Highland Blessings (21 page)

B
ryce stared at the empty seat across the table as a servant placed his meal in front of him. The roast lamb and vegetables smelled heavenly. His stomach rumbled. All afternoon he had looked forward to seeing his wife at the evening meal. She made herself scarce after she stormed away earlier in the day. Bryce thought of going after her, but his body ached all over. He hadn’t realized his bonny wife could be so sensitive or he would have never teased her.

For the first time since the MacPhearsons’ arrival, the great hall buzzed with conversation. Men from both clans talked rather than sitting quietly across from one another in stone silence. Genuine laughter rang through the hall and moods seemed amiable enough. Although their faces were various shades of black and blue, a great deal of tension had eased among them. Lopsided smiles lifted swollen faces with puffy lips, while heartfelt jokes scattered around the two long tables.

After Birk and Bryce disbanded the earlier brawl, several men had approached asking how the feud between the two clans began over a century ago. Apparently, some of them were fighting over the issue, and each clan blamed the other. Birk and Bryce had looked at each other with blank expressions. It seemed that no one really knew. Over the years verbal history between families didn’t agree. Misplaced blame and accusations fostered bitterness, and it escalated out of hand.

Bryce met with Birk and Father Mike in the library to discuss a realistic strategy that would encourage amiable camaraderie. Weapons were returned to those who agreed to seek peaceful solutions with opposing clan members and gave their honorable word that they would not attack on the offensive. No man wanted to give up his weapons, so they all gave their individual promises to their clan chief.

Father Mike then suggested that each warrior visit the chapel to pay their proper respects to the Lord and offer prayers of repentance. After receiving their weapons, they all made their way to the chapel, with the exception of three men.

Bryce took this time to offer up his own prayers. He needed guidance on how to be a good husband and a wise leader to his people. Guilt over taking Akira from her family still plagued him. As a result, he decided to let her stay and spend as much time with them as possible, until they had to return home. Gregor had been buried days ago and peace settlements with Birk MacKenzie negotiated.

“Ye’re not eating, Bryce. Are ye not hungry?” Nara watched him from across the table.

He looked up at his mother-in-law, and the resemblance to his wife struck a deep chord.

“Akira’s late.” He nodded to her empty seat.

Nara awarded him a sympathetic smile. “I doubt Akira will come. She’s declared silence and finds that easier to do if she’s not—” Nara’s gaze turned toward the front of the hall. “Well, apparently, she’s changed her mind.”

In mid-reach for his goblet, Bryce paused to follow Nara’s gaze toward the opposite end of the table. Akira walked into the hall with her shoulders squared and her chin set at a defiant angle. She paused to stand with her hands folded in front of her and looked around the sea of faces. Her gaze rested on Bryce.

She cleared her throat. “I have an announcement to make.” Akira’s voice echoed over the surrounding conversations. She waited.

Startled, Bryce lowered his drink and gave her his complete focus. Conversations slowly died as all eyes turned in her direction. Akira calmly paced a parallel line at the end of the two tables as the silence lengthened. Her long, silky hair bounced down her back with each step. The hunter green dress she wore accentuated her golden-red hair. She stopped pacing and paused between the two tables. Her serious expression stilled. Bryce knew in that moment that whatever she would announce meant double for him. He sensed other gazes moving from his face to hers, but he ignored everyone else and kept his attention upon his wife.

“I daresay, ye all look a poor sight; certainly not a handsome lot, but then, I love ye neither for yer comely looks nor for yer thoughtfulness.” She swept her gaze among them.

“The MacKenzies I love because they are my family—people I’ve known all my life. They raised me, and I am their flesh and blood.” She looked directly at Bryce. “And now I find the MacPhearsons are my family as well.” She stopped speaking a moment, scraped her teeth across her bottom lip and on a sigh continued. “I tried to hate my new family. I thought I could, for they were the enemy, but ’tis impossible. When I look at Bryce’s younger brother, still a child, an innocent, I ask myself, how can a child be an enemy?” She glanced at Elliot. “And that does not make me a betrayer. It only makes me human.

“Ye’ve all been itching to sink yer fist in the face of someone from the opposite clan.” She tilted her head to the side. “How did it feel? Did it change aught?” Some of them lowered their eyes. Others crossed their arms and stared at the table. “I only thank God that yer weapons were taken from ye before someone died.

“Yer senseless brawling changed one thing for me.” Akira pointed to her chest. “It showed me how vulnerable I’ve become and that I couldn’t bear more war between our clans.” Her voice trembled. She took a moment to collect her emotions. “If ye fight, ye betray the union Bryce and I have committed to the Lord, and the bairns we’ll one day have.” Akira paused, folding her arms. “I’ve spent a great deal of time in reflection. I just left the chapel where Father Mike helped me see something new. He showed me in the Latin Bible where it says in the book of Mathew, ‘What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.’ ”

The great hall remained quiet as her words penetrated their minds. A shiver rode up Bryce’s spine, and he involuntarily trembled. This woman he’d married was no ordinary woman. She had courage to stand up to the warriors of two clans. Akira understood the nature of men, probably more so than the female gender. She knew a man’s pride and the loyalty he demanded from family, friends, and clansmen. With wisdom beyond her age, she spoke of the bonds of family, the bitterness of betraying those bonds, and then appealed to their honor. Yet she felt with the emotions of a woman’s heart. Such a dangerous combination gave her the power and the knowledge to strike a man with his own weakness—pride.

Elliot’s eyes blazed with hatred, but he managed to keep silent as he abruptly stood, scraping his wooden chair across the stone floor, and stomped out of the hall. Akira watched his retreating back. Her chin quivered slightly, but she clenched her jaw and gave them a look of fortitude. Her unbending resolve in spite of the rejection tore at Bryce’s conscience as he held his breath, waiting to see what she would say next.

Her hair fell in a beautiful silhouette over her shoulders, folding over her arms in intricate waves. Her cheeks glowed like rose petals and her eyes sparkled with sensitivity. All afternoon Bryce had set his mind to apologize, but after such a bold and courageous speech, he would publicly give his wife the respect she deserved.

Bryce stood and bowed to her. “My dear wife, I’ve no words that could be more noble or more worthy than those which ye’ve spoken tonight. Please forgive me for teasing ye earlier today.”

Akira’s eyes grew wide in utter surprise. She clasped her hands tightly in front of her. Bryce stepped from his place at the table and ambled toward her, his gaze steady upon her as he slowly approached. When he reached her, he gently pulled her trembling hands into his own and raised them to his lips.

Bryce straightened, still holding her hands in his. She licked her dry lips before speaking. “Yer forgiven,” she whispered in a hoarse voice.

The sound of a chair shifted across the floor. Birk MacKenzie stood. “I propose a toast to my daughter’s wise council. The Lord has indeed joined Akira and Bryce together, and in doing so, has also joined our two clans. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.”

“Here! Here!” Gavin rose.

Fergus, who outranked all the other MacKenzie warriors, leaped to his feet. “Aye,” he bellowed.

Other than her husband, Balloch was the first to stand from the MacPhearson clan. Tavis then followed, and then a few others. Kian finally rose. The hall became a loud noise of chairs moving and sliding against the stone floor.

As Bryce watched the scene unfold, he wondered if he’d just witnessed his first miracle.

Akira requested a warm bath be brought to her chamber. She sat in a tub of hot water and leaned her head back. Shadows danced across the ceiling from the flames of the fire in the hearth and the three candles on each side of her chamber. The hot water soothed her aching muscles and helped her relax. She reluctantly left the water as it began to grow cold. Sarah, her mother’s servant, assisted her into a warm dressing gown that had been toasting by the fire. She brushed Akira’s long hair and called for the tub to be carried out.

Akira crawled into bed, knowing that Bryce would stay up late with her father discussing important matters. She yawned and wearily recited her nightly prayers. She drifted to sleep and soon dreamed.

A small lad with brown hair walked alone in a dark forest. She could sense his anxiety as she drew closer to him. His bright eyes gleamed with a hint of hazel, and she drew in a sharp breath, realizing the lad was her younger brother, Leith.

He began to cry. She tried to reach out to him. He walked toward her, but then his image changed. He grew a little larger, and his hair darker along with his eyes. His tears continued, and his chin began to shake. Was he now Sim?

The lad reached out to her, but they were too far apart. The forest changed to an open field with a meadow of green grass. Sim’s body lay upon the ground by a huge, gray rock at least two feet tall and three feet wide. His eyes were now closed, and he no longer moved. Somehow she knew that he wasn’t sleeping peacefully. A feeling of dread and sorrow clutched her, and it grew heavier when she called his name and still he did not stir.

“
Sim!” A splatter of something dark red dripped down the large rock. Akira screamed in horror, realizing it was blood, and that his head had struck the large boulder. His face looked pale. A raw and primitive grief overwhelmed her. Tears slid from her eyes and she turned, wiping her face against the surface of her feather pillow.

Bryce leaned on his elbow and rubbed her back with his free hand. “Akira?” He brushed her long hair back from her face and peered toward her in the dark. “Are ye all right, lass?”

Akira’s breath caught in her throat before she could answer. She swallowed and breathed deeply. “Bryce, it’s time we go home.”

“Lass, while I’m thrilled to hear ye call MacPhearson Castle home, I canna help but wonder why ye’re telling me this in the wee hours of the morn’ after ye obviously had a bad dream.”

She didn’t want to talk about her dream. Bryce had just lost one brother. The thought of something happening to Sim would cause him unnecessary worry. Over the years, Akira had experienced dreams that she considered divine warnings from the Lord, but many of her dreams came to naught. This one seemed so real, and the threat of imminent danger lingered with her spirit still.

Akira sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed. With her insides trembling and her mind so preoccupied she knew that sleep would evade her from this point on. She sighed and slid her feet on the cold stone floor. Most likely dawn would be rising soon.

“Aye, I had a bad dream,” she admitted. “I’m sorry I woke ye. I’m afraid I canna go back to sleep.”

Bryce sat up and stretched his muscled arms over his head and yawned. He rubbed his eyes and then opened them more clearly. “It wouldn’t hurt for me to get an early start this morn’ as well.”

“Can we leave this day?” She stood and walked to the window, pulling back the drapes to reveal a pink-orange cast beyond the horizon.

“Ye’re serious, aren’t ye?” Bryce raised black eyebrows.

“Aye,” she nodded, moving toward her armoire. She opened it to peruse her wardrobe. “I think I shall bring some of my clothes back with me. I’ve missed my belongings.” She pulled out her gowns one by one and tossed them on the bed.

“Before I agree, I’d like to know about yer dream.” He leaned against the headboard and folded his arms, waiting.

Should she tell him? Akira gathered her plaid tight in her fingers and gazed into her husband’s eyes. “There are times when I have dreams that I believe are warnings from the Lord. Some of them have come to pass. I don’t always understand them, but I’ve learned to trust my intuition, to know the difference between a divine warning from the Lord, or a simple dream that means naught.”