‘A day or two behind me, Your Grace. They were eager to join forces with you and are, as ever, at your command. As you know, my loyalty is yours, always, as is that of my brother, Lyall, here with me.’
‘Aye, and I know I can rely on you, Cormac, not like these wolves here at court.’ Everyone around them laughed nervously at the King’s joke. His trust could mean life or death.
Their voices faded to nothing as Giselle stared at Lyall. ‘Look at me, please,’ she screamed in her head, but he did not. His jaw was bruised an angry purple and dark circles shadowed his eyes. His jaw was clenched, his knuckles white where they gripped his sword hilt. Everything about him was fury and stiffness, and the look on his face was one of flinty determination. This man, who she loved with all her heart, had not smiled at her, nor did he glance again in her direction. Was Lyall appalled at the sight of her, as Banan said he would be?
***
Lyall tried hard to stop his hands shaking, such fury overwhelmed him as Banan leaned in to Giselle and whispered in her ear, all the while staring at him, declaring his ownership.
That look on her face - he’d seen it before, on the faces of men who had endured too much battle and too much death. Giselle’s features were frozen into a blank stare as if she were a doll, not a living, breathing woman.
He knew that look because he’d had it once, after the carnage at Bannockburn, where he had spent two days watching men hack each other to death, seen the aftermath of gutted horses, and corpses, torn open as carrion for the birds, all rotting under a summer sun. That look spoke of a horror too awful to bear. That look told him just how much anguish was swirling beneath the surface. When he’d looked in her eyes, the pain he saw there, tore him apart. And all he could do was kneel, like a passive fool, listening to the King drone on about his delight at seeing Cormac at court.
‘Tonight you will come to me, Cormac, and your brother too, for he is a veteran of many sieges, and Lord Douglas speaks highly of him. We will meet and make our plans to bring the English to their knees. But now, I grow weary, this malady I have plagues me sorely. I bid you leave me, all of you,’ he shouted, with a shake of his hand.
The throne room emptied slowly and, just as Banan was dragging Giselle away, her eyes found his.
‘Giselle,’ Lyall called out.
She shook her head at him, but he forced his way through the crowd, ignoring Cormac’s shout of ‘No, Lyall, don’t be a fool.’ All he knew was that he had to speak to her.
He barged in front of them and held Giselle’s eyes with his.
‘Get out of my way,’ hissed Banan, but, to Lyall, he was invisible. There was only Giselle, looking at him with such love in her eyes, and such sorrow as to make his stomach flip over.
‘I want to talk to Giselle, and, Banan, and you will not stop me.’
Cormac’s hand came down heavily on his shoulder, but Lyall shook it off.
‘Giselle, I would have come sooner, but I did not know where you were and, for that, I would beg your forgiveness. I will get you free of this dog, I will…’
‘Get her free, Buchanan. How can you get her free when we have been joined?’ snarled Banan.
‘For that, I will be avenged, this I swear to you, Banan. Giselle is mine, and she is coming with me.’
‘No, Buchanan, you misunderstand me when I say we have been joined. I have joined with her body many times, and very pleasurably too, but we are also joined by God, in the kirk. Giselle de Villers is no more. She is Giselle MacGregor now. She is my wife.’
Lyall’s world spun into darkness, and his reason slipped away as Giselle stared at him, white-faced, and Cormac tore him away back into the crowd. As her face disappeared from view, she mouthed the words, over and over, ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry.’
***
Back in their chamber, Banan locked the door and leant his head against it. Giselle dared not move, her legs shook, her hands too, and she felt sick to her stomach. It had been a shock to see Lyall. A few short weeks ago they had been declaring their love for each other, and now, all that was laid to waste by this man, whose shoulders were heaving with some great turmoil.
When Banan turned around, Giselle was shocked to see tears in his eyes. He came at her in a rush and pulled her to him.
‘You want him. You want him still.’ He moaned and tightened his grip. ‘Why can’t you want me? Why so cold, Giselle? I know what I am, and it tears at me. I can find no respite from the demons in my head, tormenting me.’
‘What do you want me to say?’ she replied.
‘That you have some, small feeling for me. That I have touched your heart, if only for a few brief moments when I am kind and good, and I try to be a man you could love. I am not always cruel, am I?’
She pushed him away, and it took guts to do it.
‘I cannot ever love you, Banan, no matter how much you plead or how much you threaten. That is the God’s honest truth.’
‘Then can you not lie, to ease me?’
‘No, I will not lie to ease you. I will only lie to save Lyall.’