“Which works out perfectly for me. Laird Kennedy has a daughter who is of marrying age. I still have my doubts about the man’s loyalty, so I plan to force his allegiance to me by marrying his daughter to someone I can trust. Daniel Sinclair will do nicely.”
Garrick tried his best to mask his shock and misgivings about such a plan, but the Bruce’s merry eyes missed nothing. “Do you object, Garrick? Is there some reason your brother shouldn’t enter a marriage alliance for his King?”
“Nay, Robert, it’s only….Daniel was always a stubborn lad growing up, and it has only increased with age. He is a natural-born leader, but acquiescing to the will of others has never been a strong suit of his.”
“He sounds like just the man for the job, then. He won’t take any of Kennedy’s shite—beg pardon, Lady Jossalyn—and he’ll get Loch Doon back in line with the Scottish cause.”
Garrick had to admit that the Bruce was right, but he didn’t want to imagine how Daniel would respond to being told—nay, commanded—to leave the Highlands to marry some Lowland, English-sympathizing Kennedy lass, sight unseen.
“Perhaps you feel sorry for your brother, since he hasn’t had your good fortune to make a love match in marriage?” the Bruce prodded gently, a small smile still on his lips. “If it makes you feel any better for him, I have heard rumors that the Kennedy lass is bonnie—and spirited. Perhaps even such an arranged marriage can prove to be a good match—or at least an interesting one,” he said with a chuckle.
“I’m sure Daniel will be honored to oblige his King’s plans,” Garrick said diplomatically.
“I truly hope he is as lucky in love as his brothers have proven to be,” the Bruce said cheerfully. “That’s enough business for now. Let’s turn to the real reason you two are here.”
The Bruce called to the guard standing outside the tent, and the canvas door-flap was pulled back. Several of the Bruce’s advisors, including Angus, Colin, and Finn, filed in and stood next to Garrick and Jossalyn. As Angus moved to Garrick’s side, Garrick caught a distinct whiff of whisky emanating from the men entering the tent. He raised his eyebrow silently at Angus, who merely shrugged and smiled, his bushy red eyebrows wiggling.
“We started the celebration without you,” he said on a whisky-filled breath.
“I think our witnesses are drunk,” Jossalyn said to Garrick in a faux-horrified whisper loud enough for everyone in the tent to hear.
Her words brought on a rumble of laughter, which only further filled the tent with the scent of whisky.
“Kneel before me,” the Bruce said, and despite his merriment, his voice was filled with gravitas.
They stepped toward the King’s chair and knelt. Jossalyn’s hand brushed against Garrick’s, and he intertwined their fingers.
“We are gathered here today…”
Garrick tried to focus on the words that the Bruce spoke, which joined him to the beautiful woman kneeling next to him, but his eyes kept tugging toward her, longing to drink in the sight of her. She looked up at the Bruce with earnest joy in her emerald eyes as he spoke of the commitment she and Garrick were making to each other, in front of their King and in the eyes of God.
He noticed that her breath was coming faster, and he realized that his pulse was racing, but not in fear. Not long ago, he had thought himself irredeemable in the eyes of someone as compassionate and good-hearted as Jossalyn. He had imagined the happiness he had seen in his brother after marrying Alwin and starting a family would never be his. Though he believed in the cause he was fighting for, he had thought himself unworthy of a woman like Jossalyn. But despite all that stood between them and should have kept them apart, she had come to love him. Out of all the men in the world, she had chosen him. He was humbled by her choice, and even more, he was redeemed by her love.
He didn’t remember most of what was said during the ceremony, but suddenly, he was kissing her, her scent surrounding him, and her soft lips melting into his. A cheer went up from their slightly inebriated group of witnesses. He leaned in and whispered his love for her into her ear over the riotous cheering, and then stood and helped her to her feet.
“There’s a happy ending, if I ever saw one,” Angus said, delivering a powerful slap to Garrick’s back.
“Nay, Angus,” Garrick said over the din, locking eyes with Jossalyn. “It’s only the beginning.”
The End
Author’s Note
Though this is a work of fiction, several events, locations, and characters were based on historical record.
Dunbraes is a fictitious castle and village, though the English did hold several castles in Scotland during the Wars of Independence, especially in the Borderlands.
King Edward I, called Longshanks for his remarkable height and the Hammer of the Scots for his merciless suppression of the Scottish people (whom he viewed as rebellious subjects in need of punishment), did indeed die on July 7, 1307 in the farthest northwest region of England formerly known as Cumberland. He is rumored to have asked that his heart be taken to the Holy Land, and for the flesh to be boiled from his bones so that his skeleton could be taken into Scotland on future campaigns to suppress the rebellion. Eventually, he was buried at Westminster Abbey.
The battles of Glen Trool and Loudoun Hill did in fact happen in April and May of 1307, respectively. Robert the Bruce and his army had been routed in the Battle of Methven in 1306, and were forced to flee to the Hebrides and eventually Ireland, where they regrouped and developed a new strategy for battling the English. When the Bruce and his army returned to Scotland, they tried out their new guerrilla tactics at Glen Trool and Loudoun Hill. The Bruce’s success in these two battles proved to be a turning point in the rebellion.
The Bruce and his rebels did relocate near Inverness in Aberdeenshire in the summer of 1307, where the Bruce fell ill. Likely, though, he was exhausted from his difficult and lengthy campaign—a bit less dramatic that poisoning. The final battle in the novel is based on the Battle of Slioch, which occurred on Christmas Day, 1307, but which I have shifted to late summer for continuity. The Bruce’s opponent was John Comyn, Earl of Buchan, whose cousin, John “The Red” Comyn, the Bruce had killed in 1306. It was largely an archery battle, which the Bruce’s forces won after an initially inconclusive engagement. The rousing speech that the Bruce gives in the novel just before the battle is adapted from Robert Burns’s 1793 poem “Scots Wha Hae,” which was itself an adaptation (or an invention by the poet) of a speech the Bruce gave before the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.
The Latin motto Nemo me impune lacessit (roughly translated as “no one attacks me with impunity”) was used by the Stewarts of Scotland, and appeared on coins minted in 1578 and 1580 under the reign of James VI of Scotland. It was also adopted as the motto of the Order of the Thistle and several Scottish units of the British Army, including the Royal Company of Archers. Of course, my inclusion of this motto in the novel would place its use in Scotland centuries before these historical records indicate, but the motto’s origin story may hint at earlier uses of the phrase. According to legend, the Scotch thistle (or “guardian thistle”) helped save ancient Scotland from a Viking attack. When one Viking invader stepped on the thistle, he cried out in pain, thus alerting Scottish defenders to the attackers’ presence, and thus linking the image of the thistle with the Scotland’s history of resistance to invasion.
Garrick’s recurve bow could indeed have come from the Holy Land and would have been an immense improvement over the English longbow, which was inaccurate and cumbersome. The recurve bow, by comparison, is smaller and more accurate, but more difficult to make, and so would have been hard to come by.
Jossalyn’s use of medicinal herbs and plants is based on medieval understandings and uses of such flora. The emergency tracheotomy (or more accurately, cricothyrotomy) she performs in the novel on Robert the Bruce is incredibly dangerous, but was actually recorded as having been used as far back as 124 B.C.E.
Garrick and Jossalyn themselves are both f
ictitious characters (though their love is real to me!).
Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to read Highlander’s Redemption (The Sinclair Brothers Trilogy, Book 2)!
And thank you in advance for sharing your enjoyment of this book (or my other books) with fellow readers by leaving a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Long or short, detailed or to the point, I read all reviews and greatly appreciate you for writing one!
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Books by Emma Prince
The Sinclair Brothers Trilogy:
Highlander’s Ransom (Book 1)
Highlander’s Redemption (Book 2)
Highlander’s Return (Bonus Novella, Book 2.5)
Highlander’s Reckoning (Book 3)
Highland Bodyguards Series:
The Lady’s Protector (Book 1)
Heart’s Thief (Book 2)
A Warrior’s Pledge (Book 3, Finn’s Story) coming December 2016!
Viking Lore Series:
Enthralled (Viking Lore, Book 1)
Shieldmaiden’s Revenge (Viking Lore, Book 2)
The Bride Prize (Viking Lore, Book 2.5)
Desire’s Hostage (Viking Lore, Book 3)
Thor’s Wolf (Viking Lore, Book 3.5—a Kindle Worlds novella)
Other Books:
Wish upon a Winter Solstice (A Highland Holiday Novella)
Teasers for Emma Prince’s Books
The Sinclair Brothers Trilogy:
Go back to where it all began—with Robert and Alwin’s story in HIGHLANDER’S RANSOM, Book One of the Sinclair Brothers Trilogy. Available now!
He was out for revenge…
Laird Robert Sinclair would stop at nothing to exact revenge on Lord Raef Warren, the English scoundrel who had brought war to his doorstep and razed his lands and people. Leaving his clan in the Highlands to conduct covert attacks in the Borderlands, Robert lives to be a thorn in Warren’s side. So when he finds a beautiful English lass on her way to marry Warren, he whisks her away to the Highlands with a plan to ransom her back to her dastardly fiancé.
She would not be controlled…
Lady Alwin Hewett had no idea when she left her father’s manor to marry a man she’d never met that she would instead be kidnapped by a Highland rogue out for vengeance. But she refuses to be a pawn in any man’s game. So when she learns that Robert has had them secretly wed, she will stop at nothing to regain her freedom. But her heart may have other plans…
Uncover Burke and Meredith’s story in HIGHLANDER’S RETURN, a Sinclair Brothers Trilogy BONUS novella (Book 2.5). Available now!
First love’s flame extinguished…
Burke Sinclair and Meredith Sutherland want nothing more than to be married, but ancient clan hostilities tear them apart. When Meredith is forced to marry another to appease her father and secure an alliance, the young lovers think all is lost.
Only to be reignited…
Ten long years of a stifling marriage nearly crush Meredith’s spirit. But when her unfeeling husband dies and Burke, now a grown man and a hardened warrior, suddenly reappears in her life, the two may get a second chance at first love—if old blood feuds don’t rip them apart once and for all.
Follow the thrilling conclusion of the Sinclair Brothers Trilogy with HIGHLANDER’S RECKONING. Available now!
He is forced to marry…
Daniel Sinclair is charged by Robert the Bruce to secure the King’s ancestral holding in the Lowlands—and marry the daughter of the castle’s keeper to secure a shaky alliance. But the lass’s spirit matches her fiery hair, and Daniel quickly realizes that the King’s “reward” is more than he bargained for.
She won’t submit without a fight…
To protect her secret—and illegal—love of falconry, Rona Kennedy must keep her new husband at arm’s length, no matter how much his commanding presence and sinfully handsome face make her knees tremble. But when an all-out war with Raef Warren, the Sinclair clan’s greatest enemy, finally erupts, will their growing love be destroyed forever?
Viking Lore Series:
Step into the lush, daring world of the Vikings with Enthralled (Viking Lore, Book 1)!
He is bound by honor…
Eirik is eager to plunder the treasures of the fabled lands to the west in order to secure the future of his village. The one thing he swears never to do is claim possession over another human being. But when he journeys across the North Sea to raid the holy houses of Northumbria, he encounters a dark-haired beauty, Laurel, who stirs him like no other. When his cruel cousin tries to take Laurel for himself, Eirik breaks his oath in an attempt to protect her. He claims her as his thrall. But can he claim her heart, or will Laurel fall prey to the devious schemes of his enemies?
She has the heart of a warrior…
Life as an orphan at Whitby Abbey hasn’t been easy, but Laurel refuses to be bested by the backbreaking work and lecherous advances she must endure. When Viking raiders storm the abbey and take her captive, her strength may finally fail her—especially when she must face her fear of water at every turn. But under Eirik’s gentle protection, she discovers a deeper bravery within herself—and a yearning for her golden-haired captor that she shouldn’t harbor. Torn between securing her freedom or giving herself to her Viking master, will fate decide for her—and rip them apart forever?
Highland Bodyguards Series:
The Lady’s Protector, the thrilling start to the Highland Bodyguards series, is available now!
The Battle of Bannockburn may be over, but the war is far from won.
Her Protector…
Ansel Sutherland is charged with a mission from King Robert the Bruce to protect the illegitimate son of a powerful English Earl. Though Ansel bristles at aiding an Englishman, the nature of the war for Scottish independence is changing, and he is honor-bound to serve as a bodyguard. He arrives in England to fulfill his assignment, only to meet the beautiful but secretive Lady Isolda, who refuses to tell him where his ward is. When a mysterious attacker threatens Isolda’s life, Ansel realizes he is the only thing standing between her and deadly peril.
His Lady…
Lady Isolda harbors dark secrets—secrets she refuses to reveal to the rugged Highland rogue who arrives at her castle demanding answers. But Ansel’s dark eyes cut through all her defenses, threatening to undo her resolve. To protect her past, she cannot submit to the white-hot desire that burns between them. As the threat to her life spirals out of control, she has no choice but to trust Ansel to whisk her to safety deep in the heart of the Highlands…
About the Author
Emma Prince is the Bestselling and Amazon All-Star Author of steamy historical romances jam-packed with adventure, conflict, and of course love!
Emma grew up in drizzly Seattle, but traded her rain boots for sunglasses when she and her husband moved to the eastern slopes of the Sierra Nevada. Emma spent several years in academia, both as a graduate student and an instructor of college-level English and Humanities courses. She always savored her “fun books”—normally historical romances—on breaks or vacations. But as she began looking for the next chapter in her life, she wondered if perhaps her passion could turn into a career. Ever since then, she’s been reading and writing books that celebrate happily ever afters!
Visit Emma’s website, www.EmmaPrinceBooks.com, for updates on new books, future projects, her newsletter sign-up, book extras, and more!
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Please enjoy these bonus chapters from Violetta Rand’s “Passion’s Fury” and Mary Lancaster’s “Vienna Waltz”, published by Dragonblade Publishing.
Passion’s Fury
Excerpt
Viking’s Fury Book 3
Violetta Rand
Chapter One
November 867 AD
Trondelag, Norway
How many people could Runa’s eldest brother, Jarl Roald, squeeze into the great hall at one time? She eyed the double doors in the back of the room, thrown open in the dead of winter to accommodate the guests that had traveled many miles to celebrate the birth of her nephew, Kollvein. Two lines of well-wishers spilled outside. Additional braziers had been set up in the courtyard, providing much needed warmth for their visitors.
“There are an infinite number of joys to experience in this world,” Roald started, his toothy grin, permanent. “But this…” He lowered the fur-swathed bundle in his arms, revealing his newborn son. “Is the greatest of them all.”
Silvia, Runa’s sister-in-law, appeared then. She, too, carried a similar bundle. “Unless you are blessed with two babes,” she added, standing next to Roald. “Eva insisted on introducing your daughter at the same time.”
It made Runa smile, for Roald’s wife had given birth to twins only yesterday—a boy and girl. Her brother wished to keep it a secret, for some would misinterpret twins as a bad omen.
“Meet Katla,” Silvia said, showing off the infant’s perfectly shaped head.
Everyone cheered.
“And who will wear the crown?” someone called from the throng.
“Though my beloved wife is capable of many wonders, she didn’t deliver my son and daughter at the same time,” Roald assured them. “Kollvein kicked his way into the world first, then my sweet daughter arrived.” The jarl gazed at his second child with genuine affection. “When the time comes, rest assured, another generation of Jarl Brandr’s bloodline will sit on the throne.”
“And will you offer these blessed children up for baptism?”
The room fell deathly silent.
Runa pushed her way through the crowd, recognizing the man who spoke. Recently returned from Northumbria, Olvir Olavson had converted to Christianity. All of the Trondelag was abuzz with the news. Anyone who betrayed the gods shouldn’t be here. Kollvein and Katla belonged to Odin.
Lords of the Kingdom Page 145
