Iexcused myself to go to the bathroom and then from my bedroom I heard the quiet murmuring of Torin and Max downstairs on the front porch.
I went to meet them.
I wasn’t usually an eavesdropper, but as I approached the door I heard my name spoken by Torin in his deep rumbling voice.
I listened as he said, “…aye Alexandria deserved better, tis true.”
Then Max’s voice, “What would happen, dost ye think? Taethisme, m’current form, would I cease tae exist?”
Torin’s voice, “Tis likely, ye would be a different man.”
“Och, a lot has happened, there are so many cousins, ye ken, born since my exile, what would happen tae them?”
“I daena ken, they would be gone.”
“So many lives, they are inconsequential, they are the cousins to an exiled prince, their titles defunct, nae one even calls them laird, they are just the sons and daughters of our aunts and uncles, but still… how can I disregard them all?”
Torin nodded, “Tis a great many lives tae consider.”
“And my whole life up tae now, I would be missin’ out on it? And what of Alexandria, she would never live here, she wouldna be found by ye?”
Torin said, “I would never meet her.”
“How are ye so calm about it? I would expect ye tae kick my arse for even speaking of it. If I decide tae go kill the grandfather, twill ruin yer life.”
Torin was quiet.
Max said, “Ye ought tae at least be angry.”
“I canna be angry with ye, m’laird, I can see why ye would be considerin’ it. But I daena think ye will choose this path. There is a darkness in decidin’ tae trade one life for yer own, much less many lives, even inconsequential lives, the lives of subjects, even the lives of cousins… nae, I winna get angry with ye, and I daena think ye need my counsel, I think ye made up yer mind already.”
Max chuckled. “Och, ye always think yerself wise, what makes ye think it?”
“Because ye are still here, sitting on the porch. If ye were goin’ tae go kill Rannald’s grandfather ye wouldna be tormented, ye would hae just done it. None of us would hae been the wiser. Twould be easy for ye tae do. But instead ye are tormented because ye are decidin’ tae sacrifice yer own happiness for others.”
“The dreadful inconsequential cousins.”
“Aye, they sound terrible.”
“They are bairns and weans, dreadfully delightful lads and lasses.”
Torin said, “They are a terrible trade for a prince’s life.”
Max said, “Well, ye ken, I am nae the first prince tae hae a bleak upbringing, tis the price of power I suppose. And if ye think on it, havin’ lost everyone and everything gave me a charmin’ personality.”
Torin chuckled. “Ye never lost me.”
“Aye, and now ye’ve gone and married my sister, I canna lose ye if I wanted tae.”
They were quiet.
I wondered if they might notice I was there, so I went outside. “Am I interrupting?”
“Nae, join us.”
I sat down beside Torin and took his hand in mine.
“What are you talking about? Wait, I overheard some of it, sorry, you’ve made a decision?”
