Page 7 of Married to a Highland Brute

Overcominghis discomfort, hewaved and smiled at the clansmen. They all bowed to him and waved the clan's flag as he rode through.

The children were more palatable, with less concern for his loss and demeanor. There was no sadness for them to feel, only joy and fun.

Jonan left his stead in front of the town hall in the square. He could already hear conversation inside the building, as the council had begun without him. Nonetheless, he entered.

When hepushed open the front doors, the large meeting room fell silent. After a while, they allrose to greet him.

Jonan counted the people in the room and realized he was the odd one out. Callan had prepared for himthe vacant seat at the head of the table.The Laird McKay walked over to his seat, ignoring the men around him who were trying to conceal their surprise at his presence.

“Ye may sit,” Jonan stated. “Why have I been summoned?” he asked then, getting straight to the point.

The men at the table exchanged glances before one of them spoke up. The council's eldest member —a fifty-year-old clansman who had seenthree lairds in his lifetime.

“It is a pleasant sight for the clan to have ye bless our invitation. The people of the clan felt hope this day as ye rode amongst them,” Aodh started.

“I apologize for my absence,” Jonan replied. “I have been occupied with other, pressing matters.”

“While ye were absent, Laird McKay, the English have gained ground on our people. The Scots are terrified,” the man continued.

“We are strong and proud Scotsmen who would lay down our lives for the freedom of our country, but we are weak in numbers,” another man said.

“We have been forced to find allies in clans we once lorded over,” Aodh announced.

“We must not forget that when the rains destroyed our harvest last year, the clan was forced to loan from the Ta’Mas. ‘Tis due to be repaid,” another man added on.

All eyes were on Jonan. He sat in silence, unsure what to do.

The Ta'Ma's were a wealthy group of Barbarians. They charged exorbitant interest rates and would not accept late payments. They were known to burn entire clans' villages down after taking everything valuable to repay their debt. They murdered children and men and frequently raped women.

The McKay clan had a formidable army, but it would never be able to withstand the Ta'Mas' wrath.

“The clan is failing, milaird. The farmers are sick with the flu, and they cannot work.” Aodh continued. “‘Tis crucial that the planting begins immediately. There is no more time to waste. Even while we contend with this, we are ever threatened by the English.”

Jonan remained silent. He knew the words spoken were true. Despite having spent the majority of the previous few months in his keep, he was aware of rumors of English soldiers on their lands. The council's solution appeared simple enough, but heknew how difficult it would be to secure allies with civil wars raging across the country. Scotland was sick of conflicts.

All of the men sat quietly at the table, waiting for him to provide a solution. As clan chief, it was his responsibility to protect them.

“We shall bide our time and wait before sending the council in search of allies. The war is still far from our lands.” Jonan pronounced. The members of the council were shocked at the laird’s words. He knew that they thought his approach was too passive.

“But we must be hasty in our actions to protect the clan lands from the English,” Aodh argued, speaking the minds of all those at the table.

The old man’s words fell on deaf ears. Jonan got to his feet, startling them.

“Our clan does nae cower and seek out allies,” Jonan stated firmly. His voice was so loud and mighty that none of the men dared to speak until the echo of his voice faded away.

“We ken about the past wars between our clan and the others. We were strong in those days, and we made all our enemies bow to us... but the English are upon us now,” Callan spoke gently.

“I think ‘tis high time that we speak clearly,” Aodh said, standing. “Ye are the Laird and ‘tis yer duty to care for yer clansmen. The clan suffers and weakens as each day passes, yet naught is done.”

Under Aodh's piercing gaze, Jonan remained silent. The men of the council kept quiet too, not supporting Aodh but also not disagreeing with him. A rather terrible sign for Jonan.

“Ye must do something, Laird Jonan McKay, and prove that ye can still rule this clan.”

“Enough!” Callan said, standing up and facing Aodh. “I respect yer gray hairs, but I will nae listen to ye disrespect the Laird.”

“I have given my final word, Aodh, to ye and every member of this clan. We will seek no more allies.” Jonan's words were firm, but his confidence shook, and he might have remained silent had it not been for Callan's bold words. “I remain Laird of this clan. If any man wishes to challenge me, let him pick up a sword. I have nae forgotten how to wield a blade.” He rose to his feet, noting Callan’s relief in his response. “I am Laird Jonan McKay and the McKay clan yields to none. That is my final word.”

With those words, he marched out of the meeting and rode back to the keep.

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