Epilogue

EPILOGUE

C astle MacLeod, one week later…

Raven sipped at her goblet of wine and smiled happily as she looked about her at the happy party seated around the table, sharing a private dinner in the cozy parlor. Haldor was at the head of the table, his fearsome appearance softened by the grin that seemed to have taken up permanent occupation of his stern yet striking features since their arrival on Harris earlier the previous day. Raven knew he was a good man and that she could trust him.

To his left was the petite Sofia, with her delicate beauty and dark hair, who seemed to radiate joy. Her cheeks were pink with laughter as she chatted with them all, clearly thrilled to have everyone there. Raven already thought of her as a trusted friend.

Her brothers were sitting opposite her and Arne, both looking carefree and relaxed, now they were free from Struan's threats. She watched them fondly as they talked to Haldor and Sofia, laughing smiling, cracking jokes, eating and drinking heartily. It felt like a holiday to see them so at ease.

Despite them having been parted for so long, she still felt very close to them both, and she looked forward very much to making up for lost time. They were already proving to be fine uncles to Thorsten. She was thrilled that he had taken to them right away.

She looked down at the mop of coal-black hair to her right and reached out to ruffle it. Thorsten turned his face up to her and grinned, his bright silvery-blue eyes that were so like Arne's shining with glee.

"I'm so glad ye and Da are home. I thought ye'd be gone a long time. This is fun, is it nae, Ma?" he lisped through the coating of custard around his mouth. Pure joy welled up inside Raven every time she heard him call her "Ma."

Her mind flicked back to the journey to Castle MacLeod. On the boat, she and Arne had discussed how to tell the little boy that she was actually his mother. "I'm so worried about how he's gonnae take it, Arne," she had confessed. "He thinks I'm dead. What if he rejects me?"

Arne had put his arms around her and tried to reassure her. "I'm certain it'll nae come tae that, Raven. He's already taken tae ye and he is too young to really understand or get angry. We just have tae try tae find the right words tae help him understand."

"I ken, but it seems very hard," she had replied, hoping he was right. Nevertheless, the anxiety had nagged away at her the entire way.

But as it turned out, she need not have worried at all. The previous afternoon when they had arrived at the castle, Thorsten had been waiting with Haldor and Sofia to meet them.

"Da!" he had cried, his face lighting up with excitement as soon as he set eyes on Arne, running towards him with his little legs.

"There ye are, me wee man, I've missed ye," Arne had said, scooping him up and whirling him around a few times, making Thorsten shriek with laughter as he hugged his father's neck. "Me too, Da," he giggled.

Then, to Raven's delight, Thorsten reached out his chubby arms to her, beamed at her, and said, "I missed ye too. I'm glad ye came back again. I want tae hug ye too."

Bursting with joy, Raven had taken him into her arms and hugged him tightly against her. "I missed ye very much too," she told him, raining kisses on his cheeks and head. "'Tis so good tae see ye."

After the initial greetings and introductions had been made and they had enjoyed some refreshments, she and Arne had taken Thorsten for a little walk in the gardens. They had decided between them that it would be best to get the difficult business of telling him she was his mother out of the way as soon as possible.

They walked along, with Thorsten between them, swinging him along in the way he liked. Despite their laughter, Raven was feeling nervous.

"We have something important tae tell ye, lad," Arne began casually.

"What?" Thorsten asked, looking up trustingly at his father as they made a slow progress across the lawns.

"Well, ye ken I told ye a while back that yer ma was dead?"

"Aye," the little boy said with a nod.

"It turns out I got that wrong. She wasnae dead at all. She was just… lost fer a while, and she was tryin' tae get back tae us all this time, but she got stuck."

"Stuck?"

"Aye, she tried and tried tae get tae us, but somethin' was in her way, and she couldnae get past it."

"Like a big monster or a dragon, ye mean?"

"Aye, a great big monster. But she fought the monster off, and now 'tis gone and can trouble her nae more. So, she was able tae find her way back tae us after all."

Thorsten stopped, so they stopped too. He looked around the garden, clearly confused. Raven's heart went out to him. "Is she here? I wantae see her," the child lisped.

"Ye want tae see her?" Arne asked.

"Aye. She's me ma. Where is she?"

"Daes that mean ye're happy she's back?"

"Aye, I want me ma!" Thorsten cried, starting to look a bit upset. Raven and Arne exchanged a look, and Arne nodded to her in encouragement.

She knelt at Thorsten's side and smiled at him. "Thorsten, how would ye like it if I told ye that I'm yer maither?" she asked, her heart in her mouth.

Suddenly, a small, warm body flung itself at her, and a pair of chubby arms went around her neck. She hugged him, feeling close to tears.

"I would like it very much. Are ye really me ma, Lady Raven?" he asked her, pulling away from her and looking at her almost shyly.

"Aye, I am. And I'm sorry I was away from ye fer such a long time. But I'm here now, and I'm never ever gonnae leave ye again."

"Good. Ye can stay here with me and Da, and we'll play lots of games, and go tae the little house by the waterfall again, and lots of nice things," he told her with childish earnestness. "I'll be a very good boy. Ye'll like it, I promise."

Raven was floating on a cloud of happiness as she hugged him to her again. "Och, I ken I will, me wee pet. Thank ye fer askin' me tae stay. I cannae think of anywhere I'd rather be than here with ye and yer da," she told him, looking up at Arne and mouthing, "I love ye," to him. Smiling, he did the same to her.

Since then, Thorsten seemed to enjoy calling her his ma at every opportunity. "'Tis like music tae me ears," she told Arne.

His cheeky, custardy grin bought her back to herself. "It is a lovely party indeed," she agreed, beaming down at him, her heart overflowing with love and gratitude to be reunited with her boy at last.

"Are ye havin' a nice time, me wee lad?" Arne asked his son smilingly as he leaned over from the chair on Thorsten's right.

"Aye, I like the custard," Thorsten replied, licking the custard-laden spoon he was holding with relish.

"Aye, I can see that, ye've got most of it around yer mouth, son," Arne replied, and both he and Raven burst out laughing. It was infectious, and Thorsten quickly became the focus of the whole company for a while.

"Ach, he's like a wee king holdin' court," Arne said jokingly. However, after two dishes of custard and all the excitement, the little boy fell asleep. Arne took him over and laid him on the settee, with a cushion for his little head and a blanket to keep him warm. Raven was happy as long as he was within her sight.

She moved into Thorsten's vacant chair, next to Arne, and they held hands as the conversation flowed around the table.

"I must admit, I was a wee bit disappointed I didnae get tae be there when ye finished off this MacDonald," Haldor said at one point. Sofia frowned at him.

"I wish ye had been too. The lads could have done with an extra pair of hands in that fight," Arne replied, looking over at Everard and Maxwell. "I only fought MacDonald. I wanted, as ye can all imagine, tae get revenge fer all he did tae Raven, but he also deserved tae die fer what he was, a menace."

"Dae we have tae talk about all this over a family dinner?" Sofia said sweetly, giving Haldor a look that made Raven and Arne smile at each other.

"Aye, ye're quite right, dear one. Nae more fightin' talk," her husband declared with a laugh.

In the lull between finishing their food, the food platters being removed from the table, and their supply of alcohol replenished, Arne took Raven totally by surprise by suddenly rising from his chair and announcing, "I have somethin' tae say. And I want ye all tae hear it."

Raven and everyone around the table fell quiet and looked at him with rapt attention. What is he doin'?

Then, he turned to her and took her by the hand. He looked down into her eyes and said with deep sincerity and a hint of nerves, "Raven, will ye marry me?"

A bubble of pure joy burst inside Raven then, and she reached up and threw her arms around his shoulders. "Aye," she cried, "aye, I will!"

But there's more…

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