The other men were also wearing tunics, their colors muted, their fabrics less fine.
I had grown used to seeing Zach’s tall lanky body in kilts, but seeing him in a long saffron colored tunic was wild. He was so thin it made him look a little like a pencil, except for the bit of tattoo sticking out of his shirt collar and down his wrists.
Magnus met my eyes and smiled. He put out an arm and kissed me on the head. “Och, ye look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
“Ye found us.”
“I did, wow, this is quite a view.”
Magnus said, “Aye, tis a good view, twould be perfect if I couldna see that the walls are built of timber. We hae been discussin’ finishin’ them in stone, makin’ the castle more formidable.”
“That would be good, is that what you were talking about right now?”
Zach said, “Nope, I was telling them about the last Metallica show I went to — man, it was fucking wild.” He looked around at the horizon, “Not as wild as this, but a good show.”
It was a gorgeous day, the sun rising in the sky, a bit of a breeze, but warm on my face, and my layers cut the chill.
Zach asked, “Where’s Em and the kids?”
“They went to the Great Hall,”
He said, “Cool, good...” As we all looked out at the gorgeous view, he said, “Wait, it’s their first day at the castle — she went down to the Great Hall on her own with all the kids?”
My eyes went wide. “Uh oh, she’s going to be in way over her head.”
He said, “Alright, I’m headed down.”
Magnus said, “Aye, this is a verra different time than she is used tae. Tis time for breakfast, ye ready for food, Sean?”
“Aye.”
Fraoch said, “I am famished, I will grab Hayley and meet ye there.”
He went to the stairwell on the other end. We turned to go down the stairs I had climbed, while Sean talked about building the walls. “I also think ye need a bulwark on the south curtain wall, I spoke tae Ian?—”
“Already?”
“Aye, while ye were sleepin’ like a bairn, without a worry in the world, someone needed tae get tae work. He said we could get stone from the quarry south of here.”
Magnus held my hand. Guards surrounded us as we crossed the courtyard to go eat a meal.
This is the scene that greeted us — a medieval hall crowded with people, a cacophony of laughing, talking, and yelling, as people served from platters and baskets down the middle of a wooden table, and shoveled food into their mouths before rushing off to their pressing duties of the day. It was a little like a buffet in a train station — loud, busy, crowded.
Emma rushed up with Jack. “Thank heavens! I just followed the kids down here and wasn’t paying much attention. I walked in and stopped in my tracks — I don’t know anyone! I couldn’t remember where you guys were. I wasn’t sure what to do. This is intense.”
Zach said, “I’m sorry, babe, I didn’t know you were down here.”
She whispered, grimacing, “It’s Campbell men, but ten times worse.”
I scanned the room. “These are dark-ages Campbell men.”
Magnus said, “And I am their king.”
As the crowd realized Magnus had entered, the busy hall grew quiet and everyone bowed. Then at Magnus’s nod the clamor resumed.
Emma said, “From now on, I will only go everywhere with you, I think.”
