A Highlander's Promise

That Time of Month

The weeks began to pass by quickly at the MacAlisters.

Leora had gotten used to a routine and if she wanted to join breakfast like the others she needed to wake up early.

Super early she soon realized, which meant she needed to go to sleep early, too.

It had taken awhile to get used to but after missing breakfast a few more times and apologizing to her hosts, Ian had asked a maid to wake her up in time.

After sewing every day – since there was nothing else she could do- Leora had worked up some decent skills. She carried on casual conversation with Ceana, although most of the time they sat in silence. In the mornings and late evenings, Leora would usually take walks by herself around the castle, through the courtyards and gardens. She liked solitude at moments and just thinking to herself, but she would always find an excuse to greet at least one person in Gaelic on her walks. She wished maybe she could take some with Ceana.

She didn't want Ceana to be hostile towards her when they were alone.

After deciding not to describe her modern life to Ceana anymore, their conversations during their sewing times only consisted of the thread and needle and gradually the weather and Scottish customs.

Leora didn't want to converse about anything that would lead to the discussion of men or marriage. After living here for a bit, she had observed a few married couples. The women were terribly young, many younger than her, and the men were significantly older. Perhaps ten years or even more.

It was hard to look down upon these arrangements because they were so common in this time period and would be common for many centuries to come.

She knew Ceana had her reasons for not wanting to get married. Fionn had made it sound like she had already turned down those who offered.

But was it common to turn down many offers? Surely, she had not done so herself. Unless a couple was madly in love with each other and of the same level of wealth-which probably didn't happen much anyways- then, most marriages were arranged, right? So that meant whoever asked for her hand would have had to approach Aodh first.

That thought gave her the chills. Even though Aodh was the younger MacAlister, he gave off a more frightening aura than his older brother.

Just approaching the man to ask for his daughter's hand was an act of courage itself.

Whoever these men were, she pitied and applauded them.

But why wasn't Ceana ready for marriage? It was the way of life here and surely she had been brought up to know how advantageous her marriage would be to her clan. Was she considered kind of old by now?

What am I thinking?

THE GIRL'S EIGHTEEN. SHE IS BY NO STANDARD OLD.

But things are different here.

Still.

She's quite beautiful.

Ceana was slender and her large brown eyes were framed with dark thick lashes. Her thick dark chocolate colored hair was plaited elaborately and emphasized her soft facial features.

No wonder so many men had asked for her, she was stunning.

Leora decided she would work her way up to conversation with Ceana. Not for the reason of her decision to remain unwed- it wasn't her business and she didn't want to pry. But rather there was only so much one could talk about medieval lifestyle here, pertaining to mundane topics.