My eyes went wide. “What do ye mean, attacked? He laidsiege? With Magnus and Kaitlyn and their bairns inside the castle? Did they survive?”
The computer answered:
According to the record, Stirling Castle sustained heavy damage, the princes and princess survived the onslaught, Mag Mòr surrendered to King Edward. He and Queen Kaitlyn were captured?—
“What? This is unbelievable!”
I stood, picked up my glass and drank the rest of my wine, slamming the glass back down on the coffee table. “What dost yemean, he ‘surrendered’? How can this be?” I began pacing again. “Magnus is a time traveler! He has all the weapons in the world and kens modern warfare! How could hepossiblysurrender tae the Medieval English King?”
The computer said:
This is one of the discrepancies, Your Highness, the historical record is inconsistent. The bombardment of Stirling Castle went beyond contemporaneous thirteenth-century warfare. The destruction of Stirling Castle was near total. The medieval historian, John of Fordun, described Edward’s weapons as being ‘a glistening trebuchet of racket and roar’ and a ‘mighty bird direct from the heavens who captured the Scottish King and took him away.’
“Those must be modern weapons.”
The computer said:
The historical account seems consistent with modern weapons. That was one of the flags for this report.
I said, “So, Magnus has surrendered tae the English King. Where was he taken?”
The computer said:
That is inconclusive.
“Nae one has bothered tae rescue him?”
The computer answered:
We have no reports on?—
“Daena answer that, I ken how this works — ofcoursenae one has rescued him becauseIam just now hearing about this.” I huffed.Why hadn’t I been told about any of this when I could have solved it?It had all happened so quickly, behind the scenes, like a takeover in secret. King Edward wasn’t capable of this villainy.
Who had introduced him tae modern weaponry?
Then I thought, this must involve Asgall.
I returned tae my chair.Why hadna Colonel Quentin solved this?Magnus was surrounded by good men who would lay down their lives for him. Modern men who knew how tae fight and were capable of providing him with security and firepower. How had they allowed him tae be captured?
I exhaled. I was certain that if Colonel Quentin dinna protect Magnus he either wasna there, or… Had something dire happened tae him?
Something dire had happened tae my son, Sean…
I shook my head tae keep the grief from settling there.
How could Magnus and his men have allowed this tae happen? Usually I would ken first thing.Thiswas the trouble of them being so far back in the past. Twas not natural. News from the thirteenth century making it tae the twenty-fourth century took time.
It was a disadvantage
There were a great many things that could interfere with gathering information over those many centuries. That was why Magnus never wanted kingdoms at both ends of time, twas too much like an empire, easier tae gain than tae hold.
He wasna suited tae be an emperor. He was much better at protecting his lands as a king. And though I wanted him tae amass as much power as possible, I was a realist — I wanted him tae wield powerandcontrol. Empires were difficult tae control.
Perhaps when I had been younger...
In my advanced age it all sounded like a great deal of work, lonely work.
I said tae the computer, “You mentioned more historical discrepancies — list them. I am growing tired and need sleep.”
