know you’re always putting my security first. I know that. I also know you’re under a lot of impossible situations, and for the last months you’ve kept me so safe I think I kind of forgot that I have to work on it too. I forgot to keep my guard up. I forgot to check in with the security and to be cautious around Lady Mairead, but—”
“You have just had a bairn, Isla is verra wee.”
“She is. But it doesn’t mean I’m not supposed to be a terrible arse anymore, some might say I need to be a bigger terrible arse.”
“Ye daena hae tae be. I will protect ye. I would lay down my life for ye, again and again.”
I gave him a pitying look. “Do you hear yourself? Lay down your life for me? Please don’t. I need you. I need you so much. I want to live on into a crotchety, irritated, old age with you. I want to retire into an old folks home with you... complaining about our grandkids not bringing cookies often enough, putting together puzzles, and going to water-aerobics classes together.”
He chuckled. “Like the home Madame Barb lived in? We could hae the sing-a-long nights with the ice cream socials?”
“Exactly. We have to get old together to have those, please don’t die. Isla and Archie need you. Don’t lay down your life for us, we need to stop thinking about trading the one for the other — we are a team, right?”
“Aye.”
“When you go into battle do you think about it that way: ‘I will die so my brother will live’? No, you want to live too. You want everyone to live. You go into battle trying to kill the enemy instead of choosing who will die for the cause, right?”
I searched his face for the answer. “I mean, I’m not a military strategist, but I think we need to start taking the fight to them, before they come to us. Like, why the fuck is Bella still alive?”
“I told ye, tis difficult.”
“True, I get that, but why is Roderick still alive?”
“Dost ye ken what kind of man goes around killin’ those that might want him dead? Tis a dangerous man, an evil man. A man of honesty daena kill first. I think ye are askin’ me tae become a judge and executioner.”
“Well, you are a king, I think it goes with the job.”
We looked down at our hands. “I’m not really saying you need to go kill all these people, just that you and I need to get smarter. We need to stop these fights before they get to the point where you’re thinking it’s either Kaitlyn or me — like, what was it I said before you came here?”
“Ye told me tae nae be a hero.” He joked, “As if I could nae be a hero.”
“I meant this, protecting the castle with our friends, protecting me with your life. What about protecting all of us with your motherfucking army? How about that for once?”
“I wanted tae keep the eighteenth century from seein’ our full might. Twould be confusin’ and could alter the time—”
“Aw, Magnus, that ship has sailed — have you looked around? People are wearing Uggs. Most of your family was here during the battle on the walls. It might cause issues for them to see your tanks, but what’s the alternative? To not arm ourselves? We need to go get your army before something else happens.”
“Lady Mairead told ye my kingdom was in trouble as well?”
“She did, she said for you to come on the agreed-upon date.”
Magnus nodded. “I canna leave ye and the bairn here in the castle while I go.”
“This is true, but you could send Quentin. He will go. Let’s be smart. Let’s win this thing.” I grinned, “Now aren’t you glad I sent a message to Lady Mairead that we were in trouble?”
“Aye, perhaps she might send m’army, there is a chance Lady Mairead will do the right thing. There is also a chance she has a’ready done the wrong thing.”
“How will we know?”
“I need tae get ye tae a safe house and then—”
There came the sound of galloping horses from the woods beyond the stables. A cloud of dust rose into the sky.
“Would ye go inside, Kaitlyn? I will see what they are about.”
Two- Kaitlyn
In the courtyard, I pushed through the crowds to the stairs. In one moment I had gone from having a discussion with Magnus to panicking from being without Isla for so