The Princess (MacBride Sisters Trilogy Book 3), page 1
part #3 of MacBride Sisters Trilogy Series
Kira Freitas
A
Princess
2nd Edition
Mangaratiba - RJ
MacBride Sisters Trilogy
2018
The princess
Book 03 of the MacBride Sisters Trilogy
Aila lived in hiding for a long time to protect those she loved. She kept the pain behind a name that was not her own and became Breanna, the impetuous warrior of the Scottish army. For years she devised her revenge and was prepared for anything but having to dispute the leadership of her men with the infamous prince of Scotland. In Aila's eyes, Alec MacCalister is an irresponsible womanizer. What she doesn't imagine is that behind all that arrogance there was a man she never imagined she would meet one day. An attraction. A secret. A lie. All this mixed together will make them a lethal weapon against their enemies and against themselves.
Index
Rules for downloading the bookmark
The princess
Index
Bibliography
Prologue
Chapter 01
Chapter 02
Chapter 03
Chapter 04
Chapter 05
Chapter 06
Chapter 07
Chapter 08
Chapter 09
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Epilogue
About the author
Other Works
Plagiarism is a crime!
This is a work of fiction. Although places and objects are real, the characters and the story are completely fictional. Any resemblance is merely a coincidence.
Bibliography
Author(s): Kira Freitas
Edition year: 2018
Cover designer: Vanessa Freitas
Diagram: Vanessa Freitas
Cover Image: Dean Bertoncelj
ISBN:
"Battler, warrior, a diamond cut by God. Every woman is a queen, an eternal princess, a flower that needs affection. Yeah, they can and do make it happen. ”
Roni Alves
Prologue
Bree
Two years earlier...
My body hit the stone wall. I fell, rolling on the ground, after being released from the chains that hoisted my body while being whipped. I didn't know how many blows I'd received, let alone how long I'd been beaten, but for every blow that hit my naked skin, I prayed silently. I asked God to forgive me for the insane and murderous thoughts that populated my mind. I swore vengeance as soon as my body touched the ground.
- Get that bitch dressed and get her ready for transport!
The order came from the person who was supposed to love me and look after my life. Ravenna MacBride. My mother. The viper who destroyed Aideen's innocence; she put Aileen up for sale and now she sacrificed to me.
A nurse approached me and began to cleanse the blood of my wounds. It was not only the whipping, but also the open wound in my abdomen by Roy MacGregor, who was bleeding.
- I had her dressed! - my mother screamed. - Leave the wounds as they are. Who knows how she'll learn something from it?
Regardless, she came out of her cell and I closed my eyes. The nurse kindly put on a combination, a simple shirt with a sleeve and a skirt. When I was ready, a man lifted me up in his arms and took me out. The light of the sun's rays of the late afternoon made my eyes burn. I'd been stuck in that cell for days on bread and water. She was weak and could barely babble a word. The man put me in a rustic carriage and tied my wrists with his hands back. He tightened the knot hard enough to make me moan in pain. I closed my eyes because of fatigue, but my ears were attentive.
- Take her to the edge. A carriage will take Aila to Edinburgh. - I heard my mother say. - Lord MacGregor will know what to do with that big mouth when she gets there.
- Ma'am, do you really think it's necessary to send her to the gallows? - the man who carried me questioned me. - We can throw her off the bridge at sea.
My mother stopped in front of the carriage and smiled darkly.
- No. I'm sure Roy will want to finish what they started in the salon nights ago. - she said before she closed the door. - For any and all questions, my daughter is going to a convent in Gretna Green to be educated by nuns. That must be spread all over the Highlands.
- Yes, ma'am!
I heard the men get in the carriage and set it in motion. They continued to plot the best way to get me to Edinburgh. The strange thing is that I wanted to get face to face with that unhappy despot of Lord MacGregor and when I had the chance I would cross him with my sword.
The wind cut the trees with force and the landscape passed quickly through the cracks of the railed window of the carriage in. I took up my time with the job of untying the knots that held my wrists together. At each attempt, the rope was tightened more tightly, cutting the delicate flesh from my hands. I grunted because, besides that pain in my wrists, I could still feel the burning on the skin of my back. I could feel the blood, still fresh, flowing against the fabric of the shirt. I closed my eyes when hatred took hold of my bowels. I refused to cry like a girl, who had done something wrong and was very afraid. I took a deep breath trying to contain the nausea I felt because of the pain. The voices outside ceased their whispering. At the height of the events, I feared more for the life of my sisters than for mine and that was why I had to escape.
In a new attempt, and despite the insistent pain, I managed to release one of my wrists. When I brought my hands forward I saw that they were both bloody as I had predicted. There was a red band around each wrist, caused by the time I was stuck in shackles in the Inverness dungeon. Containing the feeling of fainting, I looked around in an attempt to find something that could be used as a weapon. There were some pieces of wood wrapped in bags in a corner of the carriage. Surely they would be used to make a good fire. I dragged myself into one of the bags and picked up the biggest I could find. It was thick, but not so heavy. Rising slowly, I went to the door and looked through the bars. Luckily there was no lock, perhaps because they thought I was too wounded to try to escape. Slowly I opened the door. The carriage was at a reasonable speed, since we were on the edge of a cliff. Putting the wood on top of the carriage, I pushed with both hands to stand up. I automatically felt hooked on my back and moaned low. The two men who were responsible for the driving seemed oblivious and did not listen when I approached them slowly. I hit one of them hard and he fell off the carriage on the road. The man hit hard between rocks and the dirt floor. The other man got scared. With the sudden movement he made with the reins, he frightened the horses, which they pushed up. The rear wheel hit a rock causing a jolt that made me fall on the ceiling and hit my head against the wood. The driver couldn't keep the carriage in line and she hit the rock again breaking the right rear wheel. The leaning caused me to roll over the roof of the carriage. I ended up hanging on the edge. I could feel the earth beating against my barefoot feet, which were barely covered by an old skirt, which I was forced to wear. Realizing that the carriage was running out of direction and that the horses were out of control, I decided to risk a jump on the road. I hit the thick earth and the rocks in the path as soon as I rolled on the ground. The carriage left the road a few meters further ahead and fell on the cliff. I took a deep breath containing vertigo. I had to get off the road so they wouldn't find me. I don't know how I managed to find strength, but I decided to climb the slope. If I remembered correctly, there was a forest above where I was. I'd try to find a clearing to spend that night. In the morning, if I didn't feel so much pain, I'd get shelter in Dunhill.
I knew very well that the king did not like my father, as well as his sons, especially Alistair, who hated him for being a coward. I went up using the exposed roots of the trees as a support. The rain fell thin and soon began to disturb my vision, but I continued to climb. It took me a long time to get to the top and crawled under a tree. I was too weak to try to move again and the body started to fall asleep. I don't know how long it took, but I fainted due to the pains in the body and the fatigue caused by the effort.
- Hey? Are you all right?
A male voice whispered followed by light slaps on my face. My eyes were too heavy to keep them open. I only semi-founded them for a few moments and saw the serene but worried face of what seemed to me to be a warrior. A heavy hand pushed the hair away from my face and I could see his forehead frowning.
- Oh, my God! Oh, my God! - he said amazed. - What happened to you?
Panic took over my guts and all I could do was whisper, because my throat was dry.
- Don't hurt me!
- No, of course not! - he nodded. - But what happened? Who did this?
- My father beat me up and sent me to a convent after finding out I was dating the stable boy. - I lied by swallowing my spittle. - The carriage I was in went off the road and fell on the cliff. Luckily I managed to escape.
- Good heavens! What do they call you, miss?
I didn't think it was a good idea to say my name to him,
- Breanna, but you can call me Bree. - I said with a voice embargoed.
- What about your family?
- They don't care about me. - I fired. - My father kicked me out of the house and I don't intend to come back. I have nowhere else to go.
Forgetting my strength and courage, I collapsed into a weeping that led me to weep copiously like a damsel in danger.
- Shii! Calm down! - the man whispered. - Come with me and we'll take care of these wounds. Then, when it's okay, we'll see where to install it.
I nodded with a sigh of relief and hugged him when the man held me in his arms.
- By the way, my name is Keilan. - he said smiling. - Keilan Sinclair.
- Nice to meet you, Lord Sinclair! Thank you so much for your kindness!
- Go ahead!
I put my arms around his neck and leaned my head against his shoulder. I was exhausted and scared for the first time, but I felt very safe. Not knowing the reason, but I trusted Keilan and suspected that it was the beginning of a good friendship.
Chapter 01
Bree
Two years and a few months later...
- Wait here!
One of the guards asked me to indicate the center of the tent and looked at me from top to bottom shaking his head with disdain. I learned to deal with those looks. They didn't bother me so much anymore. I didn't know if it was because I was a woman, or because I was wearing a pair of leather pants and boots. Maybe it was the size of the sword I was carrying around my waist.
I looked around as soon as the guard left. Although the tent belonged to a nobleman, there was nothing sophisticated about it. The place was small and there was only a small wooden table with two chairs in a corner and a bed made of leather, mounted near the entrance. There was a little one booked in another corner from where some clothes hung. There was no carpet to identify the origin of the owner of the tent, although I knew well who I would deal with.
A few months ago, after being rescued, I chose to stay with the Keilan regiment, who was the commander of a border patrol. Although he found it very strange because he seemed to belong to a noble family, he decided to train me. At first it was just to defend myself, but over time I started to become very good at handling weapons and Keilan decided to join the regiment. Especially after I told him exactly what had happened until the night he found me in the forest. Keilan hadn't been penalized, but he showed a deep hatred of the people who hurt me. He became a great friend and gradually replaced my sisters and softened the longing I felt. He was also helping me to overcome and forget my past, but difficult. Mainly because of the terrible nightmares that were hitting me.
I heard a noise and voices from outside and I squeezed the handle of the sword hard. That was the only memory I had of a man who, though not my blood, was proud to call his grandfather. It's the only thing I made a point of coming back for after recovery. She was hiding in my grandparents' cabin and only I knew the place. A huge man entered the tent, followed by another at the same time. They had black hair and blue eyes the color of the sky at dusk. I automatically remembered Annabel, however, her eyes were a lighter blue, almost glacial.
- Excuse me, but I'm waiting for someone named Bree. - said one of the men with a slight frown. - Who the hell are you?
- I beg your pardon if you were expecting a man! - he said seriously and staring at her. - My name is Breanna, but I'd rather be called Bree.
- Really? - He said incredulous and put his hand on his chin. - And does your family know you're here, Bree?
Releasing the sword handle, I laughed and crossed my arms.
- If you want to know if there is anyone to weep for me, the answer is: they don't care! - I said ironically. - Therefore, be relieved not to have to deal with a stable boy following orders to take me back dragged by my hair. Even because if he tried, he'd die.
The two men looked at each other and laughed.
- I'm sorry if I offended you. Keilan didn't mention that Bree would be...
- A woman?
The man pigmented.
- In fact, what amazes me is not that I am a woman, since they have been fighting in these lands since very remote times. - he answered. - It's just that you seem so fragile that I'm worried about leaving the command of my army in your hands.
So that was Prince Alistair? I knew him from the various banquets my mother promoted in our fiefdom. Alistair was always very quiet and observant, but in the minutes when I had the unique opportunity to talk to him, I could see that he was very intelligent and wise for someone so young. He proved to be quite a strategist and harsh when it came to the subject of war. After such a long time, however, he seemed to be the same person, but his features had changed greatly. He didn't look like the boy he had when I met him. I think I've changed too, because I realized that he didn't recognize me. That, for me, was a great relief, because I was imagining Alistair's reaction as soon as he saw me among his men. I was afraid that he would turn me over to my mother, or worse, want to punish her for what she did. I had to tell, but my selfishness in wanting revenge only for me had made me retreat. Instead of telling the truth and taking advantage of the fact that he had no idea that I was a MacBride, I just let out a disdainful laugh.
- Your Highness, choose your best man and I'll show you exactly how fragile my blows are. - I challenged.
The man behind him smiled in a debauched way.
- Well, well. What a sharp tongue! - the man approached me. - I hate women with sharp tongues!
I had a laugh.
- Too bad that's true, my lord! - I answered dry. - I can guarantee that it is not only my language that is sharp, but my sword too.
They looked at each other in a funny way, but I could see that the man who accompanied Alistar was tempted to accept the challenge. I prayed that he would accept it, only that he would remove that smug smile from his face.
- You're late! - Alistair fired.
- Call me Bree, please! - I answered dry. - We were ambushed when we crossed the northern border.
- Ambush?
- Yeah. There were some mercenaries in the hills.
Alistair sighed towards the small table and took the map.
- I have no idea how these men are getting to the highlands.
He leaned his hands on the map and stared at it for a few seconds.
- It's so soon before that miserable Roy turns himself in. Soon my father decides to get sick and wants me to come home.
Alistair said in a moaning tone and I approached him.
- I'm sorry, Your Highness! - he said. - From what I've heard about the king, he seems to be a strong man. I believe your father has plans that cannot be described in letters.
Taking a break, I took a deep breath.
- Speaking of letters... - said pulling an envelope from inside a small saddlebag. - Commander Sinclair asked me to give you that. He suggests that militias be created to contain the advance of mercenaries.
Alistair lifted his head frowning and took the letter. He read it carefully and then sat down.
- Keilan believes that men allied with Roy are enticing our soldiers to serve as spies. - I've completed.
- That's it! - Alistair sighed and then picked up a piece of paper. He wrote a brief letter, sealed it and delivered it to the man who accompanied him. - Bruce, send a messenger to Keilan. Send more men for him to divide the northern troops into militias. I want the mountains very well guarded.
- Yeah, you got it! - Bruce nodded.
- Wait! - I asked before the man left. - Are you Bruce MacCalister, the Black Knight you talk so much about?
- Yeah. - He said with a sparkle in his eyes. - Why is that?
I smiled at him and then I did something.
- It's an honor to meet you and I'm sorry if I offended you in any way!
- It didn't offend me. - said Bruce. - Actually, I thought it was pretty fun. Who knows, when I get back, don't you show me how sharp your sword is?
Smile settling down.
- It will be a great pleasure!
Bruce left the tent leaving me alone with Alistair.
- I had no idea the borders were wide open. - said Alistair as soon as we were alone.
