Page 26 of The Rightful Highland King (The Last Celtic King #4)

Chapter Fifteen

Elspeth smiled weakly as Neala entered the room with two wine goblets in her hands.

In the two days since the carriage had arrived, this was the first time the two women had had a chance to just sit together and talk.

McNair Castle had been abuzz, most of the focus on ensuring that Ann was taken care of and making sure that the news of Morag's freedom reached the ears of the White Sparrows.

Maeve and Eoin, both friends of Ann, had been frantic about her state, but all of that had paled in comparison to Ferda, who had not left the young Sparrow's side in the healer's rooms since the arrival.

Morag had spent a lot of time with Neala and Cailean together, weeping with joy at their reunion and begging their forgiveness for separating them.

Neala had told her there was nothing to forgive.

She wasn't sure she agreed with Morag's decisions, but she understood where they had come from, and there was no accounting for choices made in war.

Cailean had been and was still captivated by Morag, the woman who had once been his second mother, and he had stuck close to her the whole time.

Senan, too, was jubilant to see his old friend, and Ewan and Hamish had taken it upon themselves to spread the news to the rest of the Sparrows and to the people at Bruce Castle.

Elspeth, though, had retired to the room that they had given her and not spoken much to anyone.

Only tonight had Neala found the time to be by herself for long enough to reach out.

Now, she sat at the small table in her friend's room, not sure what she was going to hear.

That first night, Elspeth had wept that Baldric Ashkirk had been captured and would no doubt soon be dead, but Neala hadn't heard the whole story yet.

The silence ticked on, and at long last, Neala spoke. "I never really met Baldric," she said quietly. "Why did ye nae tell me when I arrived at Blackthorn Castle that the king's own nephew was secretly on our side?"

Elspeth smiled sadly, taking a sip of her wine before answering.

Neala noticed that the older woman's hand was shaking.

"He asked me tae keep his secret even from the other Sparrows.

Laura and Morag both kent I had a connection within the king's ranks, but they respected that I couldnae give them his name.

He's been me most loyal friend for the past ten years.

The castle staff used tae talk about the scandal of it—the king's nephew spendin' all his time with a cook a decade his senior!

But he never cared. He thought our work was more important. "

Neala hesitated. She didn't want to upset her friend more, but she had to know. "Was he… was he yer lover?"

Another sip of wine. Then Elspeth shrugged.

Her eyes brimmed with tears, but she did not cry.

"Does it matter? Lover or nae, he was the person I cared for and trusted most in the world.

I thought that, perhaps, when this was all over, we…

" She stopped and gave her head a sharp shake.

"Never mind. He's gone now. He kent the risks, just as we all do.

But he was brave, and we will remember him. "

Tight sorrow squeezed at Neala's heart. She hadn't known the man, but she could tell that Elspeth had loved him dearly, and her friend's pain was her own. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Elspeth wiped under her eyes. "Me, as well." She shook her head. "Baldric was the one who helped me save yer prince. All the rebels here ken that Ansel Ashkirk is alive now, of course, but dinnae fear. I havenae told them how he survived the poison, and I willnae."

Neala's heart crushed even tighter as though a fist was closing around it. "Were he and Ansel… close?"

"Close as brothers, if Baldric spoke truly," Elspeth replied tiredly. "He always thought he could one day turn the prince tae the light. Perhaps, had he lived, it would have been possible. But now…"

"I believe that too," Neala said, her voice shaking.

It was the first time she'd said it out loud.

"I believe there's good in his heart, Elspeth.

He let me go, did he nae? And now he's freed his father's most valuable prisoners.

This wasnae just Baldric's plan. Ansel wrote tae me tae tell me ye were comin', though I didnae ken what it meant. "

Elspeth's smile was both knowing and sad.

"Ye saved his life. The lad has some honor, unlike his father.

Nae doubt he was returnin' the favor. But, Neala, he is faithful tae the False King.

Did ye ken that he was flogged for losin' Nessa at his father's own hand?

Even without the poison, he was sufferin' greatly that night.

Baldric said it wasnae the first time. And yet he still willingly serves him. "

Neala shook her head vigorously. "It's nae just that he let ye all go, or that he sent me home. The doll—the wee toy soldier that Morag returned tae Cailean—I dropped it before I fled. Ansel must have picked it up. Ansel was the one who returned it home. It was a message tae us, a message tae me. "

"Or it was a goodbye," Elspeth replied. She reached over and took Neala's hand. "If he wanted tae turn, he could have escaped with us. He wasnae a spy like Baldric. He could have just fled."

"But—"

"And besides, it has been many days since we escaped, and two since we arrived.

By now, Baldric will be—" Elspeth cut herself off, her voice cracking.

A tear ran down her face, but she didn't wipe it away.

"He'll be gone. Ansel is still there. I believe ye when ye tell me there may be good in the lad somewhere, but it isnae strong enough.

There's nothin' we can do for him, nothin' ye can do.

He's made his choice. And ye made yer own a long, long time ago. "

Neala nodded, picking up her goblet. But as she sipped her wine, she couldn't help but think that the story wasn't over. Not yet.

The world seemed to tilt on its axis over the next three months.

Nessa had watched in fascination as, since the moment the Sparrows had arrived at McNair Castle, each day seemed to bring more transformation toward a brighter Scotland than she'd ever expected to know.

As news of the king's execution of his own nephew had spread, many of the clan lairds who had been undecided finally committed themselves to the war on the side of the rebellion.

The cloud had lifted from the eyes of many, and they at last saw the tyrannical False King as he truly was.

Many were still on the side of the False King, of course, and there was still a war to win, but many now saw the hope of the rebellion as a beacon of certainty.

Inspired, the people of the McKenzie clan had risen up against Chief Murtagh, and he had fallen.

Now, Darren's cousin Fergus ruled the McKenzie land alongside his wife, Sorcha, and her aunt, Lady Flora.

It was another strong alliance, another promise of a Scotland full of connections and love.

The open declaration of the McKenzie clan to the rebel cause under their new Laird had caused a new wave of fury from the False King, and the fighting had increased.

Morag had returned to the Sparrows, taking Elspeth with her, though they would return in a few weeks to discuss the final attack.

With all the new alliances that Cailean had built, the time was coming closer and closer for the siege of Blackthorn Castle that would determine the outcome of the war for good.

Nessa still hardly believed that they had reached this point, but every new ally and every new declaration made it clearer and clearer to her that her understanding of the world had been wrong for longer than she could have believed.

On the other hand, though, Ashkirk war camps were springing up all over the country, and there was news of raids and attacks every other day.

People were still fighting and dying—but now they fought with more determination than before. Now they fought with hope.

Breana was starting to show the first physical signs of her pregnancy, and despite her careful attempts to resist it, Nessa found herself caught up in the excitement.

Things were still a little awkward between Maeve and Nessa, but Breana had embraced her younger sister openly, and they'd found a closeness that Nessa had never expected to have with one of her sisters.

She had just left Breana's rooms after a long discussion about potential baby names and was walking along the hallways with a smile on her face.

"Nessa? Can I have a word?"

Nessa blinked, surprised, as Maeve's voice cut into her daydreaming. Her sister was walking toward her along the corridor, but Nessa hadn't even noticed until she spoke. "I… I was just leavin' Breana's rooms. She's still in there if ye?—"

"Nay. I wish tae talk with ye, if ye dinnae mind," Maeve replied. Something uncertain shone in her dark eyes, and with a shock, Nessa realized what it was. Maeve seemed almost nervous. Nessa didn't think she'd ever seen uncertainty on that face before, and it made her feel a little shaken as well.

"Alone?" she asked, a little prickly as her defenses raised. "Why would ye want—what I mean is, we've nae been alone together all these months. Have I done somethin' new tae offend ye? Am I tae be scolded?"

Maeve scowled, looking ready to snap back.

Then she let out a breath and sighed. "Nay.

I should–I should have approached ye sooner.

Ye are me younger sister, after all. And Breana and Darren both seem so certain ye've been changin'.

I was just so afraid that I'd find out they were wrong, and—" She stopped, shaking her head.

"I dinnae ken how tae talk tae ye without fightin', Nessa.

Will ye let me try? Will ye walk with me? "