Page 45 of Draped in Plaid
Chapter Fourteen
Moira
I have to give myself up. I am the firstborn of the royal twins. I am the one they want. I cannot allow them to harm an innocent child because of me.
I clutched the lion’s head of my pendant and prayed for strength. Prayed for whatever regal bearing I was born with remained somewhere. I was the daughter of a king. A queen. My bloodline was powerful and potent.
I could be strong.
I could sacrifice myself for the greater good.
I let the plaid slip from my shoulders, hearing the rustle of the wool flutter in the breeze, the sharp inhale of breath from my sister, the soft touch of her fingers grasping my elbow.
I turned to her, mouthed,I’m sorry, and then pulled away, surprised at how easily she let me go. I don’t know if it was from shock, or because despite how much it hurt, she understood.
I tore my gaze from hers, unable to look at her and see the pain I was causing by going when she’d only just found me. The sacrifices they’d made to come find me, only to give myself up once. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
The men were still focused on their enemies. Thank heavens. If Rory had seen me slip away from the plaid I’d been draped in, he would have ceased his argument with his wayward son—the disillusioned man-child who started this all. Logan and Ewan were too involved in the fight, and Emma was staring at her sweet bairn.
No one, but Shona, saw me step forward.
Then Shona found her voice, shouting, “Moira, nay!”
Rory turned at the same time as Ranulf, seeing me take a wide girth around our group. Out of reach. I skirted them, wide, until I was behind our enemies’ line. The trio of bastards between me and my family, my friends.
I didn’t want to give them a chance to save me. That wasn’t how this could work. I needed to give myself up. Sacrifice myself.
Iwas the reason we were all here.
If not for me, the rest of them would be at home cozy in their beds, or going about their daily routines. If not for me, Rory might still be in that quaint cottage in the forest, wiling away his days without a care. If ever I was going to take on my roll as I was born to do, then now was the time. I might only be a queen by blood and for a few moments in time, but a queen had to rule and that’s what I was determined to do.
I stared across the field at my sister and time stood still. The noise of the men. The pleading of my husband. The snickers from my son-by-marriage. All gone. Our eyes met, and in that moment, I could see so much. See everything.
I saw us as little girls sitting beside each other on the floor, working on a puzzle while our sweet foster parents looked on. I saw us standing side by side, holding hands as we buried those same loving people at such a young age. I saw us crying under our blankets and holding on to one another as we were introduced to our new foster mother. The antics we got into trying to thwart her. Clutching fingers before our new foster mother while she threatened the prison every time we did something wrong.
I saw me following Shona through a garden as she told me all about the various plants, teaching me their uses. I saw us picking herbs and grinding them and making what we called soups but what would turn into medicinal tinctures as we grew older.
Standing before McAlister as teens being shipped off to a boarding school.
I was grateful that we’d had each other. Grateful that we’d been able to comfort one another as we grew through life. Sad we’d never met the mother who pushed us through time in order to save us, to keep us safe. Sad to never have met the father who didn’t’ even know we existed.
Please, Shona mouthed,come back.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I love you.”
I dropped to my knees, hands in prayer and I closed my eyes, not truly prepared for whatever was going to happen to me, but resigned to it all the same.
I prayed they would all understand why I had to do this and that they would someday forgive me for having to give myself up.
“Take me and do what you will,” I said to Ranulf and Mrs. MacDonald. “But leave my family and friends alone.”
There was a short bitter laugh from Ranulf and I opened my eyes to see him sneering down at me.
“What game is this?” he asked.
“I play no games,” I said calmly, meeting his gaze and working hard not to waver. “I am tired of playing games. Tired of running. You wanted me, were willing to harm an infant to get to me. So, take me. But leave them alone.”
Ranulf stared between me and my husband, whom I’d not had the strength to look at. I didn’t want to see the pain in his eyes. That would be too much. I wouldn’t be able to do this. To give myself up. To give us up.
