Welcome back to our Medieval Monday blog hop! Over the next eight weeks, we’ll be sharing snippets from our stories so be sure to stay tuned and follow along. Please welcome this weeks guest, Cathy MacRae and a snippet from The Highlander’s Crusader Bride.

To attain an alliance between the MacLean and MacKern clans, Arbela has accepted Caelen’s proposal of marriage.

Excerpt:

Arbela rose to her feet and lifted her goblet. “May we be blessed with peace and a prosperous alliance.” She tilted her head to Caelen. “Orhnut’yunner.”

“Blessings,” her father replied, translating her Armenian salute, then took a sip of his wine.

“Orhnut’yunner.” Alex tossed the contents of his goblet back and a serving girl quickly refilled it. He stood and surveyed the crowd. “My sister is a woman of priceless value—and Caelen MacKern the most fortunate of men. May their union be a blessed one.” He gave Arbela a short bow. “Orhnut’yunner.”

Blurb:

Born in the Holy Land only a few years after the Third Crusade, half-Armenian, half-Scot Arbela MacLean is a true daughter of the desert, beautiful and untamed. Trained to be a warrior to avoid her gentle mother’s fate, Arbela has honed her skills with Turkish bow and arrow, sword and throwing darts—and dreads the day her father choses a man for her to marry.

After more than thirty years in the Holy Land, Donal MacLean, Baron of Batroun, is recalled to Scotland, the last son available to take up leadership of clan MacLean. He brings with him knights, treasure, trade—and a daughter of marriageable age.
Caelen MacKern, known as the Bull of the Highlands, is cynical about women. His first marriage formed an alliance, and he did not grieve when his spoiled, immature bride passed away. He has agreed to marry again—against his better judgement—for the men, means and coin to recover from a devastating pestilence that all but wiped out his clan.

Though more than a little resentful at finding himself forced to remarry, Caelen’s proposal to Donal MacLean’s headstrong daughter nevertheless piques her interest. Each will receive what they want most from life—the ability to live as they please without interference from a meddling spouse. But their marriage of indifference will soon change to one of passion that neither Arbela nor Caelen could have predicted.

Buy Link:

Amazon: https://www.amzn.com/dp/B0762TL89Z

You can follow the excerpt to Elisabeth Hobbes’ website next week (Nov. 12) at https://elisabethhobbes.co.uk/  Commenters each week will be entered into a drawing for a free copy of her ebook, The Highlander’s Crusader Bride!