Highlander's Trials of Fire

Matthew nodded, trying to tamper the joy of victory within him. He did wish to meet the woman who would change his life. A simple curse did not scare him, not when it meant it was a chance at putting aside his past for a new beginning.

“Aye, Laird MacLagain,” he answered with a grin. “I would love to.”

Rinalda MacTavish was a beauty, even when she was bedridden due to such a terrible illness. Her skin had grown pallid, a stark difference to the golden tone she once had when Jonet was much younger. She had lost quite a lot of weight, and her cheeks had hollowed out to make her cheekbones much sharper than they were before. Still she was beautiful, her canopy of long black hair fanned out beneath her and her brown eyes had never lost their luster.

Jonet had long since learned how to tamper her sadness when she visited her mother. Being such the kind and caring woman that she was, it would bother her greatly if she saw how her ill-stricken state affected Jonet. Jonet did not want anything to make her mother even worse than she already was and so, whenever she visited, she would put on a façade that all was well.

For once in nearly six years, Jonet actually felt like the ‘façade’ had become real.

“Jonet,” Rinalda sighed. “Ye are far too carefree for yer own good, ye ken.”

Jonet only patted her bony hand. “Ye daenae worry about me, Ma. Ye ken I can take care of meself.”

“Aye, I ken, but that doesnae stop me from worrying’ that ye will do yeself harm one day.”

Jonet laughed. She was not surprised her mother was growing so concerned that Jonet went swimming in the loch so often as of late. Rinalda was well aware that though the loch was quite close to the castle Jonet wasn’t the only one who liked to frequent it for a swim.

“Ma, ye worry too much,” Jonet said nonchalantly. “Ye remember what people are sayin’ about me? None will dare to come near me because they think I have a curse.”

“Oh, goodness.” Rinalda rolled her eyes. It made Jonet smile. “That is nonsense. Of all the lore I’ve heard in me life, I’ve never heard of anyone droppin’ dead from bein’ near someone.”

“Aye, well, look on the bright side, Ma,” Jonet quipped. “It looks like I’m the first one. Lucky, daenae think?”

Rinalda stared at Jonet with wide unbelieving eyes before she too chuckled. Jonet tensed when that short laugh erupted into a fit of wheezing coughs. She quickly brought a cloth to her mother’s lips, fearing as she always did, that she would see blood on it.

They were safe this time, but with her mother’s declining health, Jonet was afraid that one day, things would take a bad turn.

Once her mother had calmed down a bit, Jonet said, “I understand yer concern, Ma. I promise to never do it again without Freya with me.”

“That doesnae make me feel any better and ye ken it.” Rinalda only sighed.

Jonet kissed her gently on the cheek that had once been as rosy as Jonet’s. “Ye want me to stay in the castle forever and ever then, Ma?”

“From one extreme to the other, I see,” Rinalda mumbled.

Jonet laughed. She was in an extraordinarily good mood today and she could not think of a better time to spend it than with her mother. Ever since the death of Henry, she had taken to frequent trips to the loch to clear her mind—sometimes without Freya accompanying her. It was true that such a venture was not very safe, but it was also true that the rumors about her kept everyone away. It was Christal who had passed on the fact that she was said to be cursed but now, Jonet saw that as more of a blessing.

That way, no one else would die.

There came a knock on the door and after Rinalda’s feeble answer, Freya entered.

“Good evening, Miss Rinalda,” she greeted. “Miss Jonet, Laird MacLagain has requested that ye join him in his den.”

“Somethin’ tells me he wants to lecture me about goin’ swimmin’ too.” Jonet sighed.

“If that’s so, then good.” Rinalda’s voice was firm. “Ye need a good hit in the head to get the words through to ye, it seems.”

“Oh, Ma,” Jonet sighed, shaking her head as she rose to her feet. “So violent.”

Rinalda’s soft laughter followed her out the room.

Freya trailed behind her silently as she made her way to the den. She had been sticking close to Jonet whenever she could for the past three years, as if hoping to shoulder the burden Jonet carried. Jonet never thanked her for it because she

never dared to talk about the bout of misfortune again, but Jonet could not have appreciated her more.

After Henry died, Jonet had not known what to do with herself. She had waited tirelessly for her father to return that night. He had finally done so quite early in the morning, bearing the bad news she had expected. Henry was nowhere to be found. He had simply gone missing and it wasn’t long before rumors began to be spread that he had died. Just like Murdock.

Cursed, they called her. No man wanted to be her husband. No one even dared to come near her. Jonet was only glad that she had friends like Freya and Christal, while the other servants seemed to treat her the same as well.