Page 13 of The Heart of a Highlander
King David stood and began pacing the great hall. He jerked his hands through his hair, clearly agitated, and he finally paused in front of the table where William still sat. The king’s fist came down hard upon the table, making the wine goblets rattle. The king’s gaze, blazing with rage, met William’s. “These are greedy men who always want more. More power. More land. More coin. They dunnae ever care for the commoners, though. They have joined forces with my nephew to drive me from the throne. He promises them themorethey want. Do ye think he will give it to them, William?”
It was not a question, but a point the king was making. “Nay,” William answered anyway. “Of course the Steward will nae. He wants all the power himself. All the land. All the coin.”
“Aye.” The king fell back into the chair he had vacated only moments before. “But people filled with greed are blind to their own folly. They would put a man on the throne who will give them less say than I do. I kinnae allow that to happen. Nae because I wish to stay king.” David suddenly laughed. It was a bitter sound. “Well, of course I do, but more importantly, I love Scotland with my heart and my soul, and my nephew would destroy our home as surely as I am standing before ye this day.”
William inclined his head in agreement, and King David took a long breath before continuing. “Yer father uncovered four of the twelve lairds loyal to the Stewart. That is why what he was doing was kept secret from everyone except the other three men in the circle. Nae anyone else kenned that yer father was spying for me. Nae the MacLean and nae Bram. He only learned the truth when yer father was killed.”
“Do ye believe Brothwell kenned my father was yer spy?” William asked, clenching his jaw against another wave of murderous rage. He would kill Brothwell.
“Nay. As I said, yer father appeared loyal to Brothwell in battle the day he was struck down by one of my men. I will live with the regret that I did nae foresee such an outcome.”
William’s throat constricted even more with the information that his father had ridden into battle appearing the traitor. “Why have ye nae sent someone to kill Brothwell since ye ken that he’s treasonous?”
“I’ve thought about it,” the king replied. “Believe me, I have. But the man’s belief that he is invincible and his tie to my nephew make him too valuable to end his life just now. He makes mistakes because he’s so cocksure, and his mistakes have aided me in my pursuit of learning which other lairds are plotting against me. As I said, yer father discovered four of them. After he was killed, I met with the MacLeod, Archibald, and Grant. I took their counsel and decided to approach yer brother and bring him into our circle, but only if he was more than willing and wished it.”
The king swiped a hand over his face. “Bram was the natural choice, as it would nae seem suspicious at all to Brothwell if Bram appeared at the MacQuerrie stronghold claiming he wished to join forces with Brothwell since it seemed yer father died in service to the man, cut down by one of my warriors.” The king let out a long, shuddering breath. When we approached Bram and he learned the truth of yer father’s fealty, he was verra eager to take up yer father’s work.” The king paused, his gaze sorrowful. “I’m sorry that I could nae tell ye before now, William. I’m sorry that ye have had to live believing yer father and brother were traitors. I’ve seen how it tortured ye, but I have also seen how ye have made yerself into a fine man and warrior, despite yer hardships.”
“Where is Bram? Did he truly fall for Brothwell’s sister Marjorie, or is that rumor also a lie?” William demanded, uncaring of any consequence he might face for speaking to the king so curtly.
“Bram was accepted immediately by Brothwell, as we had hoped, and Bram discovered five more lairds who were plotting against me. Yer brother was able to pass the names along to me. As to what has happened to him, I truly dunnae ken. Whether he has real affections for Marjorie or nae, I kinnae say, either. At first, it was a good way to get information—to pretend to care for her—and a good excuse to convince everyone here he had betrayed us. Yet, from the things he wrote in his correspondence to me, I do believe yer brother has developed feelings for her, and I suspect he slipped in his ruse because of it. I have nae heard from him in quite a while, which makes me think he has been discovered, or—” the king eyed William “—he has truly turned traitor for the heart of a woman.”
William had thought his brother a traitor once; he would not do so again. “I dunnae believe it,” William said.
The king offered a grim smile. “Neither do I. I have tried to find out what has happened to Bram. I’ve sent men to try to breach Brothwell’s inner circle, but nae one has been successful. I was waiting and hoping Bram would contact me, but it’s as if he’s disappeared. The men I sent were able to ascertain that he was no longer at Brothwell’s home. They say Brothwell sent him on a mission. And I recently received word that Brothwell is holding a tournament in a sennight to choose a husband for Ada MacQuerrie. I kinnae let that happen. I may nae ken Ada’s loyalty, but I ken Brothwell’s undoubtedly, and now that Ada’s father is dead, there will be no stopping Brothwell in wedding Ada to a man loyal to the Steward.”
It suddenly clicked in William’s mind as to why the king had called William to him and why he was sharing all of this now. The king wanted to use him. And William would let him. He’d do just about anything to exonerate his father and brother, and if he could become close to Brothwell, he could discover what had truly happened to Bram, and whether he was alive or dead. And if Bram was not dead, William would find him. Then he would discover the remaining lairds who were in league with Brothwell, and he would clear his own family’s name.
“Ye want me to snatch the lass?” he asked, preparing to argue for the rest of what he wanted, for the ability to find Bram and exonerate his family.
“Nae just take her,” the king said, a vicious smile twisting his lips. “I want ye to wed her. ’Tis how her powers will be activated. And I trust ye to use her to serve me.”
The king’s announcement left William frozen. He could not seem to find the words to agree to the command.
The king leaned forward and gripped William by the neck. “I ken what I’m asking of ye.”
“I dunnae wish for a wife,” William said. Truth be told, he was surprised he’d even gotten those words out. He had not wanted a wife since the day his mother left and he’d seen what a woman could do to a man. She had cut him deeply, but it had nearly cleaved his father in two. “Kinnae ye ask someone else to do that part of it?”
The king shook his head. “I wish I could. I vowed to yer father I’d nae ever tell ye or yer brother about his work for me. He did nae wish for ye two to follow in his path after yer mother left him. As I said, he believed his long absences were part of why she fled.”
And he’d likely be right, William thought, a spark of a memory coming to him: his father alone, crying softly and saying William’s mother’s name over and over.
Christ, no, he did not want to take a wife.
William’s heart thudded, and King David’s gaze turned desperate, pleading.
The king is afraid.He is fearful of the lass rumored to hold the power to make or keep a king.
“But ye are the only one who can do it,” David said. “Brothwell will think ye have come to follow in yer brother’s and father’s footsteps, if he dunnae ken Bram is a spy. And if he does ken it—”
“I’ll be handing myself to the enemy,” William finished for the king.
“Aye,” David replied, his voice as grave as his face. “Either way, I’d wager my life he will nae be able to resist letting ye compete, and that will give ye a chance to convince him that ye are there to join forces with him.” The king squeezed William’s neck. “I ken I ask a great deal. Once ye have the names, ye can flee to crush my enemies, and find yer brother. Once yer brother is proved still loyal, yer family name can be cleared. Do we have a pact?”
There was only one answer William could give. He had not wanted to take a wife, but he had to try to take this lass. But then what? “Will I continue to work in yer inner circle after this?”
“Aye,” the king replied. “Of course.”
“I did nae plan on taking a wife,” William reiterated. “I dunnae have any interest in a wife and family, only in serving ye.”
And gaining respect once more.
The king offered a triumphant smile. “As far as I’m concerned, ye need nae ever see her again after she aids ye. If ye desire, I’ll set her up in a castle to be guarded always. But first, ye must win her hand. What say ye?”
William swallowed, his mouth too dry. The king was right. He could wed this lass, Ada, and use her to aid the king, but that did not mean he had to let her close or even live with her. He had a sudden recollection of offering Brodee advice on his wife: he’d told him simply to let her close. It had been easy counsel to give because it was not his life being altered. This, however… This was different.Hewas different.
“Aye,” William said, sealing his fate.
