II
Norway
Bergen
May 1302
My dear Kirsty,
Our brother is now under Sassanach control. Many may be shocked by this turnabout as was I but, in truth, it is more of a truce. No doubt Robert will be sore at heart and the recent family meeting will have ignited further bitterness.
I wager our lord father will be well-pleased with Rob's impending marriage to the daughter of Richard de Burgh. Mother once told me how the earl, along with Mar and Stewart and several of our Irish kin, magnates all, visited Turnberry after King Alexander's death. Grandfather sponsored the meeting to build alliances in the region but also to garner support for our family's claim to the Scottish throne. Our countries had been at peace for many a long year, and the meeting was held with King Edward's good grace. That once neighbourly king then turned his back upon our family, having set his sights upon ruling Scotland himself.
With Rob's options so diminished, our brother has little choice, barring poverty or death, to place himself within reach of our most dire enemy. Elizabeth may prove a strong ally for Robert. For certain, he needs someone of strong mettle to match his own spirit and the challenges that lie ahead.
Your loving sister
Isa
III
Scotland
Kildrummy Castle
May 1302
Isa, dear heart,
Several weeks past, Garnait returned from a meeting in Scone. Pale and weakened, he rested for a few days but his breathing became even more constricted. Nothing Floraidh or I concocted seemed to work. Shortly thereafter, my dearest husband collapsed.
Two days ago, Robert arrived for the funeral. He brought with him a letter from King Edward, advising that our brother is now Donald's guardian; my son being the new Earl of Mar and of a tender age. We could have lost all if the king had given Donald's guardianship to one of his cronies to bleed us dry until Donald comes of age. Now, Edward uses it as a bribe for Robert's loyalty.
Bereft though I am, I can see reason, but it causes me pain to witness this wrangling over Garnait's beloved Mar. Thank God our brother was well-placed enough to be able to advocate to our advantage. We are in safe hands.
As ever
Kirsty
IV
Norway
Bergen
June 1302
My dear Kirsty,
At the Kristkirke, prayers have been said for Garnait's soul. How I wish I could be with you...
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Sisters of The Bruce 1292-1314 (Abridged Version )
Historical FictionSisters of The Bruce 1292-1314 offers a finely-drawn tale of Robert the Bruce's sisters and the challenges these remarkable women face Set against the wild and perilous background of Scotland in the late thirteenth century, the adventurous lives of...
