Page 1 of The Dawn

PROLOGUE

This is where we left off inLong Live the King...

Magnus and his family have discovered that they have a new enemy, Asgall. Unfortunately, by the time they noticed him, he had already gained a great deal of power, amassing wealth and land, and becoming a King of Scotland in 1296.

This is especially irritating because in the bookMagnus the First, Magnus had gained the Scottish thronebeforeAsgall. Magnus (called Mag Mòr) had been crowned at Scone in 1290 and while he hadn’t been back to that time, and though he had used the Bridge to clean up the timeline, it might still technically be his throne...maybe?Probably.

Asgall had also kidnapped Lochinvar’s new love, Ash, a modern woman from Florida. She was held captive in a compound in the year 1296. (She had no idea about time travel, yikes!)

Because of all of this danger, the household fled Florida for the relative safety of Balloch castle.

Then, Magnus, Fraoch, and Lochinvar rescued Ash. (Thankfully!)

During the rescue Magnus decides that the best way to stop Asgall before he gains the Scottish throne in 1296 is for Magnus to return to 1291 and sit on the throne and hold it.

Through all this, Archie is having nightmares about becoming the king, terrified that Magnus will die. This is another good reason for Magnus to retake his throne — to set his son’s mind at ease.

Magnus and Fraoch go to Stirling in 1291, walk up to the castle and, lo and behold, Mag Mòr is still king. Perfect!

He decides to rule for a bit, and guess what? It works — Asgall is knocked off the list of kings, the wheel turns, and Asgall loses, for this round at least.

Magnus and Fraoch send a message through time to their family asking them to please come to Stirling castle.

Kaitlyn, Archie (about 8), Isla (4), Jack (1), Hayley, Chef Zach, Emma, Ben (7), and Zoe (3), all go to Stirling castle. Magnus’s brother Sean, who has never time traveled before goes with them.

While Beaty and Noah (1) and Sophie and Junior (a few days old) remain at Balloch, Quentin and James go on a supply run for weapons and diapers. Once they return from this errand, Quentin will deliver weapons to Magnus at Stirling in 1291; and then they all plan to move there to be with the rest of the family, eventually.

Lochinvar and Ash are also at Balloch resting while she recovers from a dislocated shoulder. Ash needs to travel to Florida to tell her friend Don that she has survived the kidnapping, but after that she and Lochie plan to meet Magnus at Stirling.

Phew, this is a large family, in a bunch of different places and times.

For Magnus and his family in 1291 Stirling, this story begins the following day.

For everyone at Balloch, it’s the same day as when we last heard from them, May 27, 1710.

*And in case you were wondering, Lady Mairead is running Riaghalbane (Magnus’s future kingdom) all alone.

The Dawn begins.

—DK

PART I

CHAPTER 1 - KAITLYN

MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, THE KING AND QUEEN’S CHAMBER, STIRLING CASTLE - JUNE 16, 1291

Iwoke up with a start.

My head was on Magnus’s warm chest. He said, “Wha?—?”

“Sorry... didn’t mean to wake you.”

He tightened his arm around me, sleepily, but then fell right back to sleep.

I breathed in the scent of my medieval husband. I had grown used to him like this, his look over the next few weeks and months would grow wilder, his hair would knot, his beard would lengthen. I would wonder, was it the air that caused this wilding? Or was it the weight of the past, everything was more dire here, heavy and significant, it coarsened the men’s skin, lengthened their hair, roughened their manners. Even their laughs would grow deep, their meetings solemn with responsibility, their movements measured. Living in the medieval world, there was always something on a modern man’s mind: the curses of the age, the bitter chill of the rooms, the shadowy gloom of the corners, the drab taste of the food — everything carried more consequence.

A humorous story told around a fire in a castle in the dark ages always felt just so... medieval. I breathed in again.

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