Page 82 of Promises to Keep

Magnus and I stood beside the grave for a time. Then he exhaled and squeezed my hand.

“Ye want tae go for a ride?”

“Sure.”

We saddled horses and rode out toward the mountains and followed the path that rose up through the hills high above the castle. There, we climbed from our horses to look down on Balloch and the valley below. Magnus said, “Thank ye for ridin’ with me, mo reul-iuil, I needed tae clear m’head.”

“Sean was pretty tough on you last night.”

“Eh.” He shrugged. “He had his mouth working out a problem he was tryin’ tae solve. As m’elder brother, he believed he was the one tae solve it, but he had forgotten I am a man, a king, and ken a great deal more about the world than he.”

I nodded.

We stood shoulder to shoulder looking out on the view. His eyes swept the sky from the river and mountains to the north, and the hills to the south. “He wanted tae advise me as a strong eighteenth century man, but I am a twenty-fourth century king.”

I glanced up at his face, stoic, his eyes, watchful. “You have always weighed his advice before?”

“Aye, he is verra wise, but he is using his wisdom tae be fearful, we ought nae be fearful based on Hammond turning, I daena think there is a lesson here at all, nae for me, except as relates tae m’mother — she ought tae hae treated Hammond better, but even within that code of conduct, he should nae hae betrayed me. But then what — I am supposed tae suspect Colonel Quentin now?” He shook his head. “Hammond and I are both descendants of a bloodline of kings, creatures battling in the muck and mire afore a golden throne. I had tae fight tae gain it, he survived by sitting beside it, we both did what we needed tae do, ye ken?”

I nodded.

“We were both tryin’ tae survive.”

He kicked a rock away. “Hammond was wrong. I am nae going tae let his corruption change me, tae ruin m’trust in my friends and family. I am nae goin’ tae become sour and vengeful. I am goin’ tae accept that sometimes shit happens.”

I smiled. “That is so very modern of you.”

He grinned, his eyes sweeping the valley. “M’transformation is almost complete. I’m near fully modern.” He joked, “Now, next on m’agenda, avenge m’mother, regain m’kingdom with some proper bloodshed — verra verra modern.”

“When are we leaving?”

“I think taenight, after the feast, perhaps if we get back early enough in the day we can hae another, better feast prepared by Zach.”

“You cannotget enough food these days.”

“I daena think I hae been fully filled yet, the thirteenth century is still here,” he pointed at his stomach, “empty, needing sustenance.”

He went quiet, then said, “Do ye remember me telling ye a story about being in the battle of the North Frontier with Hammond? We were waiting for a delivery of supplies. Twas delayed, and so we had tae kill and eat a squirrel. I was telling him about the squirrels here at home.”

“I don’t remember hearing that story.”

“We spent many long hours talking about growing up.”

“He will be missed.”

“Aye.”

We rode back down the hill, with Magnus quiet until he stopped his horse to say, “Dost ye hear that, Kaitlyn?”

I listened. “The distant woodpecker?”

“Aye.” He looked around as if noticing that we were out in the woods for the first time.

I noticed he relaxed, breathed deeper.

He asked, “What tree is it...?”

Through the years he had taught me to see the trees, something that I used to never do… “That, my love, is an oak, one of the most important trees in this area.”

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