Alaric looked at his brother with all the dread in his heart. Then he nodded, knowing he must face this issue or the result could be disaster for his clan.

“As soon as Keeley is settled, I’ll go with you to meet with our king,” Alaric said quietly.

Chapter 38

CHAPTER 38

Alaric left Keeley with Maddie and Christina, and Mairin checking in as many times as she could slip past Cormac, who guarded her doorway.

Maddie burst into tears when Alaric told her of Keeley’s fever breaking. “I’ll take good care of the lass, Alaric. Go do what must be done. I’ll have her washed and fed and well on her way to recovery by the time you return, I vow it.”

Alaric smiled. “I know you will, Maddie.”

He pressed one last kiss to Keeley’s lips before he eased out of her chamber and headed belowstairs to where the others waited in the hall. Caelen met him just as he stepped off the stairs.

“I heard Keeley is recovering.”

Alaric smiled. “Aye.”

“I want you to know, you can count on my support no matter what is decided this day.”

Alaric sobered. “That means a lot to me, Caelen. More than you’ll ever know.”

“Shall we go see what the king has to say then?”

Alaric walked in ahead of Caelen and the room immediately quieted. ’Twas quite an impressive gathering. At the high table sat Ewan and the king along with Laird McDonald and Rionna on his right.

The other lairds were seated at the two tables that flanked the high table in the middle of the room.

When the king saw Alaric enter, he rose and motioned for Alaric to come over.

“Your Highness,” Alaric murmured as he came to a stop in front of the older man.

“We have a situation, Alaric McCabe. One that we must remedy with all haste.”

Alaric stood legs wide apart, arms crossed over his chest as he waited for the king to continue.

“ ’Twas admirable that you offered a handfast to the woman you loved after she saved your life and lay dying in your arms. The problem now arises that I’ve heard she may recover.”

“She will recover,” Alaric corrected softly.

“Then you find yourself married to the wrong woman.”

Laird McDonald rose and thumped his fist onto the table. “This is an insult. ’Tis preposterous. The agreement was for him to marry my daughter, Rionna, not a whore who was cast out of the McDonald clan years ago.”

Alaric snarled and started for the laird but Caelen got there first. He grasped the fleshy neck of Laird McDonald and slammed him back into his seat. The laird immediately went silent and stared up at Caelen in fear.

Alaric frowned. What had transpired between the two that would push Caelen to such anger, and why would the laird fear Caelen so much?