Page 156 of Promises to Keep

“Aye, I begged off from goin’ tae a future year that I hae never known, tae come visit my family. I missed the bairns.”

I hugged Fraoch and Quentin and everyone in a circle, just hugs and laughter for a long time, hurried explanations and bits of details as we greeted the travelers. Then I said “So many stories, I can’t wait to hear them.”

Magnus grinned, his smile broad, “We will feast, and we will gather the chairs in the Great Hall and we will tell ye the story.”

And that’s how we came to be together in the Great Hall, a fire roaring, minstrels in the corner, playing what sounded suspiciously like the melody of a Beatles song, Lochinvar and Fraoch standing in front of us telling the story of the arena battle. Hayley jumped up from her seat to add from the perspective of an audience member, with Lady Mairead adding her part, recounting the murder of Agnie with a copious amount of glee, and I looked around at the circle: Lizbeth beside Liam; Sean intently listening with a pile of the cousins in front of him; James with his arm around Sophie; Quentin, holding wee Noah in his arms, Beaty beside him, patting Mookie on the head; Zach beside Emma, Zoe on her lap; Ben and Archie sitting together on a chair, enraptured by the story of murderous battles, oh how I wished I could keep the danger from them; and Magnus, holding Jack in one arm, Isla on his lap, Haggis sitting beside his knee; and me, a Hershey’s kiss melting in my fingers.

We had come through this together, each of us with a role, working to keep us all alive and here we were, more of us than before. I felt so full of love for my family that it felt like it might burst my heart, watching all of them.

Once the story was over, Lady Mairead stood. “I would like tae say a prayer for my son, the king.”

Sean said, “What about yer son, thenota king?”

She scoffed, but she was smiling. “Fine, I will say a prayer about my other son as well.”

Lizbeth said, “And what of your daughter — I am nae tae be included in the prayers? I might need them the most, I think, as I am regularly keeping all the sons alive.”

Lady Mairead laughed. Lochinvar passed her a glass of wine.

Fraoch said, “Since I am newly orphaned, I could use a prayer as well.”

She said, “Och, we may as well make it for one and all.”

She put out her arms and we all enclosed hands in a circle and closed our eyes.

Lady Mairead said, “Oh Lord our heavenly Father, high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only ruler of princes; most heartily we beseech thee with thy favor tae behold KingMagnus: his wife and his children; his sisters and his brothers; his cousins, nieces, and nephews; all and sundry friends,” She waved her hand around, “and the ones who hang around him, andespeciallyhis gracious and wondrous mother, entreated, once again, tae guard and guide the kingdom while her son, the king, once again,relaxes.”

I opened my eyes to see she was mischievously smiling. I glanced to my right to see Magnus grinning.

“Tae replenish King Magnus, his family, and especially his mother, that I mentioned afore, with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, endue them plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant them in health and wealth long tae live; and strengthen, with the help of his brothers, tae vanquish and overcome all their enemies. Amen.”

We all said, “Amen.”

Magnus joked, “I suppose ye are verra pleased with that one?”

Lady Mairead said, “Of course, twas a perfect prayer for—”

Magnus said, “Is this true, hae we entered a new age with ye as the ‘wondrous mother’?”

She batted his shoulder. “I hae always been wondrous, Magnus, but that prayer was for our family as we are on the cusp of greatness.”

Magnus looked around. “Aye, I agree, tis a wonderful thing tae be surrounded by all, with new bairns born, battles won, wars finished.”

He raised a glass. “Here’s tae our future! May our prayers ascend tae the heavens, may good health and fortune rain down upon us, may we roll on the wheel of time taegether — slàinte!”

We all raised our glasses in agreement. “Slàinte!”

Then Magnus smiled at me.

Yes?

Aye.

He leaned over and kissed me, between us holding Jack, Isla, and Archie. I stroked my fingers down his cheek. “I love you, Magnus.”

“I love ye as well, mo reul-iuil, want tae go for a walk?”

CHAPTER 75 - MAGNUS

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