Katie woke a week later to someone familiar brushing her lips with his. Her eyes opened. Bruce smiled down at her.
"Good morning, lass."
She studied him for a long moment. "Today I must return home."
"So soon?"
Katie laughed. "Soon? I've been here for two weeks now!"
"Still, so soon?"
"Aye." She pushed herself up on her elbows and yawned. She brushed her hair back from her face. "May I leave my clothes here?" she asked, her eyes dancing.
Robert laughed and kissed her neck. "You may leave them here. And I will add to them. You are welcome whenever you can get away. I will leave orders with my men that you are to have access to the castle at any time."
Katie laughed as his beard tickled her neck. "Then I will return."
"Soon?"
Katie's kiss was all the promise he needed but still Katie didn't leave the castle until it was late morning.
Marion's heart was beating faster but not for a good reason. She couldn't believe where she was. Large tears filled her eyes and slipped down her swollen cheeks and she prayed fervently that William would come quickly.
It had all started as her visit to the market place. She had met William and promised to meet him that night. Then she had bought her food and was ready to go home. But three drunken soldiers had cornered her. One had grabbed her and tossed her into an empty hut and almost raped her. But William had showed up. He had struck the guard off of her and hauled her up and tossed her on a horse. She had fallen off but William, thinking she was safe on her way, was already gone from the village. Now Marion found herself tied to a post in the middle of the market place. Her face was a swollen and bruised mess from the slaps of the guards and her fall but her black eyes where scanning the crests of the small hills for William.
The village magistrate, an Englishman, was staring at her. "So this is the little whore he was fighting for."
William was becoming worried. Where was Marion?
"An assault on the king's soldiers is the same as assaulting the king himself!" shouted the Magistrate to the crowd that had gathered. They where all staring, stricken, at Marion. The Magistrate looked down at Marion coldly. He turned and once more studied the crowd. Then suddenly he whirled, jerked out his dagger and sliced Marion's throat.
Marion's eyes sprung open like those of a startled doe and she stared at him, with confusion and deep sorrow in her eyes. Then slowly her head fell forward as she sagged there, dead.
There was a collective gasp from the townspeople and the soldiers as they all stared.
The magistrate turned calmly. "Now. Let this scrapper come to me."
Katie rode first to the homestead but there was no sign of William. She was just turning to go to the town when she saw Hamish coming towards her. She galloped up to him. "Hamish, where's William gone…" Her words trailed off when she saw the look on Hamish's face. "What's happened?"
Hamish looked at the ground.
Katie swung off her horse. She was once more dressed in her highland clothes and her hair was in a thick braid hanging down her back. "What happened? Where's William?"
"While ye where gone, William up and married Marion, secretly. They've been married for near on two weeks now."
"And?"
Hamish heaved a deep sigh and looked up. "She's dead now, Katie."
"Dead?" gasped Katie. "How?"
Hamish quietly told her what happened in the village and of Marion's execution.
"It's not true," whispered Katie. "I don't believe you."
"I came into town moments after she was dead, Katie. I saw her body."
Katie leaned against her horse. "Dear God in Heaven," she whispered. "May the Lord bless and keep her soul." Large tears sprang to her eyes. "Have you told William?"
"No, lass. I was going to do that as soon as I found him."
Katie stood quiet still for a moment. Then she swung onto her horse's back. "Hamish, go and gather what men you can and wait for William and I outside of the village. I'll find him."
William's head came up at the sound of horse hooves and he jumped to his feet. "At last, whatever took ye so long…Katie lass, what the devil are ye doing here?"
Katie swung off her horse. "William, I've got some bad news."
"What?"
Katie's large blue eyes where full of sadness. "It's Marion, William," she said quietly. "She's dead."
William stared at her, then took a step back. "Ye lying. I just saw her…"
"I've just spoken with Hamish. He tells me the Magistrate executed her publicly. He…he slit her throat," she whispered. She looked up. "I'm so sorry, William."
The magistrate was sitting in the village square house, waiting. There where about thirty of his men with him. Suddenly, the air outside was rent with screams and shouts.
The door flew open and a horse galloped right in. It was Katie Wallace.
The magistrate stared at her in awe. Her very head seemed to be on fire.
She leveled a sword at the men who backed away from the horse. "Which of you is the Magistrate?"
All eyes of the soldiers went to the man.
Katie's flaming eyes landed on him. "You."
"No! I beg of you…"
Katie swung off her horse and the beast went back outside.
Outside, the screams where dying down slowly.
Katie grabbed the magistrate and held her sword to his throat. "Mercy? I know, good sir, that the word mercy wasn't just going to pass your filthy lips!"
Hamish barged through the door, roaring.
"Stop, Hamish!" shouted Katie. She looked at the soldiers. "Lay down your arms or I'll let him at you."
Swords clattered to the ground as the solider put their hands on their heads. Hamish marched them out and Katie followed, dragging the magistrate. She hauled him through the town back to the pole where Marion had been. It was still wet with her blood.
By the time William and the rest of the men came to the center of the town, the Magistrate was bound firmly to the pole and all his soldiers thoroughly disarmed.
William walked right up to him and stared at him with cold, unforgiving eyes. He had a strange look on his face, as if he were walking about in a daze.
"Mercy," pleaded the Magistrate. "Mercy!"
Katie looked at her brother but William was still staring at the man. She looked at the Magistrate. "Did you show mercy to the girl you killed right here not two hours ago?"
William found his voice. "Burn in hell, bastard!" He slit the man's throat and watched coldly as the blood ran down and soaked the platform all over again. Then he turned away.
Campbell, Hamish's father was standing there. He stared in awe at William and Katie. "Say grace to God, lads. We've just seen the coming of angels, sent to free us."