by Joe Corso
“What is it Lucky? What happened?”
“Nothing. I need answers for confirmation. The castle of your father, are the floors of green and blue stone perfectly arranged? They form a picture of some sort?”
“Yes,” she answered.
“And is the King’s chair against a back wall, with a crown that rests in the center?
“Yes. The King always rests his crown there. How do you know this?”
“The magic pleases me with agreement. I journeyed there. We can depart tomorrow. You will pay homage to your father and spend some time. We need not travel by horse and carriage.”
“What time tomorrow?”
“Whatever time that please you dear Princess. It will only take but a moment to journey there. Pack any necessities as we can always return for others.”
That night Krystina had trouble sleeping. Everything was happening so fast. She wasn’t used to it. In her time, things took time, for preparation and thought. This was all so odd, split second decisions and choices. Ah, but she was overjoyed at the thought of seeing her father and seeing her father with Lucky, the man she loved, was even better. Things were no longer tedious and boring. This man had brought excitement and energy into her life and she loved him for it.
Krystina went to visit her sister in her room. She alerted her as to her and Lucky’s intentions for the following morning. The Queen was happy to hear her news.
“Dear sister,” the Queen said, “might it be unkind of me to suggest an addition?”
“I don’t think it settles sister, what you mean,” Krystina answered.
“Well, what feelings have you should I journey with you to see our dear father?”
“Oh, what a joyous thought,” Krystina exclaimed and together, they walked down the long hall to Lucky’s room.
Lucky laughed, “Of course, the thought consumed me as well. Where were my senses? How unjust to afford one sister and not the other. I plead your forgiveness, Queen Alexandra. Please, prepare to depart with us tomorrow when the sun rises.”
The guard stationed in front of the King’s room stopped Lucky and inquired as to his business with the King. It was standard protocol. Lucky informed him that the matter was urgent as it required the permission of the King. The guard knocked once and entered the room. Seconds later, the door opened and there stood the King.
“What is it dear wizard?”
Lucky told the King about the planned travels with the Princess and how he sought approval for the Queen to accompany them. The King was pleased with his respectfulness.
“Perhaps, you King Robert, would like to journey with us?”
“Lucky, the thought pleases me, but I have affairs of the kingdom that require decision. I am grateful for your consideration.”
“But suppose,” Lucky continued, “suppose I can assist your journey with hardly a movement of the sun’s shadow? Imagine, that in its whole, the journey there, the journey on return, was but an instant?”
“Explain, dear wizard. The King would journey with you as you practice your magic and vanish? Am I, the King, to vanish as well?”
“Yes, you will vanish as well. Dare anyone bare witness, they would see the King and then they would not.”
The King laughed and laughed.
“Oh Lucky, the thought entertains my mind and pleasures my soul.” He continued to laugh.
“Yes, it will be my pleasure to journey with you. I will have words with my ministers to alert them of a short departure. They can surely attend to things for such short days.”
The King immediately called for his staff to assemble. He assigned the duties of state to his ministers and he went to bed comfortable that his royal assignments and business were complete.
By early morning, the group was ready to travel. Lucky brought everyone to his room, explained how tight things would be, forewarned of the temporary constriction they would feel, and advised them to not let go of each other’s hand for a second, not until he had given them permission to do so. He lined them up, himself first, then the King, next the Queen, and last Princess Krystina. No one saw anything unusual, but as he spoke, Lucky kept nodding in a certain direction and pointing as though there was something in the room. At one point, he slowly walked over to an area where the portal hovered, still invisible to the royals, but full of light and energy to Lucky.
“Do not relieve the other person’s hand until we have departed the magic door. Once inside the magic door, mimic me – take short steps to the left and arrest. When I make steps, do as I. You may feel odd, even that you are between worlds. Have no alarm. This too shall pass. Are we ready?”
Each nodded in agreement, but truth be told, while Krystina was excited about this little adventure, both the Queen’s and the King’s hands were trembling as they entered the portal and indeed it was the King and Queen who mostly felt the pressure of the portal surrounding them, but their faith in Lucky was unwavering. They knew that the wizard would not allow any harm to come to them.
Lucky stepped out of the portal. The others followed and they all exited into the great room. Almost collectively, the royals let out a sigh and nervous laughter. The wizard had once again proven himself. There was no one that had ever come before the kingdom who had performed such miracles. No one.
King Robert walked over to a window and looked out upon the land and the surrounding grounds all the while trying hard to maintain his royal dignity. He searched for something to convince him that this was just a dream and not some spell cast upon him to make him ‘think’ that he had traveled to his father-in-law’s castle. He believed in spells. He had seen them many times and, over the years, the King had summoned spell breakers to pray to the gods for intervention.
A steward walked into the room and was surprised to see King Robert motioning to him. When he approached, the King requested a tankard of ale to calm himself and then sat down at the great table in an attempt to recover from this little adventure. The Queen, still reeling from the travel experience, suddenly became exhilarated. She began to run around the room, touching each chair, the walls, looking out the window. Just watching her brought joy to Lucky. Krystina, the only one who had previously experienced Lucky’s time travel, seemed unaffected but was equally as excited at the thought of seeing her father. Many times the women had pined for their father, but the long arduous days of travel had always made the journey one that could only be undertaken every few years or so.
“We’re here. We’re really here. Lucky, you really brought us here in less time than it takes to walk into a room,” the Queen said as Krystina ran from the room to summon her father. But there was no need. Servants had alerted the King that there were guests in the Great Room and guards quickly came to measure the breach of security. Upon seeing the King’s family, they simply stood there quietly, waiting for the King to enter.
As the King was heading down a long corridor making his way to the Great Room, he halted in his tracks at the sight of his daughter, Krystina walking toward him. Upon seeing him, she flung open her arms and began running to him until they met. Her father held her tightly. He could hardly speak.
“How? We heard no horses, no sounds. We saw nothing. I will have my guards fired!” the King exclaimed.
“Father, please come with me. The castle holds surprises,” she said and the King followed his daughter into the Great Room. There seated at the great table was King Robert, having drained his tankard and motioning to the steward for a refill.
King William was confused.
“Where are your men-at-arms, your ladies-in-waiting, your supplies, the horses?”
“Afford me,” Krystina said to Lucky, her sister and her brother-in-law.
“Father,” she said, “we journeyed here by magic. In our midst is a great wizard. Lucky, I present my father, King William of North Briton. Father, our great wizard, Lucky Campo.”
“Pleased to meet you, Your Highness.”
Chapter Twenty – Four
It was a joyous t
ime. Lucky took King Robert back and forth every few days to tend to business and never did anyone see them emerge or disappear. He was sure that rumors must be rampant. How else could the King disappear and return at will? The Queen and Princess enjoyed their visit with their father. Each day was a new adventure with rides into the countryside, picnics on the grounds, hunting excursions for game. Each evening was a celebration with jokers, magicians and dancers. This was a turning point in their relationship with their King William as now, with Lucky, they could travel to see him whenever they chose. What ease this brought into their lives, only there was one proviso – it could only be done by the great wizard, with the great wizard.
On one particular evening visit, King William approached Lucky and asked for some time alone with him. Lucky followed the King down a long hall lined with great battle shields on both sides of the walls. The King stopped at a door and directed Lucky inside, to a smaller, more intimate room than the others that Lucky had seen. The King positioned himself opposite Lucky in one of the two large chairs. He had his steward bring two tankards of mead.
After one particularly long sip, the King asked, “My daughter was dying wasn’t she?”
“Yes,” Lucky replied.
“What magic did you employ to do what none of my most educated medicine men could?”
“The medicine with me served her well until such time as to advance her into the medicine of another time, one thousand years into the future. We journeyed to a time where magic medicine must be witnessed to be believed.”
“I see,” the King replied. “Well, great wizard, you have my gratitude forever. There are no pence on a life, no pence suffice, but I am a man of great possessions. I request your truth as to what might please the wizard as my eternal display of appreciation for the life of my daughter.”
Lucky paused. He took a sip of his drink, placed down the tankard, and leaned slightly toward the King.
“I want nothing from you, dear King. Please accept this magic as my gift. I seek nothing in return. But there is something else about which I solicit your attention.”
“Go ahead,” King William replied. “Your request for attention is granted.”
“During the time of your daughter’s ailment, King William,” Lucky said, “I found my heart began to feel pangs of joy when I was in her presence. The joy is threefold on this day as we have delighted in each other’s presence during the many movements of the sun’s shadows.”
The King sat emotionless, expressionless.
“What I am trying to speak, Your Highness, is that my heart desires her in a way becoming of a union. I am very fond of your daughter. She has commanded my love. It would please me greatly if the King would bestow his favor upon us and bless a union as man and wife.”
The King was shocked. He sat up straight in his chair, trying to summon the words. No one had given him any indication that his youngest daughter had developed feelings for this man, this wizard, this magician from another time period, this mystery man. The King stood abruptly.
“I will never bless this union,” he said angrily. “You may leave now, wizard,” he said pointing to the door.
“Sir,” Lucky interjected, “I mean no harm to your daughter, only love.”
“You have no holdings,” the King replied, “no title, nothing other than being a. . . a . . . a wizard!” he said as he made a face indicating his disgust.
“Sir, enlightenment awaits. I summon your ear and patience. In my homeland, I am a man of great wealth, one of the greatest in the world. I command respect. I have servants and workers. Your homeland and kingdom bring me joy and comfort. My magic affords me the prime of two worlds – the magic to journey to any time period in history, but to speak words of truth, the wizard has fondness for your homeland. Please know that.”
Chapter Twenty – Five
Lucky sat in his room, in the desk chair, his face cradled in his hands deep in thought. He found himself staring absently out the window, looking at nothing in particular, but thinking of everything in general. He replayed his discussion with King William over and over and each time he did, the result was still the same. Perhaps he had been impulsive and thoughtless to approach the King with his question. Maybe it was premature before he had worked out the logistics of a marriage with a Princess from the twelfth century. He really cared for Krystina and could not imagine life without her. It wouldn’t be fair to her to take her to his time period, subject her to the hazards that might await. For one, he had not researched the medical dangers. What was the typical twelfth century immune system? He thought about her recent trip to the future. Was she just lucky? Or if he took her to the future a second time might he unwillingly expose her to things that her body could not fight? Could he shock her system? These were things that he needed to explore with a professor and . . . professor Google would do just fine.
Lucky had to return to his time, that much he knew. He had spent far too much time here as it was and it was time to go, to perhaps even ‘let go’. Yet, he couldn’t. He couldn’t let go. Lucky needed to return to his life at least for a little while to put his business affairs in order so that he could move on to his affairs of the heart.
His mind continued to race with the pros and cons of making this work. Lucky could live in the twelfth century with the Princess or bring the Princess into his life, far into the future, and trust that both her body and mind could adjust, might adjust.
Lucky enjoyed the lifestyle of the twelfth century. The stresses of everyday life were so minimal compared to his life. Modern conveniences were a bit hard to forfeit, however. He missed a modern bathroom with a hot shower and like most anyone, he preferred a toilet to an outhouse, especially in the winter where his rump stuck like glue to a wooden platform. On the other hand, he could bring the Princess with him, take her to an exotic island, somewhere in the Pacific, and make a large seagoing yacht their home. They could go to Hawaii or American Samoa, the French or Italian Riviera and visit Monoco frequently. Lucky loved Monoco.
These thoughts, bouncing through his mind, were interrupted by a knock at his door.
“Who stands there?”
“It is I, Krystina,” a soft voice replied.
Lucky walked to the door, unlocked it and invited her in.
“I was resting and giving thought,” he said.
“What thoughts Lucky? All things nice, I pray.”
“I was giving thought to us, Krystina, and our love and what it brings.”
Gently, he explained his concerns, his fears about her physical and emotional health and in the end, he gave her the news.
“Number one,” he said, “there may be abundant danger. My worry for you would be great and my mind would not be clear. And number two; I have affairs to which command my attention and I deem it unjust to leave you in solitude, in this strange new world. I will depart soon and will by necessity be away for as long time or as long it takes to complete my business. Then I shall return to you”
Her face fell. Clearly, she was disappointed.
“But,” she tried to say, but Lucky took his finger and lightly pressed it against her lips and said, “Krystina, there is too much at stake until my studies can clear my mind about harm or danger that might be present. Please indulge me with time.”
As soon as Krystina left, Lucky created a portal to take him home.
Lucky stepped out of the portal and into the safe house in Astoria, Queens in New York City. His entrance, right smack in the middle of the room, surprised Mickey and the boys, who were in the midst of a highly contentious poker game.
“Damn, Lucky, you might as well shoot me as scare me to death. You’re gonna kill me either way.” Mickey said. “Talk about dramatic entrances.”
“Sorry Mickey. Next time I’ll call. Remind me to invent a phone that works from the twelfth century calling into the twenty–first,” he said half laughing.
Lucky had been gone for some time now and the guys were filled with questions. They forgot about
the poker game and began firing at him left and right, wanting to know what happened when he was gone, was he gonna stay there, go back there, marry that gal, bring her here. Lucky could barely get in a word. Patiently, he addressed each of his buddies and answered each question with mostly, “I don’t know,” “I’m not sure,” until the men felt sufficiently satisfied that their buddy was sane enough to think through things. Lucky then excused himself and asked Mickey to join him in the safe room to talk.
“What’s happening Mickey? Bring me up to date.”
“Well, I took the goblet set and the dagger to the auction house and they have a buyer for the goblets so no need for auction but the dagger will come up for auction next month. And Karl, that Russian guy, must have called a dozen times asking for you since you left. He told me to have you call him as soon as you returned. Said that it was urgent.”
“Really?” Lucky asked.
“Yes, really,” Mickey answered. “I told you that I’d find a buyer.”
“No, not that,” Lucky said. “Karl. What on earth does Karl want? I set that guy up for life.”
Lucky immediately got on his cell phone and began dialing Karl. He picked up on the first ring.
“Lucky, thank God you called. I have to talk with you. This is extremely important. I took the liberty of flying here to await your arrival. I’m staying at the same hotel we met in before. Could you meet me here tonight? If possible, earlier if you can.”