“He doesn’t want me,” Purity cried out and fire sparked in her brother’s eyes. She cringed, when her brother roughly grabbed her arm and yanked her toward him.
“You don’t need to be so rough with her,” Arran warned with a murderous growl.
“Mind your business,” Bayne warned.
“It is my business when a man treats a woman so poorly and his sister at that,” Arran said.
“You protect her already,” Galvin said. “Why not make her your wife?”
“I told you. I don’t want a wife.”
“That’s enough, Galvin,” Parlan ordered. “My son has made it clear that he won’t wed your daughter, and we have more important matters to discuss than that.”
“Go away with you,” Galvin ordered his daughter with a dismissive wave of his hand.
Purity scurried off, hurrying out the door after sending Arran a sorrowful glance.
“What have you heard, Galvin?” Parlan asked.
“Nothing and that’s what worries me. Where do these men suddenly come from that claim land for the King and why do they take captive some of the Highland men?
“If the King needs to fight the Northmen to keep the land he took from them, he’ll need men who know this landscape and how to survive it,” Royden said.
“It is only a matter of time before the King demands from all of us,” Galvin said. “Are you willing to pay the price, Parlan?”
“Leave us,” Parlan said to his sons and Galvin nodded to Bayne to do the same.
Royden took Bayne to bargain over a horse he had shown interest in and Arran took himself off to the practice field, concerned for what might await them all and wanting to be prepared. Later he would talk with his father and brother about a plan in case they were attacked.
“Arran.”
He stopped, not sure if he heard his name or not, it was spoken so lightly.
“Arran.”
That time he heard it and turned to see Purity tucked against the side of the storehouse, the black and white kitten tucked in the crook of her arm sleeping contentedly.
“What is it, Purity?” he asked, approaching her.
Her cheeks blushed a rosy red and she turned her head away from him as she spoke. “I know you don’t want a wife, that you want to be free, but if you wed me you could remain free. I would force no restrictions on you, make no demands on you, care not what you do as long as you do not raise a hand to me and you keep me safe.”
His heart went out to her. He hated to see women mistreated, but he wanted no wife, especially one who needed such care. And one who, in all probability, would be too frightened to couple. He hated to deny her plea, but he couldn’t—in good truthfulness—wed her.
“I’m sorry, Purity, but as I told your da, I’m not interested in a wife.”
“I understand,” she said and went to turn away.
He mumbled a curse beneath his breath, having seen tears in her eyes. “You’ll find a good man who will make you a good husband one day, Purity.”
She shook her head and without turning, said, “Nay, a husband will be forced on me and I fear what he might do to me.”
Damn if he didn’t feel guilty about not marrying her, but she wasn’t what he wanted in a wife.
“What do you think, Da?” Royden asked later that evening while in his da’s solar.
“I’m not sure what to think,” Parlan said, refilling his goblet with ale. “Nothing seems to make sense. Why would the King have warriors attack various clans in the Highland when he’s been busy trying to reclaim land from the King of Norway? And he still battles with England.”
“That says it right there. He weakens his troops spreading them too far apart and needs men for his army,” Arran suggested.
“He has an army of warriors,” Royden said.
“None that know these parts and land like Highlanders do,” Arran said.
“Good point,” Royden said. “Still, I agree with Da. Something just doesn’t seem right.”
“Then we keep a keen eye on things, post extra men, and be prepared,” Arran said.
“The problem is who do we trust?” his da asked. “King David knows little of the Highlands and I wonder if he truly cares about this area. It supplies him with nothing—”
Royden interrupted, “Except strong able-bodied warriors—”
“Who aren’t all supportive of the King,” Arran finished.
“That begs the question, who here in the Highlands would benefit from helping the King?” their father asked.
“Someone who seeks more land and along with it power and influence,” Royden said.
Arran was quick to give his thought on it. “That could be any number of lords or chieftains.”
“We’re in the dark here with this. There’s no telling who could be involved, who could be greedy enough to betray friends and neighbors.” His da rubbed his chin. “This whole situation troubles me and if we don’t take it seriously we could lose what the Clan MacKinnon has worked and fought so hard to keep… our heritage. Our name and all we have would disappear along with all those who came before us. It would be as if we never existed,” Parlan said with the anger of a warrior ready to defend his clan.
“That won’t happen,” Royden claimed. “I will wed Oria and she will soon carry your first among many grandchildren to carry on the Clan MacKinnon and make sure the name lives on.”
“I’ll sacrifice and marry and produce many children, if necessary, so the clan will live on for endless years to come,” Arran said.
“Purity?” Royden asked with a raised brow.
Arran cringed. “I feel for the young lass. I truly do. No one wants her.”
“It doesn’t help that her left hand resembles a claw or that she gets on well with animals more than humans,” Royden said.
Parlan turned to Arran. “If necessary, you would wed who I asked?”
His own pledge had trapped him in this one. “Aye, Da, I would wed Purity if necessary, but only if there was no other choice.” Arran hoped it would never come to that. “Though it’s Bayne who should concern us. He has an eye for Raven.”
“It’s not Raven. It’s joining with our clan. The Clan Mackinnon and Clan Macara are two of the largest clans in this area of the Highlands. If we were joined through marriage, it would create powerful allies few could defeat.”
“And Bayne is all about power,” Arran said and raised his goblet as if in a toast. “And that’s why they want a marriage between me and Purity.”
“And if he can’t get it through his sister, he’ll sacrifice and get it through a marriage to Raven,” Royden said.
“As much as I hate to admit it, Bayne might be right,” their da said, sending both brothers lurching forward in their chairs.
“You can’t be serious,” Royden said.
“Or foolish,” Arran threw in.
“Bayne thinks of the future and what might be. He sees the strength in not only friends and neighbors but in numbers. An alliance of our clans could prove not only beneficial for our clans but the surrounding clans as well. If the Highland clans don’t stand united, the Highlands will be lost to us.”