A Nightmare Marriage

by Bethany Hauck

  “I’m a guard at Dunnottar,” Seamus answered, “but I couldn’t let Edith travel all this way alone. I believe Lady Fiona is innocent of what she’s being accused of there. This is my wife, Blair.”

  “I’ll get Ross,” William said, showing them into the hall before he went up the stairs to the family quarters. He had questions about what Seamus had said, but he got the feeling that time was of great importance.

  Ross was down the stairs within a few minutes. “Edith?” he said, having met the maid at Tarmon on multiple occasions. “What’s wrong? Is Lady Fiona well?”

  “Laird McCabe,” Edith said, breaking down into tears when she saw him, “I’m so glad to see you.”

  “What’s going on?” he asked her gently, wondering if he should have brought his wife down with him.

  “Lady Fiona is in trouble,” Edith told him, once she’d calmed enough to speak. “She needs her brother and Laird Fraser to come immediately.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Ross asked. He listened patiently as Edith told the tale of what had happened to her friend.

  “She’s being held in the dungeon at Dunnottar now?” Ross asked when Edith had finished, motioning for William to join him.

  “Aye,” Edith said. “I’m so worried about her.”

  “Send a messenger to Tarmon,” Ross told the guard, “make sure you give Laird Fraser this,” Ross said, dropping the necklace into his hand.

  “What’s going on so early this morning?” Iain McCarthy asked as he entered the hall and seen them conversing.

  “Iain I’d like to introduce you to Edith, Lady Fiona Fraser’s maid, and friend,” Ross said.

  “She’s Lady Fiona Stewart now,” Seamus interrupted.

  “She’s going to be a widow if they’ve harmed her in any way,” Ross said to the man.

  “I understand,” Seamus said. “Laird Stewart is a good man, but that brother of his is not anything like him. He’s a hateful wretch. I know that somehow he’s the cause of all this.”

  “Tell me what’s happening,” Iain said. Ross filled him in quickly before giving William the message to take to Tarmon.

  “William,” Iain said, stopping his guard as he went to get a messenger sent.

  “Aye, Laird,” William said.

  “How many men do we now have trained here at Tioram?” Iain asked.

  “Over five hundred,” William answered.

  “How many do they have at Dunnottar?” Iain asked Seamus.

  “About the same,” Seamus answered.

  “Get four hundred men ready to ride,” Iain said. “We leave for Dunnottar within the next few hours.”

  “Iain?” Ross said to his father by marriage.

  “The Frasers stood by my daughter when she was in trouble, I’ll stand by theirs,” Iain answered, then turning back to William he added, “prepare the men, and tell the messenger to let Caiden Fraser know we’ll meet him at Dunnottar.”

  “Thank you, Iain,” Ross said, thankful he wasn’t going to have to ride alone. He would have been going to Dunnottar with or without the support of the McCarthy’s, but he’d much rather have them with him.

  “We made a pact,” Iain said, “I stand by my word, the McCabe’s, Fraser’s and McCarthy’s will stand together, no matter what.”

  “Aye, Laird,” William said hurrying out of the hall, he had much to prepare so early in the morning.

  **********

  “His fever is still too high,” the healer said to Gregor, Brody and Isobel.

  “What else can you do for him?” Brody asked.

  “There isn’t much we can do,” the healer said. “His body is fighting off infection. I’ll keep putting the poultices on his wound and keep his body cooled as much as possible. He’ll either fight the infection off, or he won’t.”

  “My poor Logan,” Isobel said, stroking his forehead. “Look what that horrible woman you married did to you, my love.”

  “Fiona,” Logan whispered, thrashing around.

  “Nay my love, it’s me, Isobel,” she said. “Your horrid wife is locked in the dungeon for what she’s done to you.”

  “I ought to just execute her now,” Gregor said.

  “You will do no such thing,” Brody said. “Logan is still the Laird; he wouldn’t want that.”

  “If he dies, I’ll have to step in for him,” Gregor said. “I’ll see her hung for what she’s done.”

  The healer glared at the two men, “if you two are going to argue, take it out of the room. It gets the man thrashing around even more. I’ve already stitched him up once; I don’t want to have to do it again.”

  **********

  “I brought you something to eat,” said a guard, sliding a bowl through the bars into Fiona’s cell. “Eat while you can.” Fiona looked in the bowl, all it held was a few pieces of stale bread crust, she pushed it away. He then sat a mug of water down on the floor. “I’d eat what you’re given; there’ll be no more.”

  “Nay, but thank you,” Fiona said. “I’ll starve before I eat that.”

  “Doesn’t matter to me,” the guard said, “you’ll be hung if Laird Stewart dies anyway.”

  “He’s still alive then?” she asked.

  “Barely, from my understanding,” the guard said to her.

  “I didn’t shoot that arrow,” she said, defending herself.

  “Gregor said only you have arrows like that,” the guard said, “and only you had access to them in your chamber.”

  “How would Gregor know I kept my bow and arrows in my chamber?” Fiona asked him, beginning to wonder about how much Gregor was involved in Logan’s injury.

  “That’s not my concern,” the guard snarled at her. “You don’t want to eat, fine. If you starve, we won’t have to worry about your trial.” He then turned and left.

  Fiona turned and sat back in the corner again, fighting back her tears. “Hurry Da, please,” she whispered to no one, “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  **********

  “I have an urgent message for Laird Fraser,” the Tioram messenger said to Angus, the captain of the Tarmon guard, as he rode through the gates there.

  “A message from who?” Angus asked as the messenger dismounted his horse.

  “From Laird McCarthy and Ross McCabe,” the messenger said.

  “Come,” Angus said, leading the exhausted man into the hall. “Have a rest, and I’ll find the Laird and bring him to you.”

  “Thank you,” the messenger said, flopping into a chair too tired to stand any longer, he had followed orders and rode through the night, knowing the message was of utmost importance.

  “I hear you have a message for me,” Caiden Fraser said as he entered the hall, behind him were Connor, Jacqueline and Hamish McCabe.

  “Aye, Laird Fraser,” the messenger said, standing on unsteady legs.

  “Sit,” Caiden said. “You look like you rode hard to get here. What’s your name, son?”

  “Deacon,” the messenger said.

  “Well, Deacon,” Caiden said, “what’s so important that Iain sent you here?”

  “It’s Lady Fiona, sir,” Deacon said. “It seems someone shot Laird Stewart with an arrow and they’re blaming Lady Fiona. They’ve locked her in the dungeon at Dunnottar. I was told to give you this.” Deacon said as he held the necklace Jacqueline had given Fiona in his hand.

  “It’s the necklace,” Jacqueline said, stepping forward and taking it from him. “You have to go to her immediately,” she said to both her husband and father by marriage.

  “How many men do we have trained, Angus?” Caiden asked.

  “Over four hundred,” Angus answered.

  “Ready three hundred men to ride,” Caiden said. “We leave for Dunnottar in the morning to save my daughter.”

  “I’ll send a message to Gleann,” Hamish McCabe spoke for the first time. “I’ll have two hundred more sent to meet us there.”

  “You’re going, Da?” Jacqueline said to her father.

 
“Of course, daughter,” Hamish answered. “The McCabe’s, Fraser’s and McCarthy’s are all family now, when one’s in trouble we all respond.”

  “Laird McCarthy said the same thing,” Deacon said. “He’s already sent four hundred men towards Dunnottar; he said he’d meet you there.”

  “It’ll take a few days for the men from Gleann to catch up,” Hamish said, “but they’ll be there.”

  “I appreciate that, my friend,” Caiden said to him.

  “You’d do the same for me,” Hamish said with certainty.

  “Aye, I would,” Caiden said.

  “If they’ve hurt one hair on her head, someone is going to pay,” Connor said, making his wife turn and look at him, his tone was almost frightening.

  “Prepare the men,” Caiden said as he left to begin getting things organized.

  **********

  “What’s going on out there?” Gregor asked Brody two days later. Brody had been keeping a watch out of Logan’s bedchamber window, what he seen concerned him greatly. Lady Fiona had been right; her family had come for her. What concerned him most was that the Fraser’s hadn’t even arrived yet, the force outside the keep belonged to the McCarthy’s, which meant the Fraser’s were still on their way.

  “Looks like we’re about to be invaded,” Brody said concerned.

  “How many men are out there?” Gregor asked nervously; this was more than he had been expecting to happen.

  “I’d say about four hundred,” Brody said.

  “We’ve more than that here at Dunnottar,” Gregor said, gloating, “Tarmon sent too few men.”

  “Those aren’t Tarmon colors their flying,” Brody said to him.

  “Who else could it be?” Gregor said, walking over to look out the window himself. “Maybe we should just execute the girl and be done with it.”

  “You will do no such thing,” Brody said. “She’s still Logan’s wife and as long as he’s alive so will she be.”

  “Fiona,” Logan said, opening his eyes slightly for the first time.

  “Nay, my love,” Isobel said, once again taking a cool rag and dabbing at his forehead. “That murdering bitch has been locked up. I’ll take care of you.”

  “What do you mean she’s locked up?” Logan asked, grabbing Isobel’s wrist roughly.

  “She tried to kill you,” Isobel said. “But I’ve been here nursing you day and night, my love, trying to make you well again.”

  “Brody?” Logan said weakly, “what is she talking about?”

  “The arrow that hit you belonged to Lady Fiona,” Brody said to him.

  “She wouldn’t do that,” Logan said, trying to rise but being too weak to do so.

  “You need to rest, Laird,” the healer said to him. “Drink this,” she held a drought up to his lips which he drank as directed. The drought made him groggy instantly and before he could find out more about his wife he was once again sleeping.

  **********

  “How many men are out there now?” Gregor asked as another batch of soldiers showed up.

  “I’d say at least eight or nine hundred,” Brody said. “I’m not sure what they’re waiting for. The last group looked like they were flying banners from Gleann.”

  “So the McCabe’s, Fraser’s and McCarthy’s are here?” Gregor said, he was past the point of being nervous, he was now terrified.

  “I believe so,” Brody said.

  “What are we going to do?” Gregor asked.

  “Talk to them when they’re ready,” Brody said.

  “Just give the murdering bitch to them, so they leave,” Isobel said from her seat near Logan’s bed.

  “What’s going on?” Logan asked, waking up for the first time in two days, he looked much better than he had the last time he awoke.

  “We’ve got problems, Logan,” Brody said.

  “Don’t worry yourself about anything,” Isobel said to Logan, patting his arm, “Gregor will take care of everything.”

  “Where’s my wife?” Logan asked, looking at the people in the room.

  “You don’t remember?” Brody asked.

  “Last I remember was standing watching the men train,” Logan said.

  “You had an arrow pierce your stomach,” Brody explained.

  “Fiona tried to kill you,” Isobel said, touching his arm again, “but I’ve stayed right here next to you, my love, nursing you through it all.”

  “Where’s Fiona now?” Logan asked, pulling his arm away from Isobel’s touch.

  “Gregor had her locked in the dungeon,” Brody told him.

  “What?” Logan yelled, trying to get out of the bed, but collapsing back onto the mattress in pain. “How long has she been down there?”

  “A sennight,” Brody said.

  “Is she alright?” Logan asked.

  “Why are you worried about the woman who tried to kill you?” Gregor asked him. “You can annul the marriage now, and then you and Isobel can marry like you originally planned.”

  “I don’t want to annul my marriage,” Logan said weakly. “Fiona would never try to hurt me.”

  “We all heard her say she would like to put an arrow through your heart,” Isobel said to him, “and she almost did.”

  “She didn’t,” Logan said much more forcefully. “I asked if she was alright?”

  “She won’t talk to anyone,” Brody said. “I’ve tried to visit with her twice; she refuses to even look at me.”

  “I wonder why,” Logan said accusingly, “no one here at Dunnottar stood by her and defended her?”

  “Seamus did,” Brody said, beginning to feel guilty.

  “Bring him to me so I can thank him,” Logan said to Brody, “and get my wife out of the dungeon.”

  “Seamus isn’t here,” Gregor said. “He’s a traitor.”

  “Explain,” Logan said to Brody.

  “Seamus helped Edith sneak out of the castle; he must have sent word to the Fraser’s through the McCarthy’s. There are now around eight or nine hundred men set up to attack Dunnottar,” Brody explained, again looking out the window.

  “Damn it!” Logan said, trying again to sit up in the bed but being unable to do so.

  “Looks like a group is heading to the gates,” Brody told him. “What do you want us to do?”

  “You already know why they’re here,” Logan told Brody. “Let them see Fiona is fine, then bring her up here to me.” Logan then turned to Gregor and Isobel. “As for you, brother, I’m disappointed. I can’t believe you would treat my wife in such a horrendous way, and get her the hell out of here.” He pointed at Isobel.

  “But I’ve been caring for you night and day, my love,” Isobel said, reaching out to touch him again.

  “I am certainly not your love,” Logan sneered at her, “and you certainly aren’t mine. I want my wife up here as soon as possible.”

  “I’ll let you know what’s happening as soon as I can,” Brody spoke before leaving the room.

  “I’m in charge here,” Gregor said, going to follow him.

  “Gregor,” Logan called out, getting his brothers attention. “Brody will handle things until I’m well enough again. You’ve made a big enough mess of things.”

  “I was only looking out for you,” Gregor said.

  “I doubt that,” Logan told him. “Leave me now before I have you locked in the dungeon.”

  **********

  Brody stood in the hall waiting for the group he had seen heading for the gates to be shown into the room. He was hoping for a peaceful solution. How had things gotten out of hand so quickly? He was glad to see Alastair McCabe enter with the men.

  “Brody,” Alastair said, not at all friendly. “This is Caiden and Connor Fraser, you probably remember them from Tarmon. So we are clear, this is also Hamish McCabe, laird of Gleann, and Iain McCarthy, laird of Tioram. We’ve heard some disturbing news about Lady Fiona Fraser and have come to see if it’s true.”

  “It’s Lady Fiona Stewart,” Brody corrected the man, “you’ve proba
bly heard already that her husband Logan was injured gravely by one of her arrows. The lady has been kept locked up, but safe, as Logan has healed.”

  “Locked up where?” Caiden asked, stepping forward.

  “Gregor Stewart had her locked in the dungeon,” Brody said, “but I left instructions with the guards to make sure she was well cared for while down there.”

  “You locked my daughter in the dungeon?” Caiden said, punching Brody in the face unexpectedly, knocking him on his arse.

  “Caiden, stop!” Hamish McCabe said.

  “What if it was your daughter, Hamish?” Caiden said as Brody picked himself up off the floor, waving off the guards who had pulled their swords.

  “I’d have hit him twice,” Hamish said, hanging onto Caiden’s arm, “and you’d be the one telling me to stop.”

  “Lady Fiona is being brought up now,” Brody said. “Logan regained consciousness today and has ordered her released immediately.”

  “She shouldn’t have been locked up too begin with,” Caiden said, fighting the urge to hit the man again.

  “And where is Gregor Stewart?” Connor Fraser asked.

  “He has been relieved of his duties,” Brody said. “I’ll be in charge until Logan is well enough to leave his bed.”

  At that moment the doors to the hall opened, and two guards led Fiona into the room, each holding an arm none too gently. “Let my sister go!” Connor said, pulling his sword from his back as Ham, Alastair, and Rory McCabe did the same.

  “This is well cared for?” Caiden Fraser asked, looking at the state of his daughter as the guards released her and she rushed into his arms and broke into tears.

  “I knew you’d come,” Fiona cried, glad to finally be released and safely in her Da’s arms.

  “What is the meaning of this?” Brody said to the guards. “I told you to make sure she was cared for.”

  “Gregor told us to treat her like any other prisoner,” the guard said, smirking.

  “Lock these two imbeciles up,” Brody said to the guards standing behind him. “Give them a taste of what was done to Lady Fiona.”

  “We were only following orders,” the guard protested. “She tried to kill Laird Stewart.”