“Merna’s maid, Morag, is watching Fleance tonight. I’ll ask her to join Ute and send a guard to them both so not to raise questions. Our sons will grow up together. We shall raise them to be the best of friends,” he said then took my hand, kissing it gently.
“Banquo,” I whispered.
“I’ll see to it and meet you later. You look very beautiful, Lady of Moray.”
“And you look very handsome, Thane.”
He laughed. “I haven’t even changed out of my traveling wear yet.”
I grinned. “I know.”
Banquo smiled, pleased with the comment, then headed toward one of the smaller longhouses nearby.
My nerves calmed, I joined the others in the feasting hall. The place was a wild scene. Its drunken revelry reminded me of Allister’s hall. But here, everyone was merry—not just the lord. The other thing I noticed was how much larger the ale tankards were. One could practically bathe in them.
“Lady Macbeth!” a loud voice called.
I looked across the room to Thorfinn who was standing—more swaying—his tankard lifted, a smile on his face.
“My friends, let us all properly welcome Lady Macbeth, wife of the Lord of the North, and queen hereafter!”
The assembled crowd broke into raucous cheers. I couldn’t help but chuckle, feeling my worries dissipate. The room was full of drunken Northmen, not cutthroats. I was over-zealous in my care of Lulach, but I was a mother.
Macbeth rose. I was surprised to see his steps were also unsteady. From what I’d seen of him in our marriage thus far—little as it was—he was usually careful to be very correct in his manner. His cheerful smile and red cheeks, rouged from drink, were unguarded.
“Come, Gruoch,” he said, taking me by the arm. “Glad to see you feeling better. How lovely you look. Like a queen, a true queen. Come,” he said, pulling me toward the head of the table where Thorfinn sat.
“Sit here by me. I’ve heard enough of your war mongering for the night,” Thorfinn told Macbeth, pulling out a chair beside him. He patted the seat.
Chuckling, I sat beside Thorfinn.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Well, my lord.”
Thorfinn leaned toward me. “Ah, she smells as pretty as she looks,” he said then looked me over with such intensity that I blushed. “She’s a beauty. Not pretty…more than that. You have a glow to you, girl.”
“Do I? Or all that ale you’ve drunk doubled your vision,” I said, tapping on the side of his tankard.
He laughed. “That’s true. All women look beautiful once I’ve found the bottom of my cup,” he said with a laugh, slapping the bottom of a girl passing with a basket of bread.
The girl laughed. “My lord,” she said, then pinched his cheek playfully.
“Now,” Thorfinn said, leaning in toward me. This time I got a good look at his green eyes. They were a mix of spring green with flecks of gold. He had playful, but honest eyes. “Now, tell me, how do you like Macbeth? Does he treat you well?”
I looked over my shoulder at Macbeth. He was grinning at Thorfinn.
I struggled to find a good answer. “He treats me like a lady.” That, at least, was honest.
Thorfinn laughed. “I hope better than that.”
“Of course she’s well treated,” Macbeth interjected. “Her and her boy, little Lulach. I’m so proud of them both,” Macbeth said, gently stroking my hair and pulling me close to him, planting a wet kiss on my cheek.
What the hell? I looked at Macbeth, who was smiling at me in complete adoration. Who was this man? Where had he been all this time?
The door opened again, and Banquo and Merna entered. Banquo made quick eye contact with me, his gaze reassuring me that he’d done as I asked and all was well.
Some of my tension left me.
“Thane of Lochaber!” Thorfinn called, the others in attendance cheering.
“My lord,” Banquo said, joining us at the front, taking a seat on the other side of Thorfinn.
“Come, Merna. Kiss me. How sweet you look,” Thorfinn said, claiming a kiss on the cheek from Banquo’s wife, who smiled at me in greeting. “I was just getting acquainted with Lady Macbeth,” Thorfinn told them.
“Did you know that Banquo had already known my wife? Only after I made war to win her did Banquo bother to tell me they were childhood friends,” Macbeth said, his voice slurring.
“Is that right?” Thorfinn asked, his eyebrows raising. “You knew one another?”
“In passing. When I traveled with Balor,” Banquo explained.
“Ahh,” Thorfinn said thoughtfully. “Is that so?”
Banquo nodded, and a look passed between them.
Thorfinn smirked knowingly then winked at me. After, he turned his attention back to Macbeth.
“Macbeth, you look for reasons to complain. How is Banquo supposed to remember every pretty girl he met in his youth? I can’t even remember the names of all the ones I’ve tumbled this week. Hell, sometimes I forget their name before I get their knickers off,” he said then laughed.
“My lord,” Merna scolded him. “Lady Macbeth is not used to such rowdy talk.”
“Oh, isn’t she?” he asked, lifting an eyebrow at me. “Those eyes tell me differently. Macbeth, go easy on Banquo. God knows, I’m sure you can’t remember all the ladies you’ve met in your travels. Don’t pick on poor Banquo.”
Macbeth stiffened a bit but smiled all the same. “Of course, brother. You’re right.”
“He’s just jealous,” Thorfinn said, patting Banquo good-naturedly on the shoulder. “He’s afraid you tumbled her first. Not like he’s one to talk. Do you remember when we were in port at the Isles? How many girls did Macbeth have that one night? Lord, there must have been at least four—no, five—or was it more? I’ve never known him to—”
“My lord,” Banquo interrupted, casting a glance at me.
Thorfinn passed me a quick look then stopped talking. “No matter. Let’s have some ale, wench! We’re thirsty,” he called to one of the women passing through.
I inhaled then exhaled slowly. So, Macbeth had enjoyed his share of women. It was no matter, of course. Many young men were prone to indulging. Gillacoemgain had not been of that mind. Nor was Banquo, from what I could tell. But it didn’t matter. I looked down at my hands in my lap and smirked. With all his practice, one would think he’d be a bit more polished in the bedchamber. Perhaps it hadn’t occurred to him that the exchange was usually two-sided. Given he was an heir to the throne, no doubt court ladies were very eager to please him any way he liked.
“My lady,” one of the serving girls said, pausing to pour me a drink.
Against my better judgment, I picked up the tankard and drank. The sooner I stopped thinking about it, the better all of this would go.
After that, Merna deftly shifted the conversation to Thorfinn’s ships. Soon, Banquo, Macbeth, and Thorfinn were lost to the conversation. I scanned the room. The men of Caithness and the Orkneys filled the place. The dress of some of the men there told me they’d come abroad from Norway and other northern kingdoms.
King Malcolm had a good reason to be worried. Thorfinn had men and alliances that exceeded Malcolm’s grasp. It was this force Gillacoemgain had feared. Now I could see why. But Thorfinn was not what I expected. He was a merry and honest man. I liked his frank nature, even if the raw truth was not always easy to hear.
In truth, Macbeth had done very well for himself by aligning with Lord Thorfinn. Together, the two of them held sway over all of the north of Scotland and the isles. This was a mighty force. If King Malcolm could not broker peace, he would have a massive enemy at his backdoor very soon.