"Marriage? Already? Mother, you can't be serious." The red head groaned, dropping on the bed dramatically.

"I am deathly serious, Fergus, and stand up straight." His mother said, primly picking up the sword that he had dropped and expertly sheathing it. Various bits of weaponry were scattered about the circular stonewalled room, intermixed with discarded clothes and bits of food.

Fergus sat up in the bed and picked up another sword that had been lying about, spinning it about and drilling a small hole in the wooden floor. "Why now? MacGuffin has been betrothed for two years and he's not married yet."

Betha sighed and sat down next to Fergus, her skirts managing to avoid the sword. "The death of your father, rest his soul, changed many things for us, Fergus." She laid a gentle hand on his back. "We need a strong front for both our enemies and our people, we also need friends and an alliance with the Macintoshes will do just that. The sooner the marriage can be arranged, the better."

"But why a Macintosh?" Fergus said, standing up and facing his mum. He began to pace around and swing the sword again as if having an imaginary duel with the frustrating Ean Macintosh, future leader of his clan just as Fergus was of his. The last thing Fergus wanted, besides being married at all, was to be related to that obnoxious buffoon.

"You were the one who won the contest for her hand." Betha offered, leaning back when a swing cam too close.

"It's not like I had to try very hard!"

"Even still, you and the young Lady Macintosh have been betrothed for several months now."

"Betrothals are broken all the time!" he said, still having an imaginary duel. "Why couldn't I marry Lorna MacGuffin? She's…pretty…" his speech slowed as he pondered a life with Lorna MacGuffin, beautiful but empty as a flower pot Lorna MacGuffin. She may have been his best mate's sister, but that still didn't help much. He grimaced.

"That wouldn't make you happy, Fergus. I know you." Betha said, smiling slightly. Fergus glanced at his mum and frowned, lunging at his invisible opponent. "I do have your happiness in mind, but we also need to consider the practical parts, as well. The Macintoshes are a strong clan that we need to strengthen our bond with, and we need friends now."

Fergus could tell that he was beaten; he still attempted one last defense. "But…Macintosh?"

"Would you rather have Morag of Dingwall?" Betha suggested, a teasing twinkle in her eye. Fergus looked at his mother in horror. She smiled and nodded. "Thought so. An alliance with the Macintoshes can bring nothing but good for us, and them."

"Fine." Fergus grumbled, defeating the invisible Ean with a swift thrust. Betha put her hand over Fergus's, taking the sword away and standing up.

"I know it's been many months since you've seen each other, and that you never had a chance to talk. But I think it will be for the best, Fergus. I really do."

The pounding of her horse's hooves on the ground of the forest echoed through her body. For a moment she could almost feel as if they were one, jumping over logs, ducking under branches, pushing to the brink of impossible. But the castle came into view all too quickly.

"One final push, Angus." She told him, gripping tightly as he ran faster, now dodging carts and people. She almost fell off when Angus came to a quick stop by his stall and she rolled off, chuckling and pushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Elinor?" one of the grooms, Finlay, come around the edge of the stall. "You're wanted up at the castle." Elinor stopped smiling and stood up, several pieces of hay stuck in her hair.

"I'll be up to dinner in a minute, Mum, I need to rub down Angus." She said, ducking behind the horse. He frowned and stepped forward.

"I can take care of it, you should go up to the hall right now." He insisted. Elinor paused; usually Finlay always teased her, it was rare to see him so serious.

"They can wait a minute or two."

"You didn't hear your mum. She wanted you as soon as you came back."

Elinor sighed and rubbed Angus's soft nose.

"I'll bring you an apple later, boy, I promise." She said, wondering what was so important. She stepped away from Angus and tried not to notice that he'd followed expectantly.

"I'll take good care of him, your mighty holiness." Finlay answered, leaning against his rake and smiling smugly at Elinor. She flushed a little. "At least till you can get back here and redo everything that I did."

She smiled brightly at him. "Thank you! Be back soon, boy." She said, picking up her skirts and darting for the hill.

"Was that for me or for Angus?" Finlay shouted up to her. Elinor smiled back over her shoulder as she darted in the door to the kitchen.

She nodded to several of the cooks, and snagged an apple before entering the large hall where the family was dining. Her older brother, Ean, didn't even look up from his food that he was shoveling into his mouth as she sat down.

"Thank you for joining us, Elinor." Kenna, her mother, said primly.

"Is there a reason I had to let Finlay take care of Angus?" Elinor replied, a bit out of breath.

"Yes, your father has some important news for you. Col?"

Col looked up from the scroll that he had been reading and glanced between Kenna and Elinor, who could feel a very heavy weight settle in her stomach.

"Yes, hmm." He cleared his throat and set down the scroll. "Your sixteenth birthday is quickly approaching, Elinor, and as such now is the time that all of your years of preparation will come to fruition."

He paused as if expecting Elinor to interject, but she merely stared. She had a sneaking suspicion what he was saying, but maybe if she pretended otherwise it wouldn't happen. She glanced to her mother, who looked happier that she had ever seen her. Ean was at least looking up from his food.

"So in four weeks time," Kenna continued for her husband, "you will marry the young Lord DunBroch."

The weight in Elinor's stomach expanded threefold, as Ean choked on his mouthful of meat.

"DunBroch? Did you say DunBroch?" he asked around his food, acquiring a disapproving look from his Mum.

"Yes, the young Lord who won the contest for her hand."

"I thought they were just betrothed!" Ean said, setting down his food.

"I know it's a very short betrothal but-" she stopped as Ean stood up quickly.

"She's actually marrying that loud-mouthed barbarian Fergus?" he shouted.

"Ean, sit down!" Col bellowed.

"Why in the name of the spirits did you decide that he would actually marry her? She'd be better off marrying a stable boy!"

Thankfully, neither parent noticed the deep blush that ran across Elinor's face.

"Ean, we cannot speak of the DunBroch clan that way. We have an alliance with them now." Kenna tried to quietly persuade, but Col overpowered her.

"My judgment will not be questioned by a whelp like you!" he shouted, jumping out of his seat. Elinor quickly ducked out of the hall, as her mother was distracted trying to hold apart Ean and Col.

Later that night, Elinor sat on the roof of the castle watching the nearby river lazily drift past. The stars were already twinkling above in a rare clear night as Ean opened the hatch and spotted her.

"Here you are." He said, dropping down next to her. He pulled out an apple and a sweet bun from his sporran. "I noticed you didn't get much to eat at dinner." Elinor looked at it but shook her head; her stomach was too twisted to eat at the moment. Ean raised his eyebrows but shrugged and bit into the apple.

"Ean…" Elinor began.

"What?" he answered around a mouthful of apple.

"Is Lord DunBroch really a loud-mouthed barbarian?" she glanced at him. He took another bite.

"Well, he's not particularly eloquent." Elinor brushed away the spray of apple juice that landed on her cheek. "He is handy with a blade, I have to admit."

"I saw him at the contest." She said, resting her chin on her knees, "Was he the one that bested you in the tournament you went to last winter?"

"He barely beat me." He insisted before eating some more.

Elinor sighed. "I just…I don't know why Mum and Dad thought that all of sudden now was the time for me to get married. And why outside of the clan?"

Ean was solemn for a moment, looking at his little sister. "Because it's our duty. That's part of being a clan leader. It might make you happier to go off and marry that Finlay." Elinor blushed and Ean grinned. "But in the long run, that's not what is best for the clan."

Elinor frowned and looked away. "I see." She said quietly. Ean finished the apple and tossed it out into the river with a quiet splash. He whooped and looked to see Elinor's reaction, but she was still caught up in her own thoughts.