“And so he told me about handfasting, it’s a ceremony in Scotland, you tie your wrists together and say an oath, and it’sa wedding ceremony. If you mean it, it’s as binding as a church wedding. So we did.”
I picked up the piece of yarn off the floor.
“See, this was the tie. Then we consummated it. I married him last night. He calls me his wife, I call him my husband.”
She huffed. “Do you know how crazy this sounds?”
“I suspect it sounds pretty loopy.”
“My friend was in a committed relationship with my other friend, middle class, normal, kind of meh, but stable, then some time-traveling guy shows up, he sword fights all over the yard, she is told she’s a princess, that she was adopted, then she’s kidnapped. When she comes back she breaks up with her boyfriend?—”
I interrupted, “That was already happening, you know this.”
“Yeah, but I’m on a roll... shepinesover the time traveler and then he returns, and a few hours later, she’s marrying him and sexing him up. This sounds like a cult, somehow. I can’t explain it, but it does.”
I shrugged. “It does sound crazy. It is also true. Your friend was living a normal life, but come to find out it was all a lie, Jen — she is a princess, her brother is a prince, her royal parents have been usurped, they might be dead, her kingdom has been stolen and a man named Torin has made an oath, he will keep her always, forever and ever. And then he married her and told her he loves her and somehow, even though it’s new, it feels ancient, like I’ve always loved him, like it’s special and…”
I realized Torin was standing in the doorway.
He said, “Aye, mo leannan, I feel it as well.”
“Like you’ve always been my husband.”
“Aye, and ye hae always been m’wife.”
Jen looked back and forth from our faces. “Wow.”
“I know, and so you see, if I say it that way, it sounds not quite so crazy. I mean, you have to suspend disbelief about timetravel and kingdoms, but I tell you, Jen, I love him. I married him out of love.” I asked Torin, “Ready for coffee?”
“I still daena ken how tae drink it.”
Jen said, “Well, Torin, let me try some different stuff with you. Do you like sweet, or milky or… spice?”
“I like all of it.”
“Let me make you a spice concoction, with some cream and see if that’s your favorite.”
She started working on it, asking, “Sorry to bring this up in front of Torin, but how are you going to tell Cooper?”
I glanced at Torin, watching me intently. “I’m going to tell him this afternoon.”
She nodded. “He’s going to be bummed.”
“Yeah, I’m not looking forward to it.”
3
ALEXANDRIA
JULY 8TH, 2004 - LAUREL RIDGE
Amoment later Cooper’s voice came from the front door. “Lexi! Day after your birthday! I know I’m supposed to call first,” he walked down the hall as he talked, “but I saw Jen’s car here and one of your guards told me to come on—” He stopped short as he came around the corner.
“Oh, um...” He looked flustered. “Torin’s here, um, when did you get in, man?”
Torin said, “I returned last evenin’, I brought m’laird, Max, tae meet his sister.”
Cooper nodded. “Oh, so you’re staying in the back shack again?” He looked around, “Where’s this mythical brother?”
