Page 9 of The Dawn

Jack said, “Baba.”

I said, “Exactly. Now where are your sister and brother?”

We left the room and I looked up and down the hall. Where was Zach and Emma’s room? Guards fell in behind me. I actuallywasn’t entirely sure where I was going, I had been given a tour yesterday, but had been tired and overwhelmed by the gloomy surroundings and hadn’t paid much attention. Dumb. I had been trapped in castles before, it seemed like I would have learned to look for escape routes and weapon-rooms first thing.

And I should definitely know where my kids were staying — just down the passage a door burst open: Isla, Zoe, Ben, and Archie rushed out. “Hey babes! Where you going?”

Archie yelled, “We’re going to the Great Hall for breakfast!”

Isla’s eyes went really wide. “Mammy, you look like a beautiful princess.”

“Thank you, sweetie, you made my morning. It took a long time to get dressed.”

Jack reached out with his pudgy hands. Isla gave him a kiss. “Bye! Going to?—”

She made to rush off, but I pulled her back and made her focus, to take a moment to calm and center before she ran wildly through the halls.“Hey, Love, Good morning.” I kissed her forehead.

She said, “Good morning, Mammy.”

I said, “You know your way around the castle already?”

Ben said, “We’ve already beeneverywhere!”

Archie said, “Just like Balloch, I bet we’ve been places you’ve never been, Mammy.”

I laughed. “That does seem likely. Well, Master Ben and Prince Archibald, don’t leave Isla and Zoeanywhere, they might not know the layout quite as well as you do.”

Emma came from the same room. “They have been up forsolong. Wow, look at you, you look like a medieval painting, how long did it take to get dressed?”

“So long, I feel like it’s been hours. The style is much simpler than the eighteenth century clothes, but I have to wear it at royal-level.”

“Now I feel lucky, mine’s comfy and I don’t have to wear a crown.” Her dress was much like mine, but the colors were muted. Her cloak was pinned with a plain brooch. And of course, she didn’t have a gold band on her head.

“Why don’t we get to wear long flowing dresses like this in Florida?” She waved an arm. “It’s got the kind of sleeves that will knock over the drinks on the table if you want to cause drama.”

I laughed.

She asked, “Want me to take Jack down?”

Jack put out his arms.

I said, “I’ll meet you down there, I’m headed to go see Magnus on the walls.”

CHAPTER 4 - KAITLYN

THE ROOF OF THE KING’S TOWER - JUNE 16, 1291

Icame to a stairwell at the end of the passage and the two guardsmen who were following me, paused as if waiting for me to decide which way to go. I didn’t know if this was the right stairwell, but it also felt awkward, so I just acted like I knew where I was going.

I didn’t want to look like an idiot, so I just started climbing a staircase going who knows where, like an idiot.

I came out on the roof, blinking in the morning sun, relieved to see Magnus standing at the end. He was with Sean and Fraoch, all nodding stoically, listening to Zach tell a story.

Zach had a modern physicality, his head bobbed and his shoulders weaved, his arms waved, with an energetic vibe. As I strode toward them I guessed at the story, it must have involved a... concert?

He started playing air guitar — yep, a concert. The men all laughed.

Magnus was wearing a crown much like mine. He was wearing a pale blue tunic, belted around his waist, with his good boots. His cloak was a woodsy green. It was a good color, dyed from local flora, and matched the hills — he looked like a mountain.

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