“Friends, let me introduce you to Megan, Malcolm's granddaughter. She arrived here a few days ago.”
Megan greeted them. The new acquaintances were curious indeed; they asked her about life in London and her impressions of Scotland. She responded, but eagerly awaited the chance to leave the adult company. After twenty minutes, she took advantage of a brief pause to ask Alaric, “Have you seen Duncan? Is he at the festival?”
“Yes, we came together, but he opted for some younger companions; he’s here somewhere. I suggest you look for a group of young ladies, Duncan will surely be at the center,” he laughed.
“Oh, that Duncan!” chuckled one of the older men. Everyone began to jovially discuss Duncan's love-persuits.
“I'll go look for him. Thank you for the advice,” Megan smiled.
In a moment, she blended into the crowd, trying to quickly disappear from the elders' view, before they have a chance to stop her. In reality, she wasn't really looking for her cousin but needed an excuse. She aimlessly wandered past the tents, peering into the faces of passersby, in hopes of seeing Derek. Roaming the fair, she didn’t notice how quickly time flew by. The sun had set, and she had neither encountered Derek nor any of her relatives. Some drunk men tried to strike up conversations with her, as the festival was in full swing. People grouped together around tables overloaded with food and drinks. Ritual fires were lit all around the fairground, illuminating the surroundings with their bright light.
Megan felt tired after several hours of walking. She was looking for a place to sit, but now all the seats were taken. Ordering a pint of ale at one of the tents, she asked what time it was.
“It’s only 10:15. The fern hasn’t bloomed yet,” said the man with a smile, handing her the drink.
Moving among the celebrators, it was possible to catch snippets of conversation. Many spoke of the mystical plant. Some sincerely believed in its blooming, others mocked the believers, especially those who planned to search for it at midnight. However, Megan didn’t pay much attention, as she was occupied with searching for Derek and had no intention of wandering the dark forest at night, in the hope of finding a mythical flower, which may or may not exist. Her gaze quickly scanned the faces around the tables.
As she moved away from the crowd, the hum of voices grew fainter. She walked down towards the river. Behind her, the folk festivities and the reflections of burning fires remained. She sat on one of the large stones at the water’s edge and thoughtfully looked ahead. There, on the hill, stood Castle Raven, and to the left, in the valley, was Castle Mal. They created such a beautiful and harmonious picture.
Megan turned abruptly when she felt someone sit beside her. And there he was, the one she had been waiting for. Calmly and silently, he gazed at the river.
“Derek!” I’ve been looking for you.” Her heart began pounding with joy.
“Really?” he asked, shifting his gaze from the river to her.
“You were in my room, not only the night I was attacked, but the other night too. You kissed me. I realized it wasn't a dream. Why did you secretly sneak into the castle in the middle of the night? You say you’re protecting me, but you appear in my bedroom and ignore my questions. Who the hell are you? And what do you want from me?” Megan asked assertively, eager for answers.
“So many questions, Miss McKenzie. Where shall I start?” he asked with a slight smile on his face.
"Why did you come to my room?”
“To bring you back after you fainted,” Derek stubbornly pretended as if he hadn’t understood which night she was referring to.
“You know perfectly well I'm talking about your other visit. You were in my bedroom, whispering my name, kissing me!”
“Ah, that night… You enchanted me with your beauty. I couldn't resist; I had a strong desire to kiss you.”
“So, you really believe this barbaric tactic, of sneaking into the castle while I'm asleep, kissing me, and then jumping out of the window from the second floor, is a good approach? Lucky you didn't break your neck,” she smirked for the first time, seeing his broad and genuine smile.
“I thought it was rather romantic, not barbaric,” he teased her.
Megan was astonished by the unfolding of events, while he found it genuinely amusing. On one hand, she was angry that he ignored her questions or made light of them. Yet, at the same time, she felt joy that he was here. He had found her.
“Tell me, who are you?”
“I’m Derek.”
“You’ve already told me that. Where do you live?”
“Not far from here.”
“No one here knows anyone by the name of Derek.”
He continued to speak with a smile, never taking his eyes off her. “Really? You’ve already inquired? You’ve taken quite an interest in me; I’m flattered.”
“Yes, quite an interest. Because you’re a strange individual.”
“It only seems that way to you. I'm just an ordinary person, absolutely normal.”
“It’s odd, to say the least, that you stand on the hill outside the castle every night.”
“Not every night.”
“Fine, not every night. But you’re watching me!”
“I see nothing strange in this.” Derek kept bouncing the questions back at her, smiling playfully.
After a short pause, he added, “I’m from Thurso, that's why you couldn't find any information about me.”
“I see,” muttered Megan, feeling foolish. Mentally she tried to analyze the situation: perhaps there really was nothing strange. She might have imagined all these absurdities and believed in them. Perhaps Derek just stood near the castle on the first evening, enjoying the scenery, and after seeing that she was in danger, carried her safely to her room. Maybe she appealed to him, and decided to get acquainted with her in this unusual way. Methods of acquaintance do vary. Derek, presumably, preferred this one. After all, they are Highlanders; perhaps this is their custom.
“Are you going after the fern flower?” Derek asked with a grin.
“No, of course not.”
“Why so categorically?”
“Firstly, I don't believe in it. Secondly, I'm afraid of the dark and anything unexplainable.”
“Really?” he asked, smiling enigmatically.
“Yes really. And do you believe in these fairy tales?”
“The fern blooming once a year is an absolute fact. And I am not afraid of the darkness or the inexplicable,” he answered with a serious expression on his face.
“I hope you're not saying that you've once picked the flower and now possess magical powers?” she teased him.
“I have never picked a fern flower, and I do not have any magical powers,” Derek said just as seriously.
“That’s good to know, because I was starting to get scared.”
“Scared of what?”
“Well, as I’ve already mentioned, I’m afraid of what can’t be explained.”
“But even the inexplicable can be explained; don’t you agree?”
“I don’t know. But I do know that I don’t like this topic,” Megan responded, frowning.
“Did you enjoy the festival?”
“Yes, I did.”
“How long are you planning to stay here, Megan?”
“Another week, I think, and then it’ll be time to go back home,” she answered with a slight sadness in her voice.
At these words, he grew more serious and thoughtful.
“And who will manage the distillery?”
“I suppose my cousin Warren will. Wait, how do you know about the distillery?” Megan asked surprised.
“Everyone around here knows about it,” Derek smiled and again lapsed into silence.
After waiting a bit, the girl asked, “What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“You,” he said with a smile.
“And more specifically?”
“If you leave, how will I live without you?” He seemed to be joking, but her heart beat faster at these words.
Suddenly Derek pulled her close and kissed her passionately. Megan's head spun and her chest pounded so loudly that she thought even he could hear it. She was overwhelmed by a whirlwind of emotions. This kiss was the sweetest she’s had in her life.
Derek looked into her eyes.
Megan thought about the astonishing feeling taking over her, as if she has known Derek for a long time. He felt so familiar and beloved to her. Her entire being was drawn to him. Her soul sought his. The girl ran her finger across his face, from his temple to his chin, carefully studying his handsome features. Flawless skin, precise eyebrows, dark thick hair. Today, Megan noticed, he wasn't wearing his beret.
“You’re admiring me?” he asked with a smile.
“Yes, you’re remarkably attractive; how old are you?”
He was silent for a moment, continuing to gaze at her intently.
“I'm twenty-nine,” he said after the brief pause.
“What do you do for a living? Where do you work?”
He did not seem to expect this question and wasn't ready to answer it right away. It was the first time Megan saw him at a loss.
“I work in the city administration of Thurso,” he said calmly after a moment's hesitation.
“And what about you? What do you do in London?”
“How did you know I'm from London?”
“You're originally from here, you just live in London,” he emphasized. “Everyone knows the story about how your mother left this place many years ago, being pregnant with you.”
“Yes, that's right. I keep forgetting that this is a village. Everyone knows everything about each other. I own a restaurant; my mom opened it many years ago. She moved to America to live with her husband while I stayed in London. Sam, the restaurant manager, helps me out. He’s great; without him, I wouldn’t have been able to do it."
“You’re great, Megan.”
“Thanks. Have you got family? Brothers, sisters?”
"I was an only child. My father and mother have long passed away."
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“I’m used to being alone,” he said calmly and emotionlessly.
“You know, me too,” she said, smiling. “Do you hear that? The sounds of bagpipes have nearly fallen silent. Everyone has probably gone looking for the flower.”
“Are you scared?”
“No. After all, you’re here with me.”
“I'm glad you feel safe in my presence.”
“I think my family is worried about my disappearance. I left them at the beginning of the festival. They don't know where I am. I need to go. I don't want to cause any panic.”
“Responsibility is one of the main traits of your character,” he smirked. “Let's go, I'll walk you back.”
They walked slowly towards her home, enjoying each other's company. It had completely darkened. The moon was entirely hidden behind the clouds. Without getting too close to the castle, Derek embraced Megan, kissed her goodbye, and wished her a good night. She expected him to suggest meeting again or to set a date, but he remained silent. Apparently, he was the type of man who decided when and where the next meeting would occur before letting others know. Discussions and agreements were not his style.
“Good night, Derek,” said the girl, and walked away without looking back.
Closing the door behind her, she stole a quick glance at the spot where they had just said goodbye, but he was no longer there.
“Megan! We were looking for you, where did you go? I was so worried. We couldn't find you among the people at the celebration, so we thought you had returned home before us, but imagine our horror when we didn't find you here either.”
“Sorry, Glenn. I met a young man, we got to talking, and I lost track of time.”
“Well, that’s a pretty good reason,” Glenn said approvingly.
“What time is it?”
“Past one in the morning.”
“Oh, that’s late indeed.”
“It's okay, don't worry. I'll go calm Warren down. He went up to our room for his jacket and was about to go out looking for you.”
“Megan! Thank God you're back!” her cousin was already descending the staircase.
“I’m sorry; I really didn’t mean to worry you.”
“Everything’s fine. The main thing is you’re home and you’re safe. Now we can all sleep in peace.”
