Page 48 of Highland Guard

Upon the dais were King Macbeth, Queen Gruoch, and Dalziel Robertson standing in the background between Kieran and the royal couple. Kieran patiently waited for his betrothed to arrive.

The crowd fell silent as shouts and yells echoed through the hallway, followed by the sickening thud of bodies colliding.

“Get your hands off me before you lose it,” a woman’s voice rang out.

“Ouch! She kicked me,” a man yelled.

“I’ll do more than that, you cur.”

“Why you wee bit of—”

Kieran heard a crashing sound, then a male voice shout, “Ow, get her off me!”

The entire hall stared toward the doorway when a guardsman came flying in and rolled across the floor. Another stumbled into the hall, cursing and clutching a bleeding nose.

Kieran frowned. Whoever his betrothed was, she was not coming without a fight.

After much commotion, the crowd finally parted, revealing Naomi standing before them, causing Kieran to inhale sharply.

She appeared somewhat disheveled. Part of her dress was torn, and her hair was falling out of what once had been a neat braid. Kieran had to admit she looked magnificent in her righteous anger. He would have accused the guards of manhandling her until he saw the state of them.

Each man looked as if he had battled with a feral, wild creature given the bruises, scratches, split lips, skewed caps and torn clothing they donned.

Naomi stared at Kieran and frowned in confusion.

“What are you doing here, lass?” he asked.

She just shook her head in bewilderment. Then she turned to face the king and queen, who looked to be smirking. Naomi at once dropped into a curtsy, saying, “Your Majesties. My apologies, but there seems to be some mistake.”

Macbeth gave a flick of his wrist to shoo the retainers away. Then he replied, “Indeed. Rise, lass. Please enlighten us with your tale.”

She pulled the small pouch from her inner pocket and stepped forward. “My name is Naomi Graham, and I am here to deliver this priceless relic to you. It is from Abbess Murdina of Saddell Abbey. That is all I am here to do. I ask that I be allowed to leave now that my task is complete.”

Macbeth took the pouch and ushered a guardsman to hold on to it. He then read the letter attached to it and sighed. “I am sorry, lass, but I cannot do that.”

“Why not, Your Majesty?” Naomi asked.

Before he could answer, a woman stepped forward. The same one who saw Naomi in her chamber. “Your Majesty, this woman is my niece by marriage, Naomi Augusto. A direct descendant of the Anrias chieftain. Her mother, Florie, was my sister-in-law. She is betrothed to the MacKenzie laird, it was agreed long ago.”

Kieran took a sharp intake of breath and furrowed his brow.

“Bloody hell,” Dalziel muttered under his breath.

“What is going on?” Kieran whispered to Dalziel. “Is this true?”

“You sure ken how to pick them, Kieran,” Dalziel replied.

The doors burst open, as a page hurriedly entered, causing everyone to turn their attention towards him. “I beg your pardon, Your Majesty,” the messenger said, his voice filled with urgency. “I have a message from a Norman baron, Guy of Brionne. He is cousin to William, the Duke of Normandy. He requests that you withhold any decision made about Naomi Graham, his betrothed, until he appears.”

Gasps of shock reverberated around the hall.

Kieran growled at that statement and stepped closer to Naomi. Meanwhile, Naomi looked utterly confused as the hall erupted in loud murmuring.

Macbeth shouted, “Silence!” The talking ceased. “Naomi, lass. It seems we have quite a predicament. What prey tell is your name?”

“Your Majesty. My real name is Naomi Augusto, but my mother was a Ross. I do not know anyone from the Anrias clan. I also use the name Naomi Graham when I carry out duties for the abbey, but I swear, I have never met this Norman baron either. I am simply here to deliver that package and then return to the abbey.”

“Well, Naomi, it seems you’re somehow betrothed to two different men, and that cannot stand. Guy of Brionne claims it was a contract drawn up by your father. As for the Anrias clan, they and the Ross are interchangeable names. It is the same clan, and your mother was indeed the chieftain’s daughter.”

---