Page 103 of The Icy Highlander's Virgin
As the evening progressed, Erica found herself drawn into the celebration in ways she hadn't experienced since childhood. She helped weave flower chains with the village children, sampled honey cakes and roasted meat from the feast tables, and watched in fascination as the village elders performed the traditional blessing of the spring planting.
When the musicians began to play, starting with a slow, stately melody perfect for the formal dances, Lachlan appeared at her elbow.
"Would ye honor me with a dance, me lady?"
She looked at him in surprise. "Ye want to dance? But I thought?—"
"Tonight is about what ye want. And ye said ye missed dancin'."
He led her to the center of the cleared area, and other couples joined them as the music swelled. The dance was one Erica knew well—a traditional Highland reel that required partners to move in intricate patterns around each other. Lachlan's hand was warm and steady in hers as they stepped through the movements, and she found herself laughing as he spun her under his arm.
"Ye're better at this than ye claimed," she said breathlessly as the dance ended.
"I had good motivation to improve."
The music shifted to a livelier tune, and more villagers joined the dancing. Erica found herself passed from partner to partner in the traditional manner—first with the village blacksmith, then with Frederick, and finally back to Lachlan for a dance that required them to move closely together.
"Are ye enjoyin' yerself?" he asked as they swayed to the slower melody.
"More than I have in... I cannae remember how long." But even as she said it, a shadow crossed her face. "But should I be? Enjoyin' myself when so many died in the recent fighting? When there's still so much to be done?"
Lachlan's hand tightened on her waist. "Erica, look at me."
She raised her eyes to meet his.
"Ye've done yer duty. Ye've protected yer people, secured yer lands, made peace with yer enemies. Ye've earned the right to be happy."
"But the families who lost?—"
"Would want their lady to find joy again. That's what we fight for, love—nae just to survive, but to live. To laugh and dance and celebrate being alive."
Around them, the bonfire was finally lit with great ceremony, sending sparks spiraling up into the star-filled sky. The villagers cheered, and someone began singing an old Gaelic song about the return of spring. Other voices joined in, creating a harmony that seemed to rise with the smoke toward the heavens.
"This is what we protect," Lachlan said softly. "This joy, this community, this life. Ye daenae dishonor the dead by choosin' to live fully—ye honor them by not lettin' their sacrifice be in vain."
Tears pricked at Erica's eyes, but for the first time in weeks, they weren't tears of grief or fear. "Thank ye," she whispered. "For this. For remindin' me..."
"For remindin' ye that ye're alive, and that's somethin' worth celebratin'."
They danced until the moon was high overhead, Erica's laughter ringing out as Lachlan spun her through increasingly complex steps. She felt lighter than she had since before the siege, as if some heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.
But as the celebration reached its peak, a loud crack split the night air.
In one fluid motion, Lachlan stepped in front of Erica, his body shielding hers as his hand went to his sword. Around the square, his disguised guards moved with practiced precision, forming a protective perimeter.
"Guard the laird and lady!" Frederick's voice cut sharply through the night air as he materialized beside them, steel already gleaming in his hand. "Secure the square!"
The music stopped abruptly. Dancers froze mid-step. Every head turned toward the sound, hands of plain clothed guards instinctively moving toward weapons.
"What was that?" someone called out.
"What's happenin'?" Erica asked, but Lachlan was already moving, his arm around her waist as he guided her swiftly toward their carriage.
"Crossbow bolt," Frederick said grimly, his eyes scanning the rooftops and shadows. "Missed its mark and hit the oak behind the musicians' platform."
The villagers, understanding that there was no real danger, returned to their dancing.
"It's nearly dawn anyway," Lachlan said quietly to Erica, though it was still several hours until sunrise. "We should return to the castle."
