Highland Games

Chapter One

Mary, Duchess of York

I take a deep breath as I look at the lush Scottish hills that surround me. The beautiful heather swayed slowly as a gentle breeze ran through my hair. In the distance, I could hear the soft sounds of a creek and I craned my neck in hopes of seeing it. Despite my shaking hands and fluttering heart, the feeling of the breeze against my skin and the smells of the forest seemed to calm me, restoring a sense of peace in my mind.

"Mary," my brother snaps and I quickly turn to look at him, my heart dropping into my stomach. What had I done now to invoke his temper? His eyes are fiery and I tilt my eyes down, not wanting to look into them any longer than I needed to. "Stop daydreaming," he scolds me, "such behavior is not fit for the future Queen of Scotland."

I watch as his friend, John, the Earl of Cumberland laughs at my brother's comment. My brother smiles as he looks at his friend and the two of them whisper something between one another. The two of them had always enjoyed teasing me since I had been a child, despite me being older than both of them. I had always wondered what I had done to invite such hatred from my brother and such dislike from his friends.

Feeling my cheeks burn red, I tried to look around and see if I could seek comfort in anyone around me, but none of my ladies or confidantes had been allowed to come to Scotland with me. It was finally beginning to sink in, I was utterly alone in this country. I was walking into an entirely new court, entering a marriage to a man who I had never met before, who held my future in his hands.

Soft sunlight cranes over the trees and I smile softly as I close my eyes, enjoying my final moments of what little freedom I had. I had always enjoyed nature, it was the one place in the world that I could find true solace and peace. I hear the soft sound of horse hooves and I open my eyes to see the Scottish ambassador, Lord Alexander, ride up beside me.

"If you look in front of you, Your Highness," he speaks up as he begins to ride alongside me, "you can see Edinburgh Castle." His finger points to a castle in the distance, perched high atop a hill. There was a small city that surrounded it, and I could see the harbor faintly. I had been sent drawings of the city from James, but even from the distance I could tell that the city was far more beautiful in person.

I smile warmly as I turn to face him, "It is a beautiful city, Your Grace. I am thankful to call it my new home." I did not know what else to say or what I was expected to say. Despite having spent my whole life learning how to be queen, now that the moment was here, all my knowledge seemed to fail. I felt tremendous pressure upon my shoulders, I had to make England proud, but I also had to make my future husband proud as well. Absolute perfection was expected of me.

"King James is excited to meet you, Your Highness," he continues, breaking the silence between us. "As is the court; everyone is anxiously waiting for your arrival. We have been waiting for this day for many years. It is no secret that our countries have been at odds for centuries. Your marriage is a new beginning for all of us."

My hands begin to shake as I think about James and his court. Would I be what he expected? Would he find me too plain for his liking? Would I like him? Everyone said that he was a most handsome man, but what if he was not like the portraits he sent. It was no secret that court painters tended to flatter and exaggerate the subject. Perhaps that is what they had done for him.

"What is he like," I ask, hoping that maybe if I knew a little more about him, perhaps my nerves would ease. We had written letters to one another, but what if he pretended to be someone he was not? It was impossible to fully know someone through mere words. And words could be false, written merely to flatter and impress me that I might come to Scotland sooner.