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 marriage. 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 Dunc
an 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.
She and Duncan made their vows together and sealed the marriage with a kiss. The Highlanders were all in attendance and there was a huge feast to celebrate the union. Duncan’s loyalties had always prioritized his clan, but now that the war was over he ensured that Ellen would be his priority, and started to train other men to think as he did, so that they would be able to lead the clan in the future. Ellen would sometimes attend these talks with him for they were impressed with how she had come up with the plan to take back the estate so quickly. The Highlanders valued her as a leader and the children began to treat her as they treated Duncan: like a hero. She wasn’t certain she would ever get used to it, but she liked that they wanted her to tell them the story over and over again. It always reminded her of how her love for Duncan had started, and how it could conquer anything.
On their wedding night emotions poured out properly. All the relief, anguish, and tension of their romance so far were released. They had come so close to never seeing each other again, and now they were linked for the rest of their lives. Ellen and Duncan lay in bed, so close they were almost melting into each other. They clasped their hands and felt the rings that wrapped around their fingers, symbolizing the unending nature of their love. Duncan’s body was hard, angled with muscles, and covered with hair. Hers was delicate and slender; her pale skin was supple and she was dainty compared to him. He drowned himself in her, gazing at her deeply, letting his gaze and hands rove about her body. Ellen felt a rush of arousal sweep through her like wildfire whenever he touched her.
“There were times when I thought I would never see you again,” she said between breathless kisses.
“I thought the same lass. I knew that I hae tae get back tae ye, nae matter what.”
“You could have found a wife; a strong Highland woman.”
“Aye, but she would nae hae been ye.”
Ellen smiled at this.
“I would hae died for ye Ellen, I hope ye know that. When I first saw that cart ye were traveling in I thought I would just be raiding some English for coin. Little did I know that I’d be meeting the women I would fall in love with. I knew ye were different from that first moment. Naebody treated me like that, and then ye made me see the English in a different way.”
“You made me see the world in a different way too. There was so much I didn’t understand. There’s still much I do not, I suppose, but I look forward to exploring it all with you.”
“Aye, and we’ll see as much of it as possible. I’ll show ye everything the Highlands can offer. I will nae keep ye locked in these walls.”
Ellen smiled and kissed him again. That was all she wanted. The way her parents had described it, marriage had always been a prison. She had been expected to fit into a role of whatever her husband wanted. She was to be there to serve him, to provide him with a family, affection, and a loving home. But to Ellen this had never been enough. She didn’t want to simply be someone’s object. A marriage was between two people, and she desired something for herself as well. Duncan allowed her to explore herself and instead of seeking to curb her rough edges, he embraced them and celebrated them. She had always wondered what lay beyond the realms of everything she knew, and by spending time with the Highlanders she had begun to peel back the veil of the world, seeing it for herself rather than being told all about it by men, who always seemed to want to keep the fun for themselves.
The rest of it was just waiting for her, but another wonder presented itself to her as well...the wonder of Duncan’s body. Her hands ran down the sinews of his muscles and her yielding body arched as his arms slithered around her slim waist and enveloped her in his warmth. Breathless kisses made the air simmer and it was alive with soft moans and whimpers as new sensations broke out upon her body. Everything tingled and her toes curled as she surrendered to his passion. He made her body sing with pleasure and she cast off her virtue, giving him everything that he had earned.
The night was a long one, filled with endless kisses and wild passion. She ached in a way that she had never done before, and the release of all this tight, knotted pleasure made her melt into a puddle. The happiness and desire she felt was a perfect complement to their love. Their naked bodies writhed under the soft sheets and Ellen began to lose a sense of where she ended and he began. The soft burr of his accent rumbled against her as he buried himself in the crook of her neck and whispered sweet promises to her. Ellen dug her nails into his back as the passion became frenzied, almost frightening, in its intensity. But she knew she was safe with Duncan, her Highland husband.
Blissful pleasure careened through her mind and left her reeling, wondering how she had ever gone so long living without experiencing this part of life. It had been closed off to her, and like so many other things, Duncan had been the one to open the door. He was at the center of everything good in her life and with him she felt safe and secure. As her body trembled she was satisfied in knowing that she was where she belonged: in the arms of the man she loved.
Epilogue
Life was their adventure and it began shortly after their wedding, when Ellen discovered that she was pregnant. Both parents were happy and eager to welcome new life into the world. It seemed like the perfect way to begin their union as it allowed them to put the darkness of the war behind them and focus on happier times. There were some things that could not be undone; Ellen and Myra discovered that Alan had made a deal to sell their old home and it could not be reclaimed, which was not too troublesome in and of itself given they had this new place to live, but it was yet another example of how Alan had had his own agenda and hadn’t cared about anyone else.
Although Myra still grieved for her husband she was made to feel welcome by the Highlanders and she took great joy in taking care of the young children. She was eager to welcome her own grandchild into the world. Alan had told them where he buried Robin, and she spent a lot of time tending to his grave.
The nine months passed quickly. Ellen rode out in the wild as often as she could, trying to see as much of the world so that she had more stories to tell her child. Myra often scolded her, saying that she shouldn’t put herself in danger when she had a child on the way. Ellen knew she only spoke like this because she was worried. The starry nights were laced with love as Ellen took solace and comfort in Duncan’s arms. The days were bright and happy as everything seemed possible.
And then the baby arrived.
Ellen’s howls were as loud as a wolf’s and with these she announced to the world that a new life was born, a beautiful baby boy who had the best qualities of his parents. Ellen had a feeling that he would grow up big and strong, and Duncan knew he would be just as clever as his mother. When Ellen gazed down into the baby’s wide dark eyes she knew that she had never experienced love like this before. It was different to the love she shared with Duncan. With him she loved another person, but this child was a part of her and even though he was now separate, there were still shards of her heart and soul within the child.
“We’re going to give him a good life, aren’t we?” she asked in a trembling voice. “We’re going to make the world a better place?”
“Aye lass. I hope that he never hae tae know the sorrow of war.”
They decided to call him Robin, out of respect to her father. Ellen regretted that he would never get to meet either Duncan or his grandson. She often took little Robin out to his grandfather’s grave
and she would talk, hoping that her father could somehow hear her words and that his spirit might be at rest knowing that his family was thriving. She was brought to tears whenever she thought about his last moments and the pain and fear he must have experienced, but she hoped that in some small way the scales of fate had been balanced by the birth of this new life. Often Duncan would go with her too and they would mourn as a family.
Ellen didn’t pay any more attention to Alan. The only thing she had done was to go and see him one more time to take the ring he had stolen from her father, the ring that had been a symbol of the promise he had forged. Ellen gave this ring to Duncan and it was a much better fit on his finger.
Ellen had been a naïve girl before she had met Duncan. Now, she was a wise woman and a mother, ready to take on any challenge the world could give her. She lived in an estate that was left to its own devices. In nearby towns their story spread. Some people assumed that the Highlanders had spun some magic spell to trick Ellen. Others thought that she was the villain and had betrayed the English cause, but this was all gossip. To anyone who actually saw the couple together it was clear that the love between them was genuine. There was no denying the purity of their union and Ellen never paid attention to idle gossip.
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