75. Chapter 75 - Kaitlyn

Fraoch went up to Lady Mairead and said, "Good morn, Lady Mairead."

"Good morn, Fraoch, did ye wash up for breakfast? We daena want rowdy men shakin' and slingin' their filth upon us."

"I washed up, Lady Mairead, and while I did it I thought tae m'self, best get the grooves between the fingers, Frookie, ye want tae be clean afore ye give Lady Mairead a kiss upon the cheek."

He leaned in fast and pecked her on the cheek. She looked shocked, but then raised her chin and brow and settled as if she enjoyed it.

Fraoch turned to the rest of us. "I hae also returned from far away tae get the family. We used the Trailblazer." He glanced at Lizbeth and Sean and Liam, "If ye daena ken what tis, ye daena need tae ken, but we used it, and Magnus is safe. He bids ye come."

Lizbeth said, "Ye can speak freely, Fraoch, we hae heard all the tales."

Sean said, "There is always some kind of fanciful story. I just let it wash over me, like the waters Tay."

"Fine, I will tell ye, we used the Trailblazer, we hae gone tae the year 1291, there we hae found that Magnus is king. He is named Mag Mòr, and?—"

Sean said, "Mag Mòr? Mag Mòr is Magnus?"

Fraoch said, "Ye hae heard of Mag Mòr?"

"Aye, I ken the list of kings, he is king after Alexander III. Twas a time of turmoil, the next king was Robert the Bruce. The Earl has a book with the list in it."

Fraoch said, "Yer list daena include Asgall?"

"Nae, never..." He looked at his fingers and pointed and folded them down as if he were counting, then said, "...never heard of an Asgall."

"Och, tis verra fine, verra fine."

Fraoch was standing while the rest of us were sitting with plates of food in front of us. He put his boot up on the seat, and leaned on his knee, but Lady Mairead said, "Och nae."

He pulled his foot down quickly. "M'apologies, Lady Mairead."

A servant brought him a plate. "Nae, I just ate dinner. I am not—" Then he seemed to change his mind, he sat down, and pulled the plate closer. He said tae Zach, "As ye always say, best eat if tis in front of ye."

Zach said, "It's true, right Ben?"

Fraoch said, "Archie, while I eat, how about ye stand up and address the table, ye tell everyone what the book says."

Archie stood. He looked for the first time in weeks, truly well, happy and healthy. He had the book in his arms but you could tell it wasn't out of desperation, it was out of delight. He stood beside his chair, then Lady Mairead said, "We canna see ye, Archie, ye are too short, stand upon the chair."

Fraoch muttered, chuckling, "Och nae."

She leveled her eyes on him, "He is my grandson and heir tae the throne of Riaghalbane and Scotland, his boots are never too dirty tae stand upon a chair." She waved her hand, "Now speak, Archibald."

Archie said, "This is the book. Grandmother gave it to me, it is verra old, Da has the same book where he is." He opened it to the first page and held it up. "See the sun? Da drew it." Jack on my lap clapped his hands. "Da!"

Archie said, "Exactly, Jack."

Fraoch, shoveling eggs in his mouth, said, "I was sitting right beside him, in the Great Hall?—"

Lady Mairead said, "What Great Hall?"

"Stirling castle."

Lady Mairead said, "Och, this is verra good. Almost good enough that I will forgive the mess ye hae made tae the important and ancient book. Almost."

Fraoch continued, "I drew the roll of toilet paper."

Archie pointed at it. "I think you meant, bring toilet paper."

"I did, if we hae some, we ought tae bring it, there inna any for near seven centuries."

Archie said, "Da wrote this about the dawn too." Then he flipped the page to another. "This is where he said to come." He showed that page all around the table.

Fraoch said, "That's my drawing of a fishing pole."

Hayley said, "You were telling me to bring it."

He kissed her on her cheek. "Magnus dinna think ye would ken what it meant."

Archie said, "We all know what you meant, Uncle Fraoch."

He showed another page and another. Then finally he showed the sword with the Gaelic words. He said, "I don't know what this says."

Sean said, "We hae strength as one."

Archie looked down on it, nodding, then he tucked the book back to his chest, while we applauded for his show and tell. Then he put the book down on the table while he climbed from the chair and he and Ben raced off with the cousins, leaving the book behind.

Lochie glanced at the book and met my eyes, he nodded. I nodded.

Beaty offered to take the rest of the kids to the nursery, and said to Quentin, "Whatever ye decide, Quennie, I am good with, as long as Mookie and Saddle can come."

She put Noah on one hip, Jack on the other, and Zoe and Isla followed her out of the Great Hall.

Fraoch said, "So we ought tae discuss if all are coming with me."

Lady Mairead took up a piece of bread and began to butter it. "Asgall is still at large, and menacing. I am verra pleased he has been removed from the line of kings, but he has still gained a lot of power and has amassed a good deal of land?—"

Sean said, "Mother, if Asgall is amassing land and power, Magnus ought tae amass land and power first."

Lady Mairead punctuated the air with the butter knife. "Exactly, Sean. Asgall is behaving as if he is the first person tae ever think of buying up property, tis infuriating. He is slighting us. I hae been collecting art since before he first placed his grubby paws upon a vessel, how dare he? That in itself requires I buy everything."

Quentin said, "Everything?"

"Aye, all the art, the land, the gold, the everything. He canna be first. I am verra glad ye advised Magnus the way ye did, Fraoch, taking the throne before Asgall could take it was verra well done."

Fraoch said, "Og Lochie advised him as well."

She nodded to Lochie. "Ye have both proven yerselves verra helpful advisors tae Magnus." The corner of her mouth went up, as she joked, "When I buy the world I will gift ye a land somewhere."

Lochie said, "Thank ye, Lady Mairead, ye can give me Skye, where I grew up, I would like tae walk in tae Dunscaith as the owner."

She scowled and shook her head. "Ye rose in my estimation, Lochinvar, until ye asked for something so diminutive. This request makes ye sound like a poor orphan, wanting revenge upon a lord who is long dead. Ye hae won that battle already, ye want Dunscaith? A pile of stones on the edge of Skye? Fine ye can have it, but the men who advise Magnus ought tae hae the wisdom and fortitude tae ask for a much larger piece of the world — let us begin again. I am the mother of a king, founding an empire, and I hae told ye I am grateful for the advice ye gave my son, the king, and ye would like a gift of land — what land would ye want?"

"Och, in that case it ought tae be France?"

"Good boy, if I gain France, tis yers." She smiled.

Quentin said, "So, Lady Mairead, will you head back to Riaghalbane?"

"That seems the best place for me as I assume my place in the battle." She gestured toward Ash, "Ash McNeil has given me some details that perhaps ye ought tae hear, Colonel Quentin."

Ash cleared her throat tentatively. "I only spoke to Asgall once, he was a real jerk, just horrible. He didn't really tell me anything, nothing too useful, but he really hated the place. He said he was desperate for a cigarette and he wanted to go to a place where he could smoke freely."

Quentin nodded. "Narrows it down a bit. He's in the nineteenth or twentieth centuries, maybe."

Lady Mairead said, "Or Paris in any century."

Lochie chuckled, "Then let me handle it."

Quentin said, "You know French?"

Lochie said, "Lady Mairead just offered tae give me France!"

Quentin laughed. "Oh, right, I forgot already. We're dividing up the spoils before we've even met the enemy."

Fraoch said, "We hae narrowed it down, tis good that he inna in every century, there are verra many centuries. Narrowin' it tae two is good." He grinned, and said, "Lady Mairead, ye dinna ask me which piece of land I would want."

"I daena need tae ask, Fraoch, I will give ye the United States."

Fraoch grinned. "I daena need the whole place, just a few states with good fishing."

"Consider it done."

Fraoch said, "Back tae the decision — Lady Mairead will go tae Riaghalbane."

James said, "So my choice is stay here or go to the thirteenth century? Can we return tae Fernandina?"

Quentin said, "I think we can go in and out for supplies and to get some of our things?—"

I said, "Ash needs to return to let the bartender at the Palace know she's okay."

Ash said, "And my family."

James said, "Good, but overall I think I'd like Sophie and Junior to remain here, I don't relish the idea of moving the baby again."

Quentin said, "I agree, it's comfortable and safe here. There's the nursery."

"And just til the baby gets older."

Quentin said, "I get it. That sounds good. Maybe you and I can go to Fernandina on a supply run. "

Ash said, "I don't really understand how this works, I need to tell Don I'm okay, do I need to go now? Because I don't like the idea of using that tech again."

I said, "You can wait a bit, until you're ready, and then go to the day after you left?—"

Quentin said, "Usually we give a three day buffer. But in this case you want to set Don's mind at ease, we can make an exception. But when you go to the Island you need to be really cautious. I know this goes without saying to the rest of us, we are back on high alert. Extra security, all the precautions. We got another madman — no playing around."

Ash nodded.

I said, "What I would recommend is wait here until you're ready, then go."

Lizbeth said, "Ye are welcome here as long as ye need, all of ye are welcome tae stay."

Quentin said, "Beaty and I will stay here, but James and I will go on some supply runs. Then Beaty and I can go meet up with Magnus."

James said, "Damnit, now I want to go too. I don't want to miss out on seeing Mags with a crown on his head in ancient Scotland. Sophie, Junior, and I are a maybe, we're going to stay here until we're ready but we might go, too."

Quentin said, "So Beaty, Noah, and I are ‘going later'. James and Sophie, and Junior are ‘going maybe later'. What about you, Lochie? After Ash goes to Fernandina to check in?"

Lochie looked at Ash shaking his head. "We discussed that she will stay with me. We haena discussed what that means."

She was holding Lochie's hand on her lap, she leaned in and Lochie kissed her forehead.

Emma and I looked at each other and smiled.

Quentin said, "So you're an ‘undecided maybe going later' — you'll stay here while you decide."

Lochie nodded, looking down at her. "This is a big question tae ask someone tae go tae m'brother's castle in the thirteenth century..."

She shook her head, her eyes wide. "I mean, what in the world kind of question is this? I just left there, apparently — I was in the thirteenth century... I don't even know what to think about this — can I be armed? I need a gun to protect myself."

Lady Mairead said, "Ye just rose in my estimation. Aye, ye must be armed well."

"Good... but I still don't know how to wrap my head around this."

Lochie joked, "Tis easy, ye just hae tae accept that tis a place with nae toilet paper."

Fraoch tapped the book. "There will be toilet paper, I put it on the list."

Quentin said, "James and I will get more. But this is a good point, how long is Magnus going to be there?"

Fraoch said, "I think he will need tae be there for a long time, he needs tae hold the throne."

Quentin said, "That answer doesn't help me know how much toilet paper to get."

James said, "How about we'll get a buttload?"

He and Hayley high-fived. All of us laughed.

I said, "The kids and I are going, Haggis, the horses, Hayley and Fraoch..." We all turned and looked at Zach and Emma.

Zach put his hands up. "Don't look at me, I'm decided. My face is in the ancient book, got no fucking choice, a king is calling me to come."

Emma said, "We can't split up the Ben and Archie duo, either. It'll be like Kilchurn, just more dire, but we're in it together. Yes, we're going."

Zach said, "...as long as a buttload of toilet paper is trailing behind us."

James laughed. He and Zach high-fived.

We were all laughing and didn't notice Sean push his chair away from the table — he leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. He said simply, "I want tae go meet Magnus there. Tha neart againn mar aon. We hae strength as one."

We all stopped talking and looked at him.

Lady Mairead said, "Ye never wanted tae time travel before."

"I hae been considering it, and it seems like Magnus needs m'help. The writin' with the sword was directed at me, I ken it. And I hae never been able tae help before, it has always been beyond m'abilities, but I would like tae lend my sword."

James said, "Hoowee, Sean, this might be the worst possible time. You could go to the future and have all the food, video games, flushing toilets, but you decide to go back in time instead?"

Sean shrugged. "I daena ken what half those words mean, Master James, but I think I ought tae go, it seems time. Liam can watch over Balloch. Maggie is well, I spoke tae her, she kens I must go if m'brother requires m'assistance, and m'boys are strong and healthy, we are well guarded. I can return when I am needed."

Quentin said, "And James, Lochie, and I will be here with Liam watching over Balloch, Sean."

Fraoch slapped his hands on his knees, "This is a good plan. Gather yer things, family, we leave after lunch." He looked around. "Tis time for lunch yet?"

We all got up to gather our things, and I pulled Lizbeth aside. "Are you okay with Sean leaving?"

"Aye, a few months ago he spoke about it, I knew he wanted tae, and he told me, ‘If I am asked I will go next time.' Tis funny, he wasna asked directly, but he considered the Gaelic line and built up his strength and offered tae go. I find it courageous." She said, "Please tell Young Magnus, he must make certain Sean is safe. We need him."

"I will, and he will understand."

"Good, thank ye, Kaitlyn."