Page 152 of Long Live the King

I glanced at Archie, he was counting on his fingers between 1291 and 1296.

I asked Hayley, “Is that why I felt the Trailblazer?”

“Yeah, that’s probably why.”

He said, “Five years between.”

I said, “Yes, it’s a long time.”

Hayley patted Archie’s hand. “This is good news. Uncle Fraoch and your Da are not going to let anything happen to each other, they are going to solve this problem and I have never known them to not be able to solve something. They are completely competent in solving things.”

I said, “Thank you for letting us know, can you go hear more?”

“Yep, I’m your eyes and ears. And Archie, they are coming home, Uncle Fraoch will not let us down.”

She got up, kissed Archie’s cheek, kissed Isla, kissed my forehead, and then kissed Sophie and Junior and rushed away.

CHAPTER 65 - ASH

BALLOCH CASTLE

Iwas lifted from the cart by someone. I opened my eyes, a blurry Lochie swam into view. “Hi!” I giggled. “You’re not real.”

“I assure ye I am.”

I looked around, faces swimming around me, all looking weirdly old-fashioned, wearing skirts. The men had weapons and beards and, I pointed, “You’re not real. You’re not real. You’re not real.” I swung my good arm around. “All y’all not real.”

Lochie began striding across the... where were we? Stone walls, like a castle. Funny, they said castle and now we were in a castle and it all seemed real, but couldn’t possibly be... but I had been in the longest most realistic dream of my life.

There was a woman walking ahead of us, “Ye can take her tae the east room on the third floor, Lochinvar, the chambermaid has it readied.”

His deep voice returned, “Aye, Madame Lizbeth, thank ye.”

We started up a stairwell and I reached my hand out and felt the stone wall as we climbed. “None of this is real.” There was a draft, the air was cold, I tucked my head against his chest. “Warm.” I sighed. “I like you even though you’re just a dream.”

Lochie said to the woman, “She is overly weary and overcome from the injury.”

The woman said, “I understand.”

We went down a long dark corridor and I faded in and out of consciousness until a heavy door was opened and the temperature and light changed. We were in a room. I looked around and said, “Old bed, old table, old fireplace, old walls...” Then forgot what I was talking about, happily it was warm, there was a fire roaring in the hearth.

I was placed down on a lumpy mattress, in a bed with a canopy, a small bed, not much more than a twin.

Lochie fluffed the pillow under my head and said, “Tis comfortable?”

My face was heavy, my lips felt like they were sliding down off my face into the down pillow. “No, but that’s okay, Lochie, you did your best. It’s all a figment, a weird figment of my...” I couldn’t remember what I was saying again, so I stopped.

The woman, Lizbeth said, “I will leave ye — dost ye need aught, Lochinvar?”

“Nae, I will stay here until she comes back tae herself.”

It grew quiet in the room. Lochie pulled a chair up beside the bed.

I fell asleep.

I woke up a little while later, on my side, my sore shoulder up, with the sound of Lochie’s voice muttering though I couldn’t understand what he was saying.... “What...?”

He brushed my hair off my cheek. “I was prayin’.”

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