Charlie shook his head.
“I daena blame ye, I would hae done the same thing if I lost on a battlefield and had a time machine, but what did ye learn? How can ye expect us tae walk intae this courtyard again without a warnin’ of what might become of us?”
Ryan looked furious.
I said, “I hae a feelin’, in my gut, that whatever happened the last time will happen over again, even worse may happen. I am nae tryin’ tae cause trouble?—”
Ryan said, “Bullshit, you’re trying to cause all the trouble in the world, Torin, and you’re being weak, urging caution. Good men died in gaining this intel?—”
“Ye said that tae me before. Good men died… I believe more good men are about tae die. I believe we are putting the prince’s life at risk, unduly, and that Uncle Charlie is goin’ tae pay the dearest price.”
I looked over my shoulder at Alexandria who had drawn near, listening. “Dost ye hae any thoughts, Princess?”
“I agree with Torin, we need to try something else, and I want to go on the record that if something is done over, everyone involved needs to know.” She raised her chin, looking very regal. “We are not pawns to be used, don’t change our lives. I want mine the way it is, even if it has been, in some places, terrible.”
Aunt Claray who had stood by, said, “Och nae, niece, we would never!”
Alexandria raised her eyes to Aenghus. “You moved me when I was three.”
He made a face. “Och nae.” Then he said, “Nae, I… I daena remember why, niece, things were verra confusin’… I ken we tried tae save yer mother’s life and it dinna… ye werefound.We had tae hide ye. I moved ye tae a safe house, a good family, and?—”
Alexandria squinted her eyes. “Who were they to me, how did you find them—?” Then she quickly shook her head. “No,don’t tell me, this is all too much, and we have decisions to make. I think, if we’ve fought this battle already, we need to do something else.”
“But this time, niece, we know what to do…” Uncle Ryan’s words trailed off.
I nodded. “I knew it, Ryan. I hae had memories comin’ tae me all day. The gate blowin’; ‘fair weather,’ as ye said, Aenghus; our men fanned out around me, trompin’ through heather; tis real?”
Ryan nodded.
“It all feels familiar. I smell the smoke, feel the dirt rain down after the blast. In the courtyard, Max’s rifle jammed — dost ye remember what ye called it?”
Max said, “Nae.”
I said, “It daena matter. There were flashes of blinding light. Explosions around us.” I felt my shoulder. “There was a crossbowman on the parapet, nockin’ a bolt — twas destined for...”
I pulled my shirt down and exposed my shoulder. “Och, for a moment I expected a wound tae be there. The scene feels real. But also…” I turned tae Max. “I see ye, injured, tis grave, yer blood spillin’ upon the stones of the courtyard. And I see that Charlie’s face has a pallor of near death, his arm soaked with blood — tis what happened?”
Ryan’s jaw set, said, “Something like it…”
“Which time?”
Ryan said, “Next to last, but — I want you to know, the outcome kept getting better. We are changing the time of day of the attack, the shadows were an issue before. We are also stationing snipers on different walls and we will have men stationed outside to get him when he flees, I really think if we tried again…”
“Did we ever come close tae killing Rannald?”
Ryan’s jaw clenched. “No, not really.”
“And the last time we had tae retreat because our men were down.”
Ryan and Aenghus nodded.
Ryan said, “Every time we had to retreat because our men were down.”
Torin shook his head sadly. “I understand, I really do, I ken the position ye are in, and I want tae beat Rannald as much as ye, but my oath has been tae save the life of m’wife, the Princess Alexandria, and tae win the throne for m’laird, the Prince Maximillian. I canna go on this battle, because I believe tis goin’ tae kill us. The circlin’ needs tae end. There must be some other way.”
Ryan said, “I disagree, we have all we need to win. We are forearmed with knowledge. We have this intel, I have a new plan. We are ready.”
Aenghus said, “I agree with Ryan, we hae come too far tae lay down our arms in defeat.”
