Torin drank from his beer, a smile tugging at his lips. “I expect the trouble, because ye are always an arse.”
I said, “You both bicker so much.”
Torin said, his eyes leveled on Max, “Wedaena argue. I tell him what is true, I give him good counsel, and he finds fault in it. He thinks this contradictory behavior is princely, but I find it obstinate.”
Max said, “Ye marry my sister and then insult me?”
“Aye, ye deserve every bit of it.”
Max smiled, “We are truly brothers now? Ye are fortunate I like ye.”
Torin said, “Aye, and wait until ye see me win yer family’s throne of some place I canna remember the name. Ye are goin’ tae like me even more.”
Max said, “Riaghalbane. I canna believe ye are counseling me on how tae win my crown and ye canna even remember the name of the kingdom.”
Torin chuckled, “Aye, the future king of Riaggy, I remember, and now ye are my brother — tis all the more reason for ye tae heed my counsel.”
“Ye haena given me yer opinion on what I ought tae do.”
“I canna, tis not for me tae decide.”
Max nodded, saying under his breath,och nae,then said, “But this is verra good news, I ken I am dispirited over my decision, but I am verra happy for ye, Torin.”
He turned to me. “Are ye gladsome, sister? Ye are pleased with yer match?”
“I am, I adore him.”
“Good.”
“I know it doesn’t help your decision.”
“It actually does, more than ye ken.” He finished off his beer. “Another?”
I got him another.
“Alexandria, 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?”
I said, “I don’t know what to say, because I can understand why you would want to do it, but… it sounds to me… like the lesson, the uncles have found out, is that every time you mess around with the timeline, you shift things, sometimes in ways you didn’t expect. You think that I was moved during one of those shifts — someone lost me. I just… by doing it you’re taking on a lot of responsibility for other people’s lives. What happens if the responsibility is too much to bear?”
He looked at me quietly while I spoke.
Then he said, simply, “I am verra glad I found ye.”
“I’m glad you found me too.”
He looked at Torin. “Thank ye for your counsel, Torin, I hae a lot of thinking tae do.”
I said, “You’re staying here tonight?”
He shook his head. “Nae, if we are goin’ tae join the battle with the uncles I ought not get comfortable.”
I reached out and held Torin’s hand. Max’s eyes rested on our hands, our fingers laced together. He nodded and looked away.
13
ALEXANDRIA
JULY 8TH, 2004 - THE PORCH AT LAUREL RIDGE
