Page 25 of The Lost Highland Prince (The Last Celtic King #1)

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Chapter Twenty-Four

When they reached the courtyard, chaos reigned. The rebel army had arrived, Darren at the helm, and though the fighting had not yet begun in earnest, it was clear the dam would break at any moment. In the middle of it all, Cailean saw Darren and Fergus exchanging words with Maeve's friend, Eoin, and it seemed that only this discussion was holding the men back from full-fledged bloodshed.

No more. There would be no more death here tonight.

With a brief look to Maeve, Cailean rushed to climb atop a small stage at the side of the courtyard, no doubt usually used for plays and the like. He needed to be heard and make himself seen. Taking a deep breath, he called out, "Kyle Darach is dead!"

Only those nearest the stage heard him at first, but soon the word spread through the courtyard, and slowly but surely, the noise died down and all the gathered men and women turned toward him. He saw the rebels at the far end, and though his heart swelled with joy to see his family rallied around him, he needed to focus on the Darach men who stood ready to kill.

"Dead?" one of the Darachs called. It was a woman, and Cailean wondered what role she served in the castle. It was clear that these gathered were not all soldiers, but servants, ladies' maids, and more, all here to defend their home. He would have to tread carefully.

He glanced to the side and saw Maeve watching him, encouragement in her eyes. Heartened, he spoke out.

"Dead," he confirmed. "I killed him meself."

Murmuring broke out amongst the crowd, then the soldier who had knelt to him before, a man he now knew to be named Sean Darach, stood up by his side.

"It's true," Sean announced. "Me uncle, our chieftain, lies dead. I saw it with me own eyes."

"Why have ye nae killed this traitor?" someone roared from the crowd. "I'll kill him meself!"

"Traitor I am nae," Cailean announced. "Me name is Cailean McNair, and me father was yer rightful king. One day, I hope tae earn the right tae say the same. Darach was the traitor — Kyle and Malcolm both. Thieves, liars, and murderers. They took everythin', nae just from me but from all of ye as well. Ask yerself, how have ye suffered under their rule? What have they taken from ye — from the whole country?"

The expected whispers started again, but Cailean stood strong, not flinching back from the stares and suspicion and, yes, hope that he felt emanating his way. Maeve had taught him that it was time to stand up and be who he was, who he had to be; to step up and be the king that he had been born to be. No more running away.

"This castle, and the lands around it, will be returned tae the Bruce clan. Kier Bruce is a good, fair man, and he willnae displace anyone who has made a home here, so long as they swear loyalty tae him and tae me," Cailean went on. "We will overthrow the False King and bring Scotland back tae where she once was. Now. Ye may stay, or ye may flee. But if ye can, and if ye wish it, I urge those amongst ye who are warriors tae join me. Join me cause. Help fight back, nae just for yerselves but against the injustices our whole country has faced. Help me save our people, whatever the cost may be."

He expected resistance. Maybe even derision. But what happened instead took his breath away.

One by one, soldiers began to kneel. First a few, then more, and then almost all of the Darach army had knelt before him.

"We're yers, me king," Sean Darach said simply. "If ye'll have us. We're tired of bein' the villains. We want tae save our people, too."

Darren's voice called out over the bowed heads. "Tae the True King!" he cried.

And then, overwhelming Cailean, the rallying echo was picked up by the previous Darach men and the rebels alike.

"The True King! Cailean McNair!"

Cailean felt one of his hands shaking, but he grasped it in his other, determined to stay strong. He wondered how his father and his mother would have felt to see him here now. He thought of his brothers, who had been the ones for whom this role had been meant, and of his sisters, who had been robbed of the chance for any future. He thought of Maeve, strong and beautiful and loving, inspiring him on no matter what, and of the four old mentors who'd made him the man he had to be.

He knew that he would do them proud.

"Stand," he declared. "And let's face the world as one."

* * *

The feast held to celebrate the return of the Bruces to the clan and the return of the rightful king was beyond anything that Maeve had ever witnessed in her life. The castle stores had been raided, and many of the villagers from the castle town had joined them in celebrating the death of the tyrant and the rise of hope, which had been gone from this place for such a long time that many had felt they'd never see it again.

There was dancing, drinking, eating, merrymaking, and singing. The Darrach banners were taken down from the castle that very night, and soon enough, the Bruce colors would hang in their place, along with the sign of the capercaillie signalling the McNairs had truly returned.

Maeve watched from the sidelines, smiling at the little snippets of joy that she saw. Darren, dancing with several women and drinking perhaps more than he could handle. Kier, embracing Cailean and showing more emotion on his gruff face than Maeve had ever seen there as he surveyed a home he'd once thought he'd never return to. Eoin, being welcomed into the brotherhood of rebels with open arms. More faces, more joy, and the flickering flame of hope in so many who had thought it extinguished forever. Maeve knew that she should mingle, get to know people more, and be a part of it all, but for now, she simply couldn't bring herself to leave Breana's side.

"I thought I'd never see ye again," she told her sister for the thousandth time as they stood together, hand in hand, a little to the side of the main events of the feast. "I'm so glad…"

"I'm glad too, and oh so sorry, Maeve. I should have done somethin' to stop ye gettin' married off tae Malcolm Darach in the first place." Breana's eyes were filled with tears. "When Kyle came tae claim me, I… I saw it as a penance."

"A penance!" Maeve demanded, horrified. "Bree, what could ye have done against Father's wishes?"

"I'm the older sister. I could have…"

"Stop that," Maeve told her firmly. "Stop. We both deserved better than what we got from our family. Ye protected me as best as ye could, just as I tried tae protect ye — but we were caught in our circumstances."

"I thought ye were dead," Breana whispered. "Father told us ye were dead. I thought—oh, Maeve, when I saw ye in the castle, I thought for a moment I'd died too. It's bafflin' tae me that we're both standin' here, nae father and nae awful husbands hangin' over us."

"Ha! It would take more than a man like Darach tae kill me," Maeve said in a jovial tone, trying and succeeding to make her sister laugh. After a moment, she got more serious. "In some ways, bein' sold tae Malcolm and bein' able tae escape and build meself anew was the best thing that could have ever happened in me life." She touched Breana's cheek. "And now ye're free, too. Now ye can be anyone ye want tae be."

Breana inhaled sharply. "I have nae idea who I want tae be. I dinnae have any idea who I am."

"Then let's find out. Together," Maeve told her. She smiled. "After all, I never thought I'd be a sword-wieldin' rebel, but look at me now."

That made Breana chuckle again. "I still cannae believe it," she said, shaking her head. "And bein' beside the True King… the prince they told us was long dead…" She looked out over the crowd, toward where Cailean was now talking to Fergus. "I can scarcely believe it."

Maeve heard the wonder in her sister's voice and almost laughed. She knew she would have to get used to this kind of wonder and awe, but to her, more than anything, he was Cailean first and foremost. "Enough about him," she said. "It's been so long since we saw each other — are ye well? Before ye came here, did Father treat ye well?" She paused. "Is… is our sister…?"

"Our sister is as she's always been," Breana told her, a sad look passing behind her kind eyes. "She and father are two of a kind. I tried hard tae help her become a kinder person — tae become someone who she can be proud of. She's our younger sister, and I wanted tae help her like we helped each other. But she never… she never seemed tae care."

Though the words didn't surprise Maeve, they saddened her anyway. "I had hoped…"

"She believes our father is right in what he does, I think. Or she sees how it benefits her and she doesnae seem tae care beyond that." Breana shrugged. "But… Maeve, I think there's more tae her than that. Maybe we can save her, too, still."

"I hope so," Maeve said, and she meant it. She looked at the gathered people, at her family, and her heart ached at the thought of her own sister being on the outside of it. She squeezed Breana's hand. "But for now, we need tae celebrate that we, at least, are together. And nothin' is ever gonnae tear us apart again, I swear it."

Breana smiled, though her eyes were watering. "Is there a place for me here? I'm nae a warrior like ye are. I dinnae ken anythin' about cookin', or healin', or any of it."

"There's a place for everyone here," another voice said, and both women turned to see Cailean had approached them, resting his hand naturally on the small of Maeve's back.

Maeve could not help but smile at his closeness, even as she told him, "Ye're interruptin', ye ken."

"Forgive me," Cailean said, "But I had tae meet yer sister." He bowed his head toward Breana. "Miss O'Sullivan."

Breana blushed slightly. "Yer… yer Majesty," she said awkwardly. "Ye must call me Breana."

He smiled that gentle smile that Maeve had come to adore so much. "I shall, Breana, so long as ye call me Cailean."

"Cailean," Breana repeated. She glanced at how Cailean was still touching Maeve's back and gave her sister a sidelong glance full of questions, but she thankfully didn't say anything yet. Maeve wasn't sure she'd have the answers even if Breana were to ask now. "Well, it's a pleasure tae meet ye, Cailean. I… am nae used tae such a welcome. Did ye mean what ye said?"

"About everyone bein' welcome here?" Cailean asked. "Of course I did. So long as ye support our cause of bringin' freedom back tae our country."

"I do. I've never supported me father, nae more than Maeve did. We just never kent that there was anythin' else that we were capable of, but I see me sister now, and I think… I think maybe there's hope." Breana spoke falteringly, but Maeve could hear that same hope she mentioned in her voice. "But I dinnae want… I want tae find a use. Tae earn me place."

"Ye're Maeve's family, which means ye're our family, if ye want tae be," Cailean told her. "Though I do want one favor from ye."

"Anythin'," Breana said immediately.

"May I steal yer sister away for a dance?" Cailean asked. He turned to look at Maeve and said, "Would ye like tae dance with me?"

"I…" Maeve started, surprised.

"Go on," Breana encouraged, even more of the questions in her eyes, but a smile on her face. "Have fun. I wanted tae meet some others anyway."

Cailean took Maeve's hand, and the two of them headed toward the area that had been cleared for dancing.

"Have fun," Maeve mused. "Have we ever had time tae do that?"

Cailean laughed. "I suppose we havenae. But there's nae better time than the present."

A reel had started when the two of them reached the circle, and they slipped into place quickly, falling into step with the jaunty music. Maeve barely remembered the steps from her lessons as a girl, but her nervousness melted away as Cailean led her through the dance. Every misstep was met with encouraging laughter, and by the time the next song started, Maeve ceased to care about perfection — she was losing herself in the fun.

"Ye dance well," Cailean told her as they moved into place for the next dance.

"I dance terribly," Maeve laughed in response. "But never mind. It's yer feet that'll hurt from me steppin' on them."

"Worth every ache," Cailean told her, and grabbed her hands, swinging her in a circle as the music began again. Maeve shrieked with laughter, and they spun around, lost in each other's arms, simply having fun just as Breana had said. Just as they should have been doing all along.

Other pairs and couples joined the dancing too — Ferda, dancing with one of her young cousins who was tripping over his feet even more than Maeve was, Fergus, awkwardly dancing with a young woman from the healers, and the young cook, Ben, dwarfed and laughing as he swung around with Patty. Darren seemed to be trying to dance with every woman at the party, making everyone laugh with his dramatic flirtations, his easygoing manner adding light to an already high-spirited evening.

"Look," Cailean told her as they stopped once more between songs. Eoin was joining the dancing circle, and he stood opposite Breana, who looked nervous but eager to join in the fun.

Maeve beamed to see Eoin able to keep his spirits up despite how troubled he must have been inside over the death of his father — a loss, but a victory too. She hadn't had a chance to speak to him yet, and she was glad he seemed to be working through it. Breana, too, needed the levity for the first time in her life, and Maeve hoped this was the first step in both of these broken people finding healing amongst the rebels — amongst the family — just as she had.

"Another dance?" Maeve asked.

Cailean hesitated. "We can," he said. "Though, I was thinkin' maybe we could sneak off. Maybe we could have a moment alone. What do ye think?"

"I think…" Maeve said, "That sounds wonderful."

Cailean grabbed her hand, and Maeve let out a little laugh. As the music started up again, they headed off together into the night. Into the future.