglas said, with much emotion in his voice.
Turning slightly to his left, he reached out his hand and said, "Come forward dear, and meet your Prince."
All eyes in the courtyard fell on the masked woman who stepped forward and placed her hand in her fathers.
The chief pulled Kyra gently to where Michael stood, and he placed his daughters hand in Michael's calloused one, and said, "I give you my most treasured jewel, my daughter Kyra," and he pulled his hand away, and took a few steps backward.
There was dead silence in the courtyard, as everyone pushed and shoved to catch a glimpse of the new couple.
Kyra's heart beat wildly as she stood next to her future husband, and an image of the Greek God came to her mind and she quickly pushed it to the side, not wanting to stain her face with tears, and have everyone asking her questions.
Michael smiled coldly down at his bride, at least she wasn't too short and fat, he thought with relief, and he wondered what was under the mask that she wore, and he made a mental note to himself to make love to her only when all the lights were turned off so he wouldn't have to look at her pimpled scarred face, and at that moment an image of the Godess came to his mind, and he nearly choked with sadness, and wondered if he would ever see her again.
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