Sir Lance de Selby didn’t expect this threatening reception when he entered the Horn and Hoof. After all, he was the groom! Supposedly, this was a neutral place to meet, but he was getting the idea that perhaps the Scots had lured him into a trap. He didn’t know any of them personally, except for the chieftain, Storm MacKeefe. Storm was the one who set up the alliance in the first place. Unfortunately, Lance didn’t see him anywhere.

“Tell yer men to drop their weapons,” said the Scot with the two different colored eyes that reminded Lance of the devil.

“Not until you do the same.” He kept his focus on the Scots with their weapons drawn.

“Let me through,” said a man that Lance was relieved to see. Storm MacKeefe made his way down the stairs and through the crowd.

“Laird Storm MacKeefe,” said Lance. “I would clasp your hand, but I’m afraid to even nod because of the blades pressed up against my throat.”

“Lower yer weapons. All of ye,” said Storm, nodding to the rest of the Scots. “After all, this man is the groom just like he says.”

The men lowered their swords.

“Sir Lance, I’d like ye to meet Onyx, Aidan, and Ian.” Storm introduced Lance to the men who had just held swords to his throat.

“Forgive me if I just nod,” said Lance, not wanting to get too close.

“Grandda, bring some Mountain Magic for our guests,” Storm called out.

Lance scoped the area, still playing it cautious. He didn’t like being so far north. His small traveling party of knights and soldiers would never have a chance against so many Scots. All he wanted to do was to collect his bride and get out.

“Here’s some of the best drink ye’ll ever taste.” An old man made his way through the crowd with two tankards in his hand. He gave one to Storm and the other to Lance.

“Sir Lance, this is my grandda, Callum MacKeefe,” Storm told him. “He is the proprietor of the Horn and Hoof. Everyone, please toast to the bride and groom.” Storm raised his cup in the air.

“Mountain Magic for everyone,” called out Callum in a crackly, old voice. The people all cheered and grabbed tankards from the trays of passing serving boys.

“I must warn ye,” said Storm. “Take it slow because my grandda’s Mountain Magic is probably stronger whisky than ye’re used to.”

Lance heard the Scots sniggering from behind him and didn’t want to be the brunt of any joke. “I’ve had my share of whisky in my life, MacKeefe. I assure you, I can handle anything you throw at me.” Even more laughing followed his statement.

Just to prove his point in front of the Scots, as well as his new bride, Lance raised the tankard to his mouth and drank down the contents in several gulps. Instantly, he felt the fires of hell burning a hole in his gut. He coughed and bent over gripping his stomach. The empty cup dangled from his fingers.

Coira watched in horror as the unsuspecting guest downed the fiery potion too fast. Her mouth dropped open, and her heart went out to the naive man. Mountain Magic was so strong that she’d heard the story about how, at one time, it knocked Storm MacKeefe unconscious for days. It took a long time to get used to it. And no woman, except for Kyla, could even drink the potent brew.

“Storm warned ye,” said Onyx with a chuckle, taking a drink. “It’s no’ for the faint of heart.”

“That’s right,” said Ian, slapping Onyx on the back, gripping his tankard in his other hand. “After all, Dagger should ken more than anyone how strong the brew is. It knocked him on his arse, and people thought he died on his twentieth birthday.”

“I had twenty drams of it,” Onyx reminded him.

“Ye were flat on yer arse, so dinna deny it,” Aidan said with a chuckle.

“Och, stop all yer fussin’, ye three.” Kyla walked up, pushing her small body between the three big, burly Highlanders. “Ian, give me some of yer Mountain Magic. I’m parched.” She ripped the tankard out of his hand and downed the entire contents before handing the cup back to him. “Coira, are ye no’ goin to come over and meet yer husband-to-be?”

“You – you just drank that entire cup of . . . Mountain Magic?” Lance staggered a little and shook his head in disbelief. The potent brew was already making him dizzy. This girl was a small thing but yet acted as if she drank naught but water.

“I did,” she said. “I’ve been drinkin’ it with my brathair and these two since I was a wee lass.” She thunked her palms against Onyx and Ian’s chests.

“Excuse me, Chieftain,” said the priest, pushing his way to the front of the crowd. “It is gettin’ late, and I have another weddin’ early in the mornin’. Can we proceed with the ceremony now that the groom has finally arrived?”

“Aye. Everyone gather around,” said Storm. “It’s time for a weddin’.”

“I’ve never heard of a – a wedding in a tavern,” complained Lance. He blinked quite a few times and his words sounded a little slurred. It made Coira wonder if the Mountain Magic had affected him, but he was trying to act like it didn’t.

“This is where I got betrothed to my wife, Wren.” Storm called his wife to his side, putting his arm around her. “Isna that right, Wren? This place is special to us.”

“I suppose it is, in a way,” said Wren. “Coira, please, come join Sir Lance. It is time.”

“Effie,” said Coira, turning back to her sister. “I canna do this.” Panic filled her, and she felt as if she would swoon.

“Ye’ve got to, Coira.” Effie rubbed Coira’s back. “Come, let’s join them.” Effie led her forward, stopping next to Sir Lance.

“So . . . you are my – my . . .” Lance seemed to stop and think, not able to find the word he was looking for.

“She’s yer bride,” said Effie, pushing her forward.

“I’m sorry I’m not dressed for the occasion,” said Lance, brushing some dirt from his tunic.

“Aye, why are ye all dirty?” asked Aidan.

“And what took ye so long to get here?” added Ian, looking out for Coira as if she were his sister.

Lance took a step backward, trying to focus on the MadMen. “I’d be happy to tell you where I was. I was attaining a new castle for my bride.”

“Really,” said Storm. “Did ye lay siege to the castle?”

“Nay.” Lance shook his head. “I inherited it. We were cleaning it and getting it ready for my new wife.”

“See that,” whispered Effie. “He has secured a castle for yer weddin’.”

“Which castle?” asked Onyx curiously.

“Where is it?” Aidan chimed in.

“How big?” rattled off Ian.

“My laird, can we go ahead with the ceremony and talk about this later?” the priest asked Storm.

“Of course. Go ahead.” Storm nodded.

Coira’s head spun. Being in such a frenzy that this was happening to her, she barely remembered saying her vows. But before she knew it, the priest pronounced them married and Lance pulled her into his arms and slobbered a big kiss on her, nearly missing her mouth. Then he took his hand and slapped her on the rear in a playful manner.

Coira jumped back in surprise.

“Such a pretty wife.” Lance winked at her next. He smelled and tasted like Mountain Magic and was acting like a cur. She was sure now he was well in his cups from chugging down the whisky earlier.

“He’s soused,” Coira told her sister, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. Zara came to join them.

“It’ll be fine,” said Effie, trying to calm her. “It is just the whisky makin’ him seem so . . . so . . .”

“Obnoxious?” asked Zara, eying the man up and down. “I don’t like this at all. Coira needs someone to watch out for her when she leaves with him.”

“Yes, I do,” said Coira, looking at Effie.

“Sister, ye ken I canna come with ye,” protested Effie. “I have a husband and children and a bairn on the way.” She touched her stomach.

“I suppose no’.” Coira hung her head.

“She might not be able to leave, but I can come with you, Coira,” suggested Zara.

“Would ye?” Coira looked up excitedly. “Zara, if ye were there with me, I am sure I would feel better about this whole situation.”

“Let’s go, Wife,” said Lance, putting his arm around Coira. If she wasn’t mistaken, it felt like he was using her to help him stand.

“I have a room here at the Horn and Hoof for ye and Coira to stay on yer weddin’ night,” offered Storm.

“Nay, but thank you just the same, Torm – Sorm – Storm!”

“Storm, I will be leaving with them, going along to serve as Coira’s handmaid if you don’t mind,” said Zara.

“I dinna mind if Sir de Selby doesna,” Storm answered.

“Fine, come along then,” he said, his eyes closing slightly. “Squire, where the hell are you?”

“I’m here my lord.” A young man about the same age as Coira ran up and stopped at Lance’s side.

“This is my quire, Jack,” said Lance.

“Squire. He meant to say squire,” said Jack, looking at his lord from the side of his eyes.

“So, Bride. Are you ready to head out to your new castle? I think you are going to like it. And the best part is that it’s on the border and you’ll still be living in Scotland after all.”

“Oh, I’d like that,” said Coira, feeling relieved to hear this.

“Where is the castle?” asked Effie. “What is it called?”

“I get a bad feeling about this,” mumbled Zara, shoving her deck of cards into her oversized travel bag that she slung over her shoulder.

“Oh, didn’t I tell you?” said Lance, smiling like a fool. “It is a castle that you are never going to forget. It’s called Liddel Castle. Have you heard of it before?”

Coira’s heart about stopped and a shiver ran up her spine. “L-Liddel Castle?” she asked, hoping she had misheard her new husband. After all, it couldn’t be the same castle where she was kept prisoner and almost died hanging in a cage.

“She’s heard of it, and she’s no’ goin’,” spat Effie, coming to her rescue.

“Effie,” warned Aidan. “Ye canna say that. Coira is the man’s wife now, and she has to go.”

“That’s right,” added Storm. “We made an alliance.”

“But no one told me where I’d be livin’.” Coira wished this was all naught but a dream.

“We didna ken about this,” Storm told her.

“No one did,” Lance added. “I just found out myself how lucky I was to have inherited it from my late Uncle Ralston.”

“Lord Ralston?” Coira’s blood froze in her veins remembering the man who had been her captor.

“Aye, did you know him?” asked Lance. “Lord Ralston the Bold, he was called.”

“Aye, we kent him though I wish we could say we didna.” Effie glared at him through narrowed eyes.

“Oh, I think I am feeling a bit ill.” Lance pounded his fist against his chest. “Perhaps, it was too much whisky on an empty stomach. Squire, load my wife’s things as well as her dowry into the back of the wagon.”

“Aye, milord,” said Jack.

“I think I will ride in the wagon so that I can hold my wife in my arms.”

“More like so ye dinna pass out,” Effie mumbled under her breath.

“Effie,” said Zara, shooting her a look of warning.

“Effie, do somethin’, please,” begged Coira. “I canna go back to Liddel Castle. If I do, I will die.”

“You haven’t got a choice,” Zara told her. “But don’t worry, Coira, I will be there with you.”

“Come, Nora,” said Lance, putting one heavy arm over Coira’s shoulder while he headed to the door.

“My name is Coira,” she told him under her breath, glancing back in desperation once more, wondering how she had gotten into such an awful mess.