Son and Throne (Kaitlyn and the Highlander Book 11)

by Diana Knightley

  Sweat on my brow I rubbed it along his beard, those sensations, wet, slick, beside his soft lips, with rough and hard, oh god. I moaned before I remembered, shhhhhhhh, be quiet be quiet, oh god, the words held just inside my lips and it soothed me, kept my moans from tumbling out. Shhhhhhhhhhh, not a shush but compressed and kept inside pent up. Sweetness oh sweetness, I pressed my lips to his cheek and held them there — licking, tasting, while my shhhhhhhhhh, went on and on. Until he finished, his hips thrusting, his breath quickening. My breath caught and we silently roared to the end. I collapsed heavy on him.

  Gone from solid to liquid, spreading across him and filling each other’s grooves and valleys, our lips gone from pressing to sliding, gravity pulling us both, all down. Deep and so fucking down in love.

  “I love you, that was a good way to begin again.” I yawned and truly believed I would fall asleep right there on him.

  “Aye, twas verra nice tae hae ye ridin’ me again. I may finally be able tae sleep once more.”

  “Me too, that was so necessary.” Isla shifted in her cradle. We quieted and watched her. She shifted again. I squiggled my foot over and nudged the railing, setting it rocking.

  She quieted.

  I slid off Magnus to cuddle against his side. I whispered, “So necessary. Did I work?” I added, “I mean, did I feel the same — was it all good?”

  “Ye mean yer hidden garden?” He raised his head to look down at my face. “Twas. Twas exactly as I remembered it.”

  “How did you remember it? Say something nice, so I won’t wonder if you don’t like me anymore now that I’m a mom.”

  He chuckled. “I remember it as a soft sweet place. Tis bound in sin and exultation in equal measure, and is mysterious and shrouded, like an altar in the forest. I spend a great deal of each day desirin’ tae find m’way back tae it.”

  I nestled in. “Sin and exultation? So religious of you.”

  “Aye, tis our lot in life, coarse and barbaric, yet also rapturous — ye speak tae God during it, ye ken.”

  “I do ken.” I added, “And so my um, parts were just how you remembered them, full of sin and rapture, but most importantly, I believe you used the word, and it’s what I’m really driving at — bound?”

  “Aye, ye can add it tae yer list of miracles, ye are bound up nicely, just as I remembered ye.”

  I kissed his chest closest to my lips. “I’m so glad.”

  I twisted to see the wee’uns, they were still sleeping soundly.

  I nestled back to his chest.

  He said, “I hae been thinkin’ on somethin’ and I am wantin’ tae speak tae ye of it.”

  “Oh...?” I leaned up to see his face, but I couldn’t make out his expression in the darkness. “Is it a bad thing?”

  “Nae, but it might frighten ye.”

  “It’s hard to believe I could be more frightened than I already am.” I clamped my eyes shut and tensed. “Okay, tell, me.”

  “Ye ken there is a danger, and I daena ken what tis exactly. I am verra worried that I hae ye and the wee’uns here and I am worried that somethin’ will...”

  I lifted my head, opening my eyes wide as I listened.

  “...happen tae ye and it came tae me when I was in prayer yesterday that ye are nae in the record here at the church. If somethin’ happened tae ye, ye would nae be listed as m’wife... Isla would nae be listed as m’daughter...”

  “Oh.”

  “Chef Zach said there is a way tae look up our ancestors and tae see a written record of their history, but ye arna in the record. If we are lost I would hae a birth date and a death date and ye would hae nae record at all. Isla and Archie would nae be recorded. I canna get it from m’head that there would be nae record.”

  “Oh,” I said again because I was confused what else to add. “Nothing is going to...”

  “But what if, mo reul-iuil, what if...? It seems tae me that without a record tis as if ye are nae important. As if ye are nae m’wife. As if the bairn hae nae been carryin’ m’bloodline. I spoke tae Sean, he has sent a man tae bring the minister here by the morn.” He clutched my hand in his. “In the morn we will be married, tae put our names in the register, tae record it. We will list the children below our names. I ken they hae been christened, I ken God has witnessed it, but I want the record tae shew that we are a family, whatever comes.”

  Tears rose in my eyes. “That is beautiful. You want tae marry me again?”

  “I do. I ken we were married in the year of our lord 2017, but in the historical recordin’ of 1705 we arna wed and if somethin’ dire happens...”

  “I never thought of it before.”

  “I wouldna hae thought of it, but now I ken that I can see our ancestors, that the history of us trails behind. Once we are gone, if we haena put the story down, ye might be forgotten. Isla might be forgotten. Or Archie, he is the son of a king, but here he is just a young boy without a record that he lives and breathes within these castle walls.”

  “You are really feeling this, huh?”

  “I am, as soon as it came tae me, I haena been able tae stop thinking on it. There is an urgency tae it. I must record your lives.”

  “We don’t need to hide?”

  “Nae, those that want tae harm us ken we are here, there is nae hidin’ now. As soon as we awake we will do it.”

  I breathed deeply, and tried not to think that this was a lot like the urgency of needing to write a will. Instead I tried to think of it as the romantic moment it was. “In contemporary times we call this a renewal of vows, it’s really a beautiful thing... and I... yes, I will marry you again.”

  Twelve - Kaitlyn

  It was still dark when Magnus rose. I was awake to see it because Isla wanted to nurse, and it was hard to fall back to sleep. “You up?”

  “Aye, did I wake ye?”

  “No, Isla is nursing.”

  “If ye will dress, I will check tae make sure the chapel is ready.”

  “Is anyone else going to be there?”

  “Nae, only us, tis too confusin’ tae explain that we are tae be wed.”

  I wrapped Isla snugly in the tartan, her weight evenly dispersed across my back. I pulled on my skirt, latched the belt, and then woke up Archie who had managed to sleep through my activity. “Hey bunny, ready to get up? Da is coming to take us downstairs.” He climbed up into my arms, his sweaty sleepy brow on my shoulder as his father returned to the room.

  “Is everyone awake?”

  “Yes,” I said.

  Archie nodded.

  Magnus pulled Archie into his arms. “Dost ye want tae go with us tae the chapel? We are goin’ tae be married.”

  I beamed at him. “I kind of wondered if it was a dream.”

  “Tis nae, I am goin’ tae marry ye in the Earl of Breadalbane’s private chapel, in the year 1705.” He grinned. “I hae been thinkin’ on it, twill mean that we hae been married for over six hundred years when ye count m’kingdom.”

  “So long?” And then I thought to add a slight retelling of the Burns poem, “And I will come again, my love, though it were ten thousand years.”

  “Och, tis verra short amount of time.” He held the door open for me.

  “Ten thousand years? You think?”

  “Aye, ye promised me forever. I think that would be longer.”

  I laughed. “I suppose it would be.”

  We went down to the very small family chapel. I had only been here when there had been family members to mourn, but my husband came here a great deal, whenever something was on his mind. The room was small, seats for about twenty, the altar was positioned at the end of the room, and beyond it the Earl’s pride and joy: the large stained glass window. The dawn light was streaming through. Incense wafted around the space, a lovely scent — Lizbeth had once told me it was Frankincense and Sweet Myrrh, her favorite, and now one of mine too. The chapel filled me with awe.

  Magnus’s hand tightened around my own as he led me down the aisle, as if the moment had become eve
n more important. We were met at the altar by the stooped minister. He spoke to the ground, his words so thickly spoken I didn’t understand anything, but open before him was the book and beside it the quill pen, which was really the entire focus for Magnus and me.

  Magnus spoke to the minister for a few moments, and then turned to me. With Archie in his arms, he took my hand. “Tis nae as formal as twas before.”

  “True, but it might make me cry it’s so beautiful.”

  I stroked the side of Archie’s face because he looked concerned. Then I raised Magnus’s hand to my lips and kissed his knuckle. “So what do we say?”

  “I will tell ye that I, Magnus, love ye and I want tae spend the verra rest of m’life with ye.”

  Tears streamed down my face. “And I will say that I, Kaitlyn, love you, and want to spend the very rest of my life with you.”

  “And onward tae eternity, forever and ever.”

  Archie reached for my face worried about my tears. I took his little hand in my other hand. “Kay-be okay. I’m just crying because your Da is telling me that he loves me forever.”

  Archie said, “Wuv oo forever.”

  I sobbed. “Of course, absolutely. Forever and ever —”

  Isla shifted in the wrap and I sob-laughed that she was waking to say her part too. Magnus and I both peered down on her sweet face.

  Magnus said, “Dost the bairn want tae add tae the plight n’troth?”

  I was crying so much that I had to drop my head to his chest and lean there.

  He put an arm around and held me, whispering into my hair. “Thank you, mo reul-iuil, tis a verra complicated life tae tie yerself tae mine, the life of a time-traveler and a king, I am grateful that ye hae met me here tae hear m’oath. I promise tae love ye forever, till all m’days are ended, and then tae love ye in the eternal life as well.”

  I nodded, overcome with emotion, unable to speak. I sobbed but then considered saying, ‘me too.’ But that was a stupid thing to say — did I really want my eighteenth century marriage ceremony to end with saying, me too?

  I straightened myself, pushed my hair from my face, and wiped my tears on my sleeve. “I Kaitlyn, do love you, Magnus, all the days of my life, and on, in the next life as well.”

  He raised my chin and kissed me. A sweet and perfect kiss. That bridal wedding kiss I had always wanted.

  He smiled. “Ye hae married me, Kaitlyn?”

  “Aye, I hae married ye.”

  He hugged me with a chuckle and then spoke to the minister. “We are finished with our vows. We will want tae place it in the register.”

  The old man droned on about it and then slowly opened the book and very slowly turned over a page, then he slowly reached for the quill pen. He brought the quill up in front of his eyes and inspected it, dipped it in the ink well, and slowly lowered the quill to the page. He scratched a thin shaky line and then slowly dipped it in the well again.

  Magnus quietly said, “Och, I will hae a heart attack waitin’ for him tae finish the first letter.” To the old man he yelled, “Might we write it in the register for ye?” He lowered Archie to the ground, “Wait here, wee’un, Da must write somethin’.”

  He reached in his sporran for a coin and placed it on the pages of the register. The man pocketed the coin in his robes.

  Magnus pulled the book around in front of himself, dug through his sporran, and pulled out a pen. He clicked the end, his eyes glinting merrily. “Tis a marvel, I never leave Florida without one.”

  “How many have you in there?”

  “Perhaps three, possibly more.”

  On the first line of the page of the register in his big sprawling hand he wrote:

  Magnus Archibald Caelhin Campbell

  On the line below he wrote:

  Kaitlyn Marie Sheffield Campbell

  Then he wrote:

  Married on this day, anno 1705

  Then under it:

  Archibald Colin Campbell, of the age three, son of Magnus

  And then:

  Isla Peace Barbara Campbell, newly born, Daughter of Magnus and Kaitlyn Campbell.

  “Hae I done it well?”

  I had watched it all and the importance of it hit me hard. His head bowed, his brow serious, concentrating on the loop of his cursive, his penmanship, the art of it. Filling the four lines of the register in the Earl of Breadalbane’s family book. I nodded and he hugged me.

  To the man he yelled. “Would ye like the pen?”

  “Aye.”

  Magnus passed the pen and he and the man conversed overly long in a loud booming Scottish Gaelic. At the end I made out that Magnus said, “Be cautious when ye open the pen, there are many verra wee parts. Once done tis nae easy tae put them back together.”

  Then Magnus lifted Archie and led us from the chapel.

  “I didn’t understand most of what you were saying.”

  “Och, neither did I, he canna hear so he just talks about whatever he thinks may be discussed next. Tis a verra confusin’ conversation. He verra much likes the pen though. I am worried he will be breakin’ it by the end of the day.” He pushed the door open at the end of the chapel and then we heard the rumbling begin.

  “Oh no, what is that?”

  Magnus said, “It sounds as if we are about tae meet what is comin’.”

  Thirteen - Magnus

  Kaitlyn and I were met by our friends in front of the Great Hall. We explained we were comin’ from the chapel, but there wasna time tae explain more as the earth was shakin’. The rumbling traveled up from the ground. Fraoch said, “We must go.”

  I squeezed Kaitlyn’s hand, “Find cover,” and left with Fraoch for the walls.

  Men were crowded along the parapet. The rumblin’ was loud. It loosened rubble and gravel was shakin’ and vibratin’ against the stone. Twas jarrin’ tae have the castle shakin’ under m’feet — it sounded as if sure destruction was comin’ from all directions, though Quentin had the binoculars facin’ east.

  I grabbed m’own binoculars and pointed them in the same direction.

  He announced it first, “There’s an army coming. A big one.”

  Fraoch asked, “What kind of army makes a sound such as this?”

  Quentin said, “A motherfuckin’ future army.”

  “Och,” said Fraoch, “Why does everythin’ with that word in front of it hae tae be so formidable?”

  Quentin asked, “What, motherfuckin’?”

  “Nae, future.”

  I said, “In the future they hae taken all our worst ideas and made them bigger, louder, and more dangerous. War is an example of how bad it can go.”

  In the far distance lay the forest. Within it, inroads — trees snapping, falling, clouds of dirt and debris risin’ intae the air. Hoverin’ above, the drones. The drones weren’t on the attack, they were guardin’ over whatever was crawlin’ across the ground.

  Quentin said, “There are tanks. It looks tae be about five.”

  I raised the sights tae m’eyes and watched, then reported, “The drones are the 11-EOS Hunters, outdated tech, but from m’kingdom.” I watched them coming. “Which means the tanks are from m’kingdom as well. If I am correct in my estimation of their size, they are the O-25 class of Hellion battle tanks. In my kingdom they were developed tae fight against Roderick. They are formidably armed.”

  I swept the sights along the tree line. “Their formation looks tae be from m’kingdom’s military guidance for siege. We hae planned this, tae surround, comin’ through the woods, as these tanks daena need roads.” I lowered the sights. “Och, I ken how this battle goes, but we arna armed for it.”

  Quentin said, “So if this is Roderick — did you use this against Roderick, could he have learned it that way?”

  “Nae, this was logged in our guidance. Against Roderick we used city strategies, this is countryside warfare.”

  “So if this is Roderick he has commandeered your weapons and is using your guidance?”

  “Aye.” I raised the sig
hts tae m’eyes again. “Until they shew themselves we winna ken, but they are likely tae want me. I should turn m’self over.”

  Sean overheard me and joked, “We arna turnin’ ye over tae them, brother. They arna askin’ nicely.”

  James said, “Yep, exactly, they’re being total dicks, riding up like this shit. Where’s the parley?”

  I asked, “What is the parley?”

  “That’s the negotiation with your enemies. No one shoots while you meet to talk. You know it, Quentin, from Pirates of the Caribbean.”

  Quentin said, “Yeah, well that’s bullshit. That’s not really how war works, not anymore.”

  “Yeah, but this isn’t the future, this is the eighteenth century, right? This is the time of pirates, this is the time period of parleyin’. Right Magnus? Right Fraoch, Sean?”

  Sean said, “We will send men tae learn the conditions they would like tae meet under.”

  Fraoch said, “I will go.”

  Quentin said, “I appreciate that, Fraoch, but these are weapons from Magnus’s kingdom. Whoever goes should be able to report back what we’re up against. I’ll know them, sort of, I’ll be able to understand what their forces are like. I’ll take James, we can investigate. We’ll need plenty of men here. James, want to go parley?”

  “Och aye!”

  Sean said, “I should go as well. If ye are negotiatin’ for Young Magnus, I should be involved tae speak for the family, and as they are threatenin’ the Earl’s castle his interests must be defended.”

  We couldna see the tanks yet, but there were deep canyons of felled trees through the forest headed our way. There was nothing we could do but watch as this played out.

  Fraoch said, “Will they come all the way tae the walls? We hae nae way tae stop them.”

  “Nae, I said, they winna. They daena want tae destroy us, they want tae scare us.”

  Chef Zach who was now standing with us on the walls said, “Consider me fucking scared shitless.”

  We laughed.

  After a long time, the rumble stopped. Quentin yelled, “Everyone down, get down!”