The moment was perfection, and he prayed it was only the beginning of a thousand more to come.
The next morning in the great hall, Lachlan glanced at Bridgette after the king finished speaking of fealty, and Graham glared at them both. Bridgette gave him a look that plainly said she thought her greatest fears were coming true. The worst part was he could not immediately deny it.
Iain’s gaze, darkly serious, met Lachlan’s, and then he spoke. “Ye’ll be laird while I’m gone.”
Lachlan nodded, recalling the last time he’d been laird in Iain’s absence—when Marion had been taken and Graham hurt—and he winced. Iain moved from in front of Lachlan to Graham. “I expect ye to make peace with Lachlan and keep the clan safe together,” he said in a firm tone.
Graham jerked his head in a nod. “I’d nae ever let my dislike of Lachlan hurt the clan.”
Lachlan gritted his teeth, fighting back the urge to respond. Iain sighed but said nothing, either. When he turned, Lachlan thought he would dismiss them all, but he motioned to Cameron, who came forth while slipping a satchel from his shoulder. Iain spoke quietly with him and he nodded at whatever he’d been asked and then reached into the satchel and withdrew three gold cuffs.
Iain motioned the brothers together with Cameron in the middle and Lachlan and Graham on either side of him. “I asked Cameron to make these several days ago. It’s been in my mind to do it for quite some time, and now seems the perfect moment to give them to ye.” He held the cuff up, and as Lachlan surveyed it, he realized the cuff perfectly matched the one Iain wore, the one their father had given him long ago. The cuff had been passed down from laird to first son for as long as anyone could remember.
Iain touched the cuff on his forearm. “All three of ye ken that Father gave me this cuff, which was once his, as is custom for the laird to give to the son that will next be laird. It’s true I am yer leader, but I’m also yer brother, and I’d nae be able to lead this clan without each of ye. So I want ye all to wear a cuff that matches mine. Let us start a new tradition and show that we are our most powerful when we are treated as equals.”
Lachlan’s throat tightened at what his brother was trying to do. Iain was attempting to help close the divide that had formed between Lachlan and Graham, though Lachlan doubted a cuff would do it.
Lachlan and Cameron immediately took their cuffs and put them on. Graham took longer, but he finally relented, though he had a scowl on his face. Iain nodded his approval, then spoke once more. “Let this cuff represent the bond of blood that nae a person or thing can break. May yer body be cold and yer heart nae beating before the cuff is removed. Together we are strong; divided we will fall.”
Unease rippled through Lachlan at the words that had been meant to rally them together. He could not rid himself of the ominous feeling as he departed the great hall to bid farewell to the party as they left that Iain’s words had been more of a premonition than anything. He and Graham were divided now, in spite of the fact that Lachlan had not wanted it to be so. How long before that division brought one or both of them grave injury or possibly death? And how to keep that division from hurting him and Bridgette?
