Anise

Cameron woke to the sun shining directly onto her face and the nicest feeling of someone stroking her hair, "Tis time to take up, lass." Drustan whispered into her hair. "You've slept half the day away." Groaning she rolled slightly and cracked her eye open to look at him. He was fully dressed and looking down at her with adornment and amusement, "Tis midday."

She nodded and closed her eyes again but quickly opened them and sat up with a sigh. When she went to move her legs off the side of the bed she groaned and Drustan frowned, "Are ya sore?"

"Yeah," she then quickly added, "but it was totally worth it."

Drustan grinned at her words and give her a quick kiss, "I shall have Agnus come up and have a bath brought fer ya."

"No," she said quickly. "I'll just towel bathe really quick. I'll be up here til supper if she brings me another bath."

He chuckled then, "The bath will help yer soreness. Ya should take one."

She shook her head, "I'll be fine once I get moving." At his concerned look she leaned up and kissed him. "I promise. And aren't you supposed to be doing Laird things right now?" She asked as she stood up slowly, the muscles of her thighs protesting greatly but she ignored them.

"Aye. I woke at dawn this morning and left ya to sleep." He told her as he followed her around the room. She grabbed her pantaloons up from near the fire and she silently pondered how they had made it completely across the room. He grabbed her arm as she became unsteady as she tried to put them on when she had them secured he said again, "Ya should take a bath, lass. Ya should nay have ta be hurtin' needlessly."

"I'm fine," she told him as she snatched up her slip and slid it over her head.

"I was to rough with ya," he said as he placed a hand against her throat, over the love bite he had left in their passion.

Cameron snorted with laughter before saying, "That really wasn't the case. You were... Wow... My body just isn't use to it yet. It'll be like riding a horse. My muscles will be sore after the first few times but then its a piece of cake." She gave him a beaming smile to reassure him.

"Aye, like riding a horse. Mayhap you shall ride me next time...?" His voice trailed off as his eyes grew dark with passion. His arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him, the evidence of his arousal pressing against her.

Cameron arched against him and kissed his neck before pulling away, and giggling. "You need to go do your Lairdly things."

"The only thing I need ta do is pleasure ma woman," he growled pulling her against him again but kissing her this time. She sighed in contentment and wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. His hands went down to her pantaloons and untied them, letting the loosened fabric fall to the floor as a heavy knock sounded on the door. "What do ye want?" He bellowed, his head snapping in the direction of the door and his body shifting so that if anyone decided to barge in they wouldn't see her naked from the waist down.

"I need ta speak wit' ya!" Murray's muffled voice called from the other side of the thick door.

Drustan growled, "Go away. T'will deal with it later."

When he leaned down to kiss her again she pulled back and reached down to pull her pantaloons up, "No. Go and deal with Murray. Its obviously important if he's bothering us in your room." She then gave him the most passion filled look she could muster. "We can finish this tonight."

"Oh aye we will," he muttered before kissing her again. "Get dressed lass and eat somethin'. I will see what Murray has ta say."

"I'll come find you after I eat then," she told him as she gave him a peck and watched as he left the room, closing the chamber door quietly behind him.

A big smile bloomed across her face until she was grinning like a fool. Even with a sore body she felt like her was at at thousand percent; she'd slept better in his arms than she ever had and her heart felt as light as the air she was walking on. She was overjoyed that finally, after all these years, that loveless void in her was filled. Yes, she knew that she had loved Drustan before last night but having finally said it to him made her feel even more in love. Like vocalizing the words made them that much stronger.

She looked at her green dress on the dressing table where she'd left it the night before and grabbed it. Not wanting to put it back on she exited the room in only her underclothes, she didn't pass anyone in the corridor before entering her room. She tossed the dress onto the bed before going over to her dressing table which fresh water and a clothe had been set out.

She quickly washed her face and arms, before digging through her trunk of dresses and pulling out a simple, light blue with lacing in the front. She quickly brushed her hair, wincing as she tore through the knots and secured her hair back.

Cameron didn't bother with shoes before heading down to the kitchen to see Bessa sitting in a chair, knitting. "Aboot time ya showed yaself, lass. There is bread ova there and some fruit in the pantry if yer hungry."

"Why aren't we starting on supper yet?" Cameron asked curiously. Usually by this time of the day she had already started supper for the numerous people they fed.

"The Laird had Murray come by and tell me to nay make supper fer all those buffoons. Said I was ta just make enough fer the Laird and Lady and meself."

Cameron frown as she tore off a piece of the bread and began to eat it, "Whats going on?"

"I donnae know lass," She began knitting another row and added. "The only time the Laird doesnae feed the men is when they are leavin'."

"Leaving where?" Dread knotted in her stomach and all of the sudden she wasn't hungry anymore.

Bessa finally looked up from her knitting and saw the worry on her face, "Twill be fine, lass."

"Where, Bessa?"

She sighed, "Ta the battlefield, lass."

Cameron's heart stopped in her chest and lodged itself in her throat, moments pass before she was able to whisper out, "I'll kill him." She didn't say anything else before storming out of the kitchen, her thoughts of lunch gone as anger bubbled to the surface."How could he?" She kept asking herself over and over as she stormed up to his study.

When she threw open the door all she saw was an empty desk and a dark room, grumbling to herself she left the door open and stomped back downstairs and right out the door not caring that her feet were bare.

She saw the courtyard was empty she started towards the stables. As she rounded the keep wall she saw several of his men riding down the lane towards the village on horses, and heard several more speaking loudly. Figuring that was where he had to be she continued and as the stable came into view she saw at least fifteen of the men along with Murray and Drustan standing there, speaking.

Cameron didn't wait for him to acknowledge her she pushed through the men and right up to his face. A look of surprised came over him as she pointed her finger at him and yelled, "What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

Drustan's look of surprised became a glower, "I am preparing my men."

"For battle! And your going too! You said you weren't going to go to battle," she yelled at him. As she yelled at him the men backed further away but stayed close, watching as she yelled at their Laird.

"Tis nay the time fer this, lass. Go ta my bedchamber, I shall be there when I am done ta deal wit' ya."

"No!" She shouted at him. "I will not let you tell me what to do! I will stay here until this is finished and so help me god if you tell me to leave again-"

"Haud yer weesht!" Drustan roared. "Ya will hold yer tongue!" His eyes, not full of rage turned to his men and Murray. "Take the men and go," he growled at Murray, "I will follow afta as soon as I can."

Murray nodded and all the men dispersed, each grabbing a horse from the stable and riding out after Murray. Neither Drustan nor Cameron said anything to each other, only glared until the thunderous hoof beats of the horses was out of range. It was Drustan who finally broke the silence. "Ya will stay here, lass. Ya willnae leave the walls of this keep."

"Whose gonna make me?" Her taunt very reminiscent of what a ten-year-old would say. "You're leaving and taking all your men and I doubt Bessa or Agnus could keep me from doing what I want."

"Ya will stay in the keep!" He yelled at her, his voice raising as he took a step into her. "Ya will stay safe while I am go and ya will nay leave the keep."

"You said you wouldn't leave me!"

"Nay I said I would do what I had to ta keep ya safe." He grabbed her arms, "I told ya I would nay let another I love die by the hands of the MacDonald." He gave her a shake. "I will nay let them get close ta ya, lass."

Cameron continued to glare at him, "It doesn't matter how close they get to me if you die."

His expression became grave, "At least ya will be safe and we can only pray ya are with child if that happens."

"You bastard!" she screamed, tears forming in her eyes as she torn herself from his hands and slapped him. "Was that all last night was? A ploy to see if you could beget an heir so you could ride off to fight your wars? How long have you been planning to ride out and leave me here?"

"Nay, last night was aboot us and nothin' else." He stepped towards her again but she took a step back, keeping as much distance as she dared between them.

"How long have you known?" She demanded.

"Murray informed me this morn' afta he came ta the room. A rider had come when I left ta wake ya. Villages aboot a weeks travel west have been raided. MacDonald and a small army of his men landed a boat on our coast and are makin' their way here."

Cameron lifted her chin in determination, "Then stay here and protect me."

"Nay. We ride ta stop them afore they reach us and destroy more homes. I sent a request fer thirty of Campbell's warriors two days past, they will arrive in a weeks time. Ya must tell them we have ridden out, tell them ya have been told ten must stay to defend the keep but the rest must ride to us. Tis aboot a three day hard ride ta reach the last village the McDonald razed. Ya need ta send a missive to Fraiser let him know I have ridden out, he will send more men ta help defend the keep if the MacDonalds overtake us."

Cameron shook her head, anger once again grabbing hold. "I won't forgive you if you leave Drustan. So help me god, if you leave me today I won't love you anymore! I'll leave and you will never see me again!"

Drustan nodded, very solemnly before stating slowly, "So be it lass, as long as I know yer safe and the MacDonalds cannae touch ya." He turned and went into the stables and Cameron watched as he grabbed Stompers reins, leading him out. "I love ya, lass." He said as he mounted the horse.

"Don't you dare leave me Drustan!" She yelled at him, her tears finally spilling over.

He gave her one last look before saying "I love ya, Cameron." He then looked away from her and urged the horse forward.

As Drustan rode away Cameron screamed her hate after him, tears streaming down her face as she watched him go.