Jain woke up with the sunrise.

Her body was sore from laying on the hard earth and left her aching all over. She hadn’t slept well with the looming danger of a Viking attack still present in her mind. To make things worse, her tossing and turning in the night had knotted her hair into an unruly mess. When she sat up, blinking a couple times, she saw Moira fussing in the kitchen and starting on the morning meal. “Good morrow, Mam.”

Moira glanced over at her with a smile. “Good morrow, love. Yer da just went out to get some eggs.”

Jain groaned. She rolled her neck to relieve the ache and asked, “Do ye need me to go and fetch him?”

“Nae, he’ll be fine.”

Jain stood up and walked over to the stove where her mother was fussing with cooking and kissed her on the cheek. A few moments later, Eamon returned with a basket of eggs and set them on the table. Nora and Aileen woke up and helped with breaking the fast. Aileen’s cough was barely noticeable, thanks to the day of rest, and fresh color has risen to her cheeks.

As they sat down at the table, there was a knock at the door and Jain turned to it reflexively. “Who could that be?”

She went to answer it and found Rodrick standing there with a bouquet of wild flowers in his hand. Her eyes widened at the unexpected visit and said, “Oh, good morrow—”

“Rodrick!” Aileen called out behind her. “What are ye doing here?”

Jain held the door open for him to come and visit her cousin. “I heard ye weren’t feeling well,” he muttered. “I thought some flowers would brighten the room a bit.”

Nora stood up and took the flowers from him while Aileen blushed behind her with a giant grin spread across her face. “Thank ye, lad. I’m sure they will.”

“Forgive me, Nora. I dinnae realize ye were back already. Please forgive my rudeness in interrupting yer time with yer daughter. I’ll leave these with ye and go.”

Rodrick turned to leave when Nora stopped him suddenly. “Rodrick…”

“Aye, Lady Nora?”

“Thank ye. I’ll send word as soon as we’ve got her back in our home and well. Ye can stop by any time.”

Jain tried to hide her smile as Rodrick beamed at her with gratitude. He bowed his head and walked out the door, disappearing into the grass outside. Jain shut the door behind him and watched her aunt sniff appreciatively at the fragrant blossoms. “Well, I best be getting these in some water before they wilt,” she said.

Aileen let out a dreamy sigh, watching her mother find a vase as she poked at the remnants of her breakfast.

With their unexpected visitor gone, Jain came back to the table and sat down beside her in an empty chair. A few minutes later Nora came back with the flowers and vase in hand and set them on the table.

The meal was pleasant and lively with conversation before Aileen got up and gathered her few belongings. Now that her mam was back she could go home and rest up properly. It was sad in a way because Jain truly enjoyed her company and would miss seeing her every day.

They hugged on the grass while Eamon hitched Pepper to the wagon again. After they climbed onto the cart, Aileen waved goodbye to them, still bundled in her winter blanket and cloak.

Jain sighed with a heavy heart, watching them leave. Eamon patted her on the shoulder and went back inside.

It was a long morning after that, and Jain had a lot on her mind. With Aileen gone, and nothing else to distract her from her troubles, she felt even more compelled to go see Alan –especially with the revelations from the night before. Things had changed between them once again now that he understood her heritage. Jain could only assume he was confused and had a lot of questions.

After the noon meal was finished she set off toward the village to seek him out. On the way she thought over what she would say to him when they met. She held up her skirts while wandering down the dirt path that lead into the village. A cool mist had settled across the hills like an autumn blanket and covered everything in a milky fog. All around her the trees had changed their color into various hues of orange, brown and yellow. 

She continued on the path and her eyes caught sight of a figure on the road ahead. When she approached the winding hill, Jain suddenly realized it was Alan headed in her direction. She bit into her smile as he stopped in front of her and they stood there face to face.

“Good morrow, Jain.”

“Good morrow. I was just on my way to see ye,” she responded. “I wanted to thank ye fer the other day, handling Conrad like that. I never expected him to come by yer shop…I’m so sorry.”

Alan chuckled, looking back at her with a crooked smile. “Fer ye, Jain, it was a pleasure. It’s just a shame Conrad showed up when we were having such a lovely conversation.”

Jain’s cheeks went red at the memory of their almost kiss and how Conrad had burst into the shop at the most inopportune time. Her eyes drifted over to Alan’s mouth, and the perfect shape they made when he was speaking. Alan took a step towards her and placed his hand against her cheek.

When she felt the warmth of his palm on the side of her face, Jain closed her eyes and sighed. He was so close to her Jain could feel his breath against her skin. For a long time neither of them spoke, just savoring the touch for as long as possible until someone else discovered them.

Jain opened her eyes when she felt his thumb brush across her lips and they parted slightly.

“Should we talk about what happened?” he asked her quietly.

She chuckled. “Which part? There was a lot that happened. Should we discuss how ye told him we’re engaged even though we aren’t?”

She felt her stomach drop, remembering her confession about the brooch. Alan knew the truth – there were no more secrets between them. Jain cleared her throat uncomfortably and her eyes misted. “Alan, I’m so sorry. I should have told ye about my past, but I was scared ye wouldn’t understand.”

Alan smiled, leaning in to kiss her on the forehead, saying, “My sweet Jain, nothing could ever change the way I feel fer ye.”

Jain laughed through a gargled sob and wiped away some tears with the sleeve of her tunic. “What do we do now?”

He chuckled and said, “Well, I’ve been thinking about that a lot actually. I spoke with yer da last night after the meeting.”

“Aye, he told me.”

“Did he also tell ye that I asked fer yer hand?”

“He did.”

“In fact, what he said was I had permission to ask, but that I’d have to win yer heart myself.”

Jain laughed, growing ever closer. Alan reached out and placed his other hand on the curve of her waist. “Aye, that sounds like him.”

“Ye should ken then, Jain, that I take it as a challenge. I will never be happy until I’m sure yer heart is mine and ye consent to be my wife.”

Her breathing grew ragged as he came in closer and she could feel his heady scent envelope her completely. “Alan Gillies, my heart already belonged to ye before ye even asked.”

A glorious smile broke out across his face. He looked her in the eyes and said, “Does that mean what I think?”

“That depends. Are ye asking me?”

His brown eyes were smoldering as he cradled her face in his hands. “Jain, ye’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. I never want to spend a single day without ye. It would be my greatest honor and privilege if ye would agree to marry me. Would ye have me as yer husband?”

Jain’s heart was beating wildly. She nodded weakly, saying, “Aye, I would take ye fer my husband, Alan Gillies. Ye’re everything I ever wanted. I cannae imagine a better life than the one I would spend next to ye as yer wife.” 

Her breath caught as they came together slowly, easing into one another. His lips were on her suddenly, gently parted when they kissed. Jain closed her eyes and leaned into it, easing her hands up around his neck and knotting them in Alan’s hair.

Alan groaned into her mouth and slid one of his hands down along the length of her body, pressing himself against her. Their kisses became more passionate and the two of them made their way over to a tree, hitching her skirts up on her thigh.

“Oh, Jain…” he breathed out raggedly. “I love ye so much.”

Jain couldn’t even respond even though she wanted to. Her head was reeling from the feel of his skin against her and the elated sighs that escaped her lips. Everything else was gone, it was only him.

His lips trailed down her neck and across Jain’s collarbone, peppering her skin with kisses. She rolled her head back to give him better access and ran her fingers across his back. All Jain could think about was how she wanted more. Even with his hands and body pressed against her, it still didn’t feel like enough.

“Alan,” she gasped. “Alan, I love ye.”

The minute she said the words his lips came back to her, kissing her on the mouth. His hands wrapped around her body. She met his enthusiasm with equal vigor and it brought a smile to her face thinking that this man would be her husband.

Distracted as they were, Jain would have surely gotten carried away with herself and been lost in the ecstasy had not a horn blared out noisily in the distance. Reluctantly, Alan pulled away from her and they both turned to where the sound had come from. Her lips still burned from the searing heat of his kisses when a rider came galloping up the path. They watched him continue on the road towards Elign, with his banner held high. Jain knew the rider would be headed for the keep, where her father and Uncle Keenan would be engaged with the village council. 

“I think it’s the MacLeod’s,” she murmured. “We have to get to the keep.”

Alan took her by the hand and they ran on the path behind him. They both knew that if Clan MacLeod was requesting aid then something terrible must have happened. Her heart raced with fear, running away fast as her legs could carry her. She didn’t even have time to relish the bliss of their moment before the cruel reality set in.

Their feet pounded against the earth, passing through the village gate. People who had already seen the rider were coming out of their cottages and flooding the streets ahead. Jain had to get to her father in the keep and find out what had happened. Alan seemed to understand the depths of her concern and pushed his way through the crowd to give Jain clearer passage.

When they reached the stone steps at the top of the hill, the rider’s horse was still outside. Alan and Jain glanced at one another before they rushed inside. Down the hall she could hear the Laird talking with him and her panic rose. He glanced up when they came inside and stood with the other council members to come and greet them.

“Uncle Keenan? What’s happened?”

He sighed. “Jain, ye shouldn’t be in here.”

“Please,” she begged him. “We saw the rider on the hills outside.”

Laird Gordon glanced over at Eamon and huffed in exasperation. “The MacLeod’s have been attacked. Two villages in the last week and another this morning. We cannae wait any longer, I’m taking the warriors to defend our border and lend aid to the fallen villages.”

Her eyes grew wide at the confirmation.

“Let me go with ye,” Alan pleaded. “I can fight, ye ken I’d be useful with a sword.”

Keenan nodded. “Aye, that ye would. I appreciate yer help. Duncan, go and collect the warriors at the gate. Bring horses and any weapons we can find.”

“Aye, my laird.”

Duncan bowed and disappeared back down the hall, leaving Jain and Alan in the council room. A new kind of fear raced through her, knowing Alan would be in danger. Men went off to battle all the time, but never the one she loved.

“What about the village? If ye take all the warriors, we’ll be defenseless,” Jain sputtered.

Keenan sighed. “I’ll leave a handful of them behind. While I’m gone yer father will be in charge. He’s the next in line fer chieftain and I trust his judgement.”

“Be careful,” she pleaded.

Keenan nodded, his eyes trailing down to where Jain and Alan were holding hands. “Was there something else ye wanted to discuss?” he asked them with a smile.

She wanted to respond, but the words didn’t come out naturally.

“It can wait,” Alan told him. “The safety of our village comes first.”

The chieftain nodded with approval. “When I can back, Jain, ye and I will have a talk. I’m sure we have many things to discuss.”