The Marriage Alliance: A Medieval Scottish Romance by Mageela Troche

Author:Mageela Troche [Troche, Mageela]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2017-08-15T04:00:00+00:00

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Hungry men filed into the hall, not bothering with her hard work. They never spared a glance to the exquisite tapestries hanging from the limed walls, not one compliment was given for the enormous tapestry of the two Marys at Jesus’ tomb hanging on the east wall. Though sinful, Ailsa took pride in that one. It required months of her time to complete the intricate work. The six border oversized rosettes strained her sight until dots danced around and her fingertips were reddened and almost raw, so when she began stitching the angel sitting upon Christ’s empty tomb with both Marys facing him it filled her with joy.

The men didn’t know that and would never since they had yet to cast their sights upon the intricate work. She stood at the high table and waited. Her humph failed to earn her the slightest reaction.

“I’m hungry,” Niall said as he scampered into the hall.\

Another male who never troubled himself with her hard work, she harrumphed.

He held his stomach. “I can feel my belly growling like a wolf.” He parroted a wolf.

Ailsa glared at the men standing around the trestle tables when they smiled Niall’s way.

“Why are you standing here?” Confusion knitted Niall’s brow and curled his top lip.

She sighed. “I thought it might be fun but I was wrong.”

“Duncan says you’re wrong a lot.” He shrugged one shoulder before bouncing around the hall with energy Ailsa envied.

As another humph escaped her, Hector’s low chuckle sounded beside her. “Let me compliment you on your taste. The hall looks as I remembered it when my mother was with us. I see you discovered the dragon tapestry.” Hector pointed to the west wall, where the ferocious intertwined dragons with the elaborate Celtic spiral background hung.

“I unearthed it in the cellar. I had never seen such beautiful work.”

“That one holds a tender place in my heart. I still see my mother working on it. Duncan removed it after her death. I guess it pained him to look upon it.” His face took on a melancholy mask, lost in the memories of the woman. Ailsa took solace in the knowledge that these MacLean brothers especially Duncan had love in their lives. That meant Duncan knew love.

He swallowed back his emotions. “I think I may be spending more time in here. Niall, those are seats you put your behind on not your feet.”

Niall jumped off one of the two chairs flanking the hearth. “Where is Duncan? I am ready to eat,” he whined, sounding like the child he was.

“Thank you, Hector. You are the first to notice. I don’t believe these men are the feared MacLean warriors yet they fail to see what is before them.”

“We see it, my lady, but it’s what women are supposed to do.” A warrior named Galvin called out.

“Do you not praise each other when you cut off the arm of your enemy?” The men nodded in unison “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do? Let me explain one

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