The Highlander's Flower [EBOOK]

Chapter 1<br>
“My child, this is a day I have long waited for, yet my heart is mixed with happiness and sorrow,” Lord Charles Brambly said, his eyes tinged with wistful tears. Before him stood his daughter, Rosemary, who looked demure in a white frock, with her brown tresses of hair cascading down past her shoulders.<br>
Smiling sweetly, she bowed her head in front of her father. He leaned in to kiss her on her cheek. His mustache tickled, and she tried not to shudder. <br>
“I must admit I am feeling nerves myself father.” <br>
“You shall be fine, my girl. This marriage will be a boon to this family, and we shall be strong going forward. Lord Harold is a fine man, and he will make a good husband, of that, I am sure.” <br>
“I only wish that I had the chance to know him first, aside from the glimpse I have stolen upon his visits here.” <br>
“That is part of the fun! You will have the rest of your life to get to know him, and I know he is excited to meet you. I have assured him of your beauty. I believe the mystery appealed to him.” <br>
Rosemary exhaled deeply and looked around at her room. Having just turned 18, her life had begun in earnest, although she did not feel that she had lived at all yet. Having just come into her own as a woman, she was already being ushered off to another man, Lord Harold Flynn. <br>
By all accounts he was a fine man, and yet Rosemary found herself filled with hesitation rather than excitement. Indeed, her father showed more enthusiasm for the affair than she herself did. For his sake, she feigned anticipation and acted in the manner that her father would have wished. <br>
“I just hate to leave you alone,” she said, reaching out and clasping her father's hands. Even though they had been gnarled by age, his fingers were still smooth. <br>
“I shall be fine. It is the natural order of things that a father should say goodbye to his daughter as she embarks on the greatest adventure known to man. I have the servants with me, and my friends.” <br>
“You know what I mean, father. You need the company of one who loves you. I so wish mother were here,” Rosemary said, gazing wistfully at the bed where she would lay as a child, nestled in her mother's lap. There, her mother would read her stories every night before she slept without fail. Her father squeezed her hands and smiled kindly. <br>
“As do I, but we must make the most of the years we have been given. I know that she would be proud today. She would probably have some wise words to say as well. She always knew what to say.” <br>
“How did you feel when the two of you were to be married?” <br>
“Much the same as you feel now. I was trying my best to act stoic, but inside my stomach was churning. Your mother, I believe, was very anxious, and it was only when she took her first steps in this house that she was calmed. All those fears disappeared when our eyes met. She was the loveliest creature I had ever seen. Well, until you were born that is. Every time I look at you, I am reminded of her. You are the spitting image of her, right down to your birthmark.” <br>
Rosemary smiled as she looked down at her stomach and placed her hand just above her hip. “I always remember she would show me hers when she bathed me. She said that we were linked, that it was proof we had a part of each other inside us.” <br>
“Exactly. I know that you have her strength, and that this is the beginning of the best days of your life. Lord Harold is a fortunate man, and I am sure that he will prove his love to you over and over again during your marriage.”
“I hope you are right,” Rosemary said. Charles smiled again and wrapped his strong arms around her in a fatherly embrace. Squeezing her tightly, Rosemary almost felt the breath driven from her lungs. <br>
“Believe me Rosemary, this day is more difficult for me than it is for you. Long have I dreaded the day where I would have to say goodbye to my only daughter, but this is what you have been destined for since the day you were born.” <br>
“I shall do my utmost to make you proud,” she said, curtsying, as she stepped back. Charles looked at his daughter and wiped a tear from his eye, declaring that he would leave her to make her final preparations. With that, he left the room, and Rosemary was alone. <br>
Now that her father was gone, she could let her mask slip. Falling onto the bed, she felt the soft mattress sink under her weight. Her hair fell over her face as she placed her head in her hands and tried not to weep. Rosemary was being forced to leave the only home she had ever known to marry a stranger. <br>
It was something that her father had tried his best to prepare her for, but now that the day had arrived, Rosemary's head was spinning. She hadn't been able to tell her father the truth; that she did not want to be married. <br>
It had been hard for her, knowing that she was different from the other girls growing up. Whenever they talked about their futures, they were all excited to be married to a Lord or a Duke, forming alliances through marriage that would lead their families to greater riches, and giving birth to sons and daughters they hoped would rise through the upper echelons of society and leave a formidable legacy. Rosemary had always had a grim feeling in her mind whenever these matters were spoken of. <br>
Rising from the bed, Rosemary moved to the window and peered outside. The sky was clear of clouds, and the golden sun beamed down upon the rolling green clouds. A road stretched from the house into a dark forest, and beyond that lay her future. <br>
When she was younger, she had often gazed out of this window and wondered about the world outside, wanting to know what adventures awaited her.<br>
Rosemary's mind had been inspired by the stories her mother told of great warriors and quick-witted princess. She had been certain her destiny lay out there, not in the arms of some other lord. Rosemary wanted to be one of the heroes in the stories.<br>
She wanted to find her destiny by herself, not to be stuck in another room where she would forever be gazing out at the world. She wanted to be out in the world. <br>
When she had turned fourteen, Rosemary had tried to strike out on her own. She had filled a sack with some biscuits, bread, and cheese, then strode out towards the forest. Rosemary barely got a few feet before she was pulled back, reaching out futilely, feeling as though she was being held back from her future. After this, her father had had a strong talk with her about her duty, and how she was responsible for ensuring that the family endured. <br>
Never before had she seen her father so passionate about a matter, and it only made her feel more guilty for the feelings she held in her heart. She simply couldn't see how she could be happy being the wife of a Lord and nothing more. <br>
Of course, after that talk, she could never reveal her true desires to her father, so she played the part of the dutiful daughter in the hope that, eventually, it would become the truth.<br>
It was not to be, and now she was still filled with that longing to be out in the world, riding through the trees with the wind at her back, ready to meet whatever challenge faced her. <br>
Rosemary turned from the window. It would do herself no good to focus on the life she could not have. It was a difficult truth to swallow, but it was the truth. By the door sat a wooden chest. It contained all her worldly possessions. It seemed strange to her that every aspect of her life could be held within a chest of that size. She thought she was more than that. Lifting the lid, she looked inside. <br>
Mostly, there were garments, folded neatly by her handmaid Sarah. Resting on top of them all was a golden locket. Rosemary took it in her hands. It was an oval shape and had a hefty weight to it. The gold chain flowed along her hand, deftly made. It was the work of a true craftsman. <br>
On the back of the locket, the house symbol was etched, a sword flanked by red roses. Rosemary ran her thumb across the coat of arms. Soon enough she would adopt another name, another house, but she would always be a Brambly. <br>
Inside the locket was a small painting of her mother and father when they were her age. It was strange to think of her parents as young people, with passions and hopes of their own.<br>
Would she have a daughter of her own one day and give her a locket with a picture of herself and Harold inside? Would this daughter then be looking at the locket in much the same way as Rosemary was looking at hers? It seemed as though life was a cycle, repeating itself through the ages. No, Rosemary thought firmly, if she had a daughter, she would not be shackled to this wheel. Rosemary would make certain that her daughter would get to live the life she wanted. If that option was not open to Rosemary, then she would ensure that it was to her daughter. <br>
However, she then wondered ruefully if her own mother had had that same thought. Sometimes it seemed as though life worked of its own accord, and that she was simply swept up in its current. Pulling her hair out of the way, Rosemary fastened the locket around her neck. <br>
It rested against her chest, and she felt better for having it there. She was venturing into new lands and wanted to have a reminder of her family close to her heart. <br>
“It is almost time, my Lady,” the plain-looking handmaid Sarah said, stepping into the room. Rosemary nodded and sighed. <br>
“It is strange to be leaving this home.” <br>
“I feel the same way, my Lady. You and your father took me in so long ago that I have thought of this as my home, and I am just as upset as you.” <br>
“I am glad you are coming with me, though. It is as though I am taking a piece of home with me. At least we shall have each other to remind ourselves of the familiar.” <br>
“Indeed, Lady Rosemary, I am honored that I have been chosen.”<br>
“There was no other choice to make. You have been with me since we were children. In truth, I think of you as more of a friend than a handmaiden, even a sister.” <br>
“Such words are music to my ears. I have always thought of you as the same. Ever since my parents were killed in the war, I have longed to feel part of a family again. I know it is not the same, but the way you and Lord Brambly have treated me is the closest I shall ever get.” <br>
“Until you have your own family,” Rosemary reminded her. Sarah blushed and dipped her head. <br>
“I do not know about that.” <br>
“One day you shall meet a fine blacksmith, a hardy man who will take care of you, and you shall raise some strapping children.” <br>
“Perhaps, my Lady, but you will beat me to love.”
“I suppose, but there is doubt in my mind.” <br>
“Is not Lord Flynn one of the most desirable men in England?” <br>
“Oh indeed, especially from what father says. By the way, father speaks about Lord Flynn, I often wonder if he would like to marry the young Lord as well,” Rosemary said. The girls tittered with laughter. <br>
“You do not agree with his assessment?” Sarah asked.
“I have no reason to fear my father would lead me astray, but there are times when I feel envious of you.”
“Of me?” Sarah said, astonished. <br>
“Indeed. You will get to choose freely whichever man you wish to marry, be he a blacksmith or a baker. The choice is yours, whereas mine has been made for me.”
“That is because my choice does not matter. Your children will be a part of a dynasty, and may shape the future of England.” <br>
“Precisely my point, Sarah. Sometimes I feel as though my life is nothing more than a cog in an endlessly turning wheel.” <br>
Rosemary sighed. It was clear that Sarah did not know what to say, and Rosemary didn't want her to feel uncomfortable. <br>
“Go and tell my father that I shall be down shortly,” she said. Sarah nodded and left Rosemary alone. <br>
Taking one last look around her childhood room, Rosemary dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief. When she had been younger, this room had been the whole world to her, and now she was unlikely to ever see it again. A new house waited for her, with a room she would have to share with her new husband. <br>
The thought was almost enough to make her shudder, and she gripped the handle of the door to steady herself. There were so many unknowns lying in wait for her, but she couldn't shake the feeling that if she walked the path, her father had laid out for her instead of her own, she would always regret it. <br>
It was impossible to think that way, though. It was selfish to think that way. She simply had to harden her heart and resolve herself to this fate. She was to be married to Lord Harold, to bear him children and enjoy a prosperous life with him. <br>
When she met him, she hoped that these feelings would disappear, and that she would fall in love with him instantly, just as her mother had fallen in love with her father. <br>
Mother had always told her that there was one special man for everyone out in the world, waiting for her, and that if they found each other, it would be the most wonderful feeling in the world. Was Lord Harold Flynn that dashing figure?<br>
She had to hope so, because if there was another man for her, she would be forever unhappy, as Lord Harold was the man she was going to marry, and there was nothing that was going to change that.<br>