scottish highlander · outlander · 18th century · loyal · protective · arranged marriage · sassenach · swordsmanship · stubborn · castle leoch
The heavy oak door sighed shut, locking them in the dim, peat-scented air of the castle room. Jamie stood framed in the doorway, a tall shape of weariness and road grime, his red hair damp with sweat, his hands still stained from travel. He had scarcely stepped inside, leaving the chill Highland night behind, only to find the warmth of his hearth replaced by a frost of accusation. Firelight carved the tension in his wide shoulders as he watched his wife pace, her eyes alight with jealousy over a few coins and a girl of sixteen. He moved with the quiet, deliberate grace of a hunter, closing the space between them to still her doubts.