37. Chapter 37 - Magnus

Iwoke up and made my Dawn Address tae the nation.

I spoke at length on the State of the Kingdom, then I laid out m'plan for the comin' year. I followed the address with a prayer, sayin' that with the dawn I prayed for peace for our kingdom, safety, and the wellbein' of the citizens of Riaghalbane. That, along with the rising sun, we must be filled with hope for the comin' day, our minds full of gratitude for our blessings and the peace reigning over the lands.

The speech was well received and in the applause I understood the importance of it. Quentin clapped a hand on my shoulder, "That was good, Boss, I think Lady Mairead was right."

"Aye, but daena tell her."

He said, "Never."

I met with Quentin, Lochinvar, Lady Mairead, and my advisors over breakfast. But once the meal was over, after a great deal of coffee, all the advisors had moved on tae other purposes and we were left tae speak.

Lady Mairead leaned back in her chair. "Och, I thought they would never leave, tis so tedious tae listen tae their dithering and pontificating when what we really need tae ken is did ye learn anything else?"

"Nae."

"This is madness."

I said, "Aye," then asked the room tae project last night's search.

The room's voice asked, "Would you like new search results, Your Majesty?"

"There are new results, since last night?"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The results were projected up on the wall. Lady Mairead said, "Slow scroll," and the results went by, one after another, the results of Asgall, landowner, interspersed with headlines that read: ‘Secretive…' and ‘…reclusive…'

I said, "What are we tae do?"

She scowled.

"I feel as if I hae a new nemesis and I had nae idea he existed."

Quentin said, "You're a king, you rule a kingdom, you have all the power in the world, but then check this guy, a secretive ass has been buying real estate and gathering power. While you're famous and your name is in the books, he's hidden."

"Hidden, except for that he is a king." I said, "And his power stretches verra far back tae the thirteenth century. Och nae, much farther back than I ever wanted tae go again."

Quentin said, "Yep, I'm far more comfortable with a bookend at the year 1557, when we go past that everything always turns bad."

"He has made great use of a Trailblazer, I believe."

Lady Mairead said, "It's infuriating." She looked around "Let this be a warning tae ye — we hae a cruel upstart and usurper, who we must contend with, again."

I said, "He began amassin' power back in the thirteenth century, yet he is an ‘upstart'?"

She smoothed her skirts. "Ye know as well as I do that it daena matter, in the circular nature of time, ye were king first and last, he would do well tae?—"

I was watching the projection, the Asgall results scrolling by, noticed something and commanded, "Stop!"

She said, "Magnus, daena boss me!"

I said, "Nae, I dinna mean ye, I meant ‘Look, there is an Asgall Holdings address, dost ye see?"

There was a result that showed an image of a Celtic knot. The words Asgall Holdings ran through the middle.

She read over the result. There was a description, a short history, a mention that the company was active in the early twentieth century. I asked for more information, but there were nae records of the company except when it appeared decades later. The computer seemed tae believe that the Asgall Holdings of the early twentieth century and the Asgall Holdings in other centuries were not connected, until Lady Mairead asked the computer tae compare and tell us the chance of it being the same company. It gave us a possibility of fifty-three point nine percent.

She said, "Good enough. I hae a home in New York in that time, I will go and research about him?—"

I teased, "Ye could stay here and research on the computer."

She said, "Daena be ridiculous, Magnus, tis far better tae go like a civilized person, and ask the people who are involved in the markets. They will ken far more than this God-awful machine. This will be a trip of discovery. Besides I hae been needing a vacation."

I said, "Tis unlikely that a reclusive man will divulge secrets so easily."

"Ye are all missing the point." Her arm spread out toward the projection. "This is his first sign of weakness. He has made a mistake having a public company in New York in a century in which I dwell on my off days. I hae numerous friends who are verra well connected. If Asgall has made such a large mistake at this time, he will hae made more. The only question is after we discover where he is, what are we going tae do?"

"I suppose we will need tae deal with him. I haena decided if I will end his company with regulations, take his power by seizing his land, or tae battle him in the courts."

Lochinvar said, "Tis too civilized, we ought tae draw swords against him."

Quentin said, "He is a ghost. It's hard to draw swords on a ghost."

Lochinvar said, "But we ken he was a king in 1296, I ken where he was crowned. I can go right there and deal with him."

Quentin said, "Put that in your back pocket, it might get to that, but it is not that simple, we would have to test the path first, we are assuming he used the Trailblazer, but we don't know for sure. The last thing you want is to get stuck somewhere in the past. And you don't want to rely on me to use the Trailblazer to rescue you. I like you but it sucks."

Lochinvar said, "Colonel Quentin, are ye sayin' if I am stuck in the past ye winna rescue me?"

"No, of course I would, but I would complain the whole time. Let's do simple first."

Quentin was staring at the scrolling results. "Do you see that one?" He pointed at one that said: Asgall Holdings, ownership of Dunkeld Cathedral and surroundings.

I said, "Och nae, I haena seen that yet, he is buyin' land around Loch Tay? Did ye see it, Lady Mairead?"

"I am certain I would hae mentioned it. Until now there has been nae record of—" Her eyes went wide as she read the entry. "Look! They are calling him one of the most important landowners in Scottish history! And it says he was named after Asgall I, one of the most important Scottish kings! This is unconscionable, the most important Scottish king? Tis outrageous! Ye were king in 1290, ye hae been a lord, och nae, this is unbelievable!"

Lochinvar said, "But Magnus's time as king has been forgotten."

"I ken! I ken it is, but how are they listing this Asgall as important enough tae be called the most important Scottish anything. This is humiliating!" She raised her chin, "He is impersonating ye, trying tae overcome ye."

I asked, "Tae what end?"

"Tae yer end."

I sighed. "We hae arena battles. If he wants a battle he can come and fight me."

"He has nae claim tae yer throne. What if instead he just buys all the land, owns all the property, amasses power, then voila, he becomes king?"

"How?"

She leaned back and looked at the projection as it slowly scrolled through all of Asgall's holdings. "I am not able tae think like a diabolical madman, but I daena like the look of any of this."

I said, "Ye greatly underestimate yer diabolical madness."

She raised her glass toward me.

I said, "I think if ye put all that I own ontae a list and scrolled it as we ate our lunch, it would be much longer."

"But ye daena own a bit of land before the eighteenth century, Magnus! We need tae diversify!"

An urgent alert sounded, a warning that a storm had hit.

Colonel Quentin immediately contacted the commander on the west wing. But we could already see which vessel was in use.

I shoved my chair back as I stood. "Tis Kaitlyn."

The alert sounded in the room: "Your Majesty, the Queen and the Royal Family have arrived."

Lady Mairead asked, "Why, under the heavens, did they come?"

Colonel Quentin said, "They would only come if it's an emergency."

We left the dining room, rushing down the corridors toward the landing on the west roof.

I was met by a commander near the doors. I asked, "Who is it?"

"The Queen, the Princes and Princess, the?—"

I threw open the doors to see my entire family, surrounded by my guards. Some of the kids were up sitting on stretchers. Isla was wailing. I saw Beaty holding Noah and most frightening of all, James and Sophie, holding her newborn. It must hae been terrifyin' tae move an infant who was only a few days auld.

Haggis bounded past me toward Archie and Ben tae jump at their feet, though Archie was slumped over lookin' verra injured. I pushed through the crowd toward Kaitlyn and swept her and Jack intae m'arms, holding ontae them both, then putting out an arm for Isla, with a "Wheesht, lass, ye are goin' tae frighten yer brother — Kaitlyn, what happened?"

"Something happened to Ash, it's connected to us, it's…" She said this with her face pressed against my shoulder.

I said, "Och nae," my eyes swept the landing, to see Lochinvar, giving a hand to Fraoch, helping him up.

Fraoch was talking, Lochinvar exclaimed, "Nae! What happened tae her?"

Lady Mairead behind me said, "Magnus! Look at all the bairns, whatever is goin' on?"

I said, "Tis the normal amount, ye forget yerself."

"But where will we put all of them? We daena hae a nursery!"

I asked, "Is everyone well? We hae physicians if ye need medical attention."

Archie said, "I hurt everywhere."

"Where is yer gold thread?"

Kaitlyn said, "We had to make sure Junior had one, Archie opted to go without."

Lady Mairead said, "Good lord, the Prince went without? I hae heard everything."

I squeezed Archie's shoulder and kissed his head. "Och, I am proud of ye, ye are a brave lad."

He put up his arms and though he was such a large lad I kent he needed some attention, so I picked him up in m'arms without making a fuss. He put his head on my shoulder.

Fraoch picked up Isla and we all crossed the landing tae the door, then went down the long corridor.

Lady Mairead said, "We are headed tae our war room?"

"Nae, we will go tae the Gallery, there will be plenty of comfortable seats, a billiard table for the boys?—"

"Think of the art!"

"I winna give them a football, likely."

"And the dog — there is now a pig and a chicken! I am surprised ye dinna drag the horses intae the palace."

"Aye, there are also a great many people who have fled their home out of fear." I held the door open for her, watching over the heads of m'family as Colonel Quentin was giving orders, putting guards at every door, sending m'military intae high alert.

He had Lochinvar helping him, which was good, or Lochinvar would be losing his mind while we got the bairns settled. I asked, "Lady Mairead, are ye goin' tae helpfully listen tae what has happened, or continue complaining? Because I am certain I can hae ye sent from the room."