Chapter 27

"Because ye didnae ken that yer faither never meant any of us tae leave the castle alive."

"Correct. I was too stupid tae realize he was just usin' me tae carry out his revenge, and he was gonnae kill ye all along, despite achemingchemin'." He grimaced, his fists curling and uncurling. "But I told ye before that I'd already thought of killin' him when I found out what he'd done tae yer family. I hated him before, but when I saw him with that blade tae yer throat like that…" He shook his head, his voice trailing off, and Maddison knew he was once more reliving that awful moment when he had killed his own father.

"I'm nae a good man, Maddy, I'm nae the good man ye describe, that ye deserve. But ye're stuck with me now, and I understand if ye cannae forgive me fer the terrible things I've done. I dinnae deserve forgiveness."

Almost in tears herself, she moved close to him and placed both her hands on his shoulders.

"Look at me, Odhrán, will ye?" she said quietly. He looked up, his eyes stormy gray and full of misery. "Odhrán, ye have tae forgive yerself fer whatever it is ye think ye've done. Nae good man would have stood by and watched his own flesh and blood slit a woman's throat in front of his eyes, whether he loved her or nae. A good man would have done exactly what ye did. Yer faither was that in name only. He failed ye, nae the other way around.

"That was why ye had tae kill him, dae ye nae see it? Because ye are good, and ye could never be like him. His heart was cold and black." She stroked his hair and kissed his cheek. "Yers is warm and full of sweetness. Ye dinnae need me forgiveness in me eyes, but if it will relieve ye of this awful burden ye've been carryin' around all this time, then ye have it, given freely and with love."

He gave her a look of stunned amazement, as if he thought he had not heard her correctly. So, she nodded.

"Aye, I love ye. There, now I've said it. And I mean every word! I fought against it as hard as I could, but in the end, ye made me fall in love with ye."

Something like a sob tore itself from Odhrán's throat as he clasped her tightly against him as if he would never let her go. She hugged him back, and they embraced for a long time, naked skin against skin, neither having to hide any longer.

"Now, let me tell ye about me Odhrán, the man I love with all me heart, the man I'm so proud tae have as me husband," she murmured in a soothing voice as he kept his face buried in her neck. "First, he's the great Laird Lennox, kind tae all his people. Second, he's a great warrior, fearsome in battle, a man tae be reckoned with. But he fights tae protect what's dear tae him, nae fer gold or power."

"Wheesht!" he muttered into her neck, hugging her more tightly.

"'Tis true. But there's far more than that tae me Odhrán. Me Odhrán is loving and tender and thoughtful and sweet. He cares fer me and loves me with all his heart. He's taught me what love is between a man and a woman. He'd lay down his life fer me. He makes me laugh, and he never blows his own trumpet, trying tae show how big he is, though he's clever enough tae warrant such boastfulness. And I ken he's gonnae make the best faither to our bairns."

"Stop it, Maddy, ye're embarrassin' me now," he protested softly, raising his head at last to gaze at her. "D'ye want tae see a grown man cry with happiness?" he asked with crooked smile.

"But 'tis all true, and 'tis about time ye heard what I have tae say and took it tae that big, soft heart of yers," she told him, holding his gaze and smiling to see the light back in his eyes, even brighter than before. "We both have tae put the past behind us now and look tae our future as man and wife. I could nae see it before, but now 'tis as clear as day," she went on. "And I want tae apologize tae ye fer bein' so horrible tae ye before. I was stubborn as a mule. Despite all that, ye never gave up tryin' tae win me over. And ye have, heart and soul. So now ye can put all that silly worryin' that ye're gonnae loose me somehow out of yer mind, eh? I'll never leave ye, nae if I can help it, I promise," she told him. "I love ye so much, Odhrán," she said again, abandoning herself fully to the outpouring of pent-up emotion she felt for him.

I love ye so much, Odhrán, I love ye so much, I love ye…

Odhrán would have been the first to admit that, even when incarcerated in his father's dungeon, Maddison had brought light into his otherwise miserable, monochrome existence. Even when she had hated him, he had loved her, and he would have gone on loving her regardless, far preferring her bitter words and acrimony than her absence. That was, after all, what he deserved.

At least, that was what he had believed. He had previously imagined that true happiness was the first time she had genuinely smiled at him with kindness. Then, for a while, he had thought it was the feeling he had experienced the first time they had made love, when he had discovered to his amazement that she wanted him as passionately as he wanted her. And afterwards, the air around them had magically filled with golden sparks. Now, he knew he had been wrong both times.

On hearing the words he had so longed to hear falling unbidden from her lips, a powerful jolt energy rushed through him like lightening, smashing apart the chains of the past that had been holding him back for so long, setting him free.

The grass beneath them, the warm breeze brushing his face, Maddison's skin next to his, it all felt different, as if everything was vibrating with life in a way he had never noticed before. His senses were on fire, freshly sharp and alert. He could smell the water, hear the birdsong more clearly, her soft breathing, discern more vividly all the hues and shades of nature surrounding them as they sat in a naked embrace, just the two of them, alone on their little private beach.

Maddison loved him, and pure happiness flowed through his limbs, clearing his mind of all doubts, opening new, exciting vistas before him. He felt superhuman.

Bursting with this new energy, he was suddenly filled with fresh desire for her. He pulled her on top of him, delighting in her yelp of surprise and her giggles as his hands roved over every part of her naked, sun warmed body. He kissed her hungrily, greedily, with a new intensity. He smiled against her lips when she responded eagerly, kissing him back with equal fervor as she straddled him, reaching for his already throbbing erection as though she sensed the change in him and knew what he needed most of all.

"Oooh, Odhrán, ye're so hard already," she murmured, laughing down at him as she guided him into her still slick entrance and sank down upon him with a moan. Feeling himself buried deep inside her, her inner muscles tensing around his length so tantalizingly, he groaned, caught in a state of pure elation as he gazed up at her body outlined against the bright sky.

"Maddy, ye're an angel, a vision, ye get more beautiful every day, I swear," he croaked out, cupping and rolling her soft breasts in his hands, delighting in the way the pink tips hardened to his touch. He tried to sit up.

"Nay, stay down there," she told him with a playful push, smiling down at him provocatively, taking his hands and placing them on her breasts as she bounced up and down with increasing speed. "Ye once said ye belonged tae me, and I could dae as I wished with ye. Well, now I am," she told him between gasps, riding him more frantically, her intense need for him written all over her face.

Odhrán, dazed with pleasure and desire, could not keep his hands from her breasts as they bobbed so temptingly in front of him. She leaned her palms on his chest and moved faster, looking deeply into his eyes with a heated gaze, her breaths coming as rapid and shallow as his own.

"Och, Maddy, what ye dae tae me, it just keeps getting' better and better," he groaned, squeezing her breasts convulsively with one hand, the other gripping her hip tightly, holding her firmly as he thrust upwards, deeper into her as she came down upon him. Her moans and cries inflamed him, but he held on as long as he could, wanting her to experience the same intensity as himself before excitement overwhelmed him. Just when he thought he could not hold back any longer, he felt her body tense, and her inner muscles tightened exquisitely around him before they both toppled over the edge in a flooding wave of bliss.

"I love ye, Odhrán, forever," Maddison gasped as she collapsed, breathless, onto his chest.

No music could have been sweeter to his ears: Maddison loved him. His soul soared, and he felt as though he had left the earth. At last, he knew what true happiness was.

"I love ye too, Maddy, forever."

And nae one is ever gonnae take ye from me.

After luxuriating together in the sunshine for another while, they washed off in the loch and then prepared, agreeing reluctantly to return to the real world. They had just come up, their naked bodies dripping with water, onto the grass where their clothes lay scattered about, when Odhrán's heightened senses detected a small noise from the other side of the rocks to their right.

"Shhh," he softly hissed, stopping in his tracks. Maddison halted at his side with a questioning look. "I hear something." They listened intently, and after a few seconds there came from the scrubby moorland beyond the unmistakable sound of a harness jingling. Alarmed, Odhrán motioned for her to help him gather up their clothing and then quickly pulled her by the hand into the shelter of the rocks. They crouched side by side between them, concealed beneath the overhanging wild myrtle growing there.

"Horses," Maddison murmured as more jingling and the thud of hooves on soft earth carried over to them from the other side of the rocky outcrop.

"Aye, and more than one. Listen, I can hear voices," he whispered. Again, they remained silent and listened hard. Several horses could be distinctly heard arriving, chuffing and stamping impatiently as they were pulled to a halt. Then, a conversation started up, the voices deep and masculine.

A jolt of shock ran through Odhrán. He could hardly believe what he was hearing. "'Tis Rollo," he breathed, his initial disbelief rapidly turning to fury.

"What's he doing here?" Maddison whispered, gripping his hand tightly, fear in her eyes.

"Clearly, the bastard never left. He's been here the whole time, since before the battle," Odhrán hissed quietly through clenched teeth. "He's meetin' with his men. I need tae hear what they're sayin'."

The voices carried clearly on the breeze, and it was obvious that a large group of mounted men, including Rollo, were only a few yards away from their hiding place.

"So, Dougray, what have ye got tae report about the battle? I trust 'tis good news and ye got what I wanted," he heard Rollo say in his oily voice.

"Erm, nae exactly, Maister," another man, clearly one of Rollo's captains, replied uncertainly.

"What d'ye mean, nae exactly?" came the brusque response. "D'ye mean tae tell me ye've nae got the woman?"

"I'm afraid we were nae able tae get her, Maister. Rufus found her and had her at the point of his sword, but the laird came and attacked him. He had tae run. Twice."

"Ye damned fools! Can ye nae dae the simplest task without messin' it up?" Rollo growled angrily.

"I went back and clubbed him over the head with me sword, Maister, but it had nae effect on him. He attacked me again, and I couldnae get the woman. I had tae run tae save meself, or I would nae have been able tae get away and report back," came another voice. Odhrán felt Maddison stiffen beside him.

"That's the soldier who attacked me," she murmured, her fear almost tangible.

"Ye cowardly dolt! Why did ye nae fight him off?" Rollo spat.

"With respect, Maister, the laird's a mean man tae have tae fight. I already watched him cut down two of me men at the same time. He's built like a brick outhouse, and he's a fearsome warrior," Dougray argued in defense of Rufus.

"Ach, dinnae give me yer bloody excuses. Ye're all useless!" Rollo told them, cursing. "So, what ye're tellin' me is that although I gave ye a hundred men tae attack the castle tae create a diversion, with specific orders tae get the lass and get out, ye've failed and come back empty handed but for a pile of me slaughtered men tae show fer it."

"Aye, Maister, I'm sorry. We failed ye," came Dougray's mournful apology. Again, Rollo uttered a string of curses.

But Odhrán barely heard them, for a red mist descended over his field of vision on hearing that confirmation of his worst fears.

That's why there were so few attackers! He planned the attack as a cover tae kidnap Maddy! What was he gonnae dae tae her?!

The blood in his veins boiled to even think of what fate his vile cousin had had in store for his beloved. He glanced at Maddison when she gripped his hand convulsively, stifling a shocked gasp. All the color had drained from her face, and it was clear she understood exactly what Rollo had planned.

"I promise ye, I'll cut the bastard intae a thousand pieces and stick his ugly head on a spike," he whispered urgently, reaching for his weapon belt and his dirk. But Maddison stayed his hand with her own, vehemently shaking her head.

"Nay, Odhrán, dinnae dae anythin' stupid, please. There's too many of them. They'll kill ye, and then they'll take me," she whispered fearfully, her eyes pleading with him not to move. Every muscle and bone in his body yearned to leap over the rocks and slice Rollo's throat open with his blade, naked as he was.

With a supreme effort of will, he managed to fight down the desire for bloody vengeance. She was right. This was not the time to give into his appetite for destruction. He let out a silent exhale and nodded his acquiescence, his bloodlust giving way to his urge to protect her at all costs by pulling her into his arms.

"What are ye orders now, Maister?" Dougray asked.

"Ye might as well go back home, ye pack of idiots," Rollo roughly berated his men over the sound of his horse turning. "Ye've managed tae ruin a good plan with yer incompetence. I need time tae come up with somethin' else tae get hold of the lass. And this time, ye'd better nae let me down, or ye'll all be swingin' from the postern gate by yer necks!"

From their hiding place, Odhrán and Maddison exchanged glances as they heard him ride off at speed, clearly accompanied by a few other riders.

"Well, at least he didnae kill us there and then," one man said.

"Shut yer face, ye fool!" Dougray admonished him roughly. "'Tis me who'll hang first if ye let me down next time. So, there will nae be a next time, eh? And as fer ye, Rufus, ye coward, ye'll be on latrine duties fer the rest of the month."

"I'd rather clean up shit than fight Laird Lennox," Dougray declared defiantly before the men kicked up their horses and rode away en masse.

Odhrán stood up slowly and peered over the rocks. "They've gone. 'Tis safe tae come out."

"'Tis as we suspected; Rollo was after me," Maddison said as they came out on to the grass again. "What did he intend tae dae with me, d'ye think?" she asked with a shudder.

"I dinnae even want tae think about it," Odhrán told her. "He's capable of anything, the dirty, schemin' swine."

"I just thank God ye came in time tae save me," she said as they began dressing hurriedly.

"Ye're nae tae go anywhere, nae even inside the castle walls, without me or at least two guards tae protect ye, Maddy. I cannae risk him makin' another attempt tae snatch ye, d'ye hear?"

"Aye," she said simply, turning around to indicate that he should fasten her stays. "I'll kill meself before I let that bastard get his hands on me," she swore vehemently.

"Ye'll dae nae such thing!" Odhrán cried in horror, turning her by her shoulder. "He's nae gonnae get ye! But if he does, by some mischance of fate, ye'll wait it out and ken I'll be comin' fer ye. D'ye swear nae tae harm yerself?"

To his surprise in the circumstances, she gave him a small smile and pecked him on the cheek.

"I swear."

"Good. Now, c'mere so I can dae ye up," he said, breathing a sigh of relief for the moment.

"But 'tis good we overheard them, is it nae?" she asked when he had done, and she was stepping into her gown. "Now, ye have the proof ye need fer the council. With me tae back ye up, they must give ye yer army now, eh?"

"That's what we're gonnae go and find out right now. We need tae get back tae the castle. I havetae call an emergency council meetin' straightaway, and ye're comin' with me."