Fraoch said, yanking on a rafter, “Ye ken ye hae another vessel under the tree by the stone circle.”
“I ken, but tis nae the point. And now ye ken why I never tell Lady Mairead where that one is, or she would take it if she wanted.”
After over an hour of fighting the largest blaze, Sean pulled the last flamin’ rafter and a hunk of thatch from the ceiling of the antechamber, just before it reached the Gallery. The men cheered. Then we rushed down the corridor and beat out the last fires in the upper storerooms. We found a last blaze in an alcove and men were at the far end of the corridor fighting a small fire creepin’ towards the Earl’s solar.
We rushed down the passage checkin’ other chambers, fightin’ small blazes and putting out smaller smolderin’ fires afore they spread tae the floors below. We beat them back room by room, all the way tae the nursery passage.
And then, thankfully the rain began again, it drenched the upper floor of the castle that was now open tae the sky. Hot coals sizzled, smoke billowed and the last of the fires were finally out.
Sean gathered all the men taegether. “We need everyone in the Great Hall for the night, men on the walls, men watching these rooms tae make sure the fire stays out.”
We were filthy and smoke covered.
Fraoch was pitch black, coughing, pale white eyes glowing in his face. “Och, Hayley is goin’ tae love this. She will want me tae use soap, but there inna water tae wash.”
“Ye are a mess.”
“Ye ought tae see yerself, ye will need tae stand in the rain or the queen will be arsed with ye.”
“Och, I am tired, the queen canna be arse, the king has had a long day.”
He clapped me on the shoulder. “Ye were just tryin’ tae be romantic, eh, Og Maggy, and look what ye hae done!”
I chuckled. “It has not been m’best day.”
I clapped him on the back, “Let us gather everyone in the Great Hall, we need drink and sleep.”
Fraoch said, “Aye, I need drink, sleep, and then more drink again.”
CHAPTER 44
KAITLYN
GATHERED TO SLEEP IN THE GREAT HALL
We were huddled under a roof on the side of the courtyard, waiting to be told we could go inside. Hayley had stuffed my nose with white gauze and I had taken a ibuprofen for the headache.
Even though it was late, the kids were wide awake watching the top floor, the fire, then the smoke, then we were waiting impatiently watching as men came from the stairwell one by one.
Then Archie yelled, “Da!” letting go of Haggis and they both ran to Magnus, Isla only a few steps behind. Magnus hugged them, petted Haggis, and then came to pick up Jack who was standing on my midriff, holding my knees, bouncing up and down, excitedly.
Magnus picked him up and Isla said, “Da, you look like a smoke monster.”
“I feel like a piece of burnt log, Isla. I imagine I do look like a monster, though, and likely smell like a smoke monster, too.”
Archie said, “You smell like you were on fire.”
“I feel it, Archibald, but the good news is the fire is out. Yer uncle Sean is free of the dungeon and?—”
Archie’s eyes went wide. “Uncle Sean was in the dungeon?”
Magnus chuckled. “Aye, but he is out now, and Wilfrey is out, yer Da has done some masterful negotiatin’ and now we are going tae go intae the Great Hall tae sleep. All of us in one pile.”
Isla said, “Yay!” for some inexplicable reason.
Then his eyes rested on something to the side and I followed his gaze. “What...? Oh.”
The Earl’s fine stained-glass from the chapel had been shattered, glass everywhere. He said, “Och, this is distressing.”
