“I’m quite finished with my duties,” Keeley said loudly. “I’ll be in to check on you later, my lady.” She bowed to Laird McCabe and hurried past Rionna.

Rionna reached out to touch Keeley’s arm. “Please, Keeley. I would speak to you later.”

Keeley smiled brightly. “ ’Tis no need. There is nothing to discuss. I hear the king arrives in two days’ time. Congratulations on your marriage. I’m sure you must be breathless with excitement.”

She turned and hurried down the hall, Rionna’s troubled gaze following her the entire way.

Alaric swung his sword in a wide arc and sent his opponent’s shield flying through the air. ’Twas the fourth man he’d dispatched in as many minutes, and he whirled, looking for his next adversary.

His men stood at a wary distance, none stepping up to challenge.

Then Caelen stepped in front of him, flipping his sword in a casual manner that was blatantly mocking—and challenging.

“You’re spoiling for a fight, brother. ’Tis the truth so I’m more than willing to oblige you.”

Alaric scowled. “I’m in no mood for your baiting.”

Caelen lifted an eyebrow. “Baiting? We both want the same thing. Quit wasting time and raise your sword.”

Without pausing to wonder why Caelen was spoiling for a fight, Alaric lunged and swung his sword. Caelen easily danced out of the way and thrust his sword down to parry Alaric’s thrust.

The clang of metal rang out over the courtyard and in a matter of moments an excited murmur rose. Both McCabe and McDonald men surged forward to form a circle around the two brothers.

At first Alaric took it easy, pacing himself and measuring his blows, but it quickly became obvious that Caelen had no patience for a simple sparring.

Rage glittered in his brother’s eyes and his jaw was set in a line so tight that it bulged with every thrust of his sword.

With a savage sound of satisfaction, Alaric threw himself into the battle. All the frustration that had mounted over the last weeks came boiling out, and he took it out on his younger brother.

He needn’t have worried. Whatever had Caelen so furious, it was fueling his strength, and the two men were snarling gladiators.

Their battle quickly became a matter of wagering, as sides were decided upon and shouts of encouragement rose above the clash of metal and the loud grunts of the two opponents.

A short distance away, Ewan watched the battle in silence. He made no effort to intervene. He wasn’t a stupid man. His two brothers had blood in their eyes. He had every faith that they wouldn’t actually kill each other. How badly they injured themselves was another matter entirely. But he wasn’t about to step into the fray and risk a severed limb or broken bone.