Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7

" L et's take this to my solar," Sutherland told the MacKay, who nodded. "Stellan, Anders, ye, too, and two of yer men, Laird MacKay. Mariota?"

"I beg leave to join ye in a few minutes, Laird Sutherland," she asked politely.

"Of course, lass."

Stellan had no doubt she intended to survey the MacKay camp from her window before coming back downstairs. It might be visible between merlons in the outer wall.

"These men will escort ye," Stellan told her, indicating two of his men who remained nearby.

Mariota thanked him and headed inside with her escort.

Sutherland gave Stellan a look he understood. He lagged behind long enough to alert the guards on the wall walk to keep Alber under close watch. They must make sure he continued across the glen to join the MacKay camp— and didn't try to return.

That done, Stellan followed his da and the others inside the keep. The remaining three of MacKay's companions settled in the great hall and began drinking Sutherland ale. So much for protecting their laird in a potentially hostile situation. Stellan shook his head and left them under his men's watchful eyes.

In the solar, things were already going badly. The two lairds were on their feet, only the desk between them keeping them apart, all but snarling at each other while they waited for Mariota, reminding Stellan that MacKay had led an army that included Sutherland men against Domnhall at Dingwall only a year earlier and lost. The two guards who'd accompanied MacKay into the solar stood behind the chair he'd obviously vacated to get closer to Sutherland as they argued.

Stellan joined his twin near the door, glanced at Anders, then frowned at the two lairds.

Anders leaned close enough to speak into Stellan's ear. "Da wants to know why MacKay doesna protect his heir and why he let things get so bad that Mariota felt like she needed to escape his care."

Stellan winced. The MacKay would be furious enough with his daughter without their da twisting the knife.

"Ye ask about things that are none of yer business," MacKay insisted. "My heir is a foolish lass who invites attention from unsuitable men. 'Tis all ye need to ken. And why I must take her home before she causes the same sort of trouble here."

That did not ring true to Stellan. He glanced aside. Anders was wearing a frown that made him look more like Stellan than himself. Anders didn't believe the MacKay, either.

Mariota had never struck Stellan as foolish, though the way she left MacKay came close. She'd taken a calculated risk in escaping MacKay the way she did. She was fortunate to have a hawk that could feed her and watch over her, and to protect her by surprising anyone rash enough to attack her. Valkyrie had already done so at least once— they'd just seen the proof on her attacker's face and neck. Mariota claimed to be good with a bow. He suspected she was also capable with a blade, as well. He wondered who had trained her and put that thought away to ask her later. Impulsive, aye. Determined to protect herself, aye, from at least one unsuitable man. Her situation at MacKay and her father's inaction had left her with no choices to save herself except to kill her attacker and face the consequences, or to leave MacKay and build her own future. Both were dangerous. He admired her bravery in choosing to leave. So why was her father intent on painting her as a fragile, empty-headed lass? In Stellan's experience, she was anything but that.

"Yer daughter has nay been a source of discord here," Sutherland told the MacKay in answer to his outrageous statement. "So my question still stands. Why no' listen to her, investigate her claims, and take action? Ye say 'tis none of my business, and ye are right, but now that I've met the lass, 'tis what I would have done."

"Ye think to instruct me in how to train my daughter?"

"Nay. Ye seem to have trained her well enough to be able to take care of herself across the Highlands. Is that it? Do ye want her to be the one to punish her attacker for ye? Do ye think that will make her stronger? A better leader? 'Tis my opinion that is the laird's job."

"Now ye instruct me on how to be laird?" MacKay's face was red, and veins bulged at his temples.

Stellan began to worry that his father was pushing too hard, and that MacKay would stomp out of Dunrobin, forcibly removing Mariota with him as he went. They could not allow that. The danger to her was too great.

Mariota had been pleased to see Seamus in the Sutherland great hall, though his back had been to her and he probably had been unaware of her walking behind him. He was still seated by the hearth with three other MacKays when she descended the stairs from her chamber. Of the three, only he was not drinking. His gaze was on the short hallway to the laird's solar, as though he wanted to be in there, not out here.

She diverted long enough to go to him. "Seamus, we must talk."

He stood and nodded while he moved away from the other three men. "We must, but for now, ye are best served by joining yer father. I canna guess what he and the Sutherland might be discussing before ye arrive. Ye dinna want them making decisions for ye without a chance to influence them."

"Nay, I dinna want that. But I couldna walk by without a word with ye."

He gave her a tight smile. "I'm glad ye did. Now go defend yerself from the lairds."

She laughed, more to reassure him than because anything about her situation was amusing. Still, speaking to her friend had made her feel ready to face whatever might happen in the next few minutes. She would talk to Seamus later— privately would be best, if she could manage it.

She passed Brìghde and Nan, both seated near the laird's solar and gave them a brief smile. Nan grinned back, but Brìghde clenched a fist over her heart. Mariota understood and appreciated their support.

She entered the Sutherland's solar and noted the tension in the room was already thick. "Da," she said, but had no chance to say anything more.

Her father rounded on her, fury in his eyes, his face red and his fists clenched. "What were ye thinking? Sneaking out. Running so far away. To Sutherland! Those men could have killed ye or worse."

So, after all the times she'd tried to make him see sense, they were going to have this out in front of the Sutherland laird. Her father had to be outraged, not to control himself while they were in company. "Really, Da? What is worse than Alber beating and choking me? Oh, and the rest he has threatened to do?" She stood her ground when he took a step toward her, then mirrored his move and took a step toward him. If he only respected strength, she'd show him strength. "How could ye bring him here? Do ye think I'll be safe on the way home with him nearby? In the dark in the woods?"

Her words seem to give MacKay pause, but not for long.

"My men, any of them I want, go wherever I send them. Or bring them. Ye claim one of my best warriors has tried three times to hurt or kill ye. How are ye still alive?"

Mariota snorted a laugh. "Because he lied about Red Harlaw, Da. He's a drunk best at currying yer favor, and ye believed him, as ye have believed every tale he ever spun for ye. If yer other men didna fear to tell ye the truth, ye'd ken before now." MacKay's fists clenching and unclenching with her every word signaled to her to give it a rest, at least for a few minutes. His face had turned bright red, and he looked close to doing something he would forever regret.

The Sutherland, thankfully, read the same signal. "I will have calm in my own solar, MacKay. I ken she's yer daughter, but I willna have her harmed in my keep— by ye or anyone else."

MacKay twisted to face him. "Who said she would be harmed?"

Sutherland continued as if the MacKay had not spoken. "I willna tolerate the presence of the man she accuses of threatening her to the point of running from her home. What was yer purpose in bringing him to collect her?"

MacKay continued to take offense. "'Tis my business and nay yers."

"Very well, but he will remain outside my gates. Do not think to bring him in, no' even for meals. If ye didna bring sufficient supplies, my men will take food out to yers."

"Or we will leave— all of us," her father added while glaring at her, "right now."

Sutherland shifted his gaze to her, then back to her father. "Is that truly yer purpose here? Ye have proposed an alliance— twice —with me through a marriage between our clans. Do ye no' wish to discuss that?"

Sutherland's ability to keep his tone level and reasonable in the face of her father's irritation impressed her. She hoped when her time came to lead— if it ever did —she would be able to control her emotional reactions to conflict such as this.

MacKay frowned, then reared back and shook his head. "I— nay. I have changed my mind, Ye are too close. I dinna want my lands annexed by another clan. All too easily done with a Sutherland married to the MacKay laird, and in the discord sown by the Domnhall and Albany."

"Ye accuse me of plotting to steal MacKay? Ye are the one who proposed the alliance. Twice now, by my count. What value did ye think I would see in it?"

She heard irritation creep into Sutherland's voice. She had no doubt her father heard it, too.

"Exactly as ye imagine, a stronger front against Domnhall and the Regent's man Mar."

"Who fight over Ross, no' our land. With Gunn and Sinclair to our north, and Norsemen beyond that? They'll nay interfere with us in our lifetime." Sutherland snorted.

"Ye are no' daft enough to believe that."

Mariota could see that Stellan wanted to intervene. He pursed his lips when Mariota met his gaze, trying with her expression to ask for his help. Clearly, he was considering what to do to stop this before the two lairds ruined relations between their clans for generations to come. She thought Anders wanted to intervene, as well, but they had better sense than to interfere in a dispute between clan lairds. She couldn't think what they could do to diffuse the situation.

Stellan mouthed to her, faint . He nodded and directed his gaze to the floor.

Mariota frowned. She understood, but she didn't want to. True, she could distract the lairds and it might even give her father a chance to prove he truly cared about her— or not. But she was stronger than that. She'd just stood up to him in front of the Sutherland and his heir. She was her clan's best archer and a hawk mistress. She didn't want to give up any ground she'd gained with him by appearing weak, so she gave her head a subtle shake.

Stellan's frown deepened. He studied the lairds for another moment then turned his gaze back to her, shrugged, and again mouthed, faint, with a more forceful nod toward the floor.

The lairds had continued to harangue each other while she and Stellan traded glances. Their voices had grown louder, their shouts more insistent. Rather than having their fathers come to blows, or worse, she sighed and dropped into a heap on the cold, stone floor.

Stellan fought the urge to rush to her side. The only reason Mariota had done this was to distract their fathers. That wouldn't be much of a diversion if he rushed into the fray. And his father was not so distracted that he would not note which son had gone to her aid. He couldn't betray his interest in her, not here. Not now.

"Ach, fer... why?" MacKay groused and pointed at her. "Pick her up and put her in a chair," he told his men.

Sutherland looked askance at his sons, but all Stellan could do was shrug or he'd give away Mariota's ruse to her da. Sutherland clearly knew it was a feint to break up the escalating tension in the chamber. Anders shook his head and started forward to help, but Stellan grabbed his arm and held him back. Let the MacKay men deal with her, or the Sutherlands would be seen as interfering. Still, despite the fact that this ruse was his suggestion, Stellan was appalled for Mariota's sake. The men handled her like a sack of grain while her father looked on, his expression annoyed, lips twisted and jaw tight. Stellan saw not one bit of fatherly concern in MacKay's expression or his posture. Or was he annoyed by how the men handled her? His gaze tracked their movements, but in doing so, he watched his daughter, too.

"Does she need the healer?" Sutherland asked, trying to elicit something other than annoyance from her father.

MacKay shook his head. "Nay. She'll come around soon."

Stellan didn't know how she managed not to react, but Mariota defied her father by remaining limp. Slumped in the chair where the MacKay men had dropped her, she kept her breathing slow and her muscles loose. Stellan wanted to applaud her performance, but the only thing both he and Anders could do to help her was to reinforce it by acting concerned. "I'll carry her to the healer," he offered, "or her chamber."

"I'll help ye," Anders spoke up.

But one of them had to stay in the solar with the lairds. Both twins knew someone had to remain to observe, and possibly to help their father keep the MacKay from doing something ultimately harmful to his daughter or her future. Anders' offer finally succeeded in galvanizing the MacKay to action.

"One of my men can take her, if one of yer lot will show them the way." He frowned. "She should have come 'round by now."

To Stellan, the MacKay still sounded more irritated than concerned, but to be fair, his frown could indicate either. Still, Mariota's situation at home was becoming more and more clear, the more he learned from her and observed her father. Behind his back, out of MacKay's sight, Stellan clenched his fists, angry and heartbroken for her.

"Anders, show them the way," his father directed.

With a glance at Stellan, Anders complied. One of the MacKay guards lifted Mariota out of the chair and followed him.

Stellan kept his gaze on Mariota as the MacKay guard carried her out the door. He hoped the man didn't drop her. The way he kept shifting his hold, Stellan feared for her. But he couldn't follow. The lairds were also watching her departure.

Then they turned back to each other. "I hope yer daughter will be well," Sutherland said. "'Twas never my intention that she suffer harm in our care."

"She hasna," MacKay told him in a much more level tone than he'd managed during the last minutes of their exchanges. His color had improved, as well, with only a slight stain of the former red that had suffused it.

"Would ye like to go with her?"

"Nay. Yer healer will see to her. My men will advise me if I am needed."

"Very well. I ken how a father can worry over his bairns. I worried over my lads while they were fostered away, and found that I missed them, but I was confident the experience would be good for them."

Stellan knew his father was trying to appeal to MacKay's paternal side, but it still warmed him to hear that their father had cared about them. And missed them. While his decision had seemed harsh at the time, he and Anders had told Mariota the truth when they said they had learned from the experience. They'd had many opportunities since then to understand how very wise their father could be.

Stellan hoped that held true today.

MacKay crossed his arms over his chest and Stellan feared he would choose to renew their arguments rather than following his father's lead.

"At least ye had sons to follow after ye. Mine?—"

He stopped and appeared to be gathering himself. Was he going to bemoan having a daughter for an heir yet again?

"I spoke out of anger," he finally said.

Stellan glanced toward his father, but the Sutherland's attention was fixed on the MacKay laird. Stellan wondered if his father was as surprised by the admission as he was.

"I am still willing to consider a betrothal with yer younger twin," MacKay continued, "but I believe the best thing I can do for Mariota after her adventure with ye is to take her home. For both of us to have time to deal with problems there before entering into such an agreement."

"If that is what ye wish. There are, of course, details to be worked out, but I will remain open to the idea," Sutherland told him, then escorted him to the door of the solar and bid him good day.

Stellan leaned against the wall at his back to hold himself up. Mariota had not only put a stop to the argument between their fathers with her feigned weakness, she bought time for herself and, it appeared, a more sympathetic attitude from her father. He didn't want her to leave, but perhaps it was the best for her.