Anise

Supper with Drustan's clan was just as interesting as the first night she'd eaten with the group. The men were jolly, if not a bit drunk, and very loud. They all talked above each other into the room was filled with nothing but the dull roar of their voices. She had sat to the right of Drustan again, as he sat at the head of the table and Murray to his left. The two of them were laughing over something Murray had told him. While she wasn't really included in the conversation she couldn't help but feel happy that she could be part of something so merry as a simple supper.

Bessa hadn't exaggerated when she said she'd make a big supper. There was a massive roast pig and turkey on the table, surrounded by potatoes, bread, and an array of vegetables. When they had entered the dinning hall, Drustan was greeted by a mighty cheer from his men, their ale mugs raised high in the air. He greeted them all back before leading Cameron over to the seat next to his, pulling out her chair for her once again. His men didn't make a comment at that or when he served her, giving her a sizable portion of almost everything on the table before giving his men permission to have at it.

Cameron now looked at Drustan from under her lashes, examining him closely. She couldn't help but feel like a stalker but liked looking at him while he was smiling and wasn't worried about anything. She looked down at her food and frowned, she'd only gotten half way through the mountain of food before she realized that there wasn't any possibility to her finishing it. Cameron grabbed her glass of wine and sipped it, not liking the bitter taste but she hadn't wanted to trouble anyone by asking for something else. When she had half the glass gone she set it back down. She was pulling her hand back to place it in her lap when Drustan's free hand that wasn't holding a fork grabbed her hand.

Her eyes, which had fallen away from him temporarily, quickly snapped back to him to see him looking at her. "Ya have nay eaten all yer food, lass."

"That was enough food to feed three of me," she stated. "I swear I couldn't eat anymore even if I tried."

Drustan examined her and nodded, bringing her hand up to his lips and placing a brief kiss on her knuckles. "Ya donnae have to stay down here listenin' ta our banter. Ya can go up to yer bedchamber if ya want."

Cameron smiled at him, "Its okay. You medieval guys are kind of funny."

He chuckled and kept her hand in his as he set down his fork and grabbed his ale glass, taking a big drink before setting it back down. "This could go on 'til the wee hours of the morn, lass. Stay fer as long as ya wish but donnae keep yerself up if yer tired."

"I know that," she told him. "The second I get sleepy, I'll head upstairs I promise but for right now I'm enjoying the fact that half of these guys are already well on the way to being drunk."

"Like who, lass?" Drustan asked curiously as he leaned in closer to her.

Cameron looked down the table to a man who was definitely the loudest, singing a song about what she figured was a woman who was unfaithful but it was hard to tell through the slur of his words and his thick brogue. She smirked and pointed down towards him as she leaned into Drustan, "That one right there."

He snorted, "Gawain is always in his cups. Provide another example, lass."

She pursed her lips and took another look around, and caught a glimpse of one of the men getting a refill of his ale and slap the maid on the backside. When she turned around and pinned him with a glare that could have burned wood, he just laughed and grabbed her around the waist, pulling her onto his lap. He grabbed his tankard and drank at least half before leaning down and kissing the maid with enthusiasm she'd only seen in the movies. He released her from the kiss but she remained were she was, though she didn't seem to happy about her position.

Cameron looked back at Drustan and pointed to them triumphantly , "There is no way he's not drunk."

Drustan snorted, "Aye. Yer right but I am thinkin' that the maid is drunk as well."

"She is so not, she hasn't had a drink. She's been serving these drunkards most the night."

He chuckled, "Nay not in that sense, lass. Take another look at them."

She looked back to now see the man's hand on her thigh, the maids arms were wound around his neck as he whispered what must have been dirty things in her ear because her face was now flushed and her expression interested.

She felt Drustan lean in closer until his mouth brushed her ear and she felt his breath against it, "What do ya think he is sayin' ta her, lass. It must be somethin' verra interestin' ta have gotten her ta go from glarin' witch ta that in a matter of seconds."

"I... I wouldn't have any idea," she whispered, refraining from looking at him. Knowing it'd only lead to them kissing and she was very much enjoying the non-kissing, 'wooing' he was doing for her.

He set his hand on her thigh and whispered, "Do ya wanna know what I think he told the maid, lass?" Swallowing, she nodded her head just a bit. "The moment we're alone, I am gonna kiss those pert little breasts of yers." When she sucked her breath in he chuckled and stroked up higher on her thigh. "I cannae wait ta have ya in my bed, lass. Yer gonna be hotter than fire and I am gonna fully enjoy makin' ya beg for me. What da ya say, lass. Would ya like ta come up ta me bedchamber?"

By the time he finished, Cameron's face was flushed and she had stopped breathing. "I... Well... Ummm." As she stammered he chuckled and placed a kiss right behind her ear.

"Are ya alright, lassie?"

"I'm fine, its just I doubt thats what he said to her," she denied more to herself than to anything. Turning to look him in the eye, hoping that contact would help her lie even more. Cameron wasn't dumb, she knew that Drustan had said those things to her under the guise of this conversation but she needed to ignore it for her own sake.

He eyes searched hers for a few moments before he moved his hand away from her thigh, grabbed his tankard and took a big drink, "Ya should go ta yer bedchamber, lass. Tis no place fer ya ta be right now."

Cameron pushed her chair back and looked at him stunned. She couldn't believe he was sending her to her room because she hadn't whispered dirty back to him. "Well fine then," she growled, getting the attention of several men, including Murray. "I'll just go to my room like you ordered, like a good little girl since I'm not old enough to hang out with the big boys anymore."

"That is nay the reason, Cameron and ye know better," he growled back getting up as well. "Now stop acting like a child."

"I'm not acting like a child!" she snapped.

"Aye ya are lass, and now yer makin' a scene." He scolded taking a small step towards her until they were almost touching.

Her fist and jaw clenched as she glared up at him, "A scene?" she manged to get out from between clenched teeth.

Drustan gave a curt nod, "Aye now go up ta yer room and calm down. I'll be up shortly and weel discuss this in private."

That was the last straw for her and before she could stop herself she pulled her fist back and punched him. If he was any shorter the punch would have been solid and may have sent him reeling but since their height was almost a foot in difference it barely clipped his jaw. "Fuck you, you overbearing jackass!" she snarled.

At that moment all his men, who had previously been quiet as mice, all roared with laughter. Several of them shouting that he should take her upstairs and turn her over his knee and show her who was boss but none of them made a move to defend their laird against her. Which made her fume even more. She wouldn't even be taken seriously when she'd punched someone in the face.

Drustan looked down at her in shock and before he could say anything she said, "Don't bother coming to talk to me. There's no point since you'll be dealing with a child."

She turned and left the dinning hall the men's deafening laughter followed after her until she was almost to her room. And when the door closed behind her she didn't bother taking off her dress, she kicked off her shoes and laid down in the bed and closed her eyes. Hoping that Drustan really wouldn't bother her tonight because she wasn't sure how much more of his overbearing antics she could take.