By Order of the King

Welcome, everyone, to my story. I am so happy you decided to join me on this journey.

I hope you enjoy it.

I would like to share some info about the story.

1/ Story is set in the real world of medieval Scotland in 1309 a.c.

I am referring to historical settings that existed and maybe still exist, and I use them fictionally.

2/ All my characters are creations of my imagination-even the king.

You see, I can't take an actual historical figure and make him into the king that my story needs.

It would be unfair to the king himself.

For this reason, I created a new king as I needed him.

With his whims and oddities and his square judgment

With his laws, rules, and of course, his Orders.

3/ Mainly, it will be a romantic story, but antagonists will lurk for every opportunity it gives them for a strike.

4/There will be pleasant moments, but also nasty ones.

5/There will be deep love but also bad blood, passion, and trials.

English is not my first language, so I ask you kindly to be easy on me.

I hope that all of you will enjoy it.

And finally, If you like it or have anything else to tell me, please let me know with a comment. I will be glad to read and answer.

And finally, If you like it or maybe not, please let me know with a comment.

Thank you all and Happy reading

Eilean Donan Castle, (or the island of Donan), Scotland, 18 July 1309

Skye realized it was a new groom-to-be as soon as the door opened, and she saw him standing tall, his long black hair neatly combed and groomed in his formal clothes. His kilt looked new, vividly highlighting the blue and yellow colors of the clan he belonged to, but Skye couldn't identify which that clan was, and besides, she didn't care at all. She couldn't remember seeing before in her life a whiter white shirt than the one this unknown young man was wearing.

On the other hand, her uncle seemed to know him very well as he welcomed him warmly with intimacy, which was something Skye knew well he didn't usually do.

Skye headed somewhere out of the way and sighed out of boredom. Another dull and meaningless night awaited her, enduring her uncle and the guest talking about business.

She watched them from her corner until she saw her uncle searching the place. Once he tracked her down, he beckoned her over, and Skye had no choice but to obey. Without any rush, she walked over to where they were standing.

"I want to introduce you to Lennox, the son of Duke Cameron," her uncle informed her proudly as soon as she reached them.

"Welcome, lord Lennox," Skye told him in a cold, indifferent tone of her voice, while at the same time, she lifted her green dress slightly, bowed to him, and walked away before her uncle could stop her.

Skye went back to her corner and waited to watch them talk and laugh. Skye snorted in disgust at her uncle's hypocrisy.

When she saw them moving towards the dining room, Skye dutiful followed them there and took her place at the table, which was laid with deliciously inviting delicacies.

She has decided to behave as she should until the right opportunity comes.

It has been fifteen minutes since dinner began, and no one has said a word.

All of them were devoted to eating the huge portions of food on their plates.

Skye was nibbling on her food until she decided to raise her eyes from her plate and peek at them. First, she looked at her uncle on top of the table, chewing blissfully, then at her aunt sitting next to her uncle, holding her cutlery, trying hard to look as elegant and delicate as possible.

She left the newcomer for the end. Lennox was sitting next to her uncle opposite her aunt.

Skye looked at him without any enthusiasm. Unfortunately, her gaze caught him just as he cut off a large mouthful of roast piglet and thrust it into his mouth with overmuch relish and eagerness.

The move repulsed Skye, causing her nose to wrinkle slightly. She left the silver cutlery on her plate and pushed the plate somewhat in front of her.

"What is the matter, Skye? Have you already finished with your food? But you hardly ate anything." her aunt, sitting next to her at the table, commented in a sweet voice.

Skye's stomach churned as she knew full well that the sweet voice was nothing more than hypocrisy to make a good impression on the prospective groom.

"Yes, I have finished," she replied without turning to look at her.

The two women had not observed that their guest was watching their conversation.

"Too bad because the food is great; I can't stop eating," the young man got into the conversation.

Skye and her aunt turned and looked at him.

Skye fixed him with icy eyes while her aunt gave him a humble smile.

With a broad smile, Lennox raised his cup. "Here's to the lovely lady Fiona and to the wonderful food she prepared for tonight's dinner," he said.

"Oh, you flatter me. I think you're exaggerating a little," replied the aunt, giggling, raising her cup as well. "But thank you for your kind words, dear Lennox. I did my best to please you."

"And you have succeeded, my Lady, I assure you," Lennox continued and took a sip of his scotch.

"How's your scotch, dear Lennox?" the uncle asked as he wiped the leftover food from his lips on his towel.

"Ah! It is amazing - light with notes of butter and citrus. It left me breathless, Lord Malcolm. Excellent!" he replied, lifting his cup and taking another sip.

Uncle's eyes sparkled. "I am glad you like it. It is of my production. I make it with my own hands," he boasted.

"Did you fire the workers who did this work, uncle?" Skye asked, feigning surprise because she knew no way would ever happen.

Her uncle looked at her and smiled as his hand gripped his cup.

He cleared his throat. "No, but I give them step-by-step instructions on exactly what to do."

Skye returned the fake smile. "Don't you have Graham for this job?"

Her uncle's eyes twinkled, and he pursed his lips.

Skye felt a sting on her hip but didn't lose her calm. Her aunt had slipped her hand under the table and given her a warning pinch.

"However, I supervise the barley fields. I say what they need and when they need it. That's why my scotch is so good."

"And where exactly do you have these barley fields? In the sea that surrounds us?' Skye asked him, raising her eyebrows and waiting for an answer.

Her uncle snorted, shaking his head.

"You are so ignorant, Skye. Everyone knows, but obviously you are not among them, that the wheat and barley fields are in the lowlands. I have mine there too."

"No you don't, uncle" she emphasized each word and then continued in a normal tone.

"You renounced Lowlands years ago, don't you remember?"

Her uncle looked at his plate, taking deep breaths. His nostrils flared incessantly, and his face began to take on a reddish color.

Skye leaned back in her chair. She picked up her glass and took a sip of the whiskey to push away the smile that threatened to curl up her lips.

"Indeed, the scotch is delicious." she declared and received another pinch on her hip from her aunt.

Skye glanced at Lennox to catch sight of his reaction. That was what interested her anyway. The sooner she was rid of his presence, the sooner she would find her peace again.

She smirked in triumph at the reddish color the guest's cheeks had taken. He was holding the cup in his hand and twirling it.

The uncle abruptly stood up from his chair and looked at Skye with narrowed eyes.

Skye prepared to face him, but Lennox stood up.

"My lord, let's put aside all this. It doesn't matter at all, and believe me, it doesn't concern me anyway. You have done an excellent job with the scotch, congratulations," he told him.

The uncle looked at him and seemed to calm down. He sat back in his chair.

"Yes, you are right, Lennox, and forgive me. I don't know what happened to me. I usually don't react like that."

Skye brought her cup to her mouth. "Right, not usually, but you always reacts that way uncle" she muttered to herself and took another sip.

"How is your father, Duke Cameron?" the uncle asked Lennox steering the conversation into calmer waters.

"He is also busy with his business. I also help him of course. He is fine with his health. Last winter he had a stomach issue that kept him in bed for a few days, but he's over it now and he's fine."

He replied, and his lips curled up slightly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry you went through such rough time. But since he got over it, everything will be fine," said the uncle in a flat voice, without convincing anyone of his supposed "sorry."

The conversation that followed was about business, making Skye feel unbearably bored.

At one point, two servants entered the dining room, bowed before the uncle, and then began to collect the dishes from the table and place them on the large silver tray they had brought.

The arrival of the servants interrupted the boring conversation between the two men, and Skye let out a sigh of relief.

Her aunt turned and looked at her giving her a fevered stare. She didn't have to say anything; she opened her eyes wide and pursed her lips.

Skye lifted her chin and turned her eyes away.

"You are unbearable," her aunt whispered in a scathing tone.

"Lord Malcolm would you like us to bring the desert now?" asked the servant while the other was already leaving the dining room carrying the heavy tray.

"Yes, of course," the uncle replied.

The servant bowed in front of the uncle and left the dining room.

Lennox, who remained straight-faced until that moment, raised his eyebrows. "Did I see correct? Did the servants just bow? This is a privilege that only King Cinaed has."

The uncle laughed merrily, but Skye could make out the drops of sweat on his forehead.

She lifted her cup to take another sip of her scotch while inwardly waiting to see how her uncle would handle the situation.

"You're right, Lennox," the uncle said, giving him a friendly pat. "I've told them a thousand times that they don't have to do it. That it is not even legal, but they insist on doing it out of respect for me. After so many times that I have told them, I got fed up and just let them do freely what they want."

Skye suddenly started coughing, drawing all eyes on her. Lennox was full of worry, unlike her uncles, who looked at her and frowned.

Lennox got up from his seat and walked over to her.

"My lady, are you all right?" he asked while patting her back gently.

"Y-yes...thank you," she replied, and she did feel herself coming to her senses after the gentle pats on her back. "My scotch didn't follow the right course, but I am fine now."

"Thank goodness, my girl. You worried us." Aunt said using the same fake sweet voice that Skye loathed.

"I am glad you are okay." Lennox told her in a gentle voice and returned to his seat.

The uncle tried to laugh, but it came out more of a nervous laugh than a hearty laugh. "Please, Lord Lennox. I wish what you saw with the servants should not be discussed outside the castle, and you don't have to worry, I will comply them. I give you my word."

Lennox looked at him and lifted a single eyebrow. He scratched his jaw without a word thinking about it. "Okay." He finally told. "Nothing is going to come out of this castle. What happened will stay here, between us, but you will keep your word."

His uncle gave him a big smile. "Thank you, Lord Lennox. Of course, it is the word of a Lord after all."

The two men picked up their conversation where they had left off as Skye recalled the scene where her uncle had gathered all the men and women who worked in the castle and demanded them bow to him whenever they stood before him and before they left his sight.

And had boldly pointed out to them that the offenders would be harshly punished. As he also pointed out to them, as he had said at the time, the 'Golden Rule' of the castle - they would not bow when the uncle received guests in the castle, and violators of this rule would be punished even more harshly.

She smirked. "My sweet uncle," she murmured and took another sip from her cup.

She suddenly remembered and stood up abruptly. Her chair creaked to the floor.

"Um... Excuse me for one moment. I will be right back." Skye said quickly and headed for the exit ignoring the lightning bolts her uncle's gaze was shooting at her.

Skye knew it was a great insult to the guest to leave the table so suddenly, but there was something she had to do before it was too late.

Before closing the door behind her, she heard Lennox say. "Don't worry, Lord Malcolm. Lady Skye has to be absent for a while. Let's not make it an issue. Although it is disrespectful to me, I assure you that I am not offended at all. Besides, she will be back soon."

Skye smiled but immediately remembered what she had to do and moved forward with quick steps.

She saw the servants carrying the trays with the platters filled with cut fruits and nuts. She approached them.

The servants wrinkled their brows. "What is the matter, my lady?"

"Tavish? Fergus? We have a guest. For God's sake, don't bow to the uncle again. Did you forget the golden rule?

The two servants looked at each other with wide eyes and swallowed hard. Yes, they had completely forgotten about it.

"Don't worry I will arrange it. You will not be punished."

The two servants looked at her with soft eyes filled with an inner glow. "Thank you, my lady. How are we ever going to pay you back?"

Skye sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you? You don't have to pay me back and now go. I have delayed you long enough. And remember, no bowing. I will come soon. If we all enter together, they will understand that this was the reason I left." She told them while the servants started to pace towards the dining room, but they had heard her every word.