Lochie stood up and I stood in front of him tae straighten his collar, brooch, and the shoulder of his cloak.
I asked, “Lochie, dost ye ken any jokes about fishin’?”
“Just this one: Why do auld men always clean their tackle-boxes?”
Fraoch said, “I daena ken, why?”
“Because their tackle drags in the dirt when they walk.”
We laughed heartily.
Fraoch said, “Tis verra good, she will be a happy wife.”
I said, “Ye ready tae go tae the chapel?”
Lochie said, “Aye.”
CHAPTER 25 - KAITLYN
DAWN, STIRLING CASTLE - JUNE 18, 1291
Ash was bathed in sweet-smelling floral water, dressed in her bright pink underpants and bra, while we picked out a fine tunic dress in a pale blue for her, it was the closest I could find to white. Her sleeves were long, and the inside color was a deep blue, the edges were embroidered with intricate floral patterns. She looked really beautiful. We pinned her short hair back with bobby pins and put a white veil over her hair, a small pretty gold pin holding it on.
While she readied, Emma asked, “So what happened, Ash? I thought you and Lochie were settled, as good as married.”
She was looking down at her dress as we draped a pale blue cloak on her shoulders.“Well, I don’t want to piss anyone off, I promise this is not meant that way, butsometimes, the people around Lochie?—”
I said, “Meaning us?”
“Yes,sometimesyou don’t take him seriously. Lady Lizbeth told me I ought to marry him in front of Magnus so that he would know that Lochinvar wasseriousabout being responsible.”
I said, “Ah, so it was Lizbeth…”
Emma said, “Classic Lizbeth.”
I pinned a pretty gold brooch at her collar. “I don’t know if I can agree that we don’t take him seriously… Magnus owes Lochie his life, so does Fraoch?—”
Hayley said, “But they all tease him mercilessly.”
I said, “They love him, he’s their brother. They just treat him like that because they think he’s young.”
Ash said, “It’s sort of the same thing, you know?”
“I suppose it is, and yeah, I think it matters a lot to Magnus that there will be a church wedding, it will likely raise Lochie in their respect to witness him married.”
I appraised her. “That is really wise, you know, I just hope you understand, he needs someone to be wise. He’s strong and capable, but also what we might call a ‘handful.’ He can be impetuous. This life is so... it’s difficult. There’s danger and near death experiences?—”
Hayley said, “Daily.”
I nodded. “Right now the English King is being a threat. This could mean war, the kind with attacks on a castle, and this is just our newest danger, this whole life you’ve chosen is likely to be really hard. I hope you understand what you’re signing up for... but then again you were a soldier, right? You get it.”
She nodded. “Yeah, I think I get it. I served in the Army, it was really hard, but I wouldn’t trade it.”
I dug through the makeup bag for some powder.
I said, “So you’re going to marry Lochinvar. Got any worries besides... you know, impending war?”
“I’m worried that I can barely survive a horse ride. I’m actually kind of freaked out about embarrassing myself around the horses.”
