"What do ye fear the most Elena? 'tis said that Laird McInnis is a skilled fighter and that his clan wants for nothing. I do hope he carries through with the marriage, our clan is in dire need of any and all aide." Elena shivered at the thought, essentially she was to be sold to the highest bidder and it so happened to be Laird Finley McInnis.
Clan McInnis came from the highlands whereas Clan Chisholm resided in the lowlands, there were more warring clans in the lowlands and resources were becoming scarcer.
Elena's da had aged drastically since the passing of her younger brother, leaving only Elena and her younger sister Isobel left to inherit the weakened Chisholm clan. For many moons the clan had been subjected to border attacks, it was how Garrick Chisholm had died trying to defend against one such attack.
The hopes for the Chisholm clan name died with Garrick, once Elena hand fasted with Laird McInnis the Chisholm name would cease to exist, instead being absorbed into the McInnis clan as an extension to their already sizeable territory.
Though clan McInnis was in the highlands, through marriage there was a common border between clan Chisholm and laird Finley's clan. It was their luck that there were generations of sons born with very few daughters, Elena wondered what it would be like to belong to such a family.
Elena's family were never overly affectionate but they had been full of love, especially her mama. She cherished all three of her bairns, but her heart broke on that terrible day. Every time Elena saw her ma now it was her eerie wail that echoed in her mind, every time she was saddened she would remember that noise that escaped from her mother and a tear would roll down her cheek.
She hoped that where ever Garrick was, he was looking down on them and protecting them all.
"I'm nae sure 'tis a fear that I have, maybe 'tis an uncertainty. The question has rolled around in my mind so many times that the answer is never the same, the only thing that remains the same is the feeling that the future is never certain and I cannae say that life will be happy and that laird McInnis will honour the agreement. Will he agree tae wed me in a years time? He may grow weary of me in that time." T'was Elena's biggest fear, that laird McInnis would find her lacking, especially as a future wife.
"Come now Elena, ye will make yerself sick with worry if ye continue to think like that. Laird McInnis is said to be an honourable man, yer da would never agree to such a much if he had doubts in his mind." Elena tried not to scoff as her maid tried to reassure her, nothing was certain about a hand fastening. It would be agreed that Elena and Finley would live as husband and wife for a year before their wedding ceremony.
"Isobel, 'tis fact that men and women hand fast but decide before the year has ended that they are not a good match." Elena did not voice her doubts again, she knew it would do her no good and instead squared her shoulders.
Despite the low standing of her clan and the poor state of the keep, she was proud to call the place home. Loch Alainn was beautiful in the winter, it often froze over enough to walk out onto the ice.
The first time, Elena would never forget the first time she stepped out onto the ice and the echo it made when Garrick had jumped onto it. The very sound penetrated her bone, right to her soul and she felt it even to this day.
So many memories, good and bad, tied Elena to her home.
Everywhere she looked a memory would flash through her mind, it would make her feel a variety of feelings but she would remember each with a fondness that would never wane.
"Aye, 'tis known to be so. But mayhap ye and the laird will be different, mayhap you will fall in love." This time, Elena did scoff at Isobel's words. They were very close in age, Elena counted Isobel as close as a sister.
Both had grown up together, Isobel was related by blood. They had a great grand da in common, though Isobel was not a true maid she kept Elena company and helped to dress her more often than Elena's maid.
She was so dependable that Isobel was to accompany Elena to clan McInnis.
Sitting at the battlements of the highest tower afforded Elena some advantage, when she saw dust raise in the air and heard a trumpet echo down the loch she knew her time in her childhood home was coming to an end.
The hand fastening would be later in the evening and they would depart Chisholm lands in the morning. Elena would rather have stayed another day but pressing matters needed attending at the McInnis keep, she had already been scolded by her mother for complaining so she kept all thought of leaving to herself.
"Elena! Elena! Mama is summoning ye," Elena gave Isobel a knowing smile as Fiona's shrill voice broke their quiet sanctuary.
"Aye Fiona, we shall be down in a moment. Come Isobel, we must ready for the ceremony." Elena said as she gathered her skirts before turning to descend the stairs to her bedchamber, her mama would be pacing worriedly there.
'twas a short walk to her bedchamber and as expected Elena's mama was pacing back and forth nervously, every so often she paused to glance out the small window that gave a narrow view up the loch.
"Elena, quickly child. Ye must bathe and dress before the laird arrives. Isobel will do yer hair. I have brought your gown in that ye will wear this evening, yer plaid...where is yer plaid Elena?" Elena frowned as her ma began moving about the room frantically, she caught hold of her ma's hand however to still her movements.
It took a moments before realization registered in her ma's eyes, "oh, ye are right Elena. I will go and sit in the solar with yer da. Please be presentable when laird McInnis arrives." Though Elena had said nothing to her ma, they had situations of a similar nature in the past. Her ma had never recovered from the loss of Garrick and was often found pacing areas nervously, all it took for her to return to her senses was someone to hold onto her. Often it took only a moment for her mind to become aware again.
It was moments like that which worried Elena, Fiona would be left to help both her ma and da, they had maids and servants but with both parents aging non too gracefully it would always worry Elena.
"Aye mama, we will seek ye and da out once I am ready." Elena reassured her as she escorted her ma to the door. It was unheard of for a mother to leave her daughter to ready for her hand fastening alone, but to lose another child in the space of three years would be too much Elena thought.
Lady Chisholm left without another word, Elena turned to Isobel, Fiona and several other ladies with a hopeful look on her face.
"The tub is ready for ye lass, undress, we will scrub ye, comb yer hair and braid it just the way ye like it." Elena wasted no time and was washed and scrubbed clean enough that her skin was tinged pink. She hair was pulled tightly into a braid that hung over her left shoulder, Fiona had picked daisies earlier in the day to thread through her hair. She didnae want them in her hair but Fiona insisted.
The gown that her ma had left her was beautiful, it was more low cut than the other gowns that she owned and made of silk. The colour was what caught her eye, a deep blue, as blue as the loch on a stormy day. She thought it fitting and shed tears as it must have almost emptied the coffers, Elena hoped that her ma and da didnae sacrifice much for the gown.
"Ye are verra bonnie lass, the laird will be speechless once he sees' ye." One of the maids said, it caused several giggles to echo in the small bedchamber and Elena felt her cheeks heat at the compliments.
She was never considered beautiful, she never considered herself beautiful. The only striking feature on her was her eyes, they were a deep blue, similar to her gown. Mayhap that was why her ma had picked such a colour.
"Come along lassie, word has reached the keep that laird McInnis is nae verra far." Elena took one deep, steadying breath before exiting her bedchamber to seek out the lord and lady of the keep.
"Och Elena, ye are a sight to behold. I knew the gown would suit ye well, yer ma wore a simi...Finela, 'tis yer gown that our daugher wears?" Elena looked at her ma in shock, she knew her mama's fine gowns and this was not one of them.
"Aye, I ordered the village seamstress to make a few alterations. I think she did well, Elena where is yer plaid?" Before Elena could respond she felt her plaid being laid over her right shoulder, turning she offered a warm smile to Isobel as her cousin fastened it at her waist.
"Let us greet yer future husband Elena," laird Chisholm said as he held an arm out to his wife. Elena fell into step behind her ma and da, Fiona grabbed hold of her hand and walked beside her as they descended the many stairs towards the courtyard to await the arrival of laird McInnis.
"Are ye ready Elena?" Elena glanced to Isobel and Fiona who stood to her right, she squeezed Fiona's hand for quiet reassurance and offered Isobel a nervous smile.
The clatter of hooves entering the courtyard caught her attention, it took several moments for her attention to reach the riders. Elena was so caught up in the robust horses that rode into the courtyard that she almost didn't see laird McInnis sitting atop his grey dappled stallion.
"Lord have mercy on my soul," Elena heard herself mutter quietly as her eyes connected with those of laird McInnis. For several moments Elena found it hard to breath, she found herself unable to tear her gaze away and swallowed hard several times as she watched from the behind the protective wall of the laird and lady of the keep.
She was thankful for that protection as the well built laird threw a leg over his horse and dismounted heavily. The ride must have taken several days, there had been talk that the large party had stopped for several nights before continuing the journey.
Casting a glance at the other riders, Elena realized that many were hiding their discomfort as they dismounted and stretched discreetly.
Once instructions had been given for the care of the horses, laird McInnis and those that accompanied him approached.
"Apologies for keeping ye waiting laird and lady Chisholm, 'tis been a long journey but we have arrived hail and hearty." Laird McInnis bowed low to Elena's father, being a tall man she imagined that was no easy. When he came up and greeted her mama there was no hint of anything but pleasantness, she was impressed that he could keep such a neutral expression.
"Dinnae worry yerself laird McInnis, that ye arrived well and safely is good news. May I introduce my bairns, 'tis Elena my eldest daughter who ye will come tae know and our youngest bairn Fiona." Both Elena and Fiona bowed in perfect unison, as did those who served Elena.
When Elena straightened she caught the eye of laird McInnis again and offered a small smile. "tis a pleasure tae meet ye at last laird McInnis." Elena said, the nervous flutter in the pit of her stomach made her sound breathless. The tone seemed so unfamiliar to her that she frowned slightly and diverted her gaze from laird McInnis.
The chuckle that came from the McInnis man had colour rising in Elena's cheek, she held a hand out towards him and couldn't help the gasp when he took hold of her hand gently.
"The pleasure is all mine me lady." He murmured before placing a feather light kiss against her hand.
"May I also introduce Dougal and Caitriona McInnis, laird and lady Chisholm, these are my youngest brother and sister. My younger brother Cormac is residing over my keep until Elena and I return home." The reality that today was her final day within the walls of her family keep sent Elena's mind reeling. She had known the day was coming, had been thinking of the moment she would pass over the threshold and never return but she never thought the day would come.
The thought made her swoon, the last thought she had before the world went dark was that laird McInnis was a verra handsome man.
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AN: This is an experimental story as I'm not a historic fiction writer typically.
There are going to be some...discrepancies with language use etc. Please bear with me as I work my way through this story.
Thanks.