Page 37 of Her Scot of the Morrow
Lilias blinked back tears and nodded. “Thank ye, Willow. That means a great deal.” She gestured at the water. “Bathe and then we will see ye dressed, aye?” There was no missing the relief in her eyes. “After all, we have the pleasure of the king among us this eve and ‘tis truly welcome.”
Before I could question her further, as I still had many questions, especially about our father and his role in all this, she bustled out of the room, almost as if she sensed my impending curiosity. More so, I got the feeling she had no intention of answering those questions yet, if ever.
After I bathed, using the pleasantly scented soap left for me, I let Lilias know I was ready for her help getting dressed, thinking of more questions to ask her, only to find her gone and a pleasant servant girl waiting to assist me in her place. All the while, Sloan was a comforting presence in my mind, catching everything but saying little because the king and the Sutherlands occupied him.
Eventually, I was summoned to dine with Laird Sutherland, his mother, and King Robert, led down corridors I had visited in the Morrow, only this time everyone knew I was there.
And this time, when I entered their private dining chamber, my father’s paintings struck me far differently.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
–Sloan–
ILOATHED EVERY minute I was apart from Willow. Still, I had no choice but to only be a mere comforting presence in her mind as King Robert took in the ridiculously exaggerated destruction to Sutherland Castle’s dungeons. It was clear Elspet had been busy using her magic to make the damage Willow’s dragon had done to this portion of the castle look far worse, and I didn’t hesitate to say as much.
“This isnae how ‘twas left, my King,” I swore right then and there as Dugal and Elspet so righteously tried to sell their deception. Eyeing the large, gaping hole so bad it could upset the integrity of the castle above it, I frowned and shook my head. “Ye saw Willow’s dragon with yer own two eyes, so ye know she isnae nearly big enough to cause such extensive damage.”
“Yet she clearly did,” Elspet countered, visibly shivering as if she weren’t half dragon herself and hadn’t dealt with such creatures. “’Tis said she wasmostwrathful in her need to steal Sloan away and run from her obligations to my son and the pact. ‘Twas clear to all her emotions took over, and her dragon was determined to evade us, but not before she reaped as much harm as possible.”
“’Tis a wonder the structure still stands.” Getting a better appreciation for what dragons were capable of and perhaps even the Sutherland’s magic when they enhanced it, the king frowned at the jagged remains of the ceiling to my former cell. “It does seem quite excessive for a dragon of Willow’s size.” He took in the strewn stones and bent bars, clearly getting a feel forthe cell's former dimensions. “Is it me, or was this particular cell considerably smaller than the others?” His brow furrowed, and he remained, as always, observant, seeing clearly that the Sutherlands tried to deceive him. “And I would think there would be some sign of furnishings, furs, or even a random fallen torch beneath the rubble?”
“’Twas my King,” Elspet lied without flinching. “We have since tried to salvage what we could for the others who find themselves down here.”
“But of course ye did,” Robert murmured, even though I knew he wasn't buying it.
After that, little more was said as Dugal and Elspet urged Robert to return with them above stairs so he might enjoy a fine supper amongst friends, yet I could see the troubled shadows around my friend’s eyes as he continued taking everything in. He might not be half dragon or possess any supernatural gifts, but he had a good sense and again, a sharp way of seeing things people would rather he not notice.
Not just that, but he had never trusted the Sutherlands.
“They are a necessary evil, Sloan,” he had said to me on more than one occasion. “I wish it were otherwise, but ‘tis not. They are too powerful, and I need them on my side.Scotlandneeds them on its side.”
I had tried to remind him he had us MacLeods as well as the Hamiltons and MacLomains, all just as powerful in our own ways, but he’d been stubborn about it, and I could see that bothered him now.
Nevertheless, he kept quiet about his assessments and remained as gracious as ever when visiting a clan, yet always beneath the surface, I knew who he really was. A good, kind person at heart, a cunning, strategic leader when needed, but above all, he knew who he could and could not trust when the safety of Scotland’s people was truly at stake.
Although it had to bother Dugal and Elspet greatly, Robert requested that I be given back my chamber above stairs, offered a bath and change of clothing, and I was to dine with everyone tonight. I had never been more appreciative, either, because it would put me near Willow again.
While I’d had little chance to speak with her, I followed her conversation with Lilias and was relieved that Marjorie and Flame, or Blaze as the wee wolf preferred to be called, had become friends, and the wolf pup was communicating with her. I found it interesting he was talking to a human child, who possessed no wolf blood, but I suppose stranger things had happened. I also found it noteworthy that he was still hiding out at Sutherland Castle rather than leaving as he had before, because he clearly knew his way around.
But now I realized little Marjorie had helped him out.
Suffice it to say, I wasn’t all that surprised by what Willow learned about Lorna because it explained why she put our nuptials on hold for years. Though livid to find out she and possibly her father had spied for the Sutherlands, that was something we would deal with later.
Right now, I had to handle the here and now, which was, once more, sitting down to eat with the Sutherlands, only the guest list was far more pleasant this time, outside of the hosts themselves. While I hated seeing Willow in Sutherland colors, her beauty struck me anew, and I could not quite pinpoint why.
Yet as she sat across from me, I realized there was a new glow about her only I could see.
“And I’ll bet it has to do with our willow tree,”she said, following my thoughts, clearly happy to see me too. Though she didn’t smile my way and risk making our situation more tenuous, I saw the warmth in her eyes when they ever so briefly met mine.“Do you see it, Sloan?”
Fortunately, I was facing the paintings, yet I saw no difference in our willow when I allowed my gaze to drift over it discreetly as everyone made idle, strained conversation, and food was served.
“At its base,”Willow prompted.“I’m sure no one else can see it, but I have a feeling you can.”
My breath nearly caught when I spied what she referred to because the shadowed man and what he carried stood out to me now.
“’Tis Grant Hamilton,”I exclaimed, certain of it because I had seen portraits of the Scottish wizard hanging in Hamilton Castle.“Holding yer ring.”
“Grant Hamilton?”she replied, sounding as surprised as I and doing well to maintain a normal conversation aloud with everyone at the table while carrying on a telepathic discussion with me, having carefully kept her ring spun around so the red gem wasn’t as obvious.“You mean the arch-wizard you talked about when we were kids? The legendary apprentice of Adlin MacLomain himself?”
