He nodded, putting a hand on mine and patting it.
I added, “And I wouldn’t have remembered them at all.”
“I wish ye had been there so ye could commiserate with me. They were talking about m’cause, m’throne, the kingdom, our parents, and how they were plannin’ tae fight for us, and I hae never felt so alone.”
We all drank from our beers.
Max put down his bottle and his jaw clenched. “I ken tis nae fair, but I hae been angry foryears. I was left there, while they hae been living taegether; I hae been living with the loss of everyonemy whole life, tis nae fair.”
Torin said, “They should have come for ye much earlier.”
“I daena ken why anything turned out like it has, why has so much time passed? Why did I get a vesselnowinstead of years ago?” He exhaled.
I said, “It sounds like they didn’t have a vessel though.”
“They did, for a while, they told me they attacked Rannald before he usurped the kingdom, trying to get a different outcome. But Rannald still won, and our kingdom was overthrown. The king and queen,” he gulped, “still died. The uncles told me that our father said there are rules, that it is nae possible tae bring someone back from the dead,usually,and tae never loop, but the uncles still tried.”
He concentrated on his bottle as he spun it on the table. “Each time they attacked Rannald they went a little bit further back, it shifted time, and the outcome got worse. The kingdom was still lost. I got the impression they were desperate, and they would have kept going, breaking the whole history of theworld, but because ye were verra young, Alexandria, they were afraid tae keep chipping away at the dates around Rannald’s first attack, they dinna want tae lose ye?—”
“I might have ceased toexist?”
He nodded. “And there had been too much loss already — then their vessel was stolen.”
Torin said, “Twas almost as if someone intervened.”
“Aye, what they were doing was dangerous.”
Torin asked, “Dost ye remember the timeline changing?”
“I daena think it’s something we can remember, the time is overwritten. That is how twas explained, but,” Max gestured toward me. “On reflection, I feel certain that when Alexandria was moved, twas the timeline changing.”
I said, “Oh,” then said, “yeah probably.”
“The uncles dinna ken ye had been moved, or dinna remember. They dinna ken anything about where ye ended up, twas like they had lost track of what they had done.”
Torin asked, “How many times dost ye think they hae overwritten yer past?”
Max shook his head. “I daena ken, but I think verra many times. The uncles say there is nae way tae save our parents. They say tis decided, it canna be undone.” He scrubbed his hands up and down on his face.
I said, “Oh, that really sucks.”
“Aye.”
Torin leaned forward. “Dost ye think that they might hae overwrittenourlives? Alexandria and I were speaking on things that seem tae be memories, but we daena truly remember them.”
I nodded. “Like a scar I have and my hope chest changing.”
Max said, “I canna say, but tis likely. They were desperate, twas easy tae make mistakes. But then they lost the vessel and ten years later they hae settled intae their lives. In a way it was like they had moved on. They fight, but they daena win.”
He looked around. “Alexandria, may I hae another beer?”
I jumped up to get another round. “Ye truly daena hae any help tae serve ye?”
“Nope, it’s fine, I can get it myself, the fridge is right here.”
He ran his hands through his hair. “The cousins hae many servants in their household.” He exhaled and leaned forward. “And also, did ye ken, Torin, that my kingdom, Riaghalbane, is falling intae ruin?”
“Nae!”
