13. Chapter 13 - Kaitlyn

CHAPTER 13 - KAITLYN

STIRLING CASTLE - JUNE 17, 1291

T he day grew long, Magnus was in meetings all afternoon, and I didn’t see him. I just heard the castle was on alert and everyone needed guards if they went outside the gates.

Isla was oblivious. Archie grew worried. He whispered, “What is going on?”

“Your father figured out that the English King sent scouts to spy on us, this doesn’t mean anything, this just means we need to be cautious?—”

“Why would the English King spy on us?”

I chewed my lip. “I don’t know why, maybe just to make sure we’re not growing too strong?—”

“The English King has a big army though, right, Mammy? He’s very powerful?”

I nodded. “But your Da has a big army and he is very powerful, too. More so, because he can time travel. The English King won’t want to start trouble with someone so powerful. Your Da will keep the trouble from starting, he’s the smartest person I know.”

“Even if he doesn’t get how movies are made.”

“He’s smart in other ways, good point, and one of the ways he’s smart is he will know how to make the English King back off. Edward will get his men the heck out of Scotland and they’ll stay away and we will breathe easier. Plus we are all together, so that’s good.”

He nodded and exhaled.

I said, “You seem bored.”

“Kinda, I want to go out and explore.”

I nodded, “We can’t today, not until after Quentin gets here, so it will be boring for a few days, but... I need you and Ben to run an errand for me.” I gave them a job, running across the castle to tell Hayley something. I told them it was ‘very important.’

She sent them back with a message for me, keeping the boys busy was the goal, the messages were unimportant.

But Hayley and Emma and I were busy too, figuring out what we needed to do and organizing the King’s House, our wardrobes, and our chambers, trying to distract ourselves from waiting for the arrival of our family, and worrying about a far-off threatening king.

Organizing was exhausting. I had the boys for running messages, and we had radios to talk to each other, but none of it stopped me from walking about ten thousand steps before midday — carrying loads from room to room and forgetting things, and occasionally getting lost.

When I met Hayley and Emma to go to lunch, Hayley said, “Remember when we lived in Kilchurn and we spent months preparing a safety plan?”

I nodded. “We ought to do that, tomorrow maybe, but when Quentin gets here he’ll probably change it.”

Emma said, “Yeah, I’m sure Quentin will have ideas .”

Hayley said, “With a whole lot of weapons. But maybe Lochie is bringing a load. What is taking him so long? Can’t believe he’s not here yet.” She looked at her watch.

I said, “You know how it is, it could be any minute now.”

Magnus, Fraoch, and Zach went to the fields with a lot of guards to wait for Lochinvar and Ash to arrive.

In the afternoon I radioed. “There yet?”

“Nae, not yet.”

“Can you come back for dinner? It’s only the third night and the kids are worried. I think they need to see you.”

There was quiet for a moment, then Magnus’s voice: “Aye, Fraoch will stay with guards and Chef Zach and I will return for dinner, we will hae tae make it quick, but we will come.”

“Thank you.”

We were all settled in the Great Hall for our evening dinner. I was exhausted, leaned back in my chair, saying to Magnus, “I put in thousands of steps today. Yesterday we went on that long ride. I’m not used to this much. I guess what I’m saying is I’ve grown soft.”

Magnus nodded, his eyes sweeping the room. Then he checked his watch.

I said, “You worried about them arriving while you’re not there?”

“Aye, Lochie is tae come today — yet the day has grown long.”

“They’ll all be here soon enough.”

“And then I can concentrate m’worry on the kingdom.”

I glanced down the table at Archie, laughing with Ben, Isla, and Zoe.

Magnus asked, “How are they?”

“It’s been easy to distract them from any worries. Archie’s not feeling the existential dread anymore. He’s a lot better than he was.”

Isla got up on her chair and was pointing around at the other kids, “You and you and you and you!”

We had no idea why, but they laughed heartily.

Magnus chuckled. “Och nae, ye told me that the kids needed tae see me.”

“Yeah, sorry about that, they’re just goofing around like normal kids.”

“Tis a sight tae behold. I needed tae see them as well, and goofin’ is good.” Haggis had jumped up into Archie’s chair and was looking around at the kids like he was a part of the game.

Magnus laughed, then checked his watch again. “Chef Zach and I need tae return tae the field. Sean is on the walls. If ye need anythin’ pressin’ tell him.”

I nodded. “You’ll have plenty of guards with you?”

“Aye, definitely.”

I said, “I wish I could go with you, I’m new around here, it feels desolate when you’re outside the gate.”

Magnus squeezed my hand and stood. “There are only four hours left in the day, they will be here soon — and call me on the walk-n-talk if ye need tae tell me anythin’.”

I grinned “Like the olden days. Remember the night we were in the village, there were drones and Lizbeth was giving birth — it seems like a million years ago.”

“Twas, we hae lived at least ten lives since then, but as long as we hae the walk-n-talk and ye can hear m’voice ye will be at ease.” He grinned. “Ye can be overwrought and I will say through the radio, ‘How are ye, mo reul-iuil?’ and ye will be calmed.”

“That is, basically, how I work.”

Thirty minutes later I had the radio in my hand, sitting on a chair in front of the fire in my room. Isla was sleeping in Emma’s room with Zoe. Chef Zach had gone to the clearing with Magnus. Ben and Archie were going back and forth between our rooms, but it had been a moment, they had probably fallen asleep in Emma’s room.

Jack had fallen asleep in the bed we had set up near the hearth.

I said into the radio. “Are you all still awake?”

Magnus’s voice came back, “Aye, tis quiet, and has been a long day, but we are up. Fraoch and Chef Zach say ‘hello’.”

“Hi.” Then I asked, because I felt like I ought to. “He didn’t come?”

“Not yet, but there is still time.”

There was a soft knock on the door. Hayley, and Emma were there with the kids. They all came in, piled up on the little beds, and the women joined me in seats around the fire. Emma said, “I thought I wanted to sleep and not care that our friends were coming, to just see them in the morning, but then I realized I couldn’t sleep and wanted to be near the radio.”

I said, “I just spoke with Magnus, nothing yet, but there are still a few hours left in the day.”

Archie sat down beside me, “Can I check in?”

“Of course.” I pressed the button.

Archie said, “Hi Da, it’s me, Archie.”

“Aye, son, how ye holdin’ up?”

In the dim room, lit by a small battery-powered lantern and the hearth, I could see Archie’s face, full of responsibility, as he concentrated on his Da’s voice. “I was hanging out in Ben’s room, but now we’re in Mammy’s room, do you see Uncle Lochie yet?”

Magnus’s voice: “Nae, not yet. We are in the field, ye ken the one we rode across yesterday?”

Archie hit the button to say: “Aye.”

Magnus’s voice emitted, “We hae a clear view of the sky from our place in the field and so we will see the storm right away. And ye ken what else I was thinkin’? This is a good Scottish night. There is a breeze and the trees are crackin’ whenever the wind hits the upper branches. Tis verra comfortin’. When Uncle Lochie arrives he will be welcomed by a familiar Scottish night, his favorite.”

Archie nodded. “I’m kind of worried about Uncle Lochie because he really likes cookies, and he isn’t that good at Scottish nights anymore. I think his favorites are Florida beach nights.”

“Aye, that is probably true, and he inna alone, we all love the Florida beach and look forward tae goin’ home. But the next best thing is havin’ us all taegether. In two days Colonel Quentin, Madame Beaty, and Noah will arrive, possibly even Master Cook, Sophie, and wee Junior.”

Isla said, “Push the button, Archie.”

He pushed the button and Isla said, “I think Junior will be scared to jump, Da, I hope he won’t be scared.”

I heard the voice of my husband say to his children, “When he comes I will keep him safe, Isla, daena worry.”

Isla said into the radio, “Good, then we know he will be alright.”

Magnus said, “Keep the radio on, we will call as soon as the storm hits.”