Highland Chieftain (Book 5)

Chapter 12

AN - Sorry, I have not been on track with my writing at all recently. Here you go with another chapter! Az x

Chapter 12

Larena made her way out into the cold of the morn, having already watched Cam come alive in the presence of this waif he found on the road, she had to have a moment to herself. It reminded her to much of how she imagined she had been when with Kendrick. He had known this woman so little a time and knew practically nothing about her, yet there was a lightness to her brother she had not seen in a very long time, especially when directed at another person. All she saw of Cam was his judgement, scowls and disappointment. However, this woman who knew nothing of him was causing a light in her brother which showed the true nature he had buried for the last few years behind his lack of responsibility. But now he was back and in the space of a day he was ready to take over the clan. It was unthinkable that a change could be so quick, only she had been through a change which had changed her in a heartbeat. How could she think anything less of anyone else?

Yet the part of her which was empty and the part of her which still hurt and burnt with the fires of hell did not want anyone else to feel the happiness she had once had, before it had crumbled around her. Crumbled around her, with nothing but pain and a gaping hole in its place.

Walking briskly down the steps, she could do nothing more than stand a moment and stare at those already gathered. Awaiting the rest of the clan to appear before either moving to the green space beyond as part of the mock battle, or up to the ramparts above to gain the best view of the epic scene about to take place. Larena could not care less what was about to happen, but some effort had to be made, even if the effort meant being in a place she would rather not be as her insides crumbled and her head screamed for her to run as far and as fast as she could. But for the most part people saw what was to come as the entertainment of the month. Nothing particularly interesting happened in their lives, so they had to live for the small pathetic moments such as this. Larena, however, prided herself on working out years ago...there was no point in trying to find something beyond what you had, for it would only be taken away from you. As the power she held at this moment could be taken away from her by the very woman who could bring her brother such happiness. A happiness that she herself would never know.

Making her way further into the bailey, she managed to find her gaggle of foolish 'friends' who did nothing but drone on and on about the devilish woman who had come back to the clan with Camdyn. Joining in when needed, but only needing a vicious comment every now and then, Larena tried to hide her boredom at life behind her stone façade. Until of course she spotted movement at the door to the Keep. All eyes around her turning towards the scene also. It was sickeningly sweet, which caused a piercing pain of jealousy to spike through Larena whilst the anger that Cam got what she could not tried to dampen the pain. It was a constant battle within that she could never let show to the world beyond. She could be nothing more than the persona she had created as a shell around herself, for that persona was the only way she could truly survive now. Without that she would be a pile of dust on the ground which the wind could pick up and toss in whichever direction it wished, for she would not be herself and no one would ever be able to find her again.

The eyes watched as Cam and Aislinn made their way to the middle of the bailey, where Cam paused. Taking the tiny hand of the vagabond, though she did not look so in the cast off she wore, no Larena had to admit that Aislinn looked even better in the gown than she did, which did not endear the woman to her at all. Nay, it was made all the worse, when with eyes shining with adoration Cam brought that slight hand to his lips and kissed the back of her fingers. The gallant action causing lances of pain within Larena, so violent she wanted to scream, yet outwardly she was utterly silent. Not making even an extra flicker of an eyelid. Her own memories of Kendrick flashed through her mind, driving her mad with the knowledge that once she had thought Kendrick could be the reason she was here upon this earth that she could find a happiness that others did, when everyone else wanted little or nothing to do with her. Her brother, the golden bairn was yet again getting everything Larena wished to have.

Aye, he did not have the material possessions that Larena had been lavished with, but she was not so vain as to know that they meant nothing in the grand scheme of things. The items were just to placate her when all she had truly wanted was companionship and love from those who should have been there for her from the start. Instead she had had to make the best of what she had, so if that meant she looked like a shallow, vain harpy, so be it, for that was all she was ever going to get. Who would give her the affection Cam lavished upon this stranger? For the one person she had been sure she could receive it from had laughed at her behind her back. Mocking her need for a closeness with someone and kicking her when she was down, by moving on so quickly to others she had considered 'friends.' She had learnt that lesson the hard way, but now had to watch as everyone else found what she would never receive.

All those around the bailey were utterly silent as the heir to the clan publically claimed the waif. Not in so much his words but his proprietary actions. That was when his head lifted and his words rang clear, though he aimed them at Aislinn, the meaning was clear to all the males who watched with jealous eyes. "Pray for my safety, Aislinn, for I fear I may be mobbed by those who wish to steal the right to protect you from me." Cam dropped Aislinn's hand and turned to join his men as they headed out of the keep to the field of battle. The energy a restless crackle between the men as they moved past the groups left within the bailey. Larena knew it would still be some time before the 'battle' started as they had to fully set up and make sure everyone was in their proper place. So instead she watched, letting the voices of the group she was with wash over her as they went back to their vicious whispering.

Aislinn stood alone, which had made a moment of doubt of her hatred enter Larena. No one should feel so alone. But then she remembered, Aislinn was not alone, she had taken her brother from her and was even now being converged upon by Minna, Iona and not surprisingly Vika. Larena had been wary of Vika's plan to lure information out of Vika, but planting the seed of hope in her ear that Cam wanted Iona to be his lady. But in the end, Larena could not find it within herself to care about the schemes the girls wished to partake in, so long as her power was still below Larena's and she still deferred to her with her plans, she could not careless. As a result, Vika had spent less and less time with Larena and more time in the company of Iona making sure any news was passed to Larena as soon as it was received. Still keeping her in the loop, as if she actually cared. But knowledge was power after all, and anything she could use she could and would.

Watching from her place across the bailey, she saw the scene unfold before her. Minna was extremely enthusiastic, grabbing Aislinn's hands and her mouth going a mile a minute. Not that Larena could tell what was being said but she could tell Minna was not letting anyone else in on the conversation, nor coming up for breath. Though Aislinn began to look a little worried for Minna as she stilled continued on. That was when Vika interrupted Aislinn with a look like thunder, before her short harsh laugh managed to make its way across the distance between them. With that Minna became a rather putrid shade of red and Iona looked aghast at what Vika had just uttered. If only Isla knew the tongue her granddaughter had when not around her. Yet, it was Aislinn the interloper in this arrangement that was the one to come to Minna's aid from the hand gestures and body language of Aislinn as she spoke to Vika, pausing when Iona said something with a rather pathetic look upon her face. But from this distance Larena could recognise the distrust and plotting light within Iona's eyes, the gleam easily identifiable by someone who was so used to those thoughts.

Vika spun on her heels, their eyes catching as she stormed directly towards them, while Larena could see over her friends shoulder that Iona has gone into apology mode. It was a little sickening how she wanted to get so close to the one Vika had managed to convince her was her main rival for Cam's affection. Looking at the four other women with her Larena took note of the furious expression directed at Iona, for they knew Vika was trying to draw her into their group. Knowing this she could surmise the women were trying to understand why Iona would work against them like this, why would she want to befriend someone who was here trying to take Larena's power from her? For if she lost her power, these women lost their power in the clan as well.

Vika was fuming as she finally stomped to a stop before her. "How very dare she?" With a flick of hair over her shoulder she shot a glance at the three women she had just left. "The audacity of the vagabond. You are in danger from her Larena, she is manipulative and she it out for Cam that much is obvious, she is planning to take any power from you that she can." Larena knew that Aislinn was nothing of the sort to act like her and Vika. It took one to know one for sure. No Aislinn was pure in a way Larena had never been, but that did not stop her from wanting to take the woman down. There was no way she was going to let this woman take the only thing Larena had left, her power.