Highland Queen

by Melanie Karsak

  “I moved you where you needed to go. I did as I was charged. I protected the land, and I moved you as the visions told me to.”

  “And you lied to me.”

  “Yes.”

  “Lulach and Crearwy are Gillacoemgain’s children.”

  “Yes.”

  “And that night, you pushed me back into the world, then and there, knowing I would meet Duncan on the road.”

  “Yes.”

  “How could you do that to me?”

  “I did what I must. We are all the tools of the gods. I moved you so that a thousand other seeds would grow. I moved you as I foresaw. I moved you as I had to.”

  “Have you no pity? No love?”

  “Love?” Andraste said, scoffing. “What is love to a creature like me? You cannot escape your fate. Good and bad comes to us all. Do you think I wanted to live on after everything I loved crumbled to nothing, after everyone I loved was killed?” she said, motioning around her. “Do you think I wanted to take on the heavy burden given to me? We cannot escape our destinies. The Goddess has her ways. Her eyes see farther than ours. And we must move as she decrees.”

  “But the cost.”

  “There is no cost; there is only destiny.”

  “No. I would have made different choices.”

  “But you were not given a chance, as fate decreed.”

  “Don’t riddle with me, Andraste. You turned my life into a lie. You took everything from me.”

  “And yet,” she said, motioning to my stomach, “something has come back to you. Don’t hate me, Cerridwen. I only do as the Goddess bids. One day you will too.”

  “Never,” I spat.

  Andraste crossed the room and stood before me. The lines on her ancient face were deep and grooved. I remembered what Epona said, that Andraste herself had become a Goddess. Once, she had been a mortal girl like me. Was that the fate the Goddess had laid out for me—for Cerridwen—that I would become like Andraste? I couldn’t think of a destiny any less appealing.

  “I am sorry, Cerridwen. Now, go from this place,” she said then reached toward me. “Out, out brief candle,” she whispered, then snubbed the light on my wick.

  I shuddered then found myself standing in complete darkness.

  My heart was beating hard in my chest.

  I stilled and listened. It was so silent. Reaching out, I felt for the wall. I touched cut stone. Patting the wall, I moved slowly across the room, nearly stumbling when my foot found the stairs leading upward. Moving carefully, I made my way up the steps. As I neared the top, a dim light shone. I was in the ancient throne room of the castle.

  Retracing my steps, I wound my way down the hall on the first floor of the castle. A few moments later, I heard voices.

  “Here, let’s go down here,” someone called, panic in their voice.

  Following the sound, I made my way forward. I exited a hallway to find myself face to face with one of Macbeth’s soldiers.

  His eyes went wide. “She’s here. She’s here. I’ve found her,” the man screamed.

  Behind him, I heard a flood of footsteps.

  Killian appeared at the end of the hall. He rushed toward me. “Gruoch,” he called.

  Macbeth’s soldier raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

  I looked out the window. To my surprise, the sun was rising. The horizon was lit bright pink and yellow. It was morning once more.

  There was shouting all around the castle.

  “Gruoch, where were you?” Killian asked.

  I shook my head.

  A moment later, Macbeth turned the corner. His sword was drawn. He had a look of panic on his face.

  What in the world was happening?

  “Gruoch,” Macbeth called, crossing the hall toward me as he slipped his sword back in its sheath. “Thank god. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. Please, there is no cause for alarm. I’m fine. I think I…I got turned around in the castle.”

  Macbeth turned on Killian, rage in his eyes. “How did you let this happen?”

  “Your Majesty,” Killian said, his voice stiff. “We didn’t even know she was out of the room until this morning.”

  “How is that possible?” Macbeth spat.

  “We…we don’t know. We had a guard on her door all night.”

  Both men turned and looked at me.

  “I think I was walking in my sleep,” I said, knowing then how ridiculous the excuse sounded.

  “But how did you get out of the room without your guard noticing?” Macbeth asked.

  “When the watch changed, maybe,” I said, meeting Killian’s dark blue eyes. I begged his help.

  “Yes. Yes, I forgot about that. When the watch changed, there may have been enough time,” Killian said, his gaze on me.

  “Change your procedures, soldier,” Macbeth said roughly. He reached out to take my arm, but I moved away from him. “Please, Gruoch,” he said. “We were afraid someone had abducted you. We turned the castle inside out searching for you.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “Please come. Let’s have some of your sweet herbs and settle all our nerves,” he said. It was then I realized how pale he looked, his eyes wild.

  I nodded. “All right.” I set my hand on Kilian’s arm. “I’m all right,” I said, reassuring him. I then turned and went with Macbeth.

  “Gruoch, are you sure you’re unharmed?” Macbeth asked.

  “Yes. I’m sorry I frightened everyone.”

  Macbeth nodded. “I was…I was frightened,” he said in a soft voice. “If something ever happened to you, I would never have the chance to win your forgiveness.”

  I felt my heart harden. I would hear nothing from him. Nothing. “Well, we wouldn’t want that.”

  Macbeth sighed.

  I ignored him, my mind turning to what I had seen.

  Despite how strange and horrible Andraste’s truth was, the truth was revealed at last. Andraste had deceived and lied to me.

  But in the end—in the end—Lulach and Crearwy belonged to Gillacoemgain. Knowing that gave me a piece of my husband back, something I thought had been lost forever. And no matter how angry I was at Andraste, I also blessed her.

  No one had ever told me a better lie.

  Chapter 28

  Calm returned to Dunsinane once more. We lingered over breakfast, and I tried to soothe everyone’s rattled nerves.

  “I was so eager to see the castle, I walked in my sleep,” I told Kirk.

  Killian, who was sitting down the table from me, looked skeptically at me. He knew very well I had not sleepwalked. He knew I was lying. Luckily, I knew he would keep my secret.

  “They said you were discovered in the oldest part of the castle, my queen,” Kirk told me. “If you and the king are done with your morning meal, I would love to show it to you in the light of day.”

  I nodded.

  “Yes, let’s have a look,” Macbeth said.

  The three of us rose, Killian coming to attention. He motioned for Magnus to join us.

  “Now, the original castle dates much older than even the Parisi,” Kirk told me. “The section of that castle you discovered was the very first castle. It was molded from the land itself.

  “And who ruled that place?”

  Kirk shook his head. “I cannot say, my queen. There are some markings in the walls, but there are no records left from those days.”

  Taking torches, we wound down the narrow halls to the part of the castle where the stones shimmered.

  “You see here,” Kirk said, his fingers touching the carvings. “Like the marks on the standing stones that dot this great land.”

  “Such an ancient hall,” Macbeth said, a wistful sound in his voice.

  Kirk nodded. “The Parisi built upon this place, and then up and up over the years,” Kirk said, awe in his voice. “But below. That is where the roots of the castle lie.”

  “What is below?” Macbeth asked.

  “A cave network.”

  Macb
eth frowned. “Is it safe?”

  “Oh, I suppose, if one knows their way around,” Kirk said.

  “But can the castle be breached through the caves?” Macbeth asked.

  Kirk shook his head. “No. The caves wind from chamber to chamber, but there is no outlet. I believe the old lords used it as living and storage space. Rudimentary, but secure.”

  Macbeth nodded. “Please be certain.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty. Shall we have a proper look at the rest of the castle?” he asked then led us away from the old throne room. Kirk guided us through the rest of Dunsinane. He spoke excitedly, gesturing as a man does when he’s passionate about his craft. And I could see why. The improvements he made to the castle were magnificent. And the structure itself…I had not expected to, but how could I not help but love Dunsinane. Its very roots led to Ynes Verleath. And the trees surrounding the castle whispered.

  Once we were done overseeing Kirk’s work, we got ready to ride back to Glamis.

  “Thank you, Kirk,” I told the man. “Your castle enchanted me,” I said with a laugh.

  He chuckled. “I’m pleased to hear you say so, Your Majesty.”

  I nodded to the man then mounted Swift once more. Our party ready, we turned and rode from Dunsinane.

  “Did you like the castle?” Macbeth asked, reining in his horse beside me.

  I nodded. “Yes. It’s an ancient thing.”

  Macbeth smiled. “I remembered the place. We stopped there when we were hunting…my father, Gillacoemgain, and me. I never forgot the castle. I had never seen a more amazing place, greater in my eyes than even Inverness.”

  A bubble of fury sparked up in me to hear Macbeth toss around Gillacoemgain’s name so freely, a name he had cursed far too often to have any right to use it in fondness.

  I said nothing, simply kept my face blank then rode ahead.

  Noting the tension, Macbeth reined his horse away from me. He trotted forward to speak with his men.

  My gaze drifted to the forest as we rode, remembering the poem Cad Goddeau and The Battle of the Trees. It didn’t take much imagination to envision the massive old oaks coming to life.

  But as we wound deeper into the forest, I felt eyes on me.

  I scanned the woods.

  Were there spies on the road? Enemies? I frowned and studied the green. As I did, my raven’s eyes sharpened. There, well-hidden amongst the trees, stood a girl. She was wearing breeches and a tunic, a bow strapped over her shoulder. For a moment, I thought it was Uald. But this girl was far younger, her hair very dark.

  She stilled when she realized I had picked her out, then she raised her fingers to her brow and then bowed to me.

  My gods, she was from a coven.

  There was a coven near here.

  She turned and slipped unseen back into the forest.

  “Lady Gruoch, is anything the matter?” Killian asked, reining in beside me.

  “No. Nothing at all.”

  “How filled to the brim you are with secrets,” he said with a laugh.

  “Am I? Doesn’t that make me interesting?”

  “You are far too interesting for my own good, Lady Gruoch. I am very sure Lord Banquo would not appreciate the depth of my interest,” he said, his voice low so no one else could hear.

  I smiled at him. He really was a very handsome man, and more, I liked the spirit within him. “I appreciate the thought, but as you have already gleaned, my life is…complicated. Perhaps in another life. But let’s keep that a secret,” I said softly.

  He smirked. “As I assumed. Though, a man can always hope. Yet, there is one secret I am particularly interested in,” he said. And I could see from the expression on his face that he was trying to turn the conversation away from his confession. I followed where he led, never wanting him to feel uncomfortable around me.

  “Oh? What is that?”

  “When did you learn to walk through walls?”

  “Well now, that is very secret.”

  “It’s a very neat trick. Perhaps you’ll teach me sometime.”

  “If the right time ever presents itself.”

  At that, he chuckled lightly. I joined him in his laughter.

  Once again, Macbeth looked back at us. Jealously flickered across his face. What did he expect from me? As it was, he was getting far more from me than he deserved. I had stayed in Glamis for Scotland, not for Macbeth. I had worked to heal Macbeth for Scotland, not for any love I had for the man.

  And I still had work to do.

  If there was a coven near Dunsinane, I needed to know. I would need to talk to Balor. If there was anything I could do to help the practitioners of my faith, I would do so.

  But even as I thought it, a voice whispered within me: Then do it soon, before great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill comes again.

  Chapter 29

  I returned to Glamis and set about my work once more. As I did so, I watched Macbeth with a wary eye. He was recovering. And so far, he seemed far steadier than he had in the past. Perhaps he had finally found the bottom of his ailment and was slowly rising again. Either way, I did my work and steered clear of him. Macbeth busied himself with the building of Dunsinane, spending more time at the old fortress than at Glamis, a fact about which I was eternally grateful.

  As the weeks passed, spring came, and the forest around Glamis came alive once more. The weather grew warm, and the land came back to life. I was at my desk working one morning when my back started aching. I rose and stretched, pressing my fists into my back.

  Madelaine, who was hiding from Bethoc, had come to join me. She’d been working on her embroidery. When I rose, she looked up. She watched me arch my back.

  “Corbie,” she said, setting down her work. “Your belly… There will be no hiding it soon. You need to make plans to depart.”

  “There is so much work here,” I said.

  “Take a secretary with you,” she told me then rose and came behind me. With a mother’s care, she worked the knots on my back. “Macbeth may be steady now, but I see that spark in his eyes still. Trust me, I know it very well. You need to leave.”

  I nodded. She was right. “I’ll make preparations today. Will you be all right alone here with him? Are you sure you don’t want to come?”

  “I wish I could, my love. But you need me here, so here I shall stay. And alone? I’m not alone. I have Bethoc,” she said with a laugh.

  “And how is the weather today?”

  “Ripe for causing gout. But more, she hasn’t stopped talking about the fact that she has neither seen nor heard from Crinian since she arrived.”

  “Perhaps he’s happy to be rid of her,” I said.

  “Perhaps,” Madelaine considered. “But if I were you, I would send someone to ensure he is where you left him.”

  I nodded. Madelaine was right. “Yes. I’ll do so. Right after I send a rider to Cawdor to let them know I’m coming home. Would you like Rhona to stay with you? I know Tira is pining for her family.”

  “No,” Madelaine said then shook her head. “Let them go home. I’m training one of the kitchen maids. She’s working out very well. Smart girl. Too smart for the kitchens. And Bethoc brought four or five maids. I’m sure she’ll let me borrow one, if needed.”

  I smiled at Madelaine. In the months that had passed, she had started coming back to herself again. Part of me worried that Tavis’ death might break her. In a way, it had. I saw that there were pieces of her that were still injured. I understood the feeling. The death of a loved one is a wound that never heals. Their absence lives on with you.

  “Very well,” I said. I kissed Madelaine’s hands, thanking her for her care, then went back to my desk. Given my condition, I didn’t want to send a casting to Banquo, but I was thrilled to share the news. I would return north very soon.

  Over the next two days, I made ready to depart. It wasn’t until the third day, on the morning I planned to leave, that Macbeth appeared at the door of my bedchamber.

  “
Gruoch, may I have a word?” he asked.

  Tira and Rhona looked at me.

  “Please finish taking our things to the wagons. I’ll meet you below,” I told them.

  I closed the door behind them.

  “I wish we had discussed your return to Moray,” he said simply.

  “I was waiting until the weather cleared. I will tour the north while I am there, make sure things are as strong as we left them.”

  “When will you return?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Dunsinane should be ready by winter. Will you be back then?”

  “I don’t know yet.” The truth was, I didn’t know when I would return. With my child due in the winter, even if I wanted to return, it wouldn’t be feasible for me to come back until spring.

  Macbeth ran his hand through his hair and took a slow, deep breath. He still looked far too gaunt, his eyes ringed black. He stared at my cold hearth, his eyes vacant. “Are you running from me?”

  “I’m done running. We are king and queen. We will rule this land together as best we can. I am going north and will see to the northern provinces while I am there. You must retain a tight grip on the south while I am gone. Madelaine is here to see to the ladies, and you have your advisors. Listen to them, to Fife, and send word if you need to.”

  “Will Lulach be in Moray?”

  I stiffened. “Perhaps.”

  Macbeth nodded glumly. “All right. I wish you safe travels,” he said. Without another word, he rose and exited the room.

  I raised an eyebrow and watched him go.

  I could only pray to the Goddess that he did not undo the progress I’d made.

  Glancing around the chamber, I saw that everything was ready. I pulled up my gloves then grabbed my cloak. I was ready to go home.

  After I said farewell to Madelaine, our party headed north. The Moray guard and a dozen of Macbeth’s men, men of Inverness who wanted to go home, rode with us.

  At Rhona and Tira’s urging, I rode in the cart with them. Swift was decidedly unhappy about walking behind the cart. When we stopped to water the horses, Killian came to me.