Written in 53 minutes. Did a basic spell check, but did not read for typos.

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Jason passed a long, sleepless night in the room next door to the room where his new wife slept. After a few hours of listening to Johnny and Francis snore — something Jason was usually able to block out — he gave up and went to sit in front of Elizabeth’s closed door.

During supper in the public rooms, he’d become too aware of the type of men who used the lodgings — and had realized his wife was the only woman on the premises. A woman sleeping alone. He had the Highlander’s natural distrust of people, and there was none he distrusted as much as other men when a beautiful woman was left defenseless.

He passed what was left the night sitting in front of her door, dozing from time to time. He rarely needed much sleep and could go several days without a full night’s rest. He’d be able to relax once they’d left Edinburgh in the morning and were traveling north.

When the clock at St. Giles Cathedral rang the hour, Jason scrubbed his hands over his face, rose to his feet, and returned to his room to rouse his men and send one of them to resume guarding. He wish he had more men for the trip to Braegarie—it would be nearly a month before they could reach the walls of his keep and he knew there much could happen on the road between the capital and the hills of his family’s land.

Francis grumbled when Jason kicked his shoulder, but got to his feet and went to the hallway while Jason went downstairs. He was surprised when the inn keeper was already at his desk. “Laird Morgan,” the man said with a falsely cheerful voice. “A messenger came in the night for you.” He slid a slip of paper across the desk. “Will you be leaving us this morn?”

Jason scowled at the contents of the note. Albany requested they come to the palace later that day so Jason could complete his oath of loyalty. He crumpled it with a clench of his fist. He’d signed his oath in the parish register when he’d married on Albany’s order the day before. “Yes,” he told the innkeeper.

“Will you be needing any food for the road?” the man called as Jason turned away. A refusal was on the tip of his tongue, but then he sighed, remembering it wasn’t just he and his men foraging for themselves.

They had Elizabeth to look after now.

“Yes,” he muttered. “I’ll settle the bill when we leave.”

Upstairs, Elizabeth was surprised when the blond man from the day before knocked on her door and gruffly asked if he should find some water for her to wash with.

“Only if it isn’t any trouble,” Elizabeth said, folding her hands together. “I know it might be my last chance for some time. The road from Annan was quite long, and Father wasn’t able to stop near water often.”

Francis narrowed his eyes at something she’d said—perhaps her father. “The road from the Lowlands is hardly the same as the one to the Highlands,” he said, as if insulted by the comparison.

“So there are more sources of water?” she asked dubiously. “Or perhaps you know the terrain well enough to find them better?”

“I—” Francis shook his head. “I’ll get the water,” he muttered. “Don’t leave the room—”

She drew back as if slapped. “Don’t leave the—” she repeated, but the man had already pulled the door closed in her face. Was she a prisoner? Did her new husband trust her so little? She’d thought—she’d hoped they understood one another better after their conversation the night before, but maybe it had just been her wistful longing. He’d seemed so angry at how her father had treated her —

But he still didn’t know why the regent had forced the marriage, and she could not speak to the reasons either. Beyond the incident with the poison, giving her hand in marriage to the leader of a strong Highland clan made little sense to her, and Elizabeth truly hoped Jason was wrong — that she wasn’t somehow a pawn in some court intrigue she did not understand.

When the door opened again, it wasn’t Francis who came in with a pitcher of water, but her husband. In his other hand, he carried a sack. He tossed it on the bed. “There are warmer clothes,” he told her. “A cloak and some dresses. If they don’t fit—”

“I can make do,” Elizabeth promised, her eyes widening as Jason set the pitcher next to the bowl on the table. “Thank you—”

“No point in having you freeze to death,” he muttered. He paused at the door, then met her eyes. “I’d like you to stay in here until one of us comes to get you,” Jason told her. “There’s—” He paused, looked at the ground for a long moment, as if irritated with himself. “I should have let you spend the night at the palace,” he muttered. “This—this inn isn’t safe.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth rubbed her hand up her arm, some of her unease and disappointment sliding away. He wanted her to be safe. That was all right. “I won’t move from here without you or your men.”

“Thank you. We’ll—we’ll be leaving as soon as possible. Don’t take too long.”

Elizabeth nearly stopped him—nearly asked if she might be able to send word to her brother—she wouldn’t miss her father or her sister much, but, oh, Steven — would she ever see him again?

But Jason had already been kind enough this morning and she was wary of testing him further.

—

He should have ignored the summons from the king and never come to Edinburgh. If he’d stayed at home, he might not now be married to a woman who knew how to cut him to his knees with a single look in her eye.

Jason had simply told her to stay in the room, and she’d flinched. Not visibly—but he’d seen a shift in the shadows of her eyes and he’d understood it — so he’d explained himself so she’d feel better.

He never explained himself. This husband business was not comfortable, and he was more annoyed with himself as he went to the innkeeper and asked the man to send a note to his wife’s family at their lodgings so that they might say goodbye to her. And he’d sent Johnny out this morning to get more supplies for the trip home, including a tent so that Elizabeth could have some comfort and privacy on the trip home.

Jason wasn’t entirely sure why he’d thought of it, but from Johnny’s expression, he knew he would be taunted about it for years to come. Highland women traveled light like their men, Johnny would tell him, but that was because the man only knew camp followers, not wives.

Jason didn’t know a lot about wives either, but he was sure he knew more than Johnny did.

“I got the tent,” Johnny said as Jason joined him in the street. He patted the pack horse with their supplies. “And I found a mount for milady,” he drawled. “Shall I get some cushions for her saddle?”

Jason just stared at him, then turned away to find Francis tying his saddle bag closed. “Go and get Elizabeth.”

“You don’t want to do that yourself?” Francis asked. “She’s your wife—”

And he thought if she looked at him one more time, he might do something else he didn’t understand, so — “No, I need to settle with the innkeeper.”

Francis coughed as he passed Jason and Johnny, and Jason glared at him because that cough sounded a lot like “Coward.”

A few minutes later, Elizabeth emerged from the inn, her new blue wool cloak fastened around her neck, the hood drawn down so that her curly brown hair spilled over shoulders. Jason stared at him, realizing now he hadn’t seen her hair unbound until now—it had been hidden beneath court hoods and tied back —

Elizabeth’s smile dimmed slightly as she met Jason’s eyes. She turned to look behind her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, drawing her brows together. “Did I forget something?”

“I have your bags,” Francis said as he went to Elizabeth’s horse and put the two sacks of clothing into the saddlebags.

“You’ll ride this,” Jason told Elizabeth, shaking his head slightly. It was just hair, he told himself sternly. He took her elbow and walked her over to the horse. “Let me know when you tire. You’ll not be used to the pace we set—”

“I will, I don’t want to slow you down by not being honest about that,” Elizabeth promised. She looked around, then sighed. “Are we leaving now?”

“We are,” Jason told her. “I’m sorry. I sent word to your family, but—”

Her eyes flew to his, startled. “You did?” she asked, breathlessly. “But you don’t like them—”

Behind her, Johnny whacked Francis in the shoulder, and gestured at Jason with a smirk. Jason narrowed his eyes at the two of them. Idiots.

“It’s all right,” she said. She took a deep breath, and forced a smile. “Thank you. I’ll write them when we get…” Elizabeth chewed her bottom lip. “When we get where we’re going,” she finished, nervously.

“Braegarie,” Jason muttered as he turned away from Elizabeth, irritated with himself and the world. He wished now he hadn’t turned around because maybe he could have tossed her on the horse and been away before the man hurrying towards them reached the inn.

But Elizabeth saw him before Jason could say anything and her eyes lit up. “Steven!” She waved a hand. “You came!”

Steven Webber strode towards them, his own face splitting into a grin. “Bits! I worried that I would miss you.” He took her hands, squeezed them. “I thought you were staying in Edinburgh a few more days. Albany said you might be removing to the palace today—” He cast a suspicious look at Jason who just bared his teeth. This man who had let their father mark his wife’s face would not judge Jason for dragging his sister away from the luxury of court.

“Jason has responsibilities at home,” Elizabeth said, “and I—I would like to see Braegarie,” she finished. “It will be my home, too—”

“Of course.” Steven frowned again at Jason. “I need to speak to my sister alone for a moment.”

“Steven—”

“Five minutes,” Jason snapped. “I want to be gone so we can reach Linlithgow by nightfall.”

Steven bristled, but took his sister’s hand and walked out of earshot with her, turning away so that Jason couldn’t see his face, only his wife’s.

“It’s very nice that you made sure she could say goodbye to her brother,” Francis said soberly. “Almost as nice as the clothes you sent me out to buy.”

“Or the tent and horse I bought,” Johnny added. “Why, it’s almost sweet—”

Jason was only half-listening to them—was focusing on Elizabeth’s face as he saw the happiness and sparkle in her eyes slowly fade as Steven continued to speak to her. Whatever he was saying — it was making her sad. She dipped her head, looking at the stone streets. Her brother tipped her head up, putting a finger under her chin. Elizabeth looked away, and Jason could see the shine of a tear on her cheek.

Jason clenched his fists at his side, but Johnny grabbed Jason’s elbow before he could stride forward. “I wonder,” Johnny murmured, “if Webber has spoken to the regent — if perhaps he’s giving Elizabeth orders.”

“Orders—” Jason exhaled slowly. Steven had mentioned speaking to Albany after the wedding, and the regent had hoped to keep Jason and Elizabeth in the palace for several days and weeks. He’d not wanted to be dragged in court politics, but his marriage might have landed him right in the middle of it.

“You think Albany is sending a spy into our clan?” Francis asked. “For what purpose?”

“To ensure Jason’s loyalty. Or to be ready if he’s not. Regents don’t stay in power long,” Johnny said with a shrug. “And I can’t think of a better spy than a slip of a woman that screams victim.”

Jason growled, fisted a hand in Johnny’s white knit shirt, and dragged him close. “Whatever you think of her, you keep it to yourself—”

“You see?” Johnny said with a smirk. “You’ve known her two days, and you’re ready to battle one of your loyal men for speaking against her—”

Jason released Johnny with nearly a shove. “She’s not a spy. Not a willing one,” he amended as he turned his attention back to his wife and her brother. No, he could not bring himself to see Elizabeth as that kind of woman — but neither could he deny that whatever her brother had said to Elizabeth had upset her and it would be foolish to deny that Johnny could be right.

Finally, Steven and Elizabeth returned to the trio and the group of horses clustered around the inn’s entrance. “Write often, Bits,” he told her with a swift hug. “And if you need me—”

“She won’t,” Jason said, flatly, taking Elizabeth by the elbow and drawing her away from him. “We don’t beat our women, Webber, which is more than I can saw for you Lowlanders.”

Steven winced, then nodded. “My sister is precious to me,” he told Jason, his face serious and sober. “And I hope that she will be precious to you—”

“Steven,” Elizabeth hissed.

“I love you,” Steven told her. He kissed her forehead. “Remember what I said.”

“I—” Her expression faltered again, and Jason tensed. “I will.”

Finally, Steven Webber walked away, and Jason held out a hand to help his wife mount the horse. “What did your brother say to you?”

“He said to remember my mother,” Elizabeth said softly. “And to never forget what she taught me.”

Jason frowned. It seemed strange that such a remark could inspire the change he’d seen in her, but it wasn’t impossible, so he let it go and settled her on the horse and in the sidesaddle.

A few moments later, Johnny led the way to the road that would take them out of Edinburgh and home, as Jason kept a careful on his wife and wondered what secrets she kept from him.

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