An Unexpected Destiny (Completed)

Dance Into the Night

"Nooooooo,"I moan from my comfy bed of straw when Merida pounds on my door. She demands I get up and join the well underway celebrations.

I had just fallen asleep on top of the blankets-- after nearly an hour of going through awkward introductions between the company and royal family and deciding when the meeting would be. Queen Elinor, MacLeod, and I decided for King Fergus and Robin. They had given curt nods to one another, the proceeded to ignore each other. From the way King Fergus didn't really make eye contact or speak with anyone throughout the whole thing told me he was well aware of who Robin was even if "Clan Conn" was never mentioned. MacLeod was careful. He introduced his leader as Lord Robin Conn and everyone else, himself included, as Sir. He never said what Robin was a lord of and what families his sirs came from.

"If you do not, then I will have one of the guards break down this door. Then I will send the triplets to terrorize you." Merida threatens through the door.

"I am not properly dressed. And it's too much effort to look pretty tonight."

"You look pretty all the time. And Dairen told me she helped you into a beautiful green gown with silver laces on the sleeves. I want to see it." A murmur from who must be Dairen. "And you also have a cross with an emerald in the middle about your neck. I really want to see how it looks on you because it was once my mother's."

"Traitor," I mutter into my pillow. Wait. The necklace was--I bolt upright and touch the Celtic cross. The pad of my middle finger runs over the tiny gem. This was Queen Elinor's? Why did she give it to me and not her daughter?

"Open the door, Agnes." A series of small pounds against the door tell me the triplets have arrived.

I look out the window and hear music and voices. The throne room cannot fit everyone, so commoners (those who are not closely related to the royal family or a merchant or military) will celebrate outside, despite the dropping temperature. The fire flickers gently on the other side of my room, not very far away. Still, the hair on my arms and neck stand up. I want to burrow in the blankets. They never wrote in history books how drafty castles were.

"Agnes! All the food will be gone if you don't hurry up," Merida shouts, her voice muffled by the door.

It's no use to tell her I'm not hungry, because my stomach growls enough for her to hear through the wood. "Oh, alright," I grind and slide out of the bed. I tap my hair to make sure the bun made of two braids is still in place as I slip on the green slippers Dairen had brought. I make a grotesque face: they are cold.

I unlock the door and rush to douse the fire, because I'm paranoid and am not convinced a kitchen maid will remember to check on all the fires. I'll live if I come up to a freezing room; I've slept in what must have been fifty degrees outside.

The smell of roasted meat and mead enters the room.

"My lady, your gown," Dairen cries and yanks me out of the way of the smoke. She pushes me towards Merida. She stands by my bed and appraises me.

The triplets swarm my legs and show me the sweets they smuggled out of the kitchen. Dairen grumbles and brushes off my gown, even though I didn't see any ash on it. The princes are super cute in their grey and blue plaid kilts. I try to grab Hubert, which sends him running out of the room, Harris following behind. Hamish remains, and bashfully looks up at me. Merida, behind him, kneels down and whispers something into his ear.

He nods; determination makes a firm line on his lips. Then he hands Merida his treat and stands up tall (which is only halfway up my thigh) and asks, "Will you grant me the first dance, Lady Agnes?"

I have to smash my lips together to keep from laughing at the intense level of cuteness. I brush Dairen away and curtsy deeply, the cross around my neck hanging in the air. "Of course, Prince Hamish. I'd be honored."