Page 66 of Promises to Keep

Magnus said, “Our sister is explaining tae Kaitlyn and me the importance of wifely virtues.”

Sean said, “Well done, Lizbeth!” He and Liam raised their mugs toward our end of the table and Lizbeth bit her lip to keep from laughing.

The men who had forced Arran away returned later in the night, full of stories. The lead man was wearing a wool tam, with a piece of white yarn woven through it, in a crude attempt at a swoosh, mimicking a hat we had brought for Sean years ago. Magnus’s eyes followed them as they strutted into the Great Hall. “Sean, where is Lochinvar, do ye think?”

“I daena see him.” He called the men over. “Where is Young Lochie?”

The men laughed. “We lost him in the woods, when we were ridin’. He felt sure he could find his way home. So we gave him the chance tae prove it.”

Sean groaned and asked Magnus, “Is this what I hae tae deal with now, Lochinvar is goin’ tae always be brawlin’, braggin’, or bein’ lost?”

“He is the age.”

Sean sighed. “If he inna back by the morn, we’ll hae tae go out and find him.”

CHAPTER 34 - KAITLYN

The doors to the dining hall opened with a crash and Lochinvar stood there, sword drawn, completely wet, glaring, and furious.

Magnus jumped up and went to meet him, and it was less of a greet and more of a stand and block Lochie from starting a fight over whatever had happened out in the woods. Lochie tried to push past Magnus.

Magnus shoved him up against a wall with his forearm against his chest. “Lochie, ye arna tae fight, toss down yer blade.”

Lochie tossed down his blade. “They jumped me in the woods! They dinna give me m’horse back, I had tae run tae follow them!” He checked his arm. “I am injured!”

Magnus let go of him and checked his arm and their voices grew quiet. I glanced over at the long table where the men were boisterously laughing.

Sean went to go meet Magnus and Lochie at the wall.

Magnus returned and said, “Kaitlyn, will ye run for the first aid? He has a deep scrape on his arm.”

I ran up to the room for my first aid kit. Then I returned and Lizbeth and I sat beside Lochie at a table, as he showed us his wound.

“Lochie, this looks painful.”

“I hae had much worse, ye ken, someone is always wantin’ tae beat me, but those men are arseholes.”

I dabbed at it with an antibiotic wipe. “What were you fighting about?”

He was sullen, his furious eyes glaring down at the men who had deserted him. “They called Magnus a bastard.”

I huffed. “I agree, they are arseholes. Did you tell him?”

“Nae.”

“Good, thank you, it’s hard on him, but also, you don’t have to stick up for him. He has been dealing with it his whole life and he is a grown up, he can stick up for himself.”

“They disrespected him, he is a king and they—”

I smeared some antibiotic cream on his wound. “You know, they don’t acknowledge he is a king here. They have no idea. It’s very tricky.”

He scowled. “He is twice the man of all of them.”

“I agree with you in everything you’re saying.” I applied a sterile bandage and adhered it with medical tape. As I pressed it to his arm, I asked, “What are you going to do?”

He gestured toward a dude at the far end of the room. “I’m goin’ tae beat that man’s smug smile off his face.”

I sighed.

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