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Artair nodded, “But ye wouldna be the first Prince of Riaghalbane trying tae work out how tae use the vessels without instructions. This has always been our plight.”

I said, “So once the path is trail-blazed… what happens then?”

“Then vessels can go farther back in time, verra far back on the cut road, although, what I hear, is that they hae only gone back tae 1290. There is the next gate, mind ye, beyond that is another overgrown forest. Daena get it in yer head that ye want tae go visit the Roman Empire, ye canna, just put the thoughts away.” He stared off at the corner of the room for a moment. Then shook his head. “Ye canna, twould be dangerous tae try, and we hae enough danger — ye must keep it in mind how far back the Trailblazer has gone tae, and tae never go farther back, or ye will be stuck, and if ye are stuck ye are dependent on someone else usin’ the Trailblazer tae get ye, and this is a big ask.”

I said, “Because of flat-face.”

“Aye.” He scowled, then smiled. “But after the Trailblazer cuts the road, we can jump all over the timeline. When ye need tae shut the gate and let the forest overtake the road again, ye use something called the Bridge: the road is gone, the gate slammed shut, the forest grows, and ye canna go past 1557 again.”

I asked, “Why wouldn’t you just keep it open? It sounds better to have the road go very far back so that no one will ever get lost in history again.”

“Aye, but there is the rub, Princess Alexandria. There are historical problems when ye go too far back. The timeline becomes unstable. If a time traveler changes a moment in the year 1300, it can twist everything farther along the road. Memories shift. The dreams begin — things ye might hae done but canna remember, only vague recollections hauntin’ ye. Wars start that ought never tae have been fought. Thrones could be lost. Bairns hae vanished from a family as if they were never born. I daena like it. I do my best not tae do it. But here I am. I sacrificed my wellbeing and risked my life for m’grandfather.”

Torin scoffed. “More likely a cousin.”

He shrugged, then smiled widely again, his teeth gleaming white against that ginger beard. “Tis true ye are much more handsome, though tis hard tae see ye in this dim light, and och nae, my heartbeat is loud in my head. I had forgotten about it — but, if ye are more handsome we will say that I hae more charm. What dost ye think, Princess Alexandria, dost we hae a family resemblance?”

“Are you saying you descended from us or Max? Because if it’s Max, then I don’t see why you would have any family resemblance to Torin at all. He would be your uncle by marriage.”

“Och, I wasna thinking, and ye are verra wise. Ye remind me of my Gwynedd, always remindin’ me tae keep my mind on straight.” He raised his mug.

I added, “And Torin and I don’t even have children yet.”

“Aye, and tis best not tae ken what yer future holds. That is why someone comin’ tae rescue ye was fraught, we had a verra lengthy discussion about who should be the one tae do it. I volunteered of course, but we had tae decide if I ought tae. I won in the end, though, as I mentioned, m’face is flattened.”

Torin shook his head. “We keep asking ye tae explain and I feel more lost than ever.”

“I was explaining that the bridge is used tae shut the gate on the road, it sets the timeline tae rights, as best it can, as if ye were never there — except an echo. Once the bridge is used, then the vessels winna go past the year of our laird, 1557. The forest is overgrown — Magnus and his family had a problem back here in this century, a battle of some kind. I daena ken what it involved, but they used the Bridge tae shut the gate on the road. They fixed their problem but dinna ken ye were still back here, dealing with yer own problems, trapped.”

“So one time-traveling king inadvertently trapped a princess in the past?”

“Aye. We had nae idea until ye sent a message and twas picked up by Magnus’s mother, Lady Mairead. This is why ye always carry a pen, tis the one truth of Time Travel.”

Torin and I looked at each other.

I asked, “What message did Lady Mairead find? The notes for our marriage at the church just now?”

“Aye… it dinna hae a date! Twas today, ye were just married? Just now?”

“Aye, in the kirk.”

“Well, that was verra well done, I hae done an excellent job of rescuin’ ye and bein’ here for yer celebration, September 10, 1308⁠—”

I said, “Oh good! I didn’t know what the date was, our anniversary is September tenth.”

Artair said, “Congratulations!” He raised his mug. “Tae the vow of marriage in yer hearts and the promise of eternal love in yer souls, may yer union be blessed with sunny days, smilin’ bairns, and as ye are a Princess of Riaghalbane, the good fortune of a time travel road that is nae overgrown.”

We raised our cups, and Torin said, “Slàinte!”

After we drank, Artair said, “That was not the only message though, yer name was also on a document with Robert the Bruce — where is he, by the way? I would like tae meet the good man.”

Torin said, “He is back at Ardchattan where he plans tae hold a council at the priory. I thought it best tae leave as they were draggin’ me intae the discussion. That seemed unwise.”

I said, “We didn’t want to change history.”

“Aye, that is always a consideration. And ye already did, the first thing Lady Mairead noticed was that Robert the Bruce used a modern drone in a battle tae fight the English, his contemporaries called it a ‘drownt’ and defined that word as ‘an iron bird.’”

I winced. “I hope that’s okay.”