But that didn’t mean it was without risk.
“What about yeself?” someone asked her.
Ellen pursed her lips before she answered. She pulled the dagger out from her boot. “I will show Alan that he’s not the only one who can keep secrets. I’ll attack him, free Duncan and my mother, and together we’ll make sure the gates stay open long enough for you to enter.” She spoke with such confidence that in the minds of the Highlanders there was no way it could fail...but despite this bravado she worried that there was something she hadn’t thought of, something she had missed.
She knew she couldn’t take too long otherwise the messenger would know that they were plotting something, so she emerged from the fortress with her horse, and with Connor and Calum by her side. She made a big show of saying farewell to the Highlanders, and then she was on her way yet again.
“I hope ye know what ye’re daeing lass,” Connor muttered under his breath.
“As do I,” Ellen replied.
15
When the envoy arrived at the estate, they were met by guards standing at the entrance.
“We’re going to have to search you for weapons,” they said, and immediately went towards the Highlanders, who were unarmed. Connor growled at the English guards as they inspected his clothing. When one guard approached Ellen she looked offended, but really she was afraid because if they found the dagger her entire plan would have fallen apart before it had even been put into motion. She reared back and looked disgusted at the idea of being searched.
“How dare you besmirch my reputation! I am an English lady and what’s more, I am still betrothed to the Lord of this estate. I will not be treated like some kind of common criminal, and I will certainly not be manhandled by some lowly guard.” Her words were sharp and as vicious as a serpent. The guards glanced at each other and backed away uneasily. Ellen nodded haughtily and walked into the estate with the unarmed Highlanders at her side.
This place was supposed to be her home, but instead it was lined with danger. Alan had bought, or bullied, the loyalty of the guards. The soldiers at his command looked at her with derision and suspicion. The maids and the servants were loyal to her, however, and only they cared about the truth. Ellen’s heart thumped in her chest and she did her best to keep herself composed, but all of that effort was for nothing when she gazed across the courtyard and saw Duncan and Myra in chains, on display for everyone to see. She had no doubt that Alan had put them on show for her benefit, and it made anger fester inside her. She stepped towards them and called out, but was held back. A guard stepped in front of her.
“You’re to see the Lord,” he said, blocking her view of her mother and the man she loved. Yes, she was there to see Alan.
They walked into the house and were led to a small study where Alan was waiting. He dismissed the guards, wanting Ellen for himself. She gestured to Connor and Calum that it was safe to leave her alone with Alan. This was a part of the plan after all. On the desk there was a piece of paper.
“You have caused me no end of trouble Ellen. I didn’t think it would be this difficult. Robin said that you were a handful, but I never expected this. I did intend to marry you and make you suffer for the rest of your life, but I see now that it would be more trouble than it’s worth. So I have an alternative suggestion.” He pointed to the paper. “This is the deed to the estate, the arrangement made with your father. All you need to do is sign it over to me.”
“So it’s true then, all of this was for an estate,” Ellen scoffed. Alan glared at her and slammed his hands down onto the table. Fear jumped inside Ellen.
“You don’t understand do you? You’re just a simple child. An estate is everything! To be anything in this world you have to have land and holdings, you have to have a title, otherwise you’re nothing!” He swept his arm around him in a wide arc. “You have always had it easy. Robin was always the one to get the praise and the treasure. He stayed fighting off small border raids, doing favors for nobles, and he was well-rewarded, oh yes, not like me. No, I went out there in the Highlands, facing more danger than he ever did, and what do I have to show for it? Nothing! People don’t care about anything that happens unless it happens to them. I might as well have been a ghost for all the people who remembered me when I returned.”
“My father remembered you,” Ellen said. Alan’s eyes were wild now.
“Oh yes, he remembered me alright, and when he told me that he was looking to arrange a marriage for you I saw the measure of the man. He laughed, actually laughed! As though I was jesting him. He told me that you were far too good for some common soldier, and it was then that I knew he would never respect me. All I have done in the world, all the good I have done in ridding the land of these barbarians, means nothing in the eyes of civility. So I decided I would have to take it by force. He laughed at me like all the others when I offered myself as a husband.” Alan’s face darkened. “My old friend, laughing at me…” His hand curled into a fist as he seemed to lose himself to a memory. There was something about the way he said it that made Ellen’s blood curdle. She gasped, because she knew the look of a haunted man, a man who had done something desperate.
“You killed him,” she whispered.
Alan’s gaze shot up at her and in that moment she knew the truth, the terrible truth that had been locked inside him from the beginning. He had been the one who murdered her father, and he had blamed it on the Highlanders. And all this time she had been afraid that Duncan had been the one!
“Yes I did,” he said in a heavy voice. “I saw him with his back turned to me. Highlanders swarmed all around us. He had denied me my bride, but if I returned to you and declared that it was his last wish I knew that you would believe me. All you had to do was obey and play the role of the dutiful wife and it would have been easy. I hated doing it. I hated seeing that look on his face, the moment of realization as he saw that I wasn’t there to save him but to kill him.” His expression became vacant and his tone was that of a man who was possessed.
“I buried him myself, near this estate actually. I paid him proper respect and I promised him that I would take care of you.” Then his voice came to life with anger. “But you seem intent on making that promise impossible to keep. So sign this document. Give me this estate. I will tell everyone that you betrayed us for the Highlanders. Sign it now, or I will kill those you hold dearest.”
Ellen was tempted just to sign the document and leave with Duncan, but this was the man who had killed her father and had done so many other terrible things. She couldn’t let him get away with it. At first she agreed and leaned over the table, ready to sign, but then she pulled out her dagger and pointed it against his throat. The blade pressed against his flesh and a shocked expression came over him. She supposed that utter look of surprise was what her father had looked like moments before he had been murdered.
She twisted around him and pushed him out of the room. He was stronger than her, but wary of fighting her as one errant slip of the dagger would cost him his life. Connor and Calum were outside and helped her escort Alan to the courtyard. His guards gnashed their teeth and gripped the hilts of their swords, but none of them dared attack in case it cost them the life of their leader. Ellen led Alan to the middle of the courtyard and then she heard the sweet sound of a battlecry. The English looked panicked and Alan’s face turned white as a sheet.
“Order your men to go and fight,” Ellen growled. Alan nodded nervously and did as he was told. His army picked up their swords and shields and marched out of the estate, leaving only a handful of guards remaining. As soon as the last English troops had left, the guards closed the gates, but this would not do. Once again Ellen pressed the knife into Alan’s skin and forced him to give the order to open the gates.
“You will pay for this,” he hissed.
“Now you know what it’s like when somebody betrays you,” she said, thinking of her father. The guards opened the gates and then the stealthy Highlanders poured in, slashing with their s
words. The English realized it was an ambush, but could not react quickly enough. The estate was filled with screams as Highland warriors streamed in and cut their way through the army. The guards nearest Alan turned angry and came towards Ellen, apparently not caring anymore that their leader was in danger. One of them attacked Connor; the one-armed giant showed great agility to dodge the blow and brought his one good arm around to grab the man by the scruff of the neck. Connor hauled him down and then stamped on his neck, crushing it under his heavy boot. Ellen watched the battle unfurl around her, as though she was in the eye of a storm. The Highlanders were brutal and efficient. Swords clashed and the grey stone was stained with blood. One of Duncan’s allies ran to him and freed Duncan and Myra, putting a sword in Duncan’s hand. Ellen’s heart lifted with joy as she watched him defend her mother, fighting back the English who were so desperate to spill blood.
By this point Alan was a defeated man. He hung his head and his body was limp. Calum had not moved from Ellen’s side, in case Alan tried to fight back, but it seemed as though all the fight in his body had left him.
He was a broken man. Perhaps that was the way, leaving everything either broken or dead. But in the middle of it all burst life as Duncan came to her side and smiled at her. Myra marched up to Alan and gave him a firm kick in the stomach. She would likely have done more had Ellen told her the truth of what Alan had done, but she waited until later for that, feeling that Myra had been through enough for one day.
“They’re coming!” one of the Highlanders shouted as he looked out the gates. Duncan took his excitement for fear and raised his sword, preparing to fight the English army that was returning. Ellen merely flashed him a sweet smile and watched his expression change as the other Highlanders poured in. The plan had worked perfectly and not a life had been lost, although part of Ellen’s soul had died. To know that friendship could be corrupted by greed and envy shattered her innocence. The world was a darker place than she had expected, and they were in a constant fight against people like Alan.
16
The fortress they had fought so hard for was finally theirs again.
All thanks to the ingenuity of Ellen and the strength of the Highlanders. The estate was littered with the bodies of the English who had fallen; the ones who had been left alive were being lined up and bound. Ellen finally took the dagger away from Alan’s neck as he too was taken away, groaning and muttering that the world was against him, but finally Ellen had had enough of him. His power had been taken away and he couldn’t do anything else to harm them. The other Highlanders had all come to the estate safely, and now the English army was outside, knowing that they didn’t stand a chance of winning a siege battle since they had prepared with plenty of supplies—supplies that were now in the hands of the Highlanders.
Ellen walked out to the gates proudly and cried out a message. “Your leader has been dealt with and the estate is in the hands of its rightful owner; namely me. Alan lied to you all. This war was fought on false pretenses. My father owned this land, and I am officially dissolving the betrothal that had been agreed between Alan and I. He has no claim to this place, and these Highlanders are here as my guests. I suggest you all disband and return to your homes. You have no purpose here,” she said.
There was much grumbling from the English, but one by one they moved away until eventually they were shadows in the horizon, distant and opaque.
The Highlanders rejoiced at their victory and were glad that this petty dispute was over. Ellen had one final thing to say to Alan.
“You have killed my father, and you have threatened to kill myself and my mother on more than one occasion. I know that I would be well within my rights to kill you now. It would be the easiest thing in the world, and there is no shortage of people here who would be willing to perform the deed for me. But I’m not going to do that, Alan. That’s more mercy than you deserve. You’re going to stay in this dungeon and I’m going to force you to live with what you’ve done. You’re never going to be able to escape it,” she said, and left him wailing for mercy in the cold darkness, an abyss from which he would never escape.
The Highlanders got set on cleaning up the carnage from the battle. The other prisoners were escorted to the dungeon as well, while the dead bodies were taken away and buried. The maids and servants were just happy that they had avoided any bloodshed and were happy to continue with their tasks as long as they were getting paid. Food was shared around and everyone seemed in good spirits. Ellen took Myra aside and told her what she had learned. Myra choked back sobs and embraced Ellen.
“I’m so sorry. I should have known from the very beginning. I should have realized that something was wrong. Robin had never told me of any plans to marry you to Alan. I was just so scared about facing the world alone, Ellen. But you…oh…you were so wonderful. I can’t believe everything you’ve accomplished. I’m sorry for not listening to you, and doubting you. I know that you’re going to make the right decisions and I’ll trust you in anything you wish to do, including who you want to marry.”
Ellen flung her arms around Myra tightly and smiled. Happiness flowed within her so fiercely that she started crying.
“You should go to him,” Myra said. Ellen nodded, and walked outside to find Duncan.
The Highland warrior stood on one of the walls, looking out at the world around them. He turned when he heard Ellen’s footsteps, and smiled.
“It’s all over,” she said.
“Aye, for now, although I’m sure that at some point the English will want tae take back what we hae.”
“And we’ll be ready for them,” Ellen said defiantly. But his mention of the English also brought to mind memories of her father, and there was something she had to say. “Duncan, ever since we’ve known each other there has been a shadow hanging over us because I’ve known that you fought in battles against my father. There was a time when I even thought that you might have been the one to kill him, and I struggled with this. But now I see that you were fighting to defend your home and I…I want you to know that I’m not angry with you for that. I know that if my father was here and he got to know you like I have, he would like you. You’re honorable, strong, and kind. You’re everything that he admired, and you have the qualities that he always told me to look for in a husband.”
“Well that’s a good thing lass,” Duncan said, taking her hand. “Because I hae a wee thing tae ask ye as well. When ye left me before I thought I could cope with it, but I couldnae stop thinking about ye. I dinnae want tae let ye gae again. Will ye dae me the honor of being my wife?”
A smile broke out on her face and her heart leaped for joy. He had proven himself to her time and time again, and she could not fight against the swelling tide of love that flowed within her heart every time she thought of Duncan. He had risked his life for her, and she had risked her life for him. He had taught her how to be a warrior and had unlocked the adventurous spirit that had always been threatening to burst out from her soul. She had learned so much about herself in the time they had spent together, and she knew that she was a better person with him in her life.
Marrying gave them the added bonus of assuring that the war was over for the time being. With a marriage between Ellen and Duncan, Duncan would become the rightful owner of this estate under English law and nobody could come to challenge him. If they did, they would have a very intimidating wife to deal with. Ellen’s eyes were bright as she smiled and stepped closer to him, losing herself in a deep kiss. That one kiss contained the promise of the future and their love stretched out into eternity. The trauma of their beginnings was in the past, she was certain of that, and instead of having to live with some dull English noble who expected her to be a quiet, dutiful wife, she could live among the Highlanders and experience life as it was meant to be lived. Every day with Duncan was going to be an adventure. She couldn’t wait for it to begin.
17
Indeed, the happy couple did not wait for too long to make arrangements for their marr
iage. Word soon spread around the area and they received some visits from troubled English lords who couldn’t quite believe what they had heard. They didn’t seem happy that Duncan was going to be living in close proximity to them, or at the knowledge that an English army had been wholly embarrassed by the Highlanders. However, at the presentation of the documents, they had no legal leg to stand on, and they weren’t going to risk their armies against the might of the Highlanders. They walked away with their tails between their legs. Ellen and Duncan had a good laugh.
Myra grew more used to the Highlanders as she spent more time with them, and like Ellen she realized that they were just people and were far from the raging barbarians that were the stereotype. She especially liked Duncan, for which Ellen was extremely glad. It seemed as though the two of them had bonded a lot during their time in captivity.
Now that she and Duncan were together again they vowed never to be apart. Some of the Highlanders returned to their small village, while others remained on the estate. Ellen was happy to have as many of them stay as possible, for they were her family now.
The wedding day was one of joy. Ellen was a blushing bride and gave herself willingly to Duncan. Myra watched, proud that her daughter had finally found a man with whom she could be happy, even if he was a Highlander. Ellen had come to learn though that honor was not something bought with wealth, land, or titles. It was something borne in a man’s heart. Alan had been wrong about so many things, but about this in particular.
Highlander’s Twist 0f Fate (Scottish Medieval Historical Romance) Page 11
