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T he birds were loud this morning.

At least, that was Josephine’s first thought as she gradually emerged from sleep, hearing the birds outside her window, smelling the smoke in the chamber as the fire burned low.

Those two events always told her it was dawn, even before she opened her eyes.

Birds and the smell of smoke. Yawning, she opened her eyes.

The room was dark for the most part, with hints of sunrise coming in through her oilcloth-covered windows.

It turned the room shades of gray. She lay there a moment, listening to the sounds around her and feeling more contented than she had ever felt in her life.

Thoughts of Andrew immediately popped into her head and she turned her head to see if he was still in bed beside her.

She knew he had been in bed with her most of the night because she’d awoken, twice, to find his arms wrapped around her and the man’s soft snoring in her ear.

But he wasn’t in bed with her as dawn broke, which was probably wise.

It wouldn’t be proper and surely he wished to preserve her dignity, even if they were betrothed.

But they certainly weren’t married yet and servants tended to talk, even servants that had served the family for a very long time.

Ola wouldn’t talk but when she went to the kitchen to bring food for two, people would wonder why.

Therefore, Josephine wasn’t particularly disappointed to realize he’d left. It made her want to rise quickly, dress, and go find him. Tossing back the covers, she called for her little maid.

Ola quickly emerged from the alcove she slept in.

Josephine wondered if the woman had seen her mistress with a man in her bed.

She knew that Andrew had bolted the door the night before, but he’d had to open it to leave.

Perhaps that’s when Ola had slipped in, but Josephine didn’t ask.

She and Ola had been together a long time and she wasn’t quite sure how to bring it up.

Did she ask the woman if she saw Andrew in her bed?

Or should she simply let Ola mention it?

It made for some awkward moments as Josephine got out of bed, naked, and quickly hunted down her robe.

But if Ola had seen Andrew in her mistress’ bed, she didn’t give any indication.

She went immediately to stoke the fire and put on water to warm for her mistress’ toilette.

Meanwhile, Josephine went to the massive wardrobe that contained her clothing and started to sift through the surcotes hanging on pegs, looking for something pleasing to wear.

Today was a special day.

It was the first day that she truly felt like a woman, loved and possessed by a man in the most intimate way possible. When she smelled her hands, she could still smell him on her flesh and it made her heart flutter. It was a pity to wash off that smell. She could have inhaled it all day.

She located a cote of brown wool, light of weight, with a fashionable shift that went underneath it.

It was very pretty with a braided belt that went with it.

But she couldn’t dress until Ola brought her the warmed rose water, so she walked over to the window, pulling back the oiled cloth to see daybreak over the vibrant green countryside.

A new day was upon them. At least, that was what she expected to see.

But that’s not what caught her eye.

An army was out there in the distance. She could see them, lined up in the distant fields like a rows of ants.

Tiny, dark specs. Panic filled her. She wondered if anyone else saw the army because, down below, her men didn’t seem to be manning their posts and there weren’t any archers on the walls.

Josephine thought that perhaps they didn’t have the view she had, since her chamber was higher than the walls.

It was, therefore, her duty to tell them.

“Damnation!” she spat.

Thoughts of dressing in the lovely brown cote were pushed aside as she ran for the attire she usually wore to battle.

Leather breeches went on, as did a heavily-padded tunic that hung to her knees.

There didn’t seem to be time to dress in her full protection, as she usually did, but her mail coat was on a frame by the wardrobe and between her and Ola, they managed to get it on fairly quickly.

Her heavy boots went on her feet and as Ola was fastening the ties on the boots, Josephine pulled a black and white de Carron tunic over her head, the same black and white tunic that all of her men wore.

The smell of battle was in the air.

Collecting her sword, she was heading out of the door with Ola following, trying to braid her mistress’ hair and tie it off with a leather strip so it wouldn’t be in her way.

But Josephine had no time for hair dressing; she had to get down to her men, who clearly didn’t see they were about to be set upon.

Taking the steps to the foyer far too quickly, she nearly tripped as she hit the bottom of the stairs. There was so much fear in her heart that it was difficult to breathe. Bursting through the entry door and out into the inner ward, the first person she saw was Etienne. She called to the man.

“Etienne!” she shouted. “There is an army on the horizon! Prepare the men!”

Etienne came to a sudden halt when he heard her, turning to her just as she ran upon him. “We know there is an army, my lady,” he said calmly. “The sentries spied it before dawn.”

Josephine was puzzled by his response. “You know ?” she said. “We must shore up the gates! The men must be positioned on the walls and…”

Etienne cut her off, but not unkindly. He had a rather unhappy look to his eye. “The king has instructed that we not prepare our defenses, my lady,” he said. “He is at the gatehouse with Sir Sully. They are currently in discussion about the situation.”

When Josephine realized the king had ordered Torridon to stand down, her eyes widened. “Is he mad?” she hissed. “It is the Dalmellington army. They will slaughter us if they make it into the castle!”

Etienne sighed heavily. “I know, my lady,” he said, lowering his voice. “Sully has sent me to secure the keep and the inner bailey, and that is what I intend to do. If the king wishes to leave the outer bailey exposed, then that is his pleasure. But we will protect the keep at all costs.”

Josephine was pleased to hear that Sully had ordered caution in spite of the king’s directive, but she was still furious. Furious and frightened. The king had no idea what the Dalmellingtons could do and she intended to tell him that.

“The king is at the gatehouse, you say?” she asked.

Etienne nodded. “Aye, my lady.”

“Is Andrew with them?”

“Aye, my lady. They are all there.”

“Then that is where I am going also,” she said, pushing past the French knight. “The king is going to hear of his foolishness from my own lips.”

Josephine didn’t see Etienne’s grin as she rushed from the inner bailey and into the partially repaired outer bailey beyond.

She rushed to find Andrew and Sully, her heart pounding in her chest. Surely the king could not be serious?

Not defend Torridon in the wake of a Dalmellington approach?

King or no, she would fight Dalmellington with her last breath, as she knew Sully and Andrew would, as well.

She found the men standing in a group immediately outside of the gatehouse. They were all there; Andrew, Thane, Sully, Donald and Nicholas, and finally the king were surrounded by several of the king’s men and several Torridon soldiers. They were all huddled together in conference.

Josephine almost felt as if she were intruding, but she squared her shoulders and charged forward, deciding to pretend as if she had never had the conversation with Etienne.

“What goes on?” she demanded sharply. “Why have you not set up defenses?”

All eyes were on her, the littlest soldier. Andrew and Sully looked angry and distressed, and she could see simply by their expressions that Etienne’s words were true. The king, eyeing her, stepped forward.

“Why are you dressed like that?” he demanded.

Her chin shot up proudly. “As the eldest child of Hugh de Carron, I command the defenses of Torridon.”

The king chewed his lip thoughtfully. “I seem to remember hearing rumors to that effect,” he said. “But I did not believe them because they were so utterly ridiculous. Yet, I see they must be true.”

His cruelty cut at her, but she didn’t flinch. “My men are loyal to the core, my lord,” she said evenly. “They follow me without question.”

“As you follow me,” the king said flatly. “And I order you to retire to the fortress where you belong. Let soldiers with ballocks decide a course of action.”

He could not have done more damage if he had struck her.

Josephine’s first reaction was to verbally destroy him, but she bit her tongue.

He was her king but she was beginning to hate him more by the minute.

She felt humiliated and hurt, and it took all the willpower she could muster to turn and walk away.

What she didn’t see was Sully putting a restraining arm on Andrew as the king made his crude remark. And she didn’t see his eyes follow her as she walked away. Andrew’s heart ached for the abuse her pride had taken, but she was handling it much better than he was.

Andrew then focused his attention back on the idiot Scot king. The man was a fool and he despised the foolish monarch. But Andrew was in his country and the man was the ruler, so he was bound to obey him.

Oblivious to the hatred he was creating in the men around him, the king turned to Sully. “Send out a greeting party to escort Colin Dalmellington to Torridon,” he said. “It would be a show of good faith, Montgomery. You will do this.”

Sully’s jaw fell open. “A greeting party?” he stammered. “But, sire, that man out there is our enemy! Surely you cannot…”