Highland Vengeance

Chapter 35

Banquo stayed awhile, teaching me his game. After a time, he asked, “How long will you stay in Scone?”

I shook my head. “I hadn’t thought about it.”

“Me and my men return north tomorrow.”

“You’re leaving already?”

Banquo nodded.

I turned and looked back at Lulach who was still sleeping. “I’ve done what I came here to do. Lulach and I will ride with you. You’re right that it’s not safe here. I’ll call the Moray men. We’ll go back to Cawdor. Now I just need to find a way to break it to Rhona.”

“And Macbeth.”

“Damn Macbeth.”

Banquo harrumphed but said nothing more. A short while later, Rhona returned and Banquo excused himself so he could go say his farewells and get ready. After I broke Rhona’s heart with the news, I sent her with a message for the men to tell them to get ready to leave.

Not long after, Madelaine stopped by.

“Won’t you come along, Gruoch? Queen Suthen is gathering all the ladies for drinks and games. Won’t you join them for a little while?”

“No. The men of Lochaber are returning tomorrow. I’ve already sent word to the Moray men. We’ll ride with them. I’m leaving.” I was done pretending. I was done playing Lady Macbeth. I was just done with it all. I had done my part, pledged my word on Lulach’s behalf, and now I wanted to go home.

“Gruoch. But you can’t. Macbeth—”

“To hell with Macbeth.”

“Corbie, is it…really as bad as that?”

“Yes.”

“If you are having an affair with Banquo of Lochaber, it will complicate matters.”

“An affair? Hard to have an affair with a man you’re already married to. But that aside, I’m not having an affair with anyone. I don’t have anyone. I just want to go home. I cannot stand to look at Duncan’s face anymore. Everything around me is a lie. I cannot stay here.”

Madelaine stared at me. “What is the matter between you and Duncan? Corbie, I will never forget the fear in your eyes when you learned Duncan was riding to claim you. I have never seen you afraid in all my life with the exception of that night. I don’t understand. You never even met Duncan—”

“Once. I met him once. That was enough.”

“When? Where?”

“It doesn’t matter. He didn’t know it was me.”

Madelaine stared at me, and for a moment, I felt magic shift around us. I often forgot that Madelaine had been trained in the ancient arts.

“I cannot see, but I smell rain, and I can feel your pain and anger. Corbie, what happened?”

I lifted a hand. “Don’t speak of it.”

Madelaine shook her head. Saying nothing else, she crossed the room and embraced me once more. “I’ll be here in the morning to see you off. Goodnight, love,” she whispered, kissing me on the cheek, then she left me alone.

I sent a messenger to Macbeth, letting him know of my intention to leave. And then I sat alone. Part of me wondered if Macbeth would come. Part of me understood that he would not. He had never really loved me. And despite my wish for things to be different, I no longer loved him.

I set my fingertips on my lips and remembered Banquo’s words: Macbeth has the only thing I ever wanted.

I closed my eyes. Banquo, too, was the only thing I had ever wanted. Andraste had me mooning over a man I had not met, a man who was nothing like what he seemed to be. Those visions had been nothing more than shadows. Is that what I had given Banquo up for? Shadows?

Lulach sighed in his sleep and rolled over.

I rose and went to look at him. Lost to dreams, his face was soft, peaceful. As I stared at him, I swore I saw the shape of Gillacoemgain in his features. I sighed. No, I had given it all up for Lulach. With that, at least, I could make peace. I covered the boy then turned to go back to my seat by the window. I was surprised to find someone already sitting there.

The Morrigu.

“My lady,” I whispered, taken aback.

Her eyes drifted to Lulach. “Andraste,” she muttered then shook her head. Her dark eyes met mine. “Three times Duncan will strike the north. Once he will seek to strike by sea, but he will fail. Once he will strike with bought men, but he will fail. The third time, he will come to my bloody fields like the soldier he should be. There, he will meet my champion,” she said then disappeared.