EPILOGUE
November 1524
Eilean Donan was stunning with snow dusting the mountaintops and a rare winter sun shimmering on the lochs surrounding the castle. When the gates were opened wide to admit the MacKenzie chieftain and his family, Sybil exchanged a smile with Rory. How things had changed since the first time he brought her here.
The Macrae guard who had warned Rory to escape that day stood at the front of the household gathered in the courtyard to welcome them. He now served as constable of the castle for Rory.
Kenneth hopped down from his horse and held out his arms for his baby sister. “Let me take wee Agnes while Da helps you down.”
Kenneth was more like his father every day. Sybil wondered if her daughter would ever know how lucky she was to have an older brother who would always look out for her.
They planned to stay through Yuletide and expected a large gathering. Malcolm, Grizel and their enormous extended family would join them, as well as Catriona and her husband. Once Rory saw how happy his sister was and that Munro was utterly devoted to her, the two men had formed a close friendship. In fact, they had been appointed as the crown’s joint lieutenants of Western Ross responsible for containing the threat from the MacDonalds. Though the MacDonalds were relatively quiet at the moment, Rory and the Munro were here to ensure that they remained that way.
Before going up to their chamber, she and Rory stopped in the castle’s small chapel to say a prayer at Brian’s tomb. Rory had finally made peace with his brother’s death after Lovat used his connections to have Brian’s head returned from Edinburgh. In the end, Rory and his sister and brother decided to bury Brian here in the beauty of Eilean Donan, where he had spent much of his life.
A short time later, Sybil and Rory were settling into the laird’s chamber when a maidservant appeared at the door.
“A priest left this for Lady Sybil a few days ago,” the woman said and handed a letter to Rory, as Sybil was holding the baby.
Alex was able on occasion to have letters from her Douglas family in the Lowlands carried in secret by priests, but this was the first one she had received in months. Sybil kissed Agnes, who had fallen asleep, and laid her in the cradle beside the bed.
“It’s from your sister Alison,” Rory said and held it out to her.
Though Rory could read fairly well now—he’d asked her to teach him—he knew Sybil would want to hold her sister’s letter in her hands and read the familiar script herself. She tore it open and began reading.
“She and David have yet another babe!” she said.
Alison’s letter was filled with amusing stories about the children and fairly glowed each time she mentioned her husband David. The feared Beast of Wedderburn was a doting husband and father. Sybil read the next part aloud.
Our brothers and uncle have returned. Archie has the backing of his brother-in-law, the English king, and his titles and properties have been restored. Archie, of course, assumed his wife would follow his and her brother’s command to welcome him back, but when he approached Stirling Castle, the queen had the cannons fired on him. That was amusing, but I fear he has learned nothing from his last fall.
“She closes by asking for our prayers for Margaret.”
Sybil wiped away a tear. When the men of their family fled, Sybil thought she was the one in greatest danger. As things turned out, she found love and happiness beyond her hopes, and it was dear Margaret who had suffered most.
“With your brother on the rise again,” Rory said, “it may soon be safe for ye to visit your family.”
“My family is here,” she said, resting her palm against his check. “I hope one day my sisters and cousin Lizzie can visit us, but I’ll not travel to the Lowlands and risk my brother dragging us into his conflicts.”
“This time, Archie may very well end up ruling Scotland in his stepson’s name,” Rory said. “Ye don’t mind missing all that?”
“The only good the men of my family ever did for me was gamble me away to a wild Highland warrior.”
Rory laughed and pulled her into his arms. “The luckiest day of my life was when I claimed a bride that wasn’t mine.”
Sybil looked up at the man she loved and trusted with all her heart. She knew that no matter what lay ahead, Rory would always be at her side.
“Close the door,” she whispered, “and claim me again, Highlander.”
THE END