"You know, I never did find out," he said with a shake of his head. "I mean, the Sidhe had all kinds of alliances and relationships… but they were very cagey as to the precise nature of those relationships. What we call a marriage here is… well, much more complicated back there. And not limited by gender," he added. "There are dozens of different reasons for a relationship to be formalized… political, social, economic… and I never did find out what role romance played, if any at all."
"That's fascinating," she said softly, intrigued by that kind of alien society. "Where I'm from, marriage is all about love. At least, it's supposed to be," she added after a pause, frowning. "I know some people marry for money, and some people marry because their parents want them to, and some people marry because they're scared of being alone…"
"What about you?" Aelfred asked, tilting his head to the side.
"I'm not married," she said, blinking. Did he think she was spoken for? Was that why he hadn't made a move, she found herself wondering?
"I know," he said with a quick little smile. "And I'm very glad. But if you were to marry… would you do so for love?"
What had he meant by being glad she wasn't married? Her mind was racing… but she tried to play it cool, took a deep breath to steady herself as she glanced out over the waters of the Loch. "I think so," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I suppose that makes me a romantic, especially around here."
They lapsed into a thoughtful silence. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. This was the closest they'd ever gotten to actually speaking about what was going on between them, what their relationship was… she hated herself for her cowardice, for not just outright asking him what was going on… or even better, throwing herself into his arms and kissing him and seeing what happened. Those bright silver eyes were resting on her, thoughtful, curious… and something else lurking in their depths, too, something she was too frightened to consider properly…
"Hey," she said suddenly, seizing on the first thought that came to her mind. "When does your shift finish? It's a lovely day, I was thinking it might be nice to go for a ride."
Was that disappointment on his face? He covered it quickly, nodding his head and giving her a quick little smile. "A ride would be lovely," he agreed. "You're not suggesting it to get out of training though, are you?"
"Perish the thought," she said coyly. "But we can train any time. A day like this we should really spend riding."
"I agree," he said softly, his eyes shining. "I've a few more hours up here, but I should be able to get away well before sunset. I'll meet you at the stables?"
After lunch, she headed down from the wall and spent a few hours in the stables before Aelfred came to join her. She'd taken to pottering around in the stables, doing errands here and there to help out the grooms who'd been so kind about teaching her the basics of horse care… she was rapidly becoming a part of the family there, and she straightened up from oiling a saddle as Aelfred called to her from outside the stables. She'd already gotten their preferred horses out and ready — the two of them cinched the girths of the saddles tight then climbed aboard.
"I'll never get used to all this leather," Aelfred said with a wrinkle of his nose. "Now. Where are we riding?"
"I was thinking of that road above the village," Melanie said with a grin. "I think it's time for a rematch of that race I lost the other week."
They headed through the gate, Aelfred ignoring the cheerful waves and grins of his colleagues who were seeing him, yet again, spending time alone with Melanie. His obliviousness to their sly nudges and winks made her feel better… still, she couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious. Were the two of them courting? Was this dating? Because she had to admit, as they rode… part of her had been very surprised to her reaction to the reduction in the time they'd been spending together. She just felt so much happier when she was around him. Like being with him made her life… well, better.
Was that bad? she wondered. Was it a little toxic of her, to be dependent on him for her happiness? Ideally, she'd be happy by herself, working on her own projects, living her own strange new life in this place… and when she thought about it, she was, more or less. Learning to ride, getting familiar with the new area she was living in, getting to know the people of the castle and the surrounding villages… it was all pretty enjoyable in its own right. She knew she wouldn't be miserable with Aelfred. But she just had a much better time when he was with her. Everything she saw and learned about this place was better because she knew it would be something she could tell Aelfred about, to get his insight into the strange and wonderful new place she and he were both exploring. It wasn't that she was reliant on him for her happiness, not exactly… but she was a lot happier when she was with him.
She glanced over at him in the late afternoon sunlight, the way his long blond hair fell over his shoulders when it came loose from the tie he kept it restrained in, those shining silver eyes, those broad shoulders, the elegant way he moved even on horseback… and knew, in that single, dizzying moment, that what she felt for him was more than just a crush. She was falling for him — properly, too, and deeper than she'd ever fallen for anyone before. What absolutely terrible timing, she thought in the wake of that realization, torn between the urge to laugh and the urge to weep. Ridiculous, to think that of all the possible times she could have chosen to fall in love with someone… was it love? Could it really be love if she'd only known him for a few weeks?
"Melanie?"
She blinked, realizing with a start that she'd been staring at him, her mind racing off while her horse wandered off the path and into the grass. Aelfred chuckled when she jumped, urging the mare back onto the path as a blush rose to her cheeks. "Sorry. Got distracted."
"You were a thousand miles away. Penny for your thoughts?"
She hesitated, bizarrely tempted to just spill her whole life to him… tell him exactly what it was that she'd been thinking about and see what he had to say about all of it. Could she be that brave? Could she be bold enough to simply tell a man how she actually felt? It seemed ridiculous… and before she could convince herself one way or another, she realized Aelfred was frowning, distracted by a sound coming from further up the road. They'd ridden almost as far as the village, but they were still a ways away from where the path turned up the road, and more or less alone out here.
Well, not alone. Because coming along the road was a group of men, moving together with purpose in a way that sent a shiver down Melanie's spine for some reason. Why did they make her feel so uncomfortable? she wondered. They were just a group of men… they looked like villagers, dressed in the simple garb of farmers and townsfolk. A few of them were carrying torches, not yet lit as the sunlight was still strong, and a few more seemed to be wielding simple weapons… clubs among them, and even a few worn-looking swords.
"What are they doing out here?" she wondered aloud, a little chilled by the look of the group. Because the first word that sprang to her mind, looking at the purposeful way they were marching down the road, was 'mob'. They looked like an angry mob. And with everything she'd heard from the other women about mistaken allegations of witchcraft and the like, she was rather sensitive to the prospect of mobs.
And her fears were confirmed when the men's eyes landed on her and Aelfred. There were looks on their faces of recognition — and something like a grim enthusiasm as they sped up, marching toward the two of them. Aelfred shot her a worried glance, and she wondered if he was coming to some of the same uneasy conclusions that she was.
Were the two of them about to find out just how well Melanie had taken Aelfred's self-defense lessons?
Chapter 23
It was Aelfred who spoke first. Always the gentleman, he steered his horse off the road to allow for the group to walk past and raised a hand in cheerful greeting to them. His voice sounded clear and untroubled, and she'd honestly have believed that the men didn't worry him at all had she not just seen the look on his face when he'd spotted them.
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br /> "Good evening, gentlemen!"
One man was at the front of the group — he looked to be in his thirties, maybe, with dark brown hair and a tense, cruel face. What was it about their body language that was so odd to Melanie? They looked almost… worried. As though Aelfred and Melanie were some kind of great threat. But the men were the ones wielding weapons. She had a sword, tucked away under her cloak — Aelfred had insisted she start riding with it, to get used to having it on her, the same way she'd been used to carrying her gun wherever she went. Right now, she was grateful to have it… though she was far from confident that she'd know how to use it effectively, if this situation grew any more tense than it already was.
The men had stopped. Melanie bit her lip, feeling her horse shift restlessly underneath her. They were withdrawing their weapons now, exchanging glances… and she felt Aelfred steer his horse a little in front of her, as though to protect her. "I don't recognize any of your faces," he said pleasantly, his voice loud. "Are you from the village?"
The men were shifting forwards, fanning out as if to surround them… and Aelfred sighed, shaking his head. "There's no need for this."
"That's enough," the leader of the little group grunted, raising his hand.
"I'm warning you," Aelfred said again. The leader of the men started forward, reaching up to grab his horse's bridle. The chestnut gelding shied back, clearly startled by the motion… but it didn't matter. Aelfred had slid from the horse's back and was standing clear, his gleaming silver sword already drawn and a cold look on his face that Melanie had never seen before. The men were moving toward her horse, too, and on instinct she slid from the horse's back and hastened over to Aelfred's side, dropping into stance beside him with her own sword in her hand. Fake it til you make it, she told herself, lifting her sword in the way he'd taught her and trying very hard to look as though she knew what she was doing.
The men had surrounded them now — Melanie saw the horses amble a little distance down the road, flicking their ears in confusion at what silly things their riders were up to now. The group — there were eight of them, she realized, quickly counting — had all drawn their weapons now. What the hell was going on? Was this a robbery? If so, why didn't they seem concerned with the horses? Horses were surely more valuable than anything that she and Aelfred had on their persons… she knew for a fact how life-or-death horse ownership could be. Weren't all the rules of chivalry actually to do with responsibly utilizing the power that riding a horse granted a person? These couldn't be robbers… but if they weren't, what on Earth did they want with Melanie and Aelfred?
The leader lunged, and Melanie readied her sword — but Aelfred was already in motion. Smooth as silk, he parried the blow, his blade twisting — the man cried out, falling back and clutching at his hand, where a bright ribbon of blood revealed that Aelfred's strike had been true. The other men lunged, now, and Melanie found herself automatically reaching up with her sword hand to block a blow from a club. Equal parts surprised and exhilarated that her training seemed to have worked, she pressed her advantage, her body naturally dropping into the stances Aelfred had taught her as she pressed back the man who'd attacked her. Clearly unused to women who knew how to fight, this man — he looked surprised and frightened as she advanced on him and stumbled backwards. Sensing an opportunity, and aware of how uneven the ground was, she feinted, lunging forward — and when he tried to dodge out of her way, he fell hard onto the damp grass.
Aelfred, meanwhile, was a blur — she glanced behind her to see him driving a kick into the chest of one man. Two were on the ground, groaning, a third bent over and clutching his arm. She could see injuries among them, too — nothing fatal, but definitely wounds that would make them think twice about hassling Aelfred any further, and as she turned back to the man who'd attacked her, she could hear the leader shouting at his men to fall back.
Rather anti-climactic, in the end, she thought dully, shifting back to stand at Aelfred's side as the men scattered, a few of them slinking off down the road throwing resentful glances over their shoulders. She'd been ready for a full-on medieval battle, swords clashing… but instead, it had been barely more than a scuffle. A pub brawl if that. But the question remained — why had these men attacked them?
"Do you make a habit of attacking travelers on the road?" Aelfred demanded, his sword still in his hand. He didn't point it at the leader, not exactly, but he stiffened anyway, and Melanie could sense the unspoken threat in his body language. The man gritted his teeth but didn't reply. Aelfred shook his head. "You've attacked a Watchman from the Keep," he said firmly. "A member of Clan Grant, protectors of this land. Have you nothing to say for yourself?"
"You're no Grant," the man spat, his eyes narrowed. "I'm only surprised you and your lady didn't resort to your wicked magics to strike us all dead. Suppose I should be grateful you showed that little mercy, monster."
Aelfred's eyes widened at that word, and he glanced sideways at Melanie, the confusion vivid on his face. She was a little taken aback, too. Wicked magics?
"I have no wicked magics," Aelfred said blankly. "What are you talking about?"
"No need to lie to me," the man spat. "We all know what you and your lady are capable of."
"I'm even less magical than Aelfred," Melanie said, frowning in utter confusion. After all, Aelfred had grown up among the Sidhe, learning about Fae magic… she was a private investigator from California who hadn't believed magic even existed until a month ago. "Who's saying we're magic?"
The man's face closed over. "None of your business, lassie. Run along home, now."
She raised her sword unconsciously, felt a brief thrill of power at the way the man flinched automatically away from her. "You just attacked us on the road," she said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Two complete strangers who did absolutely nothing to harm you. I think we're owed an explanation at the very least, don't you?"
He didn't like the look of her sword; that was clear from his expression… but he still barked laughter, his face twisting. "I might fear a witch like any god-fearing man," he told her, eyes narrowing. "But I fear that one more."
"That one?" She leaned closer, intrigued — but the man's lips were sealed, his expression growing mulish. "Who's 'that one'? Who are you talking about?"
But they couldn't get another word out of the man… and though part of her was tempted to pursue the man, to see if there was some other way they could convince him to speak to her properly, she felt Aelfred put a steadying hand on her arm. She gritted her teeth and sighed as the man turned on his heel and slunk away, joining the retreating group of bandits as they headed up the road toward the village, looking thoroughly defeated… but still malicious, still malevolent. Just what the hell had that been about?
"Shouldn't you have interrogated them more?" she wanted to know, looking up at Aelfred. But he was gazing after the men, a frown on his face.
"Leah did say that people tend to be distrustful of Changelings," he said softly, shaking his head. "I suppose that group is an example."
"Who was he talking about?" she demanded. "He said something about someone who's spreading rumors about us. You and me, Aelfred, not just Changelings — us, specifically. What the hell was all that?"
"We're safe," he told her firmly. "That's what's important. Promise me you won't go chasing after them?"
"I'm not that stupid," she said, though for a moment she gave serious consideration to the idea. Run after the men, capture their leader, haul him back to the Keep for questioning… didn't they have dungeons in the basement of the castle, or something? Hadn't she heard something about that from one of the women when they'd been discussing the place's architecture? "I just… want to know what they were talking about."
"So do I," Aelfred admitted. "But I don't think violence is the way."
She took a deep steadying breath, trying to calm herself a little. He was right, technically speaking… best principles, when it came to investigating a mystery, were not to act under the in
fluence of adrenaline. Still, she couldn't help it. Her body was thrumming with adrenaline still, with the rush of successfully fending off their attackers, and she couldn't help but grin up at him as she reflected on the encounter. "I did okay, huh?"
"You did more than just okay," he told her firmly, reaching down to take her shoulders in his hands. "You were excellent. Just like we practiced."
"Just like you taught me," she confirmed, grinning. "Did you see my feint?"
"I did," he said with a smile.
"I know you took down the other seven of them all by yourself, but that one — I handled that one by myself, didn't I?"
He was laughing, his silver eyes shining. "You're a remarkable fighter indeed, Melanie. With a little more training, who knows how formidable you'll become?"
She became abruptly aware that they were standing awfully close to each other. The sun was setting now, the sky red and orange with the reflected light, and their horses had ambled back up the path now that the conflict was over, curiously flicking their ears at their riders. But Melanie wasn't paying attention to the horses, or the sky. All she could think about was Aelfred — how close he was, the way those luminous silver eyes were shining in the darkness, fixed on her, with an expression flickering across his face that told her all she needed to know about just what his intentions toward her were…
And before she could overthink it, before she could talk herself out of doing what she really wanted, she reached up on her tiptoes and claimed his lips in a sweet, fierce kiss that seemed to knock the breath out of her lungs entirely. She felt his arms slide around her, his hand on her waist as he drew her close, the scent of him close and immediate and utterly intoxicating as their kiss deepened… and then he broke away from her, just slightly, his bright eyes terrifically close as that beautiful smile wreathed his features again.
Trusted By The Highlander: A Scottish Time Travel Romance Page 19
