Elenore Dunbroch was able to quiet down the clan's man and an alternative sitting arrangement was made to please the clans. She sighed for it seemed these men would never stop fighting like children. But what was she to do? She through her braid over her shoulder and looked back at her husband who unmistakably was looking at her backside before she had turned around. He had never stopped his playful boyish want of her even after all these years.

'Speaking of boys' she thought to herself as she gave him a playful scolding look that quickly gave way to a small smile. Her Fergus had always been her greatest support, The queen turned to sit next to him. He had picked up on some worry in her eyes and started to hold her hand as the rest of the clans had departed and food was being brought into the hall for dinner time.

"Whoot is it m' Wee Do? ( small dove )" He kissed her hand and looked up at her through his very hairy and wild eyebrows. Eyebrows that looked humorously like his Irish wolfhound's eyebrows. She gave him a twisted smile and cracked, Elenore whispered.

"I'm afraid to tell ye' husband that I think ur' Daughter is being pressued by the lord's ag'n."

" Aye" Fergus leaned back in his great chair watching his scullery staff put tables and chairs up in the grey hall. "nothin' she Canegh' handle."

Merida sat between Hubert and Harris , this was a sign she was feeling uneasy. Her Mother took note of this too and her heart hurt for her daughter.

"Furgus … she is in love."

"How do ye ken?" Fergus shot a glance at his daughter over his wife's head. "Arr' ye' sure she is not just sick, she looks sick t' me."

The queen shook her head slightly.

"No. She isnegh sick."

"Ach, Aye see, so who woud she b' inlov' wit?" Fergus got serious, looking at his beloved wife, she was a bit sad and that disturbed him a little. "Is this negh' whoot you alw's wanted ,m'doo (my dove)? She will be married to Ian then?" He whispered to the queen. Even Fergus thought the man she would have the best chance to be in love with would be the one who had reportedly saved her life many times.

"Is negh' Ian." Elenore looked up at Fergus.

"Ah, Crivens." He said softly back nodding. He understood. "-the clans wuld hav' a war thn." He said so in a 'matter of fact' sort of way. Fergus would not be wrong ; looking at the way the Macintosh clan had made a big stink over a seating arrangement. For If they felt overlooked, as they would feel, had they knew of Merida's true feelings , there would in fact be a war. The Bear King for all his playfulness and boyish-rough nature understood politics a bit better now then he had merely five years ago.

"Th'n she must negh wed." Fergus whispered. Elenore's heart broke for her daughter. What the king said had a hard truth.

'How did it come to this?' Elenore focused on the crowd and took a drink from a maid dreamily as she was lost deep in the own thoughts. A few years ago Merida would be delighted to hear her father utter such words. Now everything had flipped like a capsized boat. Soon the Great hall was filled with a fair amount of joyous chatter, but Elenore was still lost in the thoughts.

Merida had excused herself from the hall early. She wanted to rest before the midnight feast that night. Her brother Hamish filled in her seat so the three princes sat closely together.

"I caught Ian coming back from the woods alone."

"Ugh, Hamish , who cares aboot tha'h Black headed neep. (turnip) " Hubert spat in Ian's direction catching one of his clansman in the eye, they exchanged nasty looks.

" I think he came back from the old hag." Hamish hated to be over looked when he thought he had something important to say.

"Go on." Harris thoughtfully drank heavy dark mead and listened to his brother. Hubert leaned in and Hamish smiled.

"I th'nk he came back with somethin, he had a bonny flask arroond his neck. Like a dog w't a bone , he looked like , struttin into'the castle- I ken he was uo to somethin-" Hamish pantomimed a dogs happy walk with his two hands sticking his tongue out like a pup, making fun of Ian.

"Aye ,I noticed the bottle too." Hubert said ,embarrassed he did not know its significance at first.

" I thought somthin was curious-" Harris started and then trailed off.

"Whoot is it?" Hamish said curiously .Harris let his eyes wonder to the Macintosh table as he put his goblet down.

"There was a large shipment that came in today." There was seldom a time when someone could bring anything into the castle without him knowing about it.

"Bear carvings , and sculptures, all made of wood."

"We ken of a woodcarver like that." Hamish growled.

Hubert gripped his sword and spit on the ground.

Somewhere else in the castle far from everyone having an early meal in the great hall, was a beautiful woman in a light colored cloak. Her hair almost trailed to the floor ,an almost pure white stream of strait flowing hair. Her eyes icy silver. She had jimmied the door of a room open and with a quick glance around her she entered the chamber. Like a trout swimming in an icy steam she slipped behind the giant door. She flowed quickly into the room , fist she checked in between the cushions of the bed and then under the bed itself. Then to the book case that was left relatively dusty, nothing there. There were large crates in the room that were filled to the brim with bear carvings , she waste not her time with that. She had already sensed that she had spent too much time in the room and was looking around now thinking about where he could have hidden it. Then there it was. On one of the chairs under a cloak a rope of leather could be seen .She quickly made it over to the chair and pulled on the cord of leather, and there was; the vile of silver.

'He never even tried to hide it' . She shrugged and pulled forth small bladder, and another clean bottle made out of antler with a stopper of cork. First she opened the silver flask, pored its contents out carefully into her clean antler vile , then replaced the liquid with the almost black mead from her bladder. In seconds she was out of the room and even managed to lock the door before she heard something in the hallway. Men's boots.

The silver eyed woman smiled as she walked passed a group of Macintosh men. They were occupied telling stories to one another. They never looked at her direction as she made her way back to her brothers room.

The feast would soon be prepared and her brother would want to go through with her plan tonight. Rabbie Dingwall would soon be the king of Dunbrogh.