O Night Divine A Holiday Collection of Spirited Christmas Tales - Kathryn Le Veque Page 0,55

and adoration that Naill had to look away from the scene.

He’d asked and been granted to stay on duty at the keep. He and Bree had spent a wonderful spring and summer together.

As Bree turned to go inside, his younger version rushed up to her and hugged her again. “Whatever ye wish, Bree, I will do my best to ensure ye never have to ask for anything. I will always provide for ye, ensure that ye and our bairns will feel secure and happy. Ye are more important to me than life itself.”

Young Bree brightened, her face turning pink. “I love ye so much, Naill.”

The young couple kissed passionately, their mouths as well as bodies pressed together, lingering. Finally, he lifted her into his arms and ran into the cottage, the trail of her laughter in the air.

He stood outside, pacing back and forth between the cottage and a nearby tree. How had it come to be that things between him and Bree had changed so much? He had promised over and over to take care of her and to provide for their family.

And yet, he’d failed. Not right away, but over time he’d become obsessed with becoming champion archer and then head archer and, finally, first into battle. When Duncan had died, he’d been filled with rage and had gone to battle after battle, almost as if wishing to join his friend in death.

Bree had been left behind to care for their children and home. The main reason they’d only had two children was because of his constant absences. Just then, the back door opened and a young Naill walked out. Just before mounting, he looked up to the sky and then to his small home.

Of course, he remembered now. Each time before leaving, he prayed for his wife and their home.

He’d not done that in a long time. Years actually.

“Enough!” He turned expecting to find the faceless apparition, but it was nowhere to be seen.

Naill began walking toward the keep. Eventually, this dream or whatever it was had to end. He would find his wife and convince her to give him another chance to make things better for them. Tears fell from his eyes until he had to stop, lower to the ground and weep bitterly.

Bree and his children had suffered because of his ego. He’d not fulfilled his promises, the same promises that had convinced Bree to choose him over Duncan.

He’d forced her to go to the keep and it was obvious one of the reasons she’d not wanted to go was because she only had old, worn clothing and shoes. He was so blind. He’d worried more about the next conquest out on the field of battle than how his family fared.

It broke his heart that his ten-year-old boy had been forced to take responsibility, to work to help feed the family, while in the laird’s study, his coffer was overfilled with coin.

Suddenly the sky darkened, and stars twinkled overhead. A lantern materialized next to him and Naill picked it up.

He jerked it away at seeing that his hand was gnarled like that of an old man’s. When he felt his face, he found a long, silver beard and matching tangled hair.

It had been him. The apparition was a much older version of himself.

Suddenly, memories of the future filled him.

In his vision, Bree and the children had returned to the village the next day. Although at first, he’d brought them coin and some sundries from time to time. But eventually over time, he’d stopped. Cairon had grown to be a strong young man who’d refused any help from him.

In the end, he died alone in the rooms beside the stables, after having spent his last years at the tavern. Every night, he’d tell anyone who’d listen stories of the battles and conquests during his life.

The ground suddenly disappeared from under him and he flew over the village and onward toward the keep. When he lowered to the stables, it became night. He walked in, still an old man, and looked to the man on the cot. Naill was fast asleep and looked to be his normal five and thirty years old.

When the older version of him approached the bed, he turned to mist and then everything went dark.

With a loud gasp, Naill sat up. It was dark in the room. But from under the door, a bit of light showed that the sun had risen.

Naill searched the room in an attempt to figure out if he’d