Chapter 4
ALEXANDRIA
Iturned around to see Torin coming from the house. He leaned against the rail.
I had just said goodbye to Cooper, and it had hurt deeply, the kind of ache that had made all else go away. I had stopped thinking about the breakfast and how hungry I was, and for a brief moment hadn’t thought about Torin — it had been just Cooper, and was he alright?
My nose was surely pink, my cheeks wet, but now there was Torin and the ache lifted. He was my strong shoulders, my protector and husband and my love, and just the sight of him made everything okay.
I smiled.
He gestured his chin up, meaning, come here. I walked slowly to the porch, climbed the steps, and stood in front of him.
I gave him a frown.
He frowned back. “Ye well, mo leannan?”
“It’s kind of hard to explain. Cooper and I broke up months ago, but… I guess he needed to say goodbye.”
He took my hand and held it down between us.
“I mean, he had already left. I don’t know why he needed to, and I’m not really sad, at all, it’s got nothing to do with you, I promise. I just, it was sad to have him say goodbye.”
Tears welled up again. “I’m sorry.”
“Ye daena hae tae be sorry, mo leannan.” He wiped my tears with his big rough thumbs. “It sounds verra sad tae say goodbye tae someone who ye were fond of.”
I nodded and leaned forward with my head on his chest. His big arms went around me and he hugged me.
The tears came steadily. “He said he understood, that I wasn’t the same person anymore. That he knew I was gone. And it’s true but it’s really hard to hear it, you know?”
He spoke into my hair. “I can see why it would be.”
“It’s not easy to become a totally different person. I was Lexi and now I’m someone else entirely.”
He put his hands on my hips and looked me in the eyes.
“Ye are a Princess whose throne has been usurped, Alexandria. Ye hae a hard road ahead of ye, but I promise ye I will be beside ye, protectin’ ye.
Yer brother will restore yer family’s kingdom, ye arna alone, and even Master Cooper will return tae yer life eventually. ”
“You think?”
“Och aye, I lived in a castle, there was always someone at odds with a kinsman, everyone was fightin’ and arguin’. Ye think on him as kin — a brother o’ the heart. He’ll come back tae ye.”
“And you would be good with that?”
He nodded. “Aye. I wouldna want ye tae lose anyone ye are fond of, there has been enough of that.”
“Thank you, Torin, I feel a lot better.” I smiled. “And I’m famished, can we go in for breakfast?”
When we got in the house the kitchen table was set and Jen had jokingly messed her hair so she’d look harried. “Don’t mind me, just coming over to cook your breakfast for you.”
I said, “You came to hear stories. And they are good stories, so you had to cook for them. It’s life.” I took a seat. “Let’s eat.”
Torin clasped his hands. “First, we must thank God for this bounty.”
He began, “Lord, bless the hands that made this meal, and I give thanks for the lovely Alexandria at m’side. And watch over Max in his quest tae gain his throne. Keep our blades sharp, and our hearts humble. Amen.”
He opened his eyes and looked hungrily at his plate. “Och, ye did all of this, Madame Jen? It looks delicious!”
Jen said, “I did barely anything, but I will take the thanks. I did it for the stories but you’re here at the table, Torin, Lexi won’t be able to give me all the details.”
He scoffed, “What details? Ye want m’wife tae tell ye of… what?”
She said, “What happened here last night.”
Torin said, “Och nae, I canna believe lasses such as yerselves would speak on it!” His eyes went wide. “Ye would speak on it?”
I nodded. “Yes, we would, but we won’t, suffice it to say, Jen, it was great.” I shoveled eggs in my mouth and said around the bite, “Worked up an appetite.”
Torin chuckled. “Och, I dinna think ladies would speak on such a thing.”
I said, “Of course we do, Torin, everyone does.”
Jen said, “So you guys are married, that’s what you’re saying?”
I nodded, eating a big bite of coffee cake, and chewing it with a moan at how good it was. “Yes, we are married, it’s a done deal.”
“So you’re now Lexi, what... Elphinstone?”
I laughed, “I didn’t even think about that… I don’t... yeah, I guess I am.”
Torin said, “Tis true, ye hae taken the surname of Elphinstone.”
“Have I...? Weird…”
He continued, “But ye are a part of the Campbell clan, ye ken, as am I, and also as a princess ye are simply Alexandria, ye daena need a surname, ye are one of the Campbell kings of some kingdom, I canna remember the name.” He piled eggs on toast and took a big bite.
Jen said, “So this is very rock and roll, you have one name, Alexandria?”
I nodded.
She pointed at me with buttered toast. “You, my friend, need a staff.”
I screwed up my face. “I already have guards and no one will let me drive, you think I need to hire more people?”
Torin said, “Aye, I agree.”
I looked between them. “What kind of staff?”
Jen said, “A housekeeper would be good, a cook. I cannot come cook all your meals.”
I said, “I can cook!”
“Yeah, but you’re Alexandria, you don’t have to. You shouldn’t do it for yourself.”
I looked at Torin. “And you agree?”
He said, “I think ye need much more than a cook, ye ought tae be surrounded by women. If ye were at Glume, ye would hae a lady’s maid tae dress ye, a chambermaid tae keep yer rooms, a page tae run errands for ye, a companion,” he nodded toward Jen, “at least two maids-in-waiting, they would attend ye, and then yer guards.” He shoveled in more food.
My eyes wide, “So many!”
“The fine ladies living at Glume are oft surrounded by at least four lasses wherever they go.”
I said, “Well, I don’t have any need for all of that. But I guess a cook kind of housekeeper would be alright.”
Jen said, “Torin, well done! You’ll see that this is the way you get things with Lexi, you want her to do one thing, but she thinks it’s too much, so you overwhelm her with many things. Then she will choose the one.”
I said, “Very funny, no ganging up on me. I’m royalty.”
She stuck out her tongue. “That’s why we have to stick together, me and Torin. We’re just the lowly commoners. Aren’t we?”
“Aye, I am just a common lowly Torin, tryin’ tae get the Princess tae behave as if she is royal.”
I said, “Fine, I will hire a cook. I will keep my guard. Where would I find a housekeeper slash cook?”
Jen said, “You are the worst princess ever.”
I said, “I’ll figure it out. I’m sure there’s a phone number for housekeeper rentals. Like an hour a day or so…”
Torin said, “She will need tae live here in yer house.”
“What in the world? Really?”
“Aye, twould be unsafe tae hae yer staff come and go from yer house. They will need tae live here.”
I said, “This is all crazy talk.”
Jen laughed.
I casually said, “So, there’s a party tonight that I didn’t hear about?”
She said, “Yeah, sorry about that.”
I said, “It’s fine, I get it, Cooper deserves the night.”
“How was your conversation?”
“It was good, we’re in agreement and he’s at peace with it. He’s found acceptance, I think.”
She said, “Good, perfect. I’m glad, do you and Torin wanna come to the party?”
“No, but isn’t there a game tomorrow? Maybe I can invite everyone over for a few beers, and we can watch the game. Torin will love it.”
She said, “Sounds good.”
Her face screwed up. “Do you feel that?” She rubbed her temples.
I said, “Yeah, it’s a little like an electrical hum, right? Giving me a headache.”
I asked Torin, “You have it too?”
“Aye, it has been goin’ for a while, tis bothersome. I think tis yer world.”
Jen said, “No this is new, it started a little bit ago. I don’t like it.”
Torin said, “Aye, it foretells of somethin’ ominous.”
I said, “None of that, thank you. It’s our first day married, no ominousness.” I pressed my fingers to my temples again.
He stood, “This is some devilry. I am goin’ tae go check outside.”
Jen winced, “It’s like a frequency.” She banged her head with the butt of her hand. Then said, “That worked.”
I said, “Nah, it just faded.”
Jen said, “Weird, what was that?”
“Nothing. Just — static, maybe.”
“Like air static?”
I said, “You know what I mean.”
But the air still felt charged, as if an electrical storm, somewhere, was about to build.
And that was not good.
Torin returned from the porch. “Ye notice tis done?”
I nodded.
He said, “Och, I daena like it one bit.”
Jen said, “Yeah, it didn’t feel natural, that felt like some kind of time travel business, and y’all need to keep that to yourself. But, now that breakfast is over, hate to eat and run, but I should go, I got errands to run. I’ll tell Andrew and the gang about your party tomorrow.”
“Tell Cooper to come, it’ll be all right.”
“I’m not entirely sure, you guys do have the flush of love on you. It’s all I can do to get through breakfast.”
I said, “You don’t like that we love each other?”
“It’s just that you’re so goofy about it.”
She stood up. “I’m leaving my plates. You’ll have to clean up, or ask your housekeeper to. But I love you, I’m happy for you, happy for you too, Torin. Lexi is the best person I know, make sure you take good care of her.”
Torin said, “I will.”
She smiled. “You answered that very seriously, I meant in the bedroom, take care of her between the sheets.”
I said, “Oh, girlfriend, he already has.”
Torin shook his head, “Och the two of ye hae scandalous tongues.”
Jen said, “True that.” She kissed me on the cheek, then went and kissed Torin on the cheek too, “You’re my brother-in-law now!”
As she left she petted Dude and said over her shoulder, “If your brother comes back, just you know, invite me over. I need to see something.”
I raised my brow. “What do you need to see?”
“If he’s as hot as I remember, bye bye!”
She left the kitchen and then the house.
“Does it bother you that we have ‘scandalous tongues’?”
“Nae, ye hae a great wit. Again I think tis a benefit, I will turn it against m’enemies.”
I grinned. “Next, teach me to sword fight and then I can really fight your enemies for you.”
His eyes went really wide. “Ye want tae sword fight for me, yer husband, Torin?”
“Maybe, I could, with training.”
“Och nae, ye canna, Princess. What are ye thinkin’?”
I moved my chair around and put my feet up on his knees, leaning back comfortably enjoying the full stomach and my coffee.
“Are you going to say I can’t because I am a princess? Because Max gets to sword fight and he’s a prince, I don’t get why princes can but not princesses.”
His face screwed up. “Tis not because ye are a princess, but that is reason enough. Ye canna expect tae battle! Ye are tae order men tae battle for ye, but the main reason is because… as I hae told ye before and ye seem senseless about it, yer arms are wee.”
He grinned.
Dude jumped in Torin’s lap and settled down to sleep.
I said, “Dude, are you taking Torin’s side in this? He just called my arms wee.”
“They are, ye canna get the cat tae deny what is true. The hilt of m’sword is near the size of yer upper arm.” He held his hand up as if he was holding the hilt of a sword and eyed it to my arm. “Ye canna swing it if tis as large as ye. How tall are ye?”
“Five foot seven inches, tall for a girl.”
He chuckled. “Ye are the length of a broadsword!”
“You sir, are exaggerating. We should work out, you’ll see.”
He looked askance. “What does this mean?”
I said, “We will go exercise, I have a gym, want to go to a gym?”
“Tae workout, what dost ye mean — tae train in battle? Ye want tae train in battle with me?”
“Yeah, let’s do that.” I jokingly said, “We can do some aerobics, I’ll show you a stair-master.”
“I daena ken any of these words. But I dost need tae keep up m’trainin’ so I daena turn soft.” He patted his stomach. “I can already feel the food sittin’ in m’middle.”
“You’ve only been here for twelve hours!”
“Aye, but it has been a verra comfortable twelve hours, except the beginning. Twas thorny when I first arrived. I thought I had lost ye, but I was verra glad that ye were alive.”
“I was very glad you were alive too.”
He was petting Dude, then he rested his hand on my ankle. I loved this position, my feet on his thigh, like he belonged to me. His hand casually on my ankle, like I belonged to him.
I asked, “How do you train by the way?”
“Ye mean tae battle? I hae been training since I was a lad.”
“How?”
“In the morn, with the cock’s crow, Max meets me tae run the perimeter of the grounds, he is faster, usually. Then we practice with our swords, after that the other lads will join us in sparrin’ and wrestlin’.”
I nodded, “That’s a good workout.”
He grinned. “Then we work. I am usually put tae work with the loads, but I prefer tae chop wood, though I will go wherever I am needed, and then in the—”
“There’s more?”
“Aye, we are just tae midday! Then we spend the afternoon trainin’ with our horses and Max likes tae challenge me in archery, and then…”
He smiled.
“In the evenin’ we go over our battle plans.”
“Well, I don’t know if my gym membership will be quite so robust, but we can at least get you a little bit of it. That’s a long day.”
“I dinna even mention that I will hae guard duty in the night.”
“Really? When do you sleep?”
“Ye ken, I will sleep when I can.”
I said, “I think you’re going to be bored.”
“How can I be bored when I hae yer gardens tae explore?”
“While I do enjoy that a great deal, my love, that’s not going to keep you busy for a full week.”
“I also daena ken what anything is!” He looked around. “Twill take a full month for ye tae tell me how it all works.”
“That is true. And though I do like sitting here, want a tour of the house? We can leave the dishes.”
As we got up I added, “I guess now I see the use of having a housekeeper.”