Epilogue

Kerry knelt before the small altar in the bedroom. Beside her Callum was muttering a prayer. The abbot stood behind them both.

The day had passed by in a blur. This was the first moment of quiet she’d had to contemplate everything that had happened. She was married. With this final prayer the elaborate wedding ceremony was completed and the abbot would bless their bed before leaving the two of them alone.

They were married. So much had happened since she had first met Callum that she found it hard to believe it had really happened. Part of her thought it might be the cruelest of dreams, that she would wake up back home and all of this would vanish.

She pinched herself discreetly. Nothing happened except her arm hurt. The abbot tapped her on the shoulder. Callum had finished.

The two of them stood up, the abbot smiling as he bowed to the altar before turning to them.

“Forgiveness is a true virtue,” he said. “That you could forgive Edward for what he did to you is astonishing.”

“I forgave him for me, not for him. I will never let him have power over me again.”

“You’re a better person than me,” Callum said. “I still can’t believe he tried to kill you.”

“He remembers nothing of that,” the abbot replied. “He spends his time in the infirmary hearing tales of the MacCleods who are a source of great wonder to him.”

“His memory has not returned then?”

The abbot shook his head. “He believes he has always lived at the abbey. He knows only that he cannot walk and never will again.”

“What does he do at the abbey?”

“He has been writing a saga. I bring you a copy he made himself.”

He handed over a pile of parchment bound inside leather. Kerry opened it and looked at the title. The Saga of Callum MacCleod.

“Edward wrote this?” she said, flicking through the pages. “I can hardly believe it.”

“He is working on the second volume as we speak.”

“I am glad the fall didn’t kill him,” she said to Callum. “Or I would never have read this book nor known anything about you.” She meant it too. She wanted Edward out of her life but she wasn’t sure she would have been able to handle having his death on her conscience.

She had been as surprised as anyone to find out Edward had awoken with no memory of the future or her. He thought he’d been born in the middle ages and accepted his lot at the abbey without argument. By all accounts he was a different person to the man who had tried to attack her in the tower, convinced he’d lived in the highlands all his life. He even had a Scottish accent.

“I will leave you with one piece of advice,” the abbot said, pressing the couple’s hands together. “Your bond is the strongest I have ever seen between two people. I hope you can create a bond as strong with the other clans of the highlands in defense of our lands. A good night to you both.”

He turned without another word, heading out of the door and closing it behind him.

Kerry sank into a chair, exhaling heavily. “Alone at last.”

“Aye,” Callum replied. “So we are.” He put a hand on her shoulder, squeezing lightly while looking into the fire. “How does it feel to be married?”

“It feels right.”

He lifted her to her feet, wrapping his arms around her. “I love you Kerry MacCleod.”

“I love you Callum MacCleod.” Together they moved over to the bed and he began to undo the knot tying the shoulder of her dress. “One thing you need to know,” she added, slapping his hand away.

“What’s that?”

“Tonight you don’t get to say we must wait until we’re married to do this.”

Her dress was thrown to the floor a moment later followed by Callum’s tartan soon after.

The candles burned lower until they spluttered and went out leaving the room in darkness. The fire turned to embers, the temperature dropping rapidly.

In the bed, behind the heavy curtains, Callum and Kerry wore nothing at all and yet they remained as warm as it was possible to be.

The End