Page 45 of The Empire and the Wolf King

She sighed. “I suppose that might be for the best, though I never got tae enjoy the fruits of our Empire. I never even got a tour of Stirling castle from my son, or tae enjoy being a Queen Mother at both ends of time.”

“The castle is a pile of rubble after the siege. That is not how Mag Mòr’s mother should want herself, or her family, tae be remembered.”

“True.”

CHAPTER 19 - ARCHIBALD

THE KINGDOM OF RIAGHALBANE - 2391

Adessert was served of orange sherbet with a chocolate liqueur sauce.

I took a spoonful and moaned happily. “After I kill him, where and when will I live? I assume I wouldna get tae live out the rest of my days in this fine modern castle…”

She shook her head. “After ye kill him, ye would need tae go tae a time where we daena cross paths. It could be anywhere ye decide.”

I nodded, mulling that over.

Then she said, “But…”

I chuckled. “Ye arna goin’ tae let me think?”

“I just want tae point out that ye daena hae tae choose the medieval age. Ye could pick a more modern moment in history. I greatly prefer Manhattan tae gloomy castles.”

I laughed. “I vaguely remember the word Manhattan, I daena ken what?—”

She said loudly tae the computer in the room, “Project on the wall, Manhattan.”

There appeared an overhead view, a city unfoldin’ in front of me as if I were flying. My stomach lurched, it felt as if I had raced m’horse down a mountainside tae the Glen of Awe. I stood and strode across the room tae stand in front of it, taking it in. There were buildings that soared tae the heavens, dark valleys of straight streets, crowds of people in fine clothes, clean and seemingly unencumbered by hunger or privation. The city was larger than I had ever seen — I had only gone tae Edinburgh a few times, because I was in exile.

I said, “It looks vaguely familiar, I remember bein’ there before.”

“It is likely ye hae been there, I’m certain of it, but ye would hae been verra young.”

“I will never see it again.”

“Unless ye choose tae live there.”

I returned tae my seat. “I would be all alone… nae, I will return tae my home in Innis Chonnel on Loch Awe — I would like tae see Ben and Isla and Zoe and Jack one last time, would they be there… perhaps in the beginnin’?”

She shook her head. “I doubt it, Archibald. If ye are going tae choose this path ye must be clear-eyed on what is going tae happen.”

“Aye, it makes sense, I understand… but if I am living there maybe I can still fight alongside Uncle Wallace. I could live in Uncle Cailean’s castle, maybe I winna be the Wolf King, but I can be Archibald Campbell and live a good life in a place where I am familiar.”

She remained quiet.

“Tis what I will do, I will kill Asgall, bring ye yer devices, and then I will return tae 1301.”

“Ye are certain this is the course ye want tae take? We will be leaving yer family stuck where they are, while ye try tae kill Asgall, ye are taking on a great risk.”

“Aye, but once I do it I will be the hero, sacrificin’ myself for my family’s glory. Sing a song tae me.”

She nodded. “I will sing a song tae the medieval Wolf King, a prince of men, and then I will overwrite history.”

I raised my glass, “Tae songs of glory!”

She said, “Slàinte!”

We drank and then put down our glasses.

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