“Zara, I had an incredible night with Lance.” Coira strolled the courtyard with Zara at her side. The day was bright and sunny, and she felt happier than ever before.

“Well, I should hope so,” said the old gypsy. “After all, it was your wedding night. Was he gentle and did he treat you right?”

Sweetcakes walked at her side. The dog’s fur was still wet so Coira wanted it to dry in the sun. She reached down and petted the dog on the head, smiling as she answered Zara. “Oh, aye. He was very lovin’ and carin’. I was frightened before, but now I feel safe when I am around him.”

“As it should be,” answered Zara.

“Coira!” Lance flagged her down from across the courtyard, dodging several servants and knights as he hurried over to her. Sweetcakes barked and jumped up to greet him. He quickly touched the dog on the head and then put his arm around Coira. “I’m glad you’re here. I wanted to take a walk with you and show you around the castle.”

Suddenly, Coira’s mood changed. She couldn’t help remembering the time she had spent here six years ago as a prisoner. She no longer wanted to go anywhere and found herself with the urge to flee the courtyard.

“I dinna care to see the castle,” Coira announced.

“Why not?” asked Lance.

Coira’s eyes interlocked with Zara’s. Zara nodded, coaxing her to tell Lance her past experiences at Liddel Castle, but she couldn’t. Not yet. Not here. She had been so happy this morning and refused to go back to that dark place in her mind where she felt she could never escape. “I suppose a short walk would be all right. Where did ye have in mind to go?”

Zara threw her a scolding look and excused herself, leaving Coira and Lance alone.

“I have another present for you, Coira.” He took her hands in his, smiling at her and making her forget her surroundings. All that mattered when she was with Lance was that they were together. He was her husband, and she decided she liked the idea.

“Another present?” she asked. “But ye already gave me the dog.”

Sweetcakes barked and led the way as Lance guided her toward the side of the castle.

“I was going to end here, but I am too excited to show you. So, I will start here instead.” He opened a small, wooden gate and led her into a garden just off the kitchen. It was overgrown and had lots of weeds but, to her surprise, there were also beautiful flowers blooming.

“It’s a garden,” she said, reaching out to touch the soft petals of one red rose.

“It’s not just a garden, but it is your garden, Coira. From now on, you can do whatever you want with it. If you want the servants to plant herbs or, mayhap, more flowers, it is your decision.”

“Oh, I love it,” she said, feeling very special. “But I dinna want servants to work in the garden. I want to do it myself.”

“Coira, you are a lady now, and should be spending your time sewing in the ladies solar, or perhaps learning about the ledgers.”

“I will do all that in time,” she said, going from one flower to the next, sniffing them all. “But for now, I want to work in my garden.”

“It’s very overgrown and will require a lot of work,” he told her. “You will need help. You can’t do it by yourself.”

“Then I’ll have Zara help me,” she said, the smile returning to her face. This was one place she’d never seen in the time she’d spent at Liddel Castle. Then again, the only part she knew well was the courtyard where she spent most of her time locked in a hanging cage. This place was different. Instead of being surrounded by dark memories and death, there was new life here. Yes, this is where she wanted to spend most of her time.

The dog sniffed around the garden, then saw a squirrel and took off chasing it.

“Sweetcakes,” she called out, running after the hound. “Come here, ye curious, little hound.” She exited the garden and ran to the back of the castle, chasing the dog. But she stopped dead in her tracks when she turned a corner and bumped into something she didn’t expect to see. She screamed, looking at the cage on the ground that had once been her prison. Next to it was a second cage – the one that had been occupied by her sister, Effie.

“Coira, what’s the matter?”

She turned around and barreled into Lance, hiding her head against his chest. Perhaps by blocking the cage from her sight, she could forget the awful memories as well.

“You are trembling,” he said, running a soothing hand down her back. “Did something scare you?”

Lance didn’t understand how Coira could go from being happy to being frightened out of her mind so quickly. He heard someone approach and looked over his shoulder and moaned when Philip joined them.

“So, is this your bride, Nephew?” asked Philip. “She’s a skittish little thing, isn’t she?”

Coira looked up, and when she saw Philip, she gasped. She gripped Lance’s arm, squeezing so tightly he swore her knuckles turned white.

“Coira, I’d like you to meet my uncle, Sir Philip de Selby of Sussex.”

“What’s the matter?” asked Philip. “You seem startled.”

“Ye remind me of someone,” she said, her body still shaking.

Philip chuckled. “Oh, perhaps it’s because I once had a twin brother. His name was –”

“Lord Ralston the Bold,” Coira recited through gritted teeth. Her eyes narrowed as she perused Philip.

“Coira, did you know my late uncle?” asked Lance. “I had no idea.”

“Well, Lady Coira, perhaps we can get better acquainted over a goblet of wine,” suggested Philip.

“Nay. I’m sorry, but I’m feelin’ ill. Please excuse me.” Coira broke away from Lance and ran toward the keep with the hound following her.

“I wonder what’s the matter with her?” asked Lance. “She acted like she’d seen a ghost.”

Philip chuckled deeply. “Perhaps, in a way, she has.”

The door banged open and hit the wall as Coira bolted into Zara’s chamber.

“What is it, Child?” Zara stared at her as if she thought Coira had gone crazy. “You look like a scared rabbit being chased by a hound.” The dog ran in after her, almost as if to prove Zara’s words right.

“It was awful,” she cried. Tears formed in her eyes. “I saw the cages, Zara. They are still here.”

Zara headed across the room, putting her arm around Coira. “Sit down,” she said, leading her to the bed. Once Coira sat, Zara continued. “Now take a deep breath and release it.”

“Zara, I canna do that. My body is still shakin’. And to make matters worse, I saw the twin brathair of Lord Ralston.”

“Lord Ralston? Who is he?” Zara sat next to her and rubbed Coira’s back to calm her.

“He’s the man who – who – kept Effie and me as prisoners in the cages because he wanted the Stone of Scone.” She buried her face in her hands and cried.

“Shhhh,” said Zara. “You need to calm down.”

“Aye. I agree.” Lance stood in the doorway with his hands on his hips. In a few long strides, he was across the room. “Wife, I think you have some explaining to do.”

“Lord Lance, she is very upset. Please be gentle with her,” scolded Zara.

“Coira.” Lance reached out and lifted her chin. “Look at me,” he commanded. She looked up, biting her lip and trying not to cry. “Zara, will you leave us, please?” he asked.

Zara left the room grumbling and closed the door.

Lance sat down next to Coira and lifted her chin again. “Shhh,” he said, using his thumb to wipe away a tear. “I don’t like to see you so upset. Why don’t you tell me what’s troubling you?”

“It’s the cages. And Sir Philip.”

“What? My uncle? What has he done to make you cry?”

“Nothin’. No’ him. It was his twin brathair, Lord Ralston the Bold.”

“You knew him?” Lance put his arm around her and pulled her to his chest.

“H-he kept me prisoner, hangin’ in the cage along with my sister.”

“What did you say?” Lance held Coira at arm’s length and studied her face. Had she just said what he thought she said? “Coira, tell me this isn’t true.”

“It is,” she said, wiping away a tear. “It was horrible.”

“Why would my uncle have done such an awful thing?”

“He wanted to find the Stone of Scone, or Stone of Destiny as it’s called. Effie stole it from the Scots to give to the English for my release.”

Lance’s ears perked up at this. The last thing he wanted to do was to use Coira’s hardships to his advantage. But his uncle told him if he wanted to keep the castle, he had to find out where they hid the stone. It was only a stone, so why should the Scots care about it so much?

“Coira, you’re shaking. You need to calm down. I am sorry that happened. I didn’t know about it. I suppose that is why you seemed apprehensive to come to Liddel Castle.”

“It holds a lot of bad memories for me, Lance.”

“Shhh,” he said, brushing back her hair and kissing the top of her head. “Those memories are in the past. It’s all over now. I am going to make sure those thoughts never bother you again. I will get rid of the cages anon.”

“And what about Sir Philip?” asked Coira. “Can ye please have him leave as well? I canna live here if I am goin’ to be seein’ him. His presence reminds me too much of what happened in the past.”

Lance realized it wasn’t going to be easy to get rid of Philip. The only way to make him go was to find out where the Scots hid the stone. He didn’t like this at all but had to do it. “Coira, where did the Scots hide the stone?”

Coira wiped her tears. “Well, Aidan had it back at the MacKeefe camp and used it as his pillow.”

That was easier than he thought. Lance would have his information and be able to send Philip on his way after all. “So that’s where it is, then?”

“Nay, no’ anymore.”

“What do you mean? Did they move it?”

“After it was stolen, Aidan stole it back and buried it where the River Annan and the Evan Waters meet. But I’m no’ supposed to tell anyone because it is a secret.”

“In the river,” he repeated, knowing that he had his answer. Now, he just had to tell Philip, and then Liddel Castle would be his to keep.