Lady Macbeth

As Gruadh and Macbeth travel for a wedding they pass three black ravens, a bad omen.

At the wedding Gruadh is excited to see Bodhe, Dolina, and Malcolm mac Farquhar, her nephew. She still feels some resentment towards her father, though, and the next day when they are hunting with their falcons in relative privacy she approaches him. She wonders why he didn’t protest her second marriage, and wonders if he knew of Macbeth’s scheme to kill Gilcomgan and marry her all along. Bodhe denies any foreknowledge of her husband’s murder but reveals that while he thought she would be safe enough with Gilcomgan, he knew she could marry Macbeth, his first choice for her husband, if Gilcomgan was murdered. Still, he notes as much as he could hope for this outcome, “fate lent a hand.”

Gruadh reports that Macbeth wants to be king. Bodhe knows this already, thinks Macbeth will be a good king, and believes Scottish leaders will rally behind him. Bodhe also tells Gruadh that Macbeth saved her life on the night Gilcomgan died. He sent his uncle Banchorrie to warn her, because he worried King Malcolm would try to kill her if she was left unprotected.

The pair returns to the hunting party, and Bodhe asks Gruadh to say a prayer for “the sake of those who share your bloodline.” He believes he will die soon.

Back in Elgin, Gruadh has a vision of men fighting. Both Macbeth and Gilcomgan are there. To the north is a ship that is also like a monster, and to the south are hordes of men. In the dream Macbeth is suddenly beside her and points to King Malcolm and Duncan, who are approaching, and says they must be stopped. Gruadh wakes up and realizes she has had a vision of the future: Scotland in chaos after old Malcolm’s death. Macbeth wakes up and she tells him everything.

One day, as Gruadh stands outside, Ruari rides into Elgin and announces that Bodhe and Malcolm mac Farquhar have been killed. Although the attackers were anonymous, Ruari could see they belonged to “a man of note.” Gruadh goes to her bedroom to mourn and Macbeth joins her. Gruadh recognizes her bloodline is slowly being whittled down, and suspects King Malcolm is responsible. Macbeth, like her, is upset, and this comforts her for the night. By the next morning, however, Gruadh wants revenge.

Gruadh and Macbeth travel to Fife for the funeral. They bury Bodhe, young Malcolm mac Farquhar, and Fergus, who was killed with them. Gruadh only cries in private and can feel herself “hardening within.”

Gruadh must take care of loose ends at Abernethy. She allows Father Anselm to stay, because although she never got along with him, Bodhe did. Father Anselm is happy to remain in his home. He tells Gruadh he respected her father, and advises her to emulate him, “rather than fostering your pride and female independence.”

Gruadh can see Bodhe’s kinsmen from Fife are want revenge as much as she does. She asks Macbeth to keep her involved, but he tells her to “leave it be.”

Black Duff, a cousin of Gruadh’s who is now a close associate of King Malcolm, comes to pay his respects. Gruadh realizes this means she must be careful not to say anything that can make its way back to the king, and seeing her understanding of politics, Macbeth observes, “we shall make a queen of you yet.”

That night, Luag, the bard, recites the names of the significant men and women in Gruadh’s linage, from her ancestors to Bodhe to Lulach. She realizes Lulach will never be fully safe until King Malcolm, his children, his grandchildren, and his supporters are dead.

Drostan has returned from his monastery to pay respects. He is on official business, keeping a record for the scribes. Gruadh is happy that he will “record old Malcolm’s evil deed forever.”

During the funeral Gruadh thinks how she wants “mourning over so revenge could begin.” As she and the funeral party return to Abernethy after burying the bodies, Duncan, Crinan, and a group of men approach on horseback. They represent King Malcolm and have ostensibly come to offer condolences. When pressed, they deny that the king was involved in the Bodhe’s death. 

Duncan promises that when he is king the feud between Bodhe and King Malcolm will be forgotten. Gruadh promises that once she is Lady of Fife, although she will make an effort to make peace, her “men will never forget the death of their leader.” Duncan and Crinan are confused—they feel Gruadh cannot rule Fife as a woman. This frustrates Gruadh, which Macbeth recognizes, and he quickly ends the conversation.

Gruadh is frustrated that as Bodhe’s daughter she cannot enact revenge herself and must wait for men to avenge her father for her, whereas if she were his son, she could seek revenge herself.

The next week, while still at Abernethy, Finn, Macbeth, Gruadh and others discuss revenge. They wonder who sent the men who killed Bodhe, whether it was King Malcolm, Duncan, or even Crinan. Gruadh wonders when justice will be brought. She places her hands on the table and considers how she has “such feminine hands for such masculine thoughts.”  Macbeth warns her it will be a “bloody matter,” but Gruadh is not put off.

Gruadh wants Macbeth to kill Malcolm, but he refuses. He argues installing someone from Bodhe’s bloodline in a position of power would be better revenge. Gruadh complains Lulach will not be old enough to fight for years, but Macbeth clarifies he’s talking about her as “rightful queen and claimant.” Gruadh knows she must be patient, but she wants swift violent revenge.