I said, “I liked my life, I just… I would never have met Torin? This is the trade off? I get parents back that I never knew, but I lose my childhood? And I never meet Torin, never get married? That is not good.”
Max said, “The uncles wouldna like it either, they hae bairns, wives, full lives. They hae a purpose in fighting this war against Rannald. Twould not be fair tae them.”
Torin said, “Nor tae Alexandria, she daena remember being a princess, tis an unknown. The only person who twould be good for is ye, m’laird.”
“Aye. Therein is the rub.”
I said, “Oh, because…”
Torin nodded. “Max remembers his parents, the kingdom, he still has nightmares about being sent away and worse has always been ashamed of having lost ye?—”
Max scowled.
Torin said, “Tis true, ye held the blame of it all. Ye hae carried it with ye, with one cause, tae fight for yer throne, tae find yer sister, tae win and become king. Now ye are so close… and yet... ye find that yer uncles hae been messing around with time and shifting everything and not winning the war.”
Max set his jaw. “They might hae ruined everything.”
Torin nodded. “Och, Max, I can see why ye might want tae try it.”
“I lived in a frigid drafty castle, getting yelled at by auld man Bell-arse, and never got tae eat pizza, not once! I am a prince and I had tae be hungry, m’stomach paining me in the night for lack of food. And och, Torin, ye ken, the bedbugs!” He shook his head.
Torin said, “And ye dinna marry Mary when ye ought tae hae.”
“I dinna think twould be fair tae her tae wed a lowly exiled-prince, without a kingdom tae his name. I am owed a chance tae set this a’right. I can see a way tae kill his grandfather, he would never ever be born, all of this would be undone. I would be raised a prince of Riaghalbane, and our parents, Alexandria, would be alive.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but couldn’t think of what to say but no,please.
But Torin shook his head,Daena.
He clamped his hand on Max’s arm. “All of this is true, m’laird, and tis true that ye are owed, ye hae the bloodline of a king, and ye deserve tae be raised in luxury. The world haena been fair and yer uncles haena fought for ye as well as they ought.”
He nodded. “They hae tried though, but Rannald is a cruel adversary and they lost the vessel.”
“And ye werna there tae help them. Ye hae been training yer whole life for this battle, and ye are late tae the field.”
Max looked at Torin and nodded. “Exactly.”
I noticed Torin’s knee jiggling, as if he was struggling to control himself. “With a vessel in hand ye are like a god, ye are able tae take a life two generations back. That is a great deal of power tae wield, I can see how ye would struggle tae decide what tae do. Tae kill his grandfather would be easy, it seems, he wouldna see ye coming, whereas the battle the uncles hae planned sounds difficult. There is an unknown. Ye daena ken ifye will win it. What if it is just one more in a line of battles that decide nothing? What if, after it all, ye are still an exiled prince?”
Torin shook his head. “I wouldna want tae hae that much power. Or tae hae tae make this decision. But I will say this, m’laird, growin’ up with ye has been the better part of m’life, tae be the brother-in-arms tae a prince, as bleak as our lives hae been, knowin’ that someday I would fight alongside ye tae win yer throne. It has been m’honor, and now the battle is nigh. Ye tell me where tae go and I will raise my sword. I will do everything in m’power tae win ye yer throne.”
“What should I do? Fight the battle the uncles want tae wage, or dost I wage m’own fight, kill the grandfather, write it all over?”
Torin said, “Ye canna ask me, Max, I winna be able tae counsel ye fair. Ye hae every right tae want tae live yer life over, if ye decide that way yer life will likely be verra comfortable. The only costs will be borne by others, and they winna remember havin’ paid the price, so tis not a heavy bargain.”
Max exhaled. “Ye winna counsel me yet ye winna stop talking.”
Torin said, “I will end on this, m’laird, I married yer sister.”
Max jokingly sighed. “Ye are lecturin’ me and then interrupt tae tell me ye married mysister?”
“Aye, I hae married her.”
“Och nae.” Max huffed.
I cocked my head. “Just yesterday you acted as if you would be supportive of the news — not that it matters, I am my own boss and do not care what you think, but you made it sound like you would be okay with it!”
Max laughed. “I still reserve the right tae give Torin a rough time about it. He daena get tae marry a princess and tell her brother, the prince after the fact, while lecturin’,” he raised his voice pretending to be a silly version of Torin, “‘I canna adviseye, but I winna wheesht!’” He finished, “Torin canna expect there tae be nae trouble.”
