Scottish Sisters Twisted Destinies

By Rebecca Henrich

"You're really going to do this, aren't you?" Marie asked.

Worlds collide and morals are questioned when an unexpected guest arrives at the banquet table, seeking a mere morsel of sustenance to bring back home to her awaiting sister.

"Yes. If I don't come back tonight, you have to promise me that you'll stay safe."

Unfortunately, things don't go as planned when the alarm is sounded and Kiaran is forced to flee for her life, leaving her chance of a meal behind.

"Be careful, Kiaran..."

Upon her arrest, Kiaran begins to wonder if the soon-to-be queen of Anchonach really is who she claims to be as a sinister evil begins to plague the kingdom from all sides.

Now alone in their woodland home, Marie paces the cave, struggling with the fear of her sister's capture as the minutes and hours race by, until she realizes that her sister isn't coming home.

The glaring task that presents itself to her is clear: She has to save her.

Secrets are revealed, unlikely friends are made, and identities are discovered, but one thing will always stay the same: a sisterly bond is one that can never be broken.

Right?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Christian Faith Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Jun 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887512921

Book preview

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Scottish Sisters Twisted Destinies

Rebecca Henrich

ISBN 979-8-88751-291-4 (paperback)

ISBN 979-8-88751-292-1 (digital)

Copyright © 2023 by Rebecca Henrich

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Christian Faith Publishing

832 Park Avenue

Meadville, PA 16335

www.christianfaithpublishing.com

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

About the Author

It was still dark when Kiaran woke for the day. She opened her eyes to the stone ceiling of what she and her younger sister called home. It wasn't much, just a small cave in the midst of Collie a' Bhlair Dhuibh.

With a sigh, she sat up and looked over at her sleeping sister. She hated having to always wake up before dawn and go into the village to see what she could find and bring back for them to live on. Of course, there were fruits and natural growing edible things in their forested home, but there were just some things that you can't get from the forest.

She stood up and took the messenger-style bag she always used on these trips and quietly left the cave. Once outside, she glided as silently as a shadow through the tall oaks and other varieties of trees as she progressed to her destination.

The Anchonach Castle rose high and magnificently at the far edge of the village. She slowed a moment to take the sight in. She saw it often, but rarely ever took the time to really look at it in detail. Soon, she was off again with the castle to her back. She knew she would never see the inside, so it was best to not stop and dream about the easier life that she couldn't have.

*****

The day started for Lilian the same way it always had and always will. She woke with a yawn and a sigh. As she sat up, she looked to her small silver tiara that rested on a purple cushioned box atop her nightstand. The polished metal and single small jewel sparkled as the light from her candle flickered. She hated the formal attention that the adornment brought her. She was the younger sister to Cairistìona, who would be next in line for their mother's place, making her the younger princess.

Any staff member she happened to pass or say something to would treat her with formal respect, making it awkward for her. When she had to greet guests as they came for an event, they bowed their respect to her, and all she knew to do—which hopefully wouldn't show how uncomfortable she really was—was to smile brightly at them and try to disguise the fact that she wanted to hide from the attention.

What's wrong, Lilly? a kind voice asked, snapping her back to reality. She turned to see her pet dragon, CinderFlame, looking at her with concern.

CinderFlame was not a menacing dragon by any means. She may have the ability to breathe fire but rarely ever did. She was kind, quirky, and loyal to Lilian. CinderFlame had varying shades of purple and blue. Her spikes were purple as well as her eyes. Her chest alternated with purple-and-blue stripes all the way to the tip of her tail. Her body was mostly blue with a bit of lighter purple in some places. Her bat-like wings began as blue and with an ombre style, and they became a soft purple where they sprouted out from her body. To finish her off, small clusters of sparkling light-purple jewels adorned her.

Nothing, I was just thinking, Lilian replied to the dragon as she snapped shut the polished wooden box that housed the dreaded adornment. She decided not to wear it for now, at least not until someone scolded her for it, which happened several times before. She stood and got dressed for the long day of learning to be a future queen.

*****

Kiaran was using the darkness of predawn to her advantage. Over time, it had become a simple science. First, she stopped by the bakery to see what could be scavenged in the alley behind the store. The baker threw out whatever leftovers he had each morning from the previous day.

It would be just fine for Kiaran and her sister. She put a loaf and a half of bread into her bag, along with some sweet rolls that she immediately reserved for having with dinner that night. Looking around a bit more, she even found a sugar cookie.

This will be a treat for Marie, she said with a smile as she tucked it in with the bread. She was always on the lookout for little occasional treats for her younger sibling. Marieanna was a hard worker. She always woke after Kiaran left for the village and would find a lot of their food in the forest.

Kiaran wanted a better life for her. Even if she couldn't partake in it herself, she would still be proud that, at least, she could give her sister a chance. She would gladly keep living in the forest, scrounging and making do if it meant Marie could have an easier life. But she knew that even if that did happen, her younger sister would say no to that opportunity. They've been inseparable for years. Kiaran had become a mother to Marie, and the cave was the only home that she knew. It was just the two of them, the cave, and the forest. That was all either of them really knew.

Hey! What are you doing? Get out, shoo! The angry voice of the baker yelling down into the alley at her from his apartment above the store jolted her out of her thoughts.

Kiaran quickly ran from the alley, away from the bakery. The sun was rising now, and she watched as people woke to start their day. She once again passed the glimmering Anchonach Castle, now even more brilliant with the morning sun glinting off the many windows. She heard the orders for the guard shifts to rotate, and just before she turned around, she saw one of the MacBaire princesses peek out from a window.

For the slightest of moments, they made eye contact before the princess turned and let the draperies settle back in their original place. She sighed, as if it confirmed that she was as low as dirt, which she really was, a girl who lived in a cave with her sister and couldn't purchase even the cheapest of property in the village. She shook her head to clear it out of the useless thoughts and disappeared into the shadows of the forest.

*****

Cairistìona, the eldest princess and heiress to the throne, was already up and dressed in a floor-length dress the color of violets. She smiled at the beauty of the rising sun as she parted the thick draperies of her window and took in the sight of her future kingdom. There was the village below, Collie a' Bhlair Dhuibh on the outskirts, the lush lavender hills that gave way to snow-peaked mountains against the backdrop of the vivid colors of the rising sun. It would all be hers, and she found it quite unbelievable. She knew what had to be done when the time came, and it made her smile with happiness. She leaned against the windowsill and watched the people go about their day below her.

One girl caught her attention as she gazed at the castle. Sure lots did, wondering just for a moment what life as royalty would be like, but this girl was different. She seemed foreign to the village, yet she still knew exactly where to go. They made eye contact for a fraction of a second. In that time, she knew what this girl must be. She had heard rumors about her before. She was a thief who dug through alleys for anything and everything before returning to Collie a' Bhlair Dhuibh.

She was a person to be cautious around, Cairistìona decided as she let the drapes fall back to their original place. She cared nothing for the girl.

*****

Lilian entered the dining room with CinderFlame obediently walking behind her. Her father, King Cameron, sat at the head of the table with his hands folded neatly before him. Her mother, Queen Cecilia, sat at the right side of the table and her sister to the left.

She took her place beside Cairistìona as CinderFlame fluttered to sit beside her caretaker. Lilian hoped that the absence of her tiara would