Page 82 of The Empire and the Wolf King

CHAPTER 38 - LADY MAIREAD

THE KINGDOM OF RIAGHALBANE - 2391

Iwoke up late, foggy-headed from having had too much tae drink. I rubbed my temple. “Och nae.”

A man’s voice beside me said, “I feel the same, I think a truck rolled over me.”

I raised my head. The famous actor Wilfred Weaver was in bed with me.

He said, “But that was a wonderful booty call, Mairead, what took you so long? It cannot possibly be that you did not miss me.”

“What on earth is a ‘booty call’?”

“An invite to your bed.”

I looked under the covers. It all came rushing back, after I had spoken tae Archibald and sent him on his way, yesterday, I had invited Wilfred Weaver tae dine.

We had partaken of a great deal of fruity mixed drinks in a bid tae bring my spirits up. And it had worked. I dinna often invite my lovers tae stay the night in the castle, but here we were.

He rolled over and said, “You were lovely last night.”

“Thank ye, Wilfred, ye were lovely too.”

He was young, verra handsome and he had his blond hair tousled from the exertion of pleasure. “You promised me last night that you would call me Wilfrey.” He snuggled in with his chin on my breast. “That is what my friends call me.”

“That seems verra overly intimate.”

“Wearevery overly intimate, Mairead.”

“I suppose we are... ‘Wilfrey’ then. I will try tae get used tae it.”

He said, “Now that we are to be married…”

“What…?”

He laughed. “Just kidding.”

I batted his shoulder playfully. “Imagine if that had happened.”

“If King Magnus returned and I said, ‘Hello, Maggy, I am your new step-father, Wilfrey, your mother said yes when we were drunk one night.’”

“Ye likely wouldna survive it, though twould be amusing tae see his face.”

He winced. “And please do not tell the king I called him Maggy.” He looked at me more seriously. “You did tell me about time travel, Mairead.”

“Oh... did I?”

“After we talked about the loss of your son, Sean, you told me in great detail .”

“Well, I suppose if Magnus can tell everyone in the world that he’s a great time-traveling king, surely I can allow an actor in on my secret that I am the greatest time-traveling queen mother who has ever lived.” I ran my hand through his hair, then asked, “I canna remember did I tell ye everything about it?”

He shrugged.

I said, “I supposed I felt better telling someone.”

“I think you felt better for many reasons, not the least of which was having Wilfrey Weaver in your bed.”

I laughed. “True, but it might have been the Cosmopolitans?—”

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