Collecting her happy son and changing his swaddling, she wrapped him tightly and took him down to the ground floor where the smaller hall was located, the one used only by the family. Already, she could smell fresh bread and she knew that Maxton was feeding their girls. He did that on many occasions, this man who, last night, had seemed to be so worried that he wasn’t a good father.
As Andressa neared the hall entry, she could hear Maxton’s voice. He was telling his children another story and she was gearing up to berate him for yet another violent tale when she heard his words.
They were anything but violent.
“… and they brought fine spices and gold, as a gift for the baby.”
“Then the gifts weren’t swords, Dada?”
“Nay, sweetheart,” Maxton said softly. “When I told you that, I was making it more exciting, but you know that sometimes Dada tells you stories that are just that – stories. They are just for fun, and sometimes I make them up, but they are stories that make you laugh and they make you smile, and that makes Dada happy. I love to see you smile. But the truth about the birth of Christ is that the Three Magi were just ordinary men who had come to give the baby gifts.”
“And the archangels, Dada? Were they there to protect the baby?”
“They were present,” Maxton insisted. “They were there to admire the baby, but they did not have to protect them from the Magi. Those men had come to worship the baby because he was the son of God, and the animals in the stable were only animals, like the horses and goats that we have. Simply animals.”
“Then nobody wanted to slice the baby?”
“Nobody wanted to slice the baby, at least not that night. All was well in the world. It was a peaceful and beautiful thing.”
As Andressa stood just outside the doorway and listened, she had to smile. Maxton had seriously backtracked on the story he’d told the girls last night and she wondered why. She wondered if that terrible dream he’d awakened from had anything to do with it. She wasn’t sure why she thought that, but something told her that might be the case.
Maxton had told her that his girls, in the dream, had been in danger. He seemed to lament making mistakes as their father and vowing to do better. Andressa grinned and shook her head, thinking that something in that dream must have caused Maxton to retell the story of Christ in a nonviolent, truthful way. That wasn’t something he’d ever done before – gone back on a story he’d told his children.
But this morning, he had.
Andressa was coming to think that it was a true Christmas miracle.
In the years to come, Maxton never again told a violent story to his daughters. The only stories he ever told them were kinder, gentler versions of his adventures or of stories that he had heard. But for the sons he would have – baby Magnus had three more brothers to follow after him – the male children of Maxton of Loxbeare would indeed know the glory, gore, and violence of the adventures their father had experienced. In their adult years, they would grow up to be powerful, elite knights in the image of their powerful, elite father.
Magnus, Aeron, Kane, and Madoc of Loxbeare carried on the family tradition.
Danae, Melisandra, Ceri, and Karis of Loxbeare did not.
All thanks to one particular dream and a vision of the future that set their father on the right path.
This is the future if you do not amend your ways, Max.
Fortunately, he had.
Maxton of Loxbeare had, indeed, experienced a little Christmas miracle of his own.
And to all, a good night…
Kathryn Le Veque Novels
Medieval Romance:
De Wolfe Pack Series:
Warwolfe
The Wolfe
Nighthawk
ShadowWolfe
DarkWolfe
A Joyous de Wolfe Christmas
BlackWolfe
Serpent
A Wolfe Among Dragons
Scorpion
StormWolfe
Dark Destroyer
The Lion of the North
Walls of Babylon
The Best Is Yet To Be
De Wolfe Pack Generations:
WolfeHeart
WolfeStrike
WolfeSword
The de Russe Legacy:
The Falls of Erith
Lord of War: Black Angel
The Iron Knight
Beast
The Dark One: Dark Knight
The White Lord of Wellesbourne
Dark Moon
Dark Steel
A de Russe Christmas Miracle
Dark Warrior
The de Lohr Dynasty:
While Angels Slept
Rise of the Defender
Steelheart
Shadowmoor
Silversword
Spectre of the Sword
Unending Love
Archangel
A Blessed de Lohr Christmas
Lords of East Anglia:
While Angels Slept
Godspeed
Great Lords of le Bec:
Great Protector
House of de Royans:
Lord of Winter
To the Lady Born
The Centurion
Lords of Eire:
Echoes of Ancient Dreams
Blacksword
The Darkland
Ancient Kings of Anglecynn:
The Whispering Night
Netherworld
Battle Lords of de Velt:
The Dark Lord
Devil’s Dominion
Bay of Fear
The Dark Lord’s First Christmas
Reign of the House of de Winter:
Lespada
Swords and Shields
De Reyne Domination:
Guardian of Darkness
With Dreams
The Fallen One
House of d’Vant:
Tender is the Knight (House of d’Vant)
The Red Fury (House of d’Vant)
The Dragonblade Series:
Fragments of Grace
Dragonblade
Island of Glass
The Savage Curtain
The Fallen One
Great Marcher Lords of de Lara
Dragonblade
House of St. Hever
Fragments of Grace
Island of Glass
Queen of Lost Stars
Lords of Pembury:
The Savage Curtain
Lords of Thunder: The de Shera Brotherhood Trilogy
The Thunder Lord
The Thunder Warrior
The Thunder Knight
The Great Knights of de Moray:
Shield of Kronos
The Gorgon
The House of De Nerra:
The Promise
The Falls of Erith
Vestiges of Valor
Realm of Angels
Highland Warriors of Munro:
The Red Lion
Deep Into Darkness
The House of de Garr:
Lord of Light
Realm of Angels
Saxon Lords of Hage:
The Crusader
Kingdom Come
High Warriors of Rohan:
High Warrior
The House of Ashbourne:
Upon a Midnight Dream
The House of D’Aurilliac:
Valiant Chaos
The House of De Dere:
Of Love and Legend
St. John and de Gare Clans:
The Warrior Poet
The House of de Bretagne:
The Questing
The House of Summerlin:
The Legend
The Kingdom of Hendocia:
Kingdom by the Sea
The Executioner Knights:
By the Unholy Hand
The Mountain Dark
Starless
The Promise (also Noble Knights of de Nerra)
A Time of End
Winter of Solace
&nbs
p; Lord of the Shadows
Lord of the Sky
Contemporary Romance:
Kathlyn Trent/Marcus Burton Series:
Valley of the Shadow
The Eden Factor
Canyon of the Sphinx
The American Heroes Anthology Series:
The Lucius Robe
Fires of Autumn
Evenshade
Sea of Dreams
Purgatory
Other non-connected Contemporary Romance:
Lady of Heaven
Darkling, I Listen
In the Dreaming Hour
River’s End
The Fountain
Sons of Poseidon:
The Immortal Sea
Pirates of Britannia Series (with Eliza Knight):
Savage of the Sea by Eliza Knight
Leader of Titans by Kathryn Le Veque
The Sea Devil by Eliza Knight
Sea Wolfe by Kathryn Le Veque
Note: All Kathryn’s novels are designed to be read as stand-alones, although many have cross-over characters or cross-over family groups. Novels that are grouped together have related characters or family groups. You will notice that some series have the same books; that is because they are cross-overs. A hero in one book may be the secondary character in another.
There is NO reading order except by chronology, but even in that case, you can still read the books as stand-alones. No novel is connected to another by a cliff hanger, and every book has an HEA.
Series are clearly marked. All series contain the same characters or family groups except the American Heroes Series, which is an anthology with unrelated characters.
For more information, find it in A Reader’s Guide to the Medieval World of Le Veque.
About the Author
Medieval Just Got Real.
KATHRYN LE VEQUE is a USA TODAY Bestselling author, an Amazon All-Star author, and a #1 bestselling, award-winning, multi-published author in Medieval Historical Romance and Historical Fiction. She has been featured in the NEW YORK TIMES and on USA TODAY’s HEA blog. In March 2015, Kathryn was the featured cover story for the March issue of InD’Tale Magazine, the premier Indie author magazine. She was also a quadruple nominee (a record!) for the prestigious RONE awards for 2015.
Kathryn’s Medieval Romance novels have been called ‘detailed’, ‘highly romantic’, and ‘character-rich’. She crafts great adventures of love, battles, passion, and romance in the High Middle Ages. More than that, she writes for both women AND men – an unusual crossover for a romance author – and Kathryn has many male readers who enjoy her stories because of the male perspective, the action, and the adventure.
On October 29, 2015, Amazon launched Kathryn’s Kindle Worlds Fan Fiction site WORLD OF DE WOLFE PACK. Please visit Kindle Worlds for Kathryn Le Veque’s World of de Wolfe Pack and find many action-packed adventures written by some of the top authors in their genre using Kathryn’s characters from the de Wolfe Pack series. As Kindle World’s FIRST Historical Romance fan fiction world, Kathryn Le Veque’s World of de Wolfe Pack will contain all of the great story-telling you have come to expect.
Kathryn loves to hear from her readers. Please find Kathryn on Facebook at Kathryn Le Veque, Author, or join her on Twitter @kathrynleveque, and don’t forget to visit her website and sign up for her blog at www.kathrynleveque.com.
Please follow Kathryn on Bookbub for the latest releases and sales.
Kathryn Le Veque on Amazon
The Laird’s Yulebringer
Caroline Lee
The Mackenzies are in mourning, and none so much as their laird. Since the loss of his wife, leaving Callan to raise a young son alone, he believes he’s lost his chance at happiness. As his extended family gathers to celebrate the Yule together, they can do naught to raise his spirits…until a midnight visitor—of the ghostly variety—brings him hope for the future. Check out the next generation of The Sinclair Jewels!
Clan Mackenzie was in mourning.
The laird’s wife had died in childbirth almost a year ago, along with her stillborn daughter. The clan had an heir already, but they still felt the loss keenly…and none so much as her husband.
It felt wrong to celebrate the Yule season without Fia. It seemed somehow insulting to have put aside his mourning for his wife, for the sake of the season.
Still, Callan knew his clan needed this tradition, as did his son, so he’d given his aunt approval to invite her family.
But that didn’t mean he was going to enjoy himself.
No matter how his cousins pestered him.
“Ye’re certain ye’ll no’ have another cup of ale?” Beck waggled his flagon in offer, even as he waggled his brows. “’Twill warm ye.”
When Callan shook his head, the other man belched loudly. “Suit yerself.”
“Stop pestering the poor bastard,” growled Nolan from his spot by the hearth. This stoic cousin was a year older than Callan—two years older than his brother Beck—and as serious as Beck was carefree. “Can ye no’ see he wants naught to do with us?”
His brother had one leg hooked over the arm of Callan’s favorite chair. It had been Uncle Jaime’s for years, but Callan had taken it over when he’d assumed complete control of the clan on his majority. And he suspected his cousin knew that; ’twas why Beck was so irreverent.
Stifling a sigh, Callan rubbed his temple. He might be young, but he knew enough about dependence to avoid ale when possible. Still, there were some nights—when the grief welled up in him, or his cousins were being particularly annoying—that he wished he did indulge.
“While I appreciate yer attempts to distract me—”
“Attempts?” Beck snorted, lifting his flagon in a salute. “’Tis working, is it no’?”
“I’m distracted with annoyance,” Callan said blandly.
“But ye’re distracted, and that’s what matters.”
Nolan made a sound which might’ve been an irritated grunt, had the man done anything as crass as actually show emotion. “Sorry, Callan. I couldnae convince him to leave ye in peace.”
His brother snorted. “Ye wanted to be left in peace? On a night such as this? When the wind is howling, and the snow is making the whole place colder than a witch’s tit, and ye’re surrounded by black drapes instead of boughs and berries?”
Of course, Beck didn’t understand. There were times Callan himself wondered if the last years with Fia had been a dream, anyhow. They’d been so young when they’d married, and now…
He’d lost her.
“I dinnae expect ye to understand, Beck,” he said quietly. “But respect my choices, aye? I ken ’tis no’ as merry a Yule as ye expected, but then…” He shrugged. “I expected to have my wife and daughter with me to celebrate, as well.”
“Och, Callan, I’m sorry.” Slowly, Beck swung his leg back into position and leaned forward, planting his elbows on his knees, the ale dangling between them. “I ken ye’re mourning, and ’tis why we Sutherlands decided to descend upon ye like locusts.”
“In case ye assumed ’twas a divine punishment for some horrible sin,” offered Nolan drily.
“Aye, ’tis a natural assumption.” Callan rested his head against the back of the wooden chair with a sigh, and crossed his arms in front of him. “Ye lot eat more than locusts do.”
Grinning, Beck bobbed his head. “Emma’s to blame for that. She takes after Nolan when it comes to food.”
“And yer father’s the worst of the lot,” Callan offered, careful not to let his expression show he was teasing.
Nolan seemed to understand. “Aye, and the Sutherland Devil has torn men apart—with his bare hands—for acknowledging such a fact.”
“Bah! ’Tis a compliment!” Beck belched.
They were more or less alone in the great hall of the Mackenzie keep, and Beck was right; the hall was decidedly lacking in festive decoration or feeling this year. Callan knew for a fact that the ladies were gathered upstairs in the women’s solar, which Aun
t Agata claimed once Aunt Jean had passed on. Where had Uncle Jaimie and the Sutherland gotten to? The two of them had grown friendly since marrying sisters.
“Truly, I am sorry for my dourness,” Callan finally offered. “This is no’ the Yule celebration ye were expecting.”
Nolan shrugged. “Fia’s been dead since the summer, Cal. We kenned ye were still mourning, and we kenned ye might need some cheer.”
“Aye, so we brought him.” Beck jerked his thumb at his older brother. “Ye need cheer? Everyone kens to call on Nolan Sutherland. The man can barely speak, for all his laughter. And jokes? Forget about it! He’s full of jokes!”
“Ha. Ha.” Nolan glared.
Still, their banter had Callan’s lips twitching for the first time all evening. Sighing, he shook his head. “I cannae believe ye all chose to come be miserable with me.”
“No’ all of us,” Beck corrected. “The lasses are with their husbands, mostly. But aye.” He shrugged. “We understand loss well enough to ken ye need distractions during holidays.”
And with comments like that, Callan was reminded that this happy-go-lucky cousin of his actually had a heart beneath that rakish grin. He was right; Callan needed the distraction. As Nolan poured himself some ale, Callan sat upright.
“Tell me about yer sisters and how they fare. Mary and Andrew welcomed another bairn this year, aye?”
The brothers took turns sharing stories of their large family, most of which Callan already knew. But it was a fine excuse to allow his mind to think of something besides the woman who should’ve been sitting with him.
Many years before, his Aunt Sapphire had married the Sutherland laird under interesting circumstances. When she did, she’d gained nine children—Merrick Sutherland’s bastards—and had since birthed more. Her eldest, Gavin, was a serious lad who was fostering with a neighboring clan, along with Callan’s youngest brother. Her two daughters were likely up in the solar with her and Aunt Agata and Emma and Isobel—the only of Sutherland’s bastard daughters to join them this year.
Agata and Saffy were two of the four daughters of the Sinclair Laird. Together with their sisters—Aunt Pearl and Aunt Citrine, both of whom lived in the Sinclair keep—they were known as the Sinclair Jewels, and when he’d been younger, Callan had never tired hearing the story of how the four of them had worked together to find the missing stones from the family’s ancestral brooch, and restore the clan to its power.
O Night Divine: A Holiday Collection of Spirited Christmas Tales Page 4
