Page 3 of Sinbound to the Highlander
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Later that night, Evan braced his palms on the cold brick of his room terrace’s balustrade. It was dark, but the smoke that rose from the Jacobite’s camp miles away was still ink-black against a gray sky. He knew the stories, testimonies, and rumors of how vicious the Stuart supporters were when they went through a town and slaughtered all that moved.
“They’ve taken Aberdeen andDundee, places with strong resistance…what will they do to me?” he wondered out loud. War was nearly on their doorstep, and Evan woke up every morning with the fear that a messenger would come from the capital, demanding him to send young men to fight.
Thinking of it, he grimaced; young men torn away from their wives and boys ripped apart from their mothers, breaking loving bonds and fracturing his people down the middle. Rubbing his tired eyes, he then rethought his commitment to sacrifice his chance at love for the safety of his people.
After mulling over it for a moment, his spine firmed. He would sacrifice his happiness for those who had no other option but to rely on him. His father had told him countless stories of kings and royal men who put their satisfaction before others.
His father had been cut from a different cloth, deeming his people more important than he was. He would be disgracing his father’s legacy if he did not do the same. After speaking with his mother, he had sent off a letter to Laird Lobhdain, and his strident hope was that the reply would be a good one.
Why wouldn’t they take it? The lass would have a good home, she would be taken care of, and their Clans would have a sound alliance. He couldn’t promise he’d love the lass as he’d dreamed of loving a woman, but for all the rest the assurances were sure. Again, what could stop them from taking the marriage? War might end upon them as well, and they would be very foolish to disregard an alliance that could help them.
It’s all up to ye, Laird Lobhdain. Would ye go about this war alone where many might die or take me offer and have someone to stand by ye?
