Highland Queen

Author’s Note

Thank you for reading The Celtic Blood Series. This series has been an important part of my life for more than a decade. I am so pleased to bring you Gruoch’s final chapter. As you know, I started writing this series many, many years ago. When I started revising Highland Queen, I realized the book needed a complete overhaul. Gruoch has become a part of me, and the first draft of this novel did not give her, or many of the other characters, the endings they deserved. Just to give you an idea, in the first draft of Highland Queen, Banquo, Sid, Madelaine, and Lulach were all violently murdered. Sid’s death was the worst. I shudder to think of it. When it came time to complete this series, I realized the story I’d written in the first draft was no longer the story I wanted to tell. Killing Sid would have been like killing Harry Potter’s Hagrid. You just don’t do that! I hope you enjoyed the way the story ended. I loved that Madelaine finally showed her MacAlpin blood in those last moments—she surprised me with that one. And Macbeth got what he deserved. He knew Scáthach was after him.

I am sure you are wondering what happens next for Crearwy, Lulach, Fleance, Aelith, and the others. One day, I will write an epilogue for you. But for now, please know they go on to have happy-enough lives. Not perfect, but Gruoch sacrificed for them. Those sacrifices will not have been in vain.

As for the historical elements of this final book, I found myself at a crossroads. The purpose of this novel was to tell Gruoch’s tale, snatching her back from William Shakespeare and giving her life context and meaning. In order to stay in line with Shakespeare’s story, I bent a few historical details here and there. The real Macbeths ruled peacefully a bit longer than in this novel. The real Macbeth was eventually killed by Malcolm, son of Duncan, at Lumphanan. To this day, there is a stone in Lumphanan called Macbeth’s stone, which marks where Macbeth was beheaded. This stone is in my series. Macbeth and Gruoch meet for the first time beside this stone in Highland Vengeance. Lulach did become King of Scotland following Macbeth’s death. He ruled for a year, and it is recorded that he was killed by deceit (aka, assassinated). Malcolm, son of Duncan, takes the throne after Lulach. Research yielded other fun details that found their way into the book. Once upon a time, there was a Stone Age fortress on Dunsinane Hill. Only the foundation remains now. But in the 11th century, there would have been a castle on the hill. I enjoyed imagining what that castle might have looked like. Thorfinn and Macbeth did go on pilgrimages to Rome. It’s unclear if they went together or separately. In the end, Shakespeare maligned Lady Macbeth. The real Macbeths were good, peaceful rulers.

As for Ynes Verleath, I’ll leave it up to you and your raven eyes to determine if that is fact or fiction.

Thank you for taking this journey with me.

Much love,

Melanie