A Highlander's Promise

Makeup Mishaps

"That's the last of it mother," Ceana said as she tugged on her mother's sleeve.

"Are you sure? I feel like we're still missing something," Caitir said as she looked around the humid kitchen.

"The roast, the stew, the pasties..." Caitir counted as she mentally checked off the course in her head.

"Mother 'tis time you need to get ready." Ceana pushed her trying to convince her mother to leave the kitchen.

"No, not yet-"

"Aye, I just saw Lady MacDuff strolling around the garden, we can't let her see you like this all a mess. 'Tis not usual for the Lady to be so long in the kitchen, you know."

"Oh dear..." Caitir said in disbelief with a worried expression.

"Come mother, I will get Beathag to draw you a nice bath so you can get ready. The Lady of clan cannot show up to her own feast underdressed."

Leora smiled as Ceana was pushing her mother out of the kitchen and up the stairs along with Beathag.

"How much longer until the feast?" Leora asked when Ceana returned to her beside the doorframe.

"Not much, a few hours or so, but we still need to get ready as well," Ceana said as she dragged Leora to her bedchamber.

"Will we put on elderberry?" Leora asked in excitement as they climbed the stairs.

"Of course, we'll have some female only time, I've never really had anyone else get ready with me except the maids. But we can help each other this time, since you're here," Ceana said as she retrieved some soaps and perfumes from her chests once they entered her bedchamber.

"What are we doing with those?" Leora asked as Ceana put them into a basket.

"Taking them to bathe of course, silly." Ceana put the basket down and laid both of their fancier dresses on her bed with matching accessories.

"Aren't we taking those?"

"No, we'll come back and put them on after we bathe, but here take any old clean léine. Just until we reach the bedchamber from the pond."

"The pond?" Leora asked. Leora had noticed that bathing was not a priority for many people, nor was it common to do so every day. But she was grateful that she had fallen into the hands of Scottish nobility, for if not she would not have had the opportunity to take a hot bath once a week or so. Never had she taken one in the nature, not counting the time she was held captive for MacLachlan. She suspected that it was normal to bathe outside, not everyone could have the luxury she had.

She shook off the thought of the disgusting man and turned to find Ceana leading her to the door.

"It will be fun," Ceana said and the two girls escaped to the courtyard of the fortress. They walked into the stables where Ceana began to saddle her horse.

"Uhm, Ceana, you do remember that I do not know how to ride a horse, right?" Leora reminded the MacAlister girl who looked up in sudden bewilderment.

"Oh, I forgot about that. Well, I guess this is going to be so fun, aye?" Ceana looked at her and smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we both can't ride side saddle on the horse or we'll fall off. So we will walk to the outskirts of the town and from there I will ride like a man while you like a woman." Ceana went picked up an extra blanket to put on the saddle so it would not chafe her inner thighs as she rode inappropriately.

"Are you sure? There is no other way?" Leora asked not wanting to risk the girl having to resort to such a measure.

"Aye, I am. There is no way I'm teaching you how to ride a horse now with so little time left. Just do as I say and I'll teach you another day." They exited the stables while leading Ceana's cream colored horse toward the town.