by Pruitt, Anna
Fane nodded. “I want her first.” He announced before he left.
“Of course you do.” Mother crooned. She motioned to the men. They were upon her in seconds.
Lydia struggled, cursed and screamed as they dragged her from her childhood bedroom. Mary was still laying on the floor, tears streaming down her face. Lydia held onto her gaze as she was dragged out of the warmth of the keep and into the falling snow.
She remained confused until she saw William standing over her husband in the middle of the courtyard. Nathanial’s face was bruised and bloodied. His hands bound behind his back. The coward William held a knife to Nathanial’s throat.
Lydia struggled more violently now. The men stopped in front of a large wooden post, directly in front of Nathanial and William. Lydia broke free for a moment and dashed to her love. She threw her arms over his neck and wept. “Why did you come?” Her words came from the very middle of her tortured soul. The men grabbed her once more and forced her to the post. Nathanial said nothing, but he kept his eyes locked on her.
“I want double what I got for her.” William demanded. “Double or I spill his blood right here, right now.”
“So good of you to come back, William.” Mother was not trusting the situation for one second. She stood in the comfort of the keep while the men tied her daughter to the post in the middle of the courtyard. “Answer me something, boy – how did you manage to overpower Nathanial Garrison?” There was a twinge of amusement in her voice.
“You think I ever act on my own?” William sounded confident, sure of himself. It seemed as though the thought had never occurred to Mother before.
“I suppose not.” She smiled. Slowly, painfully slow, she walked into the courtyard. She stood there, observing the scene for many moments before looking back to the keep. “It’s safe. You can come out.” Disdain laced her words. The man had always been a coward, lurking in the shadows. Tonight, he would be the star of their little game.
Nathanial watched Lydia as Baron Fane stepped into the light, and then to the middle of the courtyard near her. The Laird had no intention of letting his eyes fall anywhere else. Even as Lydia’s mother came deathly close to his face, he did not take his eyes off his wife.
“Look how he watches her.” Mother smiled evilly. She tugged his hair and forced the large man to look at her. “I used to punish my husband for failing to kill you along with your whore of a mother. Did you know that?”
“I want my turn.” Fane was getting anxious. He was standing in front of Lydia now, watching the way tears streamed down the girl’s face. He rubbed her arms as he watched her. “I’ll make you forget him.” Fane whispered into Lydia’s ear as he pressed himself close to her body.
Nathanial was losing control. He could not wait any longer.
“It worked out better this way.” Mother assured the Laird as she turned back to her daughter. Lydia shivered and silently wept as Fane continued to rub her shoulders.
“Lydia,” Nathanial’s voice was gentle as he pulled her gaze back to him.
“He does speak.” Mother was so pleased. “Have your fun, my dear Baron.” Mother turned and walked back towards the keep. “Don’t exhaust yourself, though. You do have a wedding to attend in a few hours.”
“Lydia, look at me.” Nathanial commanded. Lydia obeyed. She held onto her husband’s gaze, even as she felt Fane tugging at the fragile string that protected her body from his. “Do not look anywhere else.”
Nathanial was her rock, once again and always. She held onto his gaze when the whistle of arrows broke through the courtyard. She heard Fane scream, an arrow piercing his right thigh. He dropped right in front of her, and still she kept her husband’s gaze. She was aware that the courtyard was now full of Highlanders and a battle was in full swing. She watched her husband as William cut the binds behind his back.
Her husband stood in the chaos, fully trusting his men would do their work. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lydia’s mother crumpled on the stairs of the keep with arrows sticking from her. Lydia would never see that. She kept her eyes on him. Nathanial approached his wife and cut her free with ease.
“You’ll pay for this.” Baron Fane seethed from under them. Nathanial slowly raised the knife he used to free Lydia. It was an offering.
“We had an agreement.” Lydia knew what he was saying to her. Killing Fane was her right and he was letting her have it.
Lydia stared at the knife for long moments. Then she looked back into her husband’s eyes. “I don’t need it.”
Nathanial placed the knife back in his plaid and lifted his wife in his arms before motioning to Duncan to finish the job.
****
With the carnage behind them, the group set out back to Nathanial’s land in the early hours of the morning. He hated being on English soil, surely that was the source of his bad mood. That, and Mary. Lydia convinced her loving husband that they need to take her in until a more suitable arrangement could be made. The Laird’s suggestion, that Mary be given to the mercenary, William, did not go over well.
He was quite sure William had decided to make Mary his, and they would be seeing him again. Mary was not so sure. Especially since she punched him one last time before realizing he’d come back to help.
For now, he was saddled with a young girl that simply could not stop talking. Lydia and Mary rode together for about an hour before Nathanial looked back and saw the look of pure exhaustion on his wife’s face.
Once again he was her rescuer.
“Oh, I am so happy to be with you, Lydia. We will make so many more memories together.” Mary’s words went far too fast for Lydia to understand most of them. “The Highlands cannot possibly be as bad as I am thinking? Lydia, there are nicer looking men there?” Lydia started to open her mouth to confirm her sister’s worst fears when she felt herself flying through the air.
She knew immediately her husband had come for her. She embraced him around her waist and smiled, deeply in love. Nathanial nodded to Duncan. The command was clear: Mary duty.
“I’ve held out hope there was a god until this moment.” Duncan slowed down his pace to keep up with the now horrified girl.
Nathanial felt his wife giggle in his arms. He placed his chin on her forehead . “Happy, wife?”
“Very.” Lydia sighed.
Moments passed before Laird Garrison spoke again. “And what are we doing to do about that?”
There was no answer. He knew there would not be one. Lydia was sleeping, mouth open, on his chest.
It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
The end
