Page 4 of The Highlander’s Iron Hold (Kilted Kisses #4)

"Aye," she said finally, squaring her shoulders. "If ye're willing, I'd be grateful fer the escort tae the castle."

"Good." Colin swung down from his destrier and moved to help her mount. "We'll be there within a few hours."

Colin mounted first, then reached down to help Morag up behind him. The moment she settled onto the saddle, he knew it was going to be a long ride.

"Comfortable?" he asked, gathering the reins.

"Aye, me thinks—" Her words cut off abruptly as he nudged the destrier forward and she was forced to grab the horse’s hair to keep from sliding forward. "Oh!"

They'd barely made it twenty paces when she started fidgeting in front of him.

"Ye're sitting too close," she announced, as if she were instructing a green lad on his first pony. "Yer weight is all wrong for the horse."

Colin's mouth twitched, but he kept his voice cold. "Is that so?"

"Aye, it is. And ye're..." She paused, and he could sense her blushing. "Ye're sitting too close."

"Too close tae what, exactly?"

"Tae... tae me! There's barely an inch between us!"

Colin glanced down at the saddle they were sharing. It was clearly designed for one rider, not two, so what exactly was she expecting?

"And where, precisely, would ye like me tae go? Perhaps ye'd prefer I ride alongside the horse instead of on it?"

"Dinnae be daft," she muttered, but he caught the slight huff of embarrassment in her voice. Then louder, "Just... adjust yerself somehow."

"Adjust meself?" Colin was definitely amused now. The lass was trying to reorganize his seat on his own horse while sitting in front of him. "Any particular direction ye'd recommend?"

"Backward! Sit backward more!"

"If I sit any more backward, I'll be riding on the horse's tail."

"Then... then sit up straighter!"

"I am sitting straight."

"Well, ye're still too close!"

Colin urged the destrier around a fallen log, the movement causing Morag to press even closer against him for balance. She immediately tried to scoot forward, which only made matters worse.

"Lass," he said, his voice carefully controlled, "unless ye plan tae spend the rest of this ride hovering in midair, ye're going to have to accept that we're sharing a saddle built for one person. The laws of nature dictate that we'll be close."

"The laws of nature," she repeated indignantly, "dinnae require ye tae take up quite so much space!"

"I'll keep that in mind fer the next time I'm rescuing ye from kidnappers," Colin said dryly. "We could plan ahead, and I'll bring two horses."

In front of him, Morag fell silent, though he could still feel her rigid posture as she tried to maintain as much distance as physically possible on the shared saddle.

It was, Colin reflected, going to be a very interesting marriage.

Armstrong Castle rose before them like a stone giant against the darkening sky, its massive walls speaking of centuries of Highland warfare.

But even in the fading light, Morag could see the signs of recent hardship.

The crumbling mortar where stones had shifted, wooden scaffolding propping up sections of the curtain wall, and gaps in the battlements that spoke of damage not yet repaired.

The great hall's windows glowed with firelight, but many of the upper chambers stood dark and empty. What had once been magnificent now carried the weary look of a fortress under siege from the grinding toll of keeping a clan fed and defended in harsh times.

Colin dismounted first, then helped Morag down with impersonal efficiency. Her legs nearly buckled after the long ride, but she managed to steady herself before he could notice her weakness.

"Sheena!" Colin's voice rang across the courtyard, and a young woman with red hair and a practical manner hurried forward from the servants' quarters.

"Aye, me laird?"

"This is Lady Morag. See that she has everything she needs—food, a bath, whatever she requires." His tone was brisk, businesslike. "Her belongings will arrive later, but for now, take her tae her chamber so she can rest."

Sheena bobbed a quick curtsy. "Of course, me laird. Right away."

"And Sheena," Colin added, already turning toward the great hall, "see that she's nae disturbed. She's had a difficult journey."

Colin noticed the way Morag's jaw tightened as she watched him instruct the servant about her comfort and needs.

Already having experienced her sharp tongue, Colin fully expected her to have something to say, but apart from noticeably biting her tongue, she said nothing. He could see she was tired, hungry, and still shaken from the attack.

"If ye'll follow me, m'lady," Sheena said kindly, gesturing toward the keep. "I've got a nice warm chamber ready fer ye, and Cook's prepared a proper meal."

Morag nodded. Colin gave her one last glance before turning away. He could feel her eyes on him as he walked away, sure she wasn't looking at him with admiration or very much of anything positive.

The lass was not his concern at that moment. Laird MacDuff had sent his head strong daughter to him, no doubt to be rid of her stubbornness, and come what may, the marriage will stand.

By the time he walked across the castle into the great hall, Colin found his most trusted men gathered around the long oak table.

Candlelight flickered across weathered faces.

These were men who'd fought beside him through lean years and bitter winters, who'd bled for Armstrong lands and would do so again without question.

“Gentlemen," Colin said without preamble, "Me bride, Lady Morag's escort, was attacked this evenin’ on our lands. Fraser raiders ambushed her carriage less than a half hour's ride from our borders."

Sharp intakes of breath echoed around the table. MacLeod, his grizzled captain, leaned forward. "Is the lady safe?"

"Aye, she's safe. I managed tae intercept the attack before they could carry her off." Colin's voice was grim. "But her entire MacDuff escort is dead. Three good men who died defending her."

"Fraser," spat young Jamie Armstrong, Colin's cousin. "That bastard has to be taught a lesson."

"I agree. This wasnae random cattle raiding," Colin continued, his voice carrying the hard edge of command. "Fraser's men were specifically after Lady Morag. They kent who she was, kent she was coming tae wed me. It was an act of war."

Murmurs of anger rippled around the table. The men understood the implications. An attack on a wedding party was not just an insult, but a declaration that Fraser considered the Armstrong-MacDuff alliance a threat worth destroying.

"We need tae secure our borders immediately," Colin continued, his voice carrying the hard edge of command.

"Double the patrols, especially along the northern reaches where Fraser territory borders ours.

I want sentries posted at every crossing, and I want tae know the moment Fraser's men so much as water their horses on our lands. "

"Aye, me laird," said MacLeod, his grizzled captain. "We'll see it done."

"It was fortunate I was out riding close tae the borders and I was in time tae prevent Lady Morag's capture," Colin went on, "but the attack should never have happened at all. Fraser caught us unprepared once. It willnae happen again."

The men spent the next hour discussing patrol routes, defensive positions, and the logistics of maintaining a heightened state of readiness. When the last of them finally filed out, only Niven Reid remained. He was Colin's right hand, the one man who could speak freely without fear of retribution.

Niven poured himself a measure of dram from the bottle on Colin's desk and settled back in his chair. "So," he said without preamble, "what are ye going tae dae now that ye have the lass?"

Colin's jaw tightened slightly. "What dae ye mean?"

"I mean," Niven said dryly, "dae ye still think this marriage arrangement will benefit the clan? Because from where I'm sitting, it's brought war tae our doorstep before the wedding's even taken place."

"Fraser would have found an excuse eventually," Colin replied, moving to pour his own drink. "He's been looking fer a reason tae move against us since his faither died. The marriage just gave him one."

"Aye, but now we're committed tae protecting nae just our own lands, but the MacDuff alliance as well. That's a heavy burden fer a clan that's already stretched thin."

Colin turned to face his oldest friend, his expression unreadable. "In time, Niven, this arrangement will prove tae be exactly what we need. The MacDuff dowry will help us rebuild our defenses, and their alliance will give us the strength tae crush Fraser once and fer all."

"And the lass herself?" Niven asked quietly. "Did she seem... willing when she arrived?"

Colin's mouth curved in what might have been a smile. "Nae. She certainly wasnae."

"That could be a problem."

"Or," Colin said, taking a sip of dram, "it could be exactly what this clan needs."