Page 34 of Highlander's Rebellious Affair
Hope smiled and he saw the excitement in her eyes. As they walked into the Castle, a guard walked up to him and bowed. “Laird Galloway requests to speak with ye,” the man said to Ian and he sighed.
“Take Hope with ye, Rhea,” he said to his sister, then turned to Hope who had a disappointed look etched into her beautiful face already. He kissed her, not minding who was watching them, and when he pulled away, she flushed and bit her lower lip. “I will join ye, shortly,” he said then patted her face one last time before walking away with the guard, wondering what his uncle wanted to speak to him about.
25
Ian walked into the court chamber and his uncle’s smile widened as he bowed to him and waited for the reason he was called. Lyall rose from his chair and staggered a little, indicating that he was drunk, and from the stench coming from him as he spoke, he could tell he had been drinking since early in the morning.
“How are ye, nephew?” Lyall asked with a loud laugh. He flung his head back and Ian allowed the throaty laugh fade before he replied.
“What is this about?”
“I caught some officials in the village who have been takin’ the taxes made for the court for themselves, and I was here to punish them, so, I thought as my adviser it will be fun to hear yer judgment on this crime.”
Lyall signaled at his guards by the door, and they opened it. Ian watched as two largely-built guards pushed in two men he recognized into the chamber. Lyall chuckled again, and Ian saw his eyes dance with mischief. The men were part of Ian supporters and he knew this was a plot by Lyall to get rid of them and weaken his people.
“These are the criminals,” Lyall said again and walked back to his seat. He outstretched his hand and the servants by his side quickly handed him a quaich and filled it with ale until it spilled to the ground, just like how Lyall liked it.
“These men are innocent,” Ian said through gritted teeth. He tried to hold his rising rage as the guards pushed the men to the floor with their feet and began stepping on them. “Let them go, ye ken they are innocent.”
“Innocent of stealin’? How about treason? They arenae innocent of that after all, are they?”
A muscle in Ian’s jaw ticked and he did not reply to the question. He inhaled deeply and said to Lyall who was still amused,
“Do ye have proof that they have committed treason? Or stealin?”
“Aye.”
“Where is it?”
“I am proof,” he replied with a loud cackle. “I ken they have betrayed me, so I will punish them, and everyone else who stands with them.”
The guards in the chamber had their heads bowed as they all feared Lyall, and the other men who were on his side smiled as he continued to speak dramatically. Ian said nothing and watched as Lyall ordered his guards to drag the men out to the courtyard and beat them before throwing them into the gaol.
When it was over, the guards dragged both men away and as Ian turned to leave, Lyall signaled for him come closer. He stepped closer to his uncle, and Lyall whispered, “That will be the fate of everyone who tries to betray me, and ye are nay an exception, my dear nephew.”
His loud cackle irritated Ian when he walked away from the courtyard and headed back to his bedchamber. By the time he joined Hope and Rhea at Callum’s yard, the day was already far spent.
Hope sat on the front porch with Orlaith, crushing leaves of herbs while Orlaith told her their uses. Ian watched them as he sat with Rhea and Callum. He narrated everything that happened to the men in the court chamber to Callum, and they talked about ways to get the men out of the cell.
Helping them escape was not an option because the cell was heavily guarded around the clock by Lyall’s men. Ian could also not think of a way to get past the guards there. He didn’t have any spies among them, and he didn’t want to risk the lives of anyone else.
“Lyall is desperate and uneasy if he has to go to these lengths to scare us away. He kens we are up to something and we have to act fast so he keeps being weary of our opposition.”
“Do ye think the men searchin’ for the treasure will come up with anythin’?” Rhea asked and Ian saw the uncertainty in his sister’s eyes. “Lairds before us have searched those mountains, what makes us think we will find what they couldnae find?”
“They searched the mountains; our men are searching more than just the base of the mountain. The entire ranges, even if they have to cross the borders and get into the English territory or the lowlands,” Callum replied.
Ian nodded. “We willnae waste too much resources on it though,” he suggested. “I am more determined to find out a way to oust Lyall, the treasure is mainly a means to gain more power if he decides to go to war.”
Callum nodded. “In a fortnight if they dinnae come up with anythin’, I will send word for their return before anyone finds out what we are plottin’. The search can continue some other time, but for now we focus on Lyall. I will receive word on the goldsmith in two days. I hope it is positive.”
Ian concluded the meeting with Callum on that note, and when it was time to leave, Orlaith gave him a tonic she prepared with Hope for strength. She smiled at him warmly after he drank it, and then they rode back to the Castle. Rhea took Hope into the kitchen and they both ordered the servants on what to prepare for dinner, and Ian went into his chamber to wait for Hope.
* * *
They spent the night making love. Ian marveled at the melodious sound of Hope’s moans as his hands caressed her breasts and suckled on her nipples.
She was wild beneath him, her hair spread over his pillow gloriously, her skin glowing as the dimly lit fireplace reflected on her skin. He wanted to kiss every inch of her skin every time he touched her.
