He was a small man, with a mean countenance, his scowl a permanent feature. The kind of man who seemed itchin’ tae deceive. His father had been a terrible man and his son had all the same qualities accompanied by a lack of strength, nae sense of honor or justice, only connivin’. I hated the sight of him, and couldna suppress the sneer on m’face. My disdain was made worse because he wore a uniform from m’kingdom. He believed it made him important.
“Ye are wearin’ a uniform from m’military, dost it mean ye are under my command?”
He looked away, so I pushed further. "Who gave ye the gold bands? The weapons from m’kingdom?”
“Roderick. He has been very forthcoming. He was willing to pay very well for your capture.”
I struggled but they held me tight. Everything hurt from the blows tae m’sides. “What are ye planning next?”
“Nothing. I am turning you over, but first I am to let you hear this...” He said, to one of his men, “Play the audio of King Archibald of Riaghalbane, surrendering.”
I steeled myself, a clench of all my body tae control m’rage.
Kaitlyn’s voice, older, but her voice, all the same, comin' through: “I am Her Royal Highness—” The sound of fist on body and a shriek. Then she continued, “I surrender tae Roderick.”
A gruff voice said, “Down on your knees.”
She said, “No, don’t please...”
A man’s voice: “I, King Archibald the First, surrender to Roderick.”
I scowled and closed my eyes. “What year is this happenin’?”
Lord Philip shrugged.
I said, “Och, ye are just his errand boy. I winna waste m’time talkin’ tae ye then.”
He ordered his soldiers, "Hurt him,” and they set about kicking and hitting me as if it brought them a bloodthirsty pleasure.
Then, finally, Roderick arrived, flanked by six men.
“Ah! Magnus the First, what a great day to find you cowering before me."
I struggled against the bindings.
He exhaled. Then he leaned against one of the poles supportin’ the tent.
"I picked two dates, Magnus the first, as the moment where I would surprise you in two different times. One, the anniversary of your coronation, August 11. That is today. Congratulations, this is the day you gain your crown and lose your crown.”
He waited for me to speak, then asked, “Do you want to know the second date?”
“Nae really.”
“Eh, but you should know, it is November 24. You have just heard your wife and son surrendering to me on the one year anniversary after your death. Would you like to know how you die in the year 2418?”
“Nae, it winna matter. You should ken we are always changing time.”
“Suit yourself, I will not tell you because I am in a good mood. I have captured you. I have weapons that will make you do whatever I want, and I have barely broken a sweat. Here you are, a king, bloody before me. Ah! It’s a very good day. We’re in the place of your birth, on the anniversary of your coronation, the day to be your dethroning, while the anniversary of your death is celebrated when your son surrenders to me. Seven hundred years of your bloodline wrapped up right here...”
“Why?”
“Why not? Because it's fun. I like to do fun things. ”
“I mean, why are ye attackin’ my son in the future?”
He shrugged. “You are not there anymore, and it is easy to do it because your bitch of a mother has been away. She does not like your kingdom as much as she did now you are gone. I have not been able to find her.” He paused before continuing, “I waged war and then descended on them. I killed your general, an old friend of yours, Quentin. I met him here just now, while killing him there. It has really been such a great day.”
His eyes glinted. “Did you hear them surrender? Really hear it, King Magnus?”
I refused to answer.
He shrugged. "I suppose you did, good enough.”
“Ye are a weak and afraid, ye canna fight me so ye must attack m’wife and children after I am gone? And ye will use it tae threaten me? It winna work. Whenever we begin anew, we are startin’ over. The only thing that matters tae me this day is what is happenin’ here in this place.”
“I just had my man in the future play that audio for them to hear. You see, the one thing I don’t have is the book, the book of vessels. But your Kaitlyn has just heard you, she knows I have captured you. My bet is she will turn it over to protect you.”
I looked down at my hands. "She will never give ye the book. She kens better than tae bargain with a man like you.”
“She is distracted, by loss and grief. She might hand it away, if asked nicely enough.”
A large military-grade vehicle barreled over a downed tree, and pulled up short beside the tent. The passenger door opened, and Bella stepped out. She kissed Roderick, and then leaned against his side, eyin’ me.
Blood pooled in m’mouth from a cut on m’lip. I spit intae the dirt.
She huffed. “Hello Magnus.”
I stayed silent.
“How is Archie? You have him there in the castle?”
I refused to answer.
She stood in front of me. “Is he there right now with that bitch?” She pulled up m’chin, forcin’ me tae look at her. “You could have had me.”
“Why would I hae wanted ye? Ye were naethin’ worth havin’, ye bored me.”
She shoved my chin away. She stalked over to a table, picked up my gun, checked it for bullets, and swept it at all of us. Then she leveled it on me and held it there for a long verra long tense moment.
She could hae killed me with one second of anger and nae one rushed tae stop her.
Finally she drew it away. “First, you lost me, now you lost your kingdom,” She jammed the gun in her belt. “Next, your son.” She lifted m’sword, eyed the blade appreciatively, then sliced the air, ending right at my throat, a hair’s breadth away, just about killing me again.
So full of rage and revenge, she was dangerously gone from her mind.
I said, “Ye are plannin’ tae kill me?”
“What would be the fun of that?”
Roderick said, “Are you going now?”
She answered, “Yes, I’m headed to get what is rightfully mine.”
“Good girl.” He smacked her on the arse. She laughed as she climbed back into her vehicle and it drove away.
Roderick turned to me with an immense look of satisfaction.
I said, “Ye seem verra sure of yerself.”
“I am, I have you down on your knees. I have guns pointing at your wife and children. In two time periods actually, I am rather enjoying it.”
I shrugged. “Och, I would nae rejoice yet. Ye hae captured me before. Ye daena remember because I walked away. What ye need tae ask yerself is, what did I learn about ye? What do I ken of yer weaknesses?”
He faltered for a moment. Then said, “You are bluffing.”
I nodded my agreement. “It does sound like me tae bluff. I hadna realized, but now ye mention it, whenever I am captured I do tend tae bluff... Och, the stories I tell! All tae extend the time I am living. It has always worked for me tae do so, ye ken.”