"Give the lad a chance."
"No! I don' want to." She folded her arms over her chest, turning around. Her vivid red hair flew like flames and her mother sighed.
"He's not that bad, sweetie."
"He tried to kill mah brothers!"
Elinor hesitated. "I can see how that skews your perception of him. But really, Merida. He is the best qualified to be king!"
"The clans have a queen already, why do they need a king, too?"
Elinor chuckled at her belligerent daughter. "They don't. You do," she smiled. Merida whirled around to face her mother and glared at her.
"One date. That's it," she said confrontationally, holding up one finger. Elinor grinned and nodded. She walked to her closet and pulled open the doors.
"Your father bought this for me for our first outing," Elinor smiled, pulling out a gold belt and latching it around Merida's waist. It sat perfectly on her hips.
"Mum, this is," she started, tearing up. She flung her arms around her mother's neck and smiled into the curve of her neck.
"Now go get 'im," Elinor beamed, giving her daughter a little nudge out the door.
'Just breathe, MacIntosh. She's only your queen. What's the worst she can do?' "Oh yeah, exile me," he said aloud.
"Or have ya executed. So don' bugger it up, pretty boy," a harsh yet familiar voice said behind him. MacIntosh turned to see Merida standing at the top of the stairs, looking absolutely stunning in a deep blue gown. Around her hips was a gold filigree belt, one that he noticed she clearly didn't own.
"You look..." he started.
"C'mon, let's get this over with," she said coolly. He started to finish his statement, but she had already bounded down the stairs and breezed past him before she could hear him finish.
"Beautiful," he whispered to himself. Merida glanced back over her shoulder at him and she felt like she was punched in the gut by one of her brothers. Had she been too harsh on him? Biting her lip, she reconciled with the thought that it was too late now and that they just continue on to whatever he had planned for tonight. Hopefully it wasn't anything too painful or romantic.
They reached the horse stables and Merida immediately gravitated to Angus, while MacIntosh was forced to ride another horse.
"For the record," Merida said, rounding Angus around the young lord. "I have no intention of marrying ya." She rode off towards the forest and MacIntosh was forced to catch up quickly.
They soon reached the spot where MacIntosh had prepared a sunset picnic for him and Merida, and Merida stopped Angus abruptly. MacIntosh turned to look at the queen and saw that her face held the same expression he had hoped for. Her jaw was slack, hanging open in surprise and her eyes were wide, drinking in all that was around her. The sun was just beginning to set and the dying light cast a warm orange glow over the hillside, which overlooked the ocean beyond.
"MacIntosh," Merida whispered, tying Angus to a low branch near the base of the cliff. She walked up to the picnic spot and looked at the feast there. Prepared for them were two Cornish hens, fruits and small handpies, a skin of ale and fresh cream.
"To you, your highness," he smiled, holding up a goblet in toast to her. She felt her heart soar, though she didn't want it to. "I wanted ta show my queen my appreciation, and what better way then courting her."
Immediately, Merida's face fell and her expression grew cold and stony. "Ya're not courtin' me. Nor will ya ever court me, ya hear?" she shouted, leaping up, fiery red hair, ablaze in the setting sun, flying all around her. MacIntosh looked at her, bewilderment all over his face, wondering what he could've possibly said to have angered her so much.
"Ugh! Ye're all the same, aren't ya?" she exclaimed, stalking over to Angus, untying his bridle and leaping up into the saddle. MacIntosh leapt up, goblet still in hand, staring after her.
"Merida, wait! I didn't mean it like that!" MacIntosh shouted, but his queen was too far gone into the woods to hear him. He looked at the goblet in his hand and, angered by his unintentional offense, cast it to the ground and stomped away. He got half way to his horse and sighed. Turning back, he cleaned up all plates and goblets, before casting all the food into the woods.
When he returned to the castle, he found Angus already in his stall, and another open, ready for his own horse. That he had borrowed.
"Can I take yer horse, milord?" the stable boy asked timidly, every inch of him shaking. MacIntosh chuckled.
"Just encountered the queen, didjya?" he asked, smirking. The stable boy nodded, quaking. MacIntosh dismissed the boy and stabled the horse himself before returning to the castle.
"Lord MacIntosh, I don't know how she treated jya, but I offer the most sincerest apologies, both on mine and my daughter's behalf," she said, harsher emphasis on "daughter". MacIntosh smiled and waved her apology away.
"There is no need, your grace," he replied. "It was my fault. I angered the queen and now I fear she never wants ta see me again."
"Ye're damn right I don't!" Merida shouted, standing at the top of the stairs, her fiery red hair tied back. She had fire in her eyes and she gave him the dirtiest of glares.
"Merida!" Elinor shouted.
"Your grace, it's my fault she's upset. I had said somethin' about courting her and she became upset," MacIntosh said, nodding his head. "Now if our great and merciful queen will excuse me, I must leave."
And with that, the handsomest man Merida had ever met left the room, leaving her feeling almost empty inside.
"Stupid! Buggerin'! Pretty boy!" she huffed, loosing an arrow on every break in her exclamations. The sun had just barely risen and Merida was already in the wood, shooting arrows, and missing the target each time.
"What is wrong with me?" she shouted, loosing one more arrow, which sunk into the white ring, just outside the red bulls-eye.
"You're focusing too much on one thing," a voice said behind her. Merida turned. There stood her mother, smiling, her hands clasped in front of her. Merida dropped her bow and ran into her mother's arms, hot, angry tears burning in her eyes.
"I don't know what ta do, mum!" she cried. Merida wasn't one to cry out of frustration, or cry at all, but she did when she was truly upset about something.
"Well, the first thing you can do is show him ye're more mature than throwing a fit and storming off. Write to him. Invite him to stay at the castle. He's a suitable match. Stop being so stubborn," Elinor said, her tone soothing. Merida glared at her mother.
"Why would I do that? He insulted me, I don't want him back!" Merida shouted, turning back to the target and loosing another arrow. This arrow sunk deep into bulls-eye,
"Dear Lord MacIntosh, I wholeheartedly apologize for my actions last month. They were immature and unnecessary. If you'll accept my invitation, you are welcome to stay a while at Castle DunBroch. Once again, I offer the most sincere of apologies. Signed your queen, Merida. There, that should do it," Elinor said, folding the letter and sealing it. Merida wouldn't have written a letter as she was too stubborn.
She called for a maid to bring it to a messenger and sank back in her chair.
"Now for the preparations. How long is he staying and where will he be sleeping?" Elinor said, standing and striding around her chamber. She had one arm folded and the other hand pressed to her chin in thought. Suddenly, the thought hit her and and gasped aloud.
"He can stay in Fergus' old room!" she exclaimed, stopping her pacing. She smiled to herself and
Three days later, Merida, Elinor, Hamish, Hubert and Harris stood at the docks, watching Lord MacIntosh's ship sail into the harbour. He stood at the helm, posed proudly over his men, and smiled at the women and saluted the princes.
"He doesn't look too offput," Elinor whispered to Merida, leaning towards her inconspicuously. Merida smiled and took a deep breath.
"I can't believe you did this. I will never agree to marry anyone, let alone him. I could have you tried for treason for this. Goin' behind your queen's back? Treason," Merida whispered angrily. Elinor smiled and looked at her fuming daughter. She knew that when it came to her mother, Merida was all talk and no action. She was just angry.
The ship docked and Lord MacIntosh disembarked, strode over to the Clan DunBroch and bowed politely. He was dressed nicely for once, Merida noted. Not shirtless and mangy like he always was. He had shaved and pulled his hair back. He wore a shirt under his kilt and cloak, and proper boots and leather gauntlets. Merida would never voice this, but he did look relatively handsome. For once. Like he always did.
"What?" she gasped audibly, before the lord had fully reached them. Elinor's gaze darted to her daughter but it was soon taken by the lord in front of her.
"Your majesty, Lady Elinor, princes," MacIntosh said, greeting the royal family individually. He took Elinor's hand and kissed it, looking at Merida the whole time. Merida sighed and folded her arms over her chest.
Elinor nudged her daughter gruffly in the ribs and smiled at the young lord. "I apologize on the queen's behalf," she said, her voice apologetic but her eyes said otherwise.
"There's a feast for ya in the great hall. Let's go," Merida announced gruffly, turning away from her family and Lord MacIntosh, and heading back towards the castle.
"What's her problem?" MacIntosh asked the princes after their mother had torn off after their sister. Each prince in turn shrugged and the four trooped up towards the castle.