The King of Scotland had a big problem. Actually he had two problems. The first was England. The English King had decided that Scotland needed to be invaded, conqured and made a part of England. Now this did not agree with the King of Scotland. But his army was not sufficient enough to repel any army that England was to send against Scotland. His Kingdom was divided. He had the clans of the Lowlands and those of the Highlands. The nobles and clans of the lowlands were mostly farmers and such but got along pretty well with each other. But the Highland Clans were a different story. There were constant clan wars and a general mistrust among the clans. They were fierce fighters and with the constant little wars, were well trained in the art of war. They seldom came when called and then only a couple of the clans perhaps. But they were apart of Scotland and obeyed the laws of Scotland and the King for the most part.<br/><br/>That was his problems and he could only think of one way that might unite the Highlanders and Lowlanders. He decreed that the Lairds, or the sons of the lairds of the Highlands would take a lowlander bride. He hoped that by doing this that the highlanders would wish to defend the clans of their brides and therefore join him when it came time for war. This made much grumbling among the lowlanders who thought the Highlanders were nothing more than savages, barbarians and unsuited to marry their daughters. But the King had made a royal decree and they were obliged to obey.<br/><br/>Now it didn't really set well with the clans of the Highlanders either, but they to obeyed the Kings Decree. So it was that Duncan McCloud of Clan McCloud set forth with four of his clan to go fetch is bride to be. Duncan was not really happy about the matter. His parents had married because they had fallen in love with each other and not because of some arrangement which was quite common. His father had died a couple years earlier from health reasons and left him to be the Laird of the Clan. He didn't want no empty headed, whining and scared of her own shadowed, weakling woman for a wife. The Highlander women were tough, high sprited. Oh there were those that thought noting of themselves of course and were probably empty headed. But he thought he had a better chance of finding one that was to his liking in the Highlander Clans. Duncan was a hansom, tall and strong man. His long light brown hair held the redish tint of his mother's hair. He was clean shaven and stood tall in the saddle. His cousin Angus rode beside him. He was a large man with a mass of red hair and beard. He was not a bad looking man but one could hardly tell with the beard.<br/><br/>So it came to pass that he came down from the Highlands with four of his clan to meet with the father of his bride to be. For the King had chosen families of various clans to be the ones to give up their daughters for the good of Scotland. The King had selected the families that would give up the brides. The soon approached the farmstead of one of the McNally Clan's families, the lowland clan that he was to take a bride from. As they approached Duncan saw the Head of the Family, one Cirus McNally standing before their humble home with his wife and two daughters.