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Chapter 40
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2022-09-20 04:27:31Related chapters
Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 41
The next morning Eleanor had stubbornly insisted on riding Beck, but after they stopped at a waterway mid day she had admitted her legs were aching and asked Fann to take her on his horse. So that’s where she was as the ground grew more rocky. The river they had crossed was the Liddel Water Fann told her. Now they were following the River Esk. The keep they were heading for was on this side of the river. MacDonald lands were on the other. They would be camping in a cavern tonight. One of the mercenaries had been this way not too long ago and knew of a good spot on a rocky hillside along the road. Low enough that the horses could climb it easily, but high enough that nobody could sneak up on them. It seemed to Eleanor that they were being far too cautious, but Fann said there was no such thing. They were strong warriors, but not a full army. Skill was commendable, but caution was often wiser. She had no response to that as he was the one with experience.As the afternoon wore on she fo
Last Updated : 2022-09-20Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 42
That evening’s meal was a much more sombre affair than the night before. They lit a fire near the cave entrance. No need to hide when the potential enemy had followed them all day and knew where they were. Eleanor had attempted a story after they ate. Everyone had listened intently, except the men at the cave entrance who watched the darkness for signs of attack, but not even the youngest lad could muster much enthusiasm. Eleanor found it odd that she missed the lecherous looks from the warriors. They had been respectful of Fann all along and not stared at her, but she had seen them glance at her with desire a few times. Not tonight though. All were focused the danger at hand. Sharpening their weapons or watching the entrance to the cave. They paid enough attention to her that they smiled and nodded appropriately, but she doubted one of them could tell her the moral of a single one of her tales.“We should lie quiet,” one of the lads said at last, “morning will come fast enough.” The
Last Updated : 2022-09-20Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 43
Fifteen men. Fann watched the last of the dead being drug into the woods. His own band of warriors had a few injuries, but fortunately no deaths among them. One of the lads reached out trembling hands to take Fann’s sword for a proper cleaning so he held it out to the child. “You are well?”“Well enough sir.”“Twas your first battle?”“Tha sir.” The boys voice shook slightly, his face turning green as he looked at the blood on the blade.“You have been told what to expect for the next few days?”“Tha sir.” Fann nodded and started towards the cave. Eleanor would be waiting for him. The first battle was always a shock for the lads, no matter how their mentor prepared them. The lad would be fine in time, or he would return to his family and farm instead. That was the way of it. Coddling him would not help him. A horrendous cry echoed out from the entrance as he approached and Fann cursed. Callum had forgotten about the women and begun to torture the survivor before seeing them out of t
Last Updated : 2022-09-20Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 44
“Where is Callum going?” Eleanor asked. The rest of the group were following the trail in the same direction as yesterday, heading to the lands of the clan that bordered the one she had grown up on. Callum was heading in the other direction, as fast as his mount could safely traverse the rocky slope.“To get more warriors,” Fann said.“Do you expect trouble?” Fann tightened his arm around her.“Tis vera likely.”“Why do you think so?”“’Tis no something you should ken.”“How can I keep myself safe if you keep me unaware?” Fann sighed.“Your father has promised his land and your hand to any man who returns with you.”“I thought the king had already gifted us to you?”“Aye. He did.”“Then how does my father think to give us a second time?”“The man will take my name, Leannan. They are to kill me, take my name, and keep you. The king is not to be made away of the change. As none in your clan know me, they will simply take whomever claims to be me as their laird.”“Oh.” They rode in silen
Last Updated : 2022-09-20Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 45
Eleanor shifted in her saddle as the main keep came into view and looked all around herself. The warning bells began to ring showing that the keep knew of their approach and she started to smile. “I remember this place! This is McInnis land!”“I suppose that is not surprising you know it. It is only a day or so ride from your family’s land. You may have visited often if your clan is friendly with this one. The land must have changed some in eight years though.”“Some," she agreed. "The memory seems a bit confused,” She said after a while. “I remember I got into trouble for throwing mud at a boy. Do you see that tree by the broken wall? The tree was shorter and the wall was less broken, but one of the McInnis boys was in the tree and I threw a fist full of mud that hit him in the face. Padraig or Alaisdar...maybe Griogair? Those were their names but I’m not sure which one I hit with the mud. One of them had put a frog on Eliana’s head and made her cry so I was retaliating. I remember
Last Updated : 2022-09-21Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 46
Fann swirled the drink in his glass as he watched Eleanor and Eliana. The two had talked hours away and showed no signs of stopping. He and Padrig had talked about the men chasing he and Eleanor as well as what Fann could expect when he arrived on MacDonald lands... And still, the sisters talked. Eight years was a long time, but... would they ever stop? At least it seemed Eliana was doing most of the talking. At first, Fann had been worried because Eleanor was doing all the talking, telling Eliana about her abduction from the abbey and then the trip here. As soon as Eliana had learned about the bruising on Eleanor’s neck and the trouble with her voice since it happened, she had almost refused to let Eleanor get more than a few words in, so Fann was shocked when all of a sudden Eleanor gasped, and jumped to her feet. One hand on the base of her throat and the other on her stomach. She looked up, the firelight shimmered in her tear-filled eyes as they searched the room for him. Fann an
Last Updated : 2022-09-21Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 47
Fann paced restlessly in Padrig’s solar. Something wasn’t adding up. Why had Eleanor’s father left her in the abbey and never communicated with his daughter? He had not even told her of her mother’s passing! He had not passed on messages between sisters and not seen to the marriage of his heir in a timely manner. What sort of man did all these things? It was as though he wanted the clan to die out.Was that it? Fann wondered. Was the man so enamored with the English that he wanted the Scottish bloodline to end and his lands to become English? But if he loved the English so, why had he not paid his tax to the crown?He looked up as the door opened and Padraig came in.“There is more you should ken,” his face solemn as he went to the bookshelves and opened a false front to retrieve some hidden papers. “The day before Eleanor was sent to the abbey, my father approached Donald MacDonald for her hand.” Fann stopped pacing and took the papers, shuffling through them. “She was two and ten.”
Last Updated : 2022-09-21Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 48
The afternoon was growing warm, but Eleanor wasn’t willing to retreat to the cool, dimness of the great hall. MacInnis keep was very comfortable, and she had enjoyed the past few days with her sister, but it was time to be moving on with her life. There was some plot going on that none of the men seemed able to piece together and it was making them all edgy. Fann had delayed their departure, saying he wanted to know the lay of the land before he took her to MacDonald keep, but she just wanted to go and get it over with.When Eliana filled her in on what had been happening there after she left, Eleanor had been furious with her father. As the plots twisted and turned she wasn’t any more sure than the men about what was happening, but she knew the only way to end it was to confront her father. The shade of a tall tree called to her and Eleanor walked over to sit under it. She didn’t notice Mairead sitting on the other side until she arrived. “Oh! I’m sorry.”“Perfectly alright,” Mairead
Last Updated : 2022-09-21
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“You were going to be gone without saying goodbye.” Fann froze, dropping his head. “I thought it would be easier.”“You thought wrong. Anything can happen, husband. Anytime. Especially given what you are going to do.”“I’m sure it is not as grave as that.”“Never leave me without letting me tell you one last time how much I love you.” Guilt prickled at him. He knew how much she wished she had been given a chance to say goodbye to her mother and sister when she went to the abbey. And to some of the nuns when she’d left there. He should not have considered leaving her this way.“I’m sorry. Clearly, I wasn’t thinking.”“Since I am a good, kind wife, and I love you, I will forgive you. I think you’re going to want to punish me though.” Fann wrinkled his brow. What on earth was she talking about?“Punish you?”“Well, it isn’t very safe for me to go riding at night. Alone. On Storm. Is it?” His head snapped up to look at her for the first time. She was standing by the gate of an empty stall
Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 86
The doors to the great hall closed with a loud bang and Eleanor spun around to see an older woman in an elegant gown standing in the doorway, surrounded by guards dressed in the same uniform that the King’s men wore. “Those are complicated questions to answer young one,” the woman said, “but also very simple if you know the story of how you came to be.”“Sister Grace!”Oblivious to the gasps of the others in the room, Eleanor ran and launched herself into the open arms of the woman. It was only when she let go that she noticed everyone else was silent and bowing low. Stepping out of the woman’s arms she looked around nervously, then back at the woman who had cared for her for the past eight years. “Sister Grace? Why are you dressed like that?”“This is who I am.”“Who?”“The name you know me by was a fabrication. The word sister was used to make me seem more like a nun, and Grace was from the title ‘your grace’ as a noble would sometimes be addressed in an abbey. This is why you know
Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 85
The cold, dreary weather had put an unfortunate damper on the mood in the Great Hall. Fann had brought Eleanor down for dinner, hoping the company of some of the children and women folk would cheer her, but nobody was in a very cheery mood. Even little Siofra couldn’t seem to come up with a happy ending to any of her fairy tales. The dinner had been good and the company was welcome, but all were quieter than normal and seemed to just be waiting for Eleanor to retire so they could go home to bed.Eleanor swirled the steaming tankard under her nose, then put it on the table and pushed it away. It didn’t smell bad, it just didn’t smell quite right. She waved her hand over it and the serving boy jumped up to grab it. She’d have to go back to brewing the tea herself. Yarrow flowers seemed to be particularly difficult for the kitchen staff.“You are still an overly picky my wee little harlot. Drink your brew, daughter, and quit giving my staff extra work.” Fann leaped to his feet and knock
Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 84
As the days passed Fann grew tired of sitting in the library watching his wife. Sometimes, with Uilleam at the door, he would leave her in the room by herself, but she got lonely that way. He didn’t want her to grow sad again, so much of the day he was the one locked in her library with her. He hoped the murder of crows would arrive soon for there was nothing in this room full of books and gadgets that held his attention for any length of time. The first few days they had spent arranging the room. A little bit of time every day was spent helping him improve his reading, but mostly he just watched her work and listened to her talk about it. He had considered asking her to do her work naked so at least he’d have something he enjoyed looking at, but if she did that he probably wouldn’t be able to let her get much work done. He interrupted her for his pleasure often enough as it was. They had just enjoyed a bit of coupling and he had fallen asleep. He thought she had too, but when he op
Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 83
The bells rang out from the top of the keep, pulling Eleanor from her slumber. She reached over to find Fann gone, his side of the bed already cold. She sat up scowling. The fur over the window kept out the chill autumn air, but also the daylight. Had she overslept? It was so easy to do when the room stayed dark. Fann, on the other hand, always seemed to wake and have nearly a day’s full of work done before she could break her fast. She padded over to the window and pulled back the fur so she could see up the hill. The rider certainly wasn’t in any hurry, and being alone it was likely he was a threat. There were a few satchels on his horse, perhaps he was looking for a home. Movement at the stables caught her eye and she saw Fann and Uilleam looking up the hill. No doubt discussing if they let the man come or head out to meet him. When no horses were called for Eleanor turned back into the room. If she dressed quickly, she could make it outside to see who it was.Fann stood in front o
Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 82
With fur wrapped around her, Eleanor sat near the fire brushing her hair dry. She had eaten, bathed, and the tub had been emptied but still, Fann had not joined her. He had said that he wouldn’t be long, but it must have been at least an hour since he’d left her.The clan had been busy in the past fortnight. The new furniture Fann had commissioned was already in their rooms. A new bed with a pair of chests at the foot of it, and the woodwork matched that of the new settee, chairs, and table. There was a small bookshelf beside the fire, empty still, but she could unpack some books in the morning. Another chair with very odd legs that would rock when you sat in it was only a short distance from the fire. The washstand was new too, detailed with both wood and iron to match a rather odd table. Those two pieces they had picked up on MacInnis lands just that morning. Leaving her brush on the mantle Eleanor walked over to take a better look at the table. It was very sturdy! A combination of
Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 81
Fann looked to the sky, glad the rain had held off so far. He had sent the carts of seed and furniture on ahead down the road with half the men. The other half had come with him to distribute the livestock to the crofters. Eleanor had insisted on coming so she could be sure to meet everyone. It was probably better that she kept busy anyways, even if the wind was a bit cool and the air came.The gratitude of all the crofters astounded him! At first, their reactions had him feeling proud to be able to improve their lot so much with such small additions. Then it had him furious that Donald had made them go without for so long that the younger children did not even know what goats were! The king had given them many cows, goats, and sheep as part of his deal with Fann. Most had been bred by Paddy’s animals and would have young in the spring. Fann had used his own funds to add to the tally of livestock, buying several young pigs that had been cheap because they were born too late in the ye
Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 80
“You will ride Beck, Eleanor. Storm is staying here.” She glanced around to be sure they were alone before she said, “but Fann-”“No. It is not up for debate. We will be travelling in a large group so there is little chance of attack and no need for his speed. I don’t know how he will react with all those other animals around, not to mention the men and dogs corralling them. I don’t want to put anyone at greater risk in what could very well already be a bit chaotic. Not you, not our clansmen, not even this blasted beast. Beck is sure-footed, calm and used to a wide assortment of creatures. Storm is going to stay here and we will return for him on another trip or Paddy can bring him when he and Lia come to visit.” She sighed and dug a few more carrots from her satchel to feed to him. “Do not try to disobey me on this.”“I won’t,” she said as she stroked the horse and stepped out of his stall, “you are right. He will not be happy with all the men shouting and cracking whips. He will be
Wed to a Wicked Warrior Chapter 79
The bonfire glowed brightly, casting light and heat over everyone in the yard. Lively music was being played and everyone, young and old, was dancing around. She grinned as Fann spun her around, her feet lifting off the ground. They were both laughing by the time her feet hit the ground again. Eleanor couldn’t remember ever having so much fun! Did MacDonald clan never have these parties? There were certainly plenty of children about, so if they had partied like this when she was small surely she would remember it. If it wasn’t something they did, she and Fann would have to start the tradition. It was too good a celebration not to! Their new clan would need to have fairs like the Stuart clan, but the girls could compete just the same as the boys, though perhaps not against them. Different events for lads and lasses as well as for women and men! And then a feast and a party with a big fire, music, dancing... Perhaps they could even do this often! The solstice, maybe another for Christm
