Author's Note: Special announcement! I wrote a majority of this story in advanced and yesterday I finished it! I'll be updating this twice a week now Sundays and Wednesdays. As for the rest of the note, I couldn't find exactly what a lady in the early middle ages in Scotland did except through ChatGPT. Not trusting it completely, I just ended up describing what a landowners wife would do in the 19th century mixed with some elements of the Middle Ages (which turned out to have more crossover then I originally thought).

The MacGuffin Family as a breakdown in case it gets a little confusing:

Lord Kevin MacGuffin

Lady Vevina MacGuffin

Ian - age 19

Annabel - age 16

Ewan - age 13

Owen - age 9 and a half (soon to be 10)

Una - age 7

Fun fact! I modeled Lady MacGuffin off of Odette from the Swan Princess. In the song "This is not my idea" it alludes to Odette being a tomboy as a kid and grows up to be a courtly lady exactly like Vevina, except she's still very much a tomboy when she gets older. If you want to picture what she looks like she looks similar to the woman who plays Queen Elizabeth I in the Doctor Who 50th anniversary special.

As always a special thanks to the fabulous MaidenoftheSummer on reddit for reading and giving me her valuable opinion.

Culture Note: None this chapter!


Ian was gone when Merida finally woke up. Although she did find herself hugging his pillow and it smelt good like the woods. A young woman, maybe a little older than her with light brown hair and a beauty mark on her left cheek woke her up.

"Who are you?" asked Merida, sitting up wearily eyeing the woman.

"I'm Peigi ma'am, your lady's maid," she said with a melodic voice and introduced herself. She seemed nice as Merida wiped her eyes. Oh great, she had her own Maudie right here in Castle MacGuffin she thought happily. Hopefully she was able to bring her sweets.

Right now though, she wasn't in a sweets kind of mood. Merida groaned and pulled the blanket back over her head, nearly going back to bed when she realized the time. Then she remembered that she was supposed to meet her mother-in-law and Ian's siblings at breakfast. She quickly sat up and gave herself a head rush.

She gave Peigi her best fake smile she could muster this early in the morning. Then pulled the slippers on and dressing gown over her shoulders, bleary making her way to the wardrobe.

"Ma'am are you ready? You have some wonderful dresses to choose from."

Merida eyed a gown that she picked out at first glance. It was simple and elegant; a forest green linen dress with a burnt orange embroidered pattern on the cuff sleeve, neckline, and skirt.

She sighed as Peigi helped her into new leg coverings, fresh smock, and a burnt orange underdress to match. Finally her dress was tugged over her head.

"Thanks," said Merida, ready to head for the dining room.

"Oh, not yet," she said, "As one of the ladies of the house you must dress up a little more miss."

Oh great, she thought, more she had put in the morning. Together they pinned on two simple brooches to close the dress in the front, an ivory and leather purse tied onto a woven belt.

She nearly talked Peigi into not bothering with her hair, but relented for a simple braid. Surprisingly enough she didn't brush her hair but just wove it together. She deliberately pulled out a few strands in front as Peigi raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"Your husband requested that you wear this," she said, taking out a simple medal pendant. "The rest of the family looks forward to meeting you."

Going behind her and pulling aside her hair was a necklace. It was a simple chain with a silver MacGuffin crest on the pendant that settled at the swell of her breast. At least he didn't ask for her to dress up, which was nice. Merida wasn't entirely sure what to make of Ian but at least he requested very little and she could be herself around him.

She furrowed her brow as she peered at herself in the mirror. Well at least she didn't look like her mother. The dress she wore was practical, its design allowing for ease of movement, and the braid, though modest, added a touch of refinement.

Merida closed her eyes and sighed and blew her loose piece of hair away from her face. She really didn't want to go down there and become the next lady MacGuffin or even leave this room. What she wanted to do was practice her archery or ride Angus or go exploring her new surroundings.

But she wasn't just about to go and embarrass Ian by not respecting him. He was nice enough to listen to her rant about her mother and how she was uprooted from her life. And she did want to meet his family, after all she'd be living with them and from his stories they seemed nice. She just hoped that whatever impression made, it was a good one.

"Miss?"

"Just - where's the dining room?"

Slowly she made her way down following Peigi. She carefully mapped the layout of his castle in her mind to remember which way to go. Her stomach started to growl as she made her way into the dining room.

Straightening her back, she put a smile (a real one this time) on her face and walked into the room. Nobody looked over at her yet and it looked like not everyone was at the table.

"Good morning sleepyhead," said Ian as he grinned at her. "You can sit next to me."

He gestured to a free seat next to her as she sat down. At the head of the table sat Lord MacGuffin talking animatedly to a woman on his right. That had to be Lady MacGuffin, noting that she did at least look pretty nice with her light orange hair in half up/half down style and a deeper orange dress with green trim. Her green eyes seemed to lit up the room as she smiled.

Ian sat on his left and she sat next to him. Across from her was a woman with blond hair tied up in an elegant knot.

"Hi," said a little boy that sat next to her. "I'm Owen."

"Hi, I'm Merida," she said, grinning at him.

"You're right Ian, she really is very pretty," said Owen looking between her and him with a mischievous look on his face. "My name is Owen and I'm 9 and a half. How old are you?"

"Owen," said the woman across from them with an exasperated sigh and scolded him. "You don't ask a lady her age, what do you say?"

"I'm sorry," said Owen, avoiding her eyes and bowing his head.

"It's perfectly fine," said Merida trying hard not to laugh. If Ian was telling his family she's very pretty, what else is he telling his family about her? "So I-"

Before she could ask the girl's name, whom she suspected was Annabel, two more kids sat down. The younger girl stared at her as she sat next to her sister and didn't stop staring at her. The boy stopped and stared at her before he sighed and sat on the other side of Owen.

Aside from Lord MacGuffin, Owen, and sometimes Annabel and Ian. She didn't understand a word any of them were saying. Their Doric fast and thick as she tried to keep up. There were a few familiar words before food was brought out. Fruit, pork, and eggs came out in piles as she wanted to grab for food but sat on her hands not wanting to make a fool out of herself on her first day here.

"So before we eat, you may have noticed a new face. Welcome P-Merida," said Lord MacGuffin. "Around the table this is my wife Vevina, eldest daughter Annabel and youngest daughter Una. You seem to know Owen and then Ewan."

"Hello," she said waving, trying not to make this awkward. "It's nice to meet all of you. I am Merida."

Merida, eager to impress, looked at Ewan and then at the cider pitcher. With a quick, practiced motion, she reached for the pitcher and slid it down the table towards him. Her aim was nearly perfect, though a few drops of cider splashed onto the tablecloth.

Ewan caught it with a grin, clearly amused by her boldness. "Nice save," he said, raising the pitcher in a mock toast. The room erupted in a light, cheerful laughter.

Encouraged by their reaction, Merida felt a surge of confidence. She took a deep breath and said with a playful grin, "Well, it looks like I'm not just here to be a new face. I'm also here to make sure your cider doesn't go thirsty!" Her joke earned a round of chuckles, and even Una let out a delighted laugh.

Vevina let out a snort, quickly followed by giggles from Una and chuckles from Owen.

"Well, that's one way to pass the apple cider, I suppose," said Ewan, with a grin holding up the apple cider he poured into his cup triumphantly.

Merida grinned sheepishly hoping she made an impression.

"I figured I'd keep things interesting."

"If you want to keep things interesting, you're in the right place!"

The table erupted into laughter, and just like that, the tension melted away. Merida felt a wave of relief wash over her as she realized she had found her opening after all.

"Next time, though," said Vevina, she could catch her saying, with a playful twinkle in her eye, "make sure the apple is aimed at a less fragile target—like a wooden bowl. We'd hate to have to explain to the cook why Ewan has a bruise from the pitcher."

The laughter around the table grew even louder, and Merida grinned, feeling more at ease. She could see that Vevina's teasing was all in good spirit, and the family's good-natured humor made her feel increasingly welcome.

Something felt missing before she realized that her dad was around here somewhere. He was supposed to stay with her for the first couple of days. Puzzled, she looked over at the empty spot next to Una.

"Hey Ian, do you know where my dad is?" she asked, tapping his shoulder. "Wasn't he supposed to join us?"

"Oh we already ate Merida," said Lord MacGuffin before she noticed that he didn't even have a plate. "He's getting some materials prepared and we're going hunting. This is your time to get to know everyone."

Merida nodded even though she couldn't say she was a little disappointed. This was her first day here and she was supposed to get comfortable without him around.

Lord MacGuffin excused himself to go hunting with Fergus. Suddenly all of Vevina's attention was on her.

She was friendly, she was quick to answer and she tried to be charming with each question. Merida occasionally looked over to Ian or Owen for a translation when a word she might have heard didn't sound familiar. She tried to watch Vevina's face to see if her answers were satisfactory or not. What was the worst she was going to do? Tell her son that he picked the wrong wife and send her back to her parents? They were already married.

However, Lady MacGuffin seemed to be smiling and if something was wrong with her answers surely her face would change. Most of them were questions about her like how the boat ride was, does she like the castle so far, and some questions about her family.

Merida's first hiccup was ironically more about her lessons as a princess.

"Do you play an instrument?" asked Annabel curiously. "We usually play something for everyone in the family after dinner every Friday night."

"I know how to play the lyre," she said, not as confident in that answer. "I - just not as well as I hoped to." Honestly she didn't think that she'd ever have to use this skill and a useless lesson her mother saddled her with.

"Oh, we don't have one of those," said Annabel disappointed. "But you know how to read music, yes?"

"That I do," said Merida remembering her mothers music lessons. Good thing they didn't ask her if she brought the lyre with her. She didn't even know what her mother packed in those trunks.

"Great, I can teach you the fiddle," she said with a relaxed smile. "Una is learning the harp, she would probably enjoy company."

Una gave her a shy smile, but didn't speak.

"That sounds great," she said.

That didn't sound too bad as she looked at Vevina. She nodded and wrote something down on a piece of parchment. She didn't even notice that she was keeping notes about her. She looked at Ian a little surprised wondering what her mother-in-law could be writing.

She turned to her food and ate like normal. Her mother's advice to "not stuff her gob" ringing in her ears. Matching the pace of Annabel or Vevina, she tried to finish her breakfast alongside everyone else.

"So I think that today," said Vevina in her best Scots as she looked puzzled at Ian. Then they had this conversation in an entire language that she couldn't keep up with. She heard her name as she was tempted to ask Owen what that was about. There was a tap on her shoulder and she looked at him.

"Do you want mum or Ian to show you around?" he whispered.

Oh, so that's what was that about as she looked at her new brother and rather than favor one over the other she grinned at him.

"Which one do you think I should pick?"

He looked thoughtful as she watched Ian and his mother chatter on. Annabel and Una were giggling about something across the table.

"I'd pick Ian, he says that he can't wait to be alone with you so you can make babies together."

Normally Merida didn't embarrass easily and it took a lot to even fluster her. That comment, however, made her sputter her drink over her food. Heat rising to her cheeks as Ian reached out to touch her as she jerked away to grab a napkin.

"Wrong, pipe," she said, coughing. "Anyway you were saying the plans for today."

Maybe Owen was just pulling her leg for a reaction and Ian was not talking about babies. Then again if they asked her, she'd pick Vevina just in case.

"Yes," said Vevina, turning on perfect Scots. "Annabel, you are in charge of your siblings' schooling today."

Next to her she heard a small groan from one of the boys. Ignoring it Vevina looked down at her list.

"Merida, Ian will be showing you around the castle and the grounds. If he has time, he can take you to the village and out to the land. After lunch, we will get together and go over your schedule from there."

She felt her stomach drop a little and felt slightly mortified. She wondered if there was any truth to Owen's words and she should be prepared.

"Ian, you're needed in the stables," said a page she recognized from last night when she came in.

"I'll meet you there," said Ian as he gently waved. She didn't expect him to kiss her hand or anything as she waved back. Now she felt more alone not really knowing anyone at the table.

Everyone ate their food in relative silence as Owen talked to her, telling her all about himself and how long his hair used to be. She could see Una just watching her not saying anything. She tried to hear if her name was being thrown around across the table but didn't hear it. Then turned to give Owen her full attention.

With Ian

She hummed to herself heading toward the stables after asking someone where to go after getting lost once. Angus should be here tomorrow or the next day as she missed her furry friend. Merida would often talk her problems out with Angus who happened to be an excellent listener.

She could hear multiple people in the stables as she turned and saw Ian blood on his chest behind a horse. Rushing over, she hopped over the gate to see if he was ok. Her stomach clenched as he seemed to be in pain.

"Ian," she called as he turned to her in surprise then gestured for her to keep her voice down. Three other stable hands eyed her wearily.

She looked over at what they had gathered for and eyes grew wide. That horse was having a baby as she watched the foal come out from the back. She cocked her head watching fascinated as it seemed to just pop out in one slick move. Her eyes grew wide and mouth agape in amazement. She had a male horse and in the stable horses back home she never aided in a birth.

"She's beautiful Ian," said hand as she looked between the two of them.

"That ought to be one strong filly," said another stable hand.

"And who is this pretty lass?" asked the third and final stable hand, nodding at her.

"I am Merida," she said pausing and pointed to Ian with her thumb, "I'm his wife."

The man's face seemed to drain of color and stepped back onto a rake that hit his back. The other men let out a laugh at the small misfortune. She tried to cover her mouth, hiding her laugh but they didn't seem to care when she didn't. It was kind of funny.

"She is a beautiful horse," said Merida, changing the subject quickly. "Whose is it?"

"No one in particular ma'am," said the first stable hand. "Just to keep and help with the work."

"I think you should have her Merida," said Ian as the others turned to him. "As a wedding present. I never gave you anything and I know you like horses."

He was starting to grow nervous as Merida stared at him as a smile flickered on her face.

"Really? You don't want to use her as a workhorse one day?" she asked as the other men just smiled and nodded at the gesture. Ian looked a little bashful and nodded with them. She leaned down and watched the filly snuggle up to its mother. "Well I guess your name is Agnes."

"Nice choice," said the second stable hand. "I'm Malcolm and these two boneheads are Seamus and Leith. We and a couple of others will be taking care of the horses out here and we'll give her all the attention she needs. When yours comes from Dunbroch we'll get him settled, are there any special routines we need to know?."

She nodded and went on to tell them about Angus and what she normally did for him. Merida did notice when Ian ducked out to get a new shirt and then come back. After a good half hour she turned to him and the stable hands were walking away.

"How'd the blood get on your shirt anyway?" asked Merida, bringing it up as soon as she saw an opening.

"There was another stablehand here who needed some fixing up," he said as he saddled up a horse for the both of them. "You have plenty of time to explore the castle so I figured I'd show you the land and village first."

"Until I have to remember how to get back to my room," she said, chuckling.

"I can show you back to our room," he said, not exactly looking at her.

Right in our room, she thought, and then remembered what Owen said. She pushed that thought back down in her mind and focused on where she was and what she was doing.

"I can saddle the horse," said Merida as she saw him saddling the two.

"I got it," he said, leading a beautiful brown and white Clydesdale from the stall. "This is Finola. She's very sweet and doesn't startle easily."

She sighed before climbing on the back of Finola before he could offer her any more assistance. Finally they were off, Ian speaking carefully as he pointed out interesting spots on the grounds. Where they had two wells and other useful tidbits to know for the future such as a trimmed field for events. Merida tried to picture where she'd set up any targets before remembering that she might not even have time to shoot.

Maybe she was planning too soon.

From the grounds did they ride to the nearest village in comfortable silence. Around her the breeze picked up and felt cool against her skin. She could hear birds chirping and flapping their wings. Woodland creatures looked up in their direction and scurried away.

Their closest village was about two or three miles away from the castle gates which didn't feel like it was far. She could see stalls set up for an outdoor market.

"There's another village twenty miles east of us as well," he said. "Like I said, lots of woods."

He gave her a small smile as she just gazed around. Nothing too different from where she grew up. Just trees, blue skies, and even the same animals as she saw squirrels. The odds of a bear like Mor'du seemed pretty small. Although perhaps she could see a wisp late at night if she knew where to look. They turned around as Ian wanted to stop at the village. Just to look and see if they had anything.

They had walked along the stalls as he nervously tried to hold her hand. His palm was a little sweaty as she looked around at leather goods, a silversmith selling his wares and more. She never went to the outdoor market in DunBroch often so some of this was new to her.

Merida glanced over at a man selling brooches and other metal jewelry.

"Did you want one?" asked Ian as he saw her eying a flower she had never seen before printed into one.

"I don't have anything to-" she said as Ian passed him a coin. It was wrapped and placed in the bag Ian brought along. "You already gave me a horse."

"It's pretty, like you," he said and immediately shut his mouth. "I hope- well-"

She shifted a little, liking the compliment, he was becoming a lot more open with her now that he was back home. There was a warm feeling in her stomach. Her parents always called her pretty whenever she was forced into dressing up (which wasn't as often) so hearing from a person she wasn't really related to in her dirty clothes felt nice. She wanted to stop those feelings but they were starting to attack her from nowhere.

"Thanks," she said after a minute. "For the compliment and for the brooch."

She undid the first brooch near her neck and then switched them out and slipped the old one in her pouch.

"I think we have time for you to show me the castle," she said, "I'll race ya."

She started running for the horses, Ian hot at her heels as they galloped back. They had finished the tour just in time for lunch and then her afternoon with Vevina. She did discreetly ask about Owen only to confirm that he was in fact pulling her leg.

With Vevina

Vevina looked kind as Merida sat at the dining room table. She sat up straight and kept her eyes trained on her indicating that she meant business. Even if she didn't get along with her own mother recently, she could get along with her mother-in-law for Ian's sake.

"It looks like your mother has prepared you well," said Vevina inspecting her. "You can relax, I'm not going to bite you."

She giggled softly as Merida allowed herself to slouch a little. Vevina pulled up a chair next to her with a parchment full of notes.

"So what we'll do starting tomorrow is you'll just follow me around and see what I do. As soon as you get up, we'll meet in the kitchen to meet with the cook. We'll plan meals for the week, make a grocery list, send out someone to shop."

"You mean I don't have to cook anything?" she asked, slightly relieved and a little annoyed. If she didn't need to know how to cook, why did her mother teach her?

"Not unless you want to," she said kindly, "if you have any recipes from home feel free to share them. We're a rather adventurous crew here."

The rest of the day looked like she had time carved out just to write to her parents, start a correspondence with local land owners, and then the other lords' families. She didn't even know what she'd say to Ryan Macintosh, "you weren't very high on my list of potential suitors" seemed too forward to write. She told them she'd write but what she'd put in them, she was a little mystified.

Of all her mothers lessons, she was thankful her arithmetic was very thorough. She had to be able to keep the accounts, balance the budget, calculate how much food and other supplies needed to be bought, track expenses and even try to predict the use of future supplies. Doing all of that took up a good two to three hours. Lady MacGuffin shared all the details she had which made her head spin.

Her lessons in politics seemed to suffice that Lady MacGuffin didn't have any notes. Her sewing was deemed average and tapestry making skills adequate.

Then finally the time she spent in the woods seemed to pay off. And for the first time her mother was wrong.

"I'm sure this is not part of your royal education but do you have any knowledge of botany? Can you identify poison ivy from non-poisonous leaves and know which plants are medicinal in nature?"

"Yes. Yes I do," said Merida confidently, slapping one hand to her thigh.

The action made Vevina laugh as she just grinned ready to share her knowledge.

"Well then, I'll put you in charge of the medicines we keep and make new ones. It really is a wonderful skill to have and very useful."

She paused as Merida was grinning ear to ear, way more confident then she was going in.

"Well, I'm glad you're excited about that," she said. "And since you can already read music, Annabel will give you a lesson with the fiddle. Then you can learn the harp from me and sit in with Una. Between you and me she could use some more guidance."

She tapped her quill to the parchment and looked at another note. A look of something passed her face as she quickly masked it.

"I'm also told you're quite good with a bow and arrow."

Merida leaned forward hoping this was her chance to get out and shoot. A chance to show off her skills. She hoped that Vevina wasn't going to tell her that it was improper and a lady shouldn't have a weapon.

"That's good, do you know how to use a sword as well?" she asked, pausing.

"Absolutely, my dad taught me himself," she said proudly, "I even know how to use a sword with one hand."

"That's great, I prefer a dagger myself," she said nonchalantly as Merida raised her eyebrow. "I'm going to have you give Una archery lessons as well. Everyone needs to have some way to defend themselves. We have the occasional viking raids nearby and we want everyone in the castle prepared."

Merida paused for a second. She remembered when the suitors' dads presented their sons. Lord Macintosh's son fighting off norsemen (northern?) invaders stabbing thousands with his sword. Lord Dingwall's son besieged ten thousand Romans (if she remembered her history right the Romans were long gone unless they were both hundreds of years old). Lord MacGuffin's son scuttled a viking warship defeating two thousand foes. Then pictured Ian breaking a log with no leverage like it was a piece of parchment. Which admittedly was impressive as she remembered watching him from underneath her wimple with slight interest.

However, she figured that all of that was poppycock, nothing but talk just to make their sons look good. Her grandmother said as much until she remembered her saying Ian killed Vikings.

She couldn't see him killing someone other than in self defense.

"Viking raids," she said, repeating the last thing she heard.

"Oh yes, we don't get them often. Vikings are rather inconsistent and hard to predict. We'll send troops out to aid in attacks along the coast. Only two or three have gotten close to the village twenty miles from here. Ian and Kevin have been successful keeping them away."

"But they've attacked," she says slowly. "What happens if - "

She didn't want to think about her father-in-law or husband dying in a battle.

Suddenly she could understand why Kevin and Vevina were eager to send Ian as a contender for her hand and why her position as a princess was useful. If something happened to either one of them in battle they'd have to petition to the next king for new or extra troops should something go wrong. If Ian did win her hand, he'd be the next king to call them in himself. And if something happened to him, she'd be one of leaders leading cavalry as essentially the monarch.

And that explained the look of guilt on Vevina's face when she brought up the bow and arrow. Part of her wanted to be angry about it and the other part twisted into more nerves. All of the clan leaders had reasons for sending their sons - she shouldn't judge them for that. She wasn't sure if Ian, Logan, and Ryan knew what their parents' ulterior motives were either.

The anger in her molded to the nerves knowing that she had to have plenty of children one day.

"We practice," said Vevina, snapping her out of her thoughts. "In case a raid ever gets close. We gather in the cellar or go as high up as we can. Ian and Kevin aren't sent out together often so one of them is here for aid. We can run through one when you're more prepared."

Merida blinked, pulling herself back from the swirling thoughts about Viking raids and the heavy expectations she was facing. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. The reality of the situation was sinking in: not only was she expected to fulfill her duties as Ian's wife, but she was also stepping into a role that could involve significant responsibility in times of crisis.

"That sounds wise," Merida said, her voice steadying as she addressed Vevina. "I suppose I should be prepared for anything that comes our way. I didn't think much of it before, but now…"

Vevina gave her a reassuring smile. "You're not alone in this. Ian and I will make sure you're ready. The clan depends on us all, and we all have our parts to play. It's not just about the men fighting; it's about everyone working together to protect what we have."

There was a pregnant pause as Vevina thumbed through some of the papers pulling up a schedule.

"And since we need everyone prepared and at their sharpest, you'll get some free time to practice without Una of course. Say maybe an hour or two after dinner? In the summer I think I can give you as much time until it gets dark. The winter months will be harder to get out but we can figure it out when we get there."

So envisioning where she'd put targets wasn't in vain as she grinned. Sure she might have to use her skills in an actual battle but at least she was encouraged to go out and she'd be teaching it. Silently she was enjoying her mother being wrong.

"Oh and before I forget," she said, standing up and offering Merida a hand.

Cautiously Merida took it before they headed off to a room in a different part of the castle. She could hear one of the boys complaining about the way Annabel taught a lesson and knitting needles from another.

With a flourish, Vevina opened the door. Inside was a beautifully appointed room. A large mahogany desk sat in the center, with a comfortable chair positioned behind it. The room was adorned with intricate rugs, a large map of the clan lands, and a cozy reading nook by the window. Rich tapestries adorned the walls, their intricate designs adding a touch of elegance. Shelves lined the walls, filled with books and scrolls, and a comfortable armchair was placed near the window, perfect for reading or reflection.

Merida's eyes widened in surprise and delight as she stepped inside. "Wow, this is really nice," she said, "is it yours?"

"It's ours," said Vevina. "The account books are up here and I'm offering it up as a place to escape if you feel the need to. As long as the work gets done, you can work from anywhere. I personally like working at the dining room table so I'm more accessible. Wherever you like is up to you.

She pressed a key into her hand as Merida felt a little overwhelmed and nodded.