Page 129 of The Empire and the Wolf King

“Tis all right, Lizzie, I ken ye had this vision just the other day.”

“And every day since, I couldna get it tae stop.”

She put a shaking hand out for her glass and sipped some wine. “Och, that will help.”

Then she laughed, “I am embarrassed. I almost dropped yer bairns, och nae, I wouldna forgive myself.”

Jack said, seriously, “Ba!”

Beaty said, “Daena ye worry on it, Lizbeth, Noah and Jack will bounce.” She said to me, “I will take the boys up tae the nursery.”

I said, “If you see the big kids tell them we’re in the Great Hall.”

She left and Lady Mairead said, “Lizbeth, ye must tell me, what is this vision ye are speaking on?”

Lizbeth said, “I hae seen Sean murdered. When my eyes are closed, it plays again and again, here.” She held her fingertips on the front of her forehead.

Sean was sitting on her other side, he had his elbows on his knees. “I told ye Lizbeth tis just a nightmare, tis not true?—”

“But they saw it, dinna ye see it?” She looked around at all of us, “Tis why ye came tae see tae him, because ye thought twas true.”

She dropped her head back on the chair. “Ye saw the vision, what does it mean?”

Magnus said, “We haena seen it, Lizbeth, none of us hae.”

“But, ye hae the look in yer eyes asifye hae seen it — I was standing in a courtyard, I was not certain where, but twas familiar tae me. Then men on horses were rushing through the gates and a war was happening and I was sent underground, and Magnus was beside me, yelling, ‘Sean has been murdered!’ I daena remember much until I was here, and ye came tae see me, Mother, alone. Ye told me that Sean had been murdered, but I dinna ken it, ye told it tae me, and Maggie was crying and I was desperately sad. Ye told me that we had tae come tae live with ye because I couldna be here anymore without Sean… why do I hae these visions?”

Lady Mairead said, quietly, “Because they are true. Sean time traveled with Magnus tae the year 1291 and he was murdered there?—”

Magnus said, “By Edward the First.”

“The English king?”

Lady Mairead said, “Aye, and I think ye are havin’ memories, perhaps ye were there, we are doing this part over, did we do it over more than once? How can we tell…?”

“So it was true, I am nae out of my mind?”

“Tis true, I hae believed him tae be gone for long days, I was desperately sad.”

Sean raised his brow. “In the beginnin’ I thought twas a blessin’ tae hear the ladies mourn for me, but I hae changed my mind on it. I am right here, flesh and blood, livin’ and breathing. Lizbeth, ye had a vision and it scared ye senseless, and ye arna allowed tae be senseless. We need ye tae keep yer sense about ye.”

Magnus said, “I hae had visions before of things that dinna happen, Lizbeth, it can weigh heavily, but they will lesson over time.”

“Will they?”

He shrugged. “I think they will. Ye will forget the realness of them first and then they will be foggy memories. Soon enough ye winna remember at all.”

Sean said, “I will stay near and speak tae ye endlessly on matters of running the guard and ye will forget tae be fearing my death and begin wishing for it again. All will be well in the world.”

She frowned, “Tis not a good jest, Sean, ye are needed here. Yer sons need ye and Maggie and I… ye canna leave us.”

“I winna.”

Magnus said, “I hae been thinking of a new castle for ye. I daena want ye tae always live here as the cousins of the Earl’s son. Maybe we ought tae look for land, would ye begin tae consider which loch ye would like?”

Fraoch said, “It must hae good fishin’, as ye ken, Leven is the best loch in Scotland.”

Lochinvar rolled his eyes. “Tis not true! Awe is the best of them.”

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