Page 154 of Long Live the King

My mouth drew down. “That is the saddest story I ever heard.”

He nodded. “Tis true.”

“It’s not really true, what I hear is you are a knight, you fight for a king, you saved yourself by being the best fighter around, and you are young but already when you have a guest at the — what castle is this?”

“Balloch, the Earl of Breadalbane’s castle.”

“When Lord Lochinvar the Great invites a guest to stay at Bally, the Earl of Breadelywhoo gives her a very fine bedroom, one of the best?—”

He chuckled, “Twas his niece who gave us the guest room, we ought not tell the Earl, and this inna a good room, the bed is verra small.”

I said, “You, my love, are not seeing the worth of yourself.”

The corner of his mouth turned up. “Ye called me ‘my love’.”

I sighed. “I have been hopelessly beguiled. You’re better at that than you give yourself credit for, too.”

“If ye see the worth of me, tis good enough?—”

There was a knock on the door. Lochie said, “Enter!”

The woman named Hayley came in. She said, “I’m sorry to interrupt, I just really need to hear more about what was going on. I really need to know if you think Fraoch and Magnus are okay.”

“Aye, Hayley, I am certain they are well.”

“Thank God, I mean, I thought it was okay, but I just needed to hear you say it. I felt the Trailblazer.”

“Aye, they must be usin’ it. They dinna want tae subject the horses tae it, and I needed tae get Ash home. She was injured, but as far as I know they are well.”

“That is a relief, thank you.”

“Would ye sit with Ash for a moment? I need tae relieve m’self.”

“Of course. Would you go talk to Kaitlyn too, Archie is freaking out — they really need to be reassured.”

“Archie is upset?”

“Yeah, he’s not doing good.”

“Och nae.” He squeezed my hand. “I will leave ye with Madame Hayley, I must speak tae m’nephew, he is worried on his Da.”

I nodded. “I understand.”

CHAPTER 66 - KAITLYN

MAGNUS AND KAITLYN’S BEDROOM CHAMBER

There was a knock on the door and Lochie entered. “Hello, I came tae see ye — tae speak tae Archie.”

Archie was crying, his hands over his ears, having just told me again that the chanting wouldn’t stop — he was breaking my heart.

I offered Lochie a chair, but he said, “Nae, I daena want an uncomfortable seat, I want tae perch on the side of a bed.” He shoved Archie over with his hip and sat on the edge of the mattress. “Hey, wee man, what are ye doin’?”

Archie kept his hands clamped on his ears and shook his head.

Lochie said, “I was just with yer Da, he is well. I am sorry I scared ye when I returned without him, but he told me tae tell ye that he will be home soon. He had one thing tae do first.”

“He is dead, they are telling me, the king is dead.”

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