Gifted

Rescue

Magnus and Alina watched from the east parapet as Euan and his men left the castle under guard. Bean would accompany Euan back to his territory and impress upon the laird that his son would not be treated so kindly in the future.

Both Magnus and Bean sensed that Euan meant what he said about no longer seeking Alina out. The young knight seemed to have no ill-intent toward her. Magnus still wanted to kill him for even thinking about taking Alina.

A gentle wind blew Alina's dusky pink dress against her slight frame. She looked up at Magnus with achingly hopeful eyes.

"If Euan has a gift like mine," she started. "Maybe he was able to foresee a future for our daughter. Something I failed to see. Maybe -"

"Alina," he admonished. "Don't let this hurt ye any more than it has tae. Don't get yer hopes up."

"I can't help it," she said. "I've named her Samira, after my mother. Oh, Magnus, why can't we save her?"

He wrapped her in his arms, kissed the top of her head.

"I'm still trying tae save ye, love,"he said. "We do that well enough and maybe..."

He couldn't finish the sentence.

"Ye don't think it's possible to save her," she said forlornly against his chest.

He held her tighter and kept his silence.

Eventually, he escorted her down to the great hall for midday meal. She picked at her food before finally excusing herself to the library.

Alec returned from the docks later that afternoon and reported that, though the lad balked halfway down the mountain, Euan and his men were loaded onto his father's vessel as planned. Magnus asked why Euan suddenly resisted leaving but his brother just shrugged and said the lad muttered something about one of his notions.

Magnus checked on Alina in the library. She was still bent over her manuscripts but said she was due for a break. He stood behind her and massaged her lower back to help ease the aches. Elizabeth poked her head in just then and asked if Alina was ready for their planned visit with Yuka. The child usually woke from her nap at this time. They invited Magnus upstairs with them but he declined. He never quite knew what to do around the small girl.

He stayed in the library and skimmed through the Odyssey translations Alina made for him. He'd read them multiple times already and particularly enjoyed her illustrations. They were not able to hold his attention today, though, because instinct was telling him that whatever was going to happen was happening very soon.

Deciding to endure the awkwardness around his niece, Magnus climbed the stairs to the nursery, intent on spending the rest of the day at his wife's side. The nursery was empty. He went back downstairs and asked a passing servant about his wife's whereabouts.

Apparently, Alina and Elizabeth had been searching for a missing Yuka. In fact, many of the servants were on the hunt. Concerned now, Magnus focused true sight onto Alina. He ran to the dungeons and found Alec comforting a tearful Elizabeth, an orange cat pacing at their feet.

"What happened?" Magnus demanded. "Where's Alina?"

"I... I don't know," cried Elizabeth. "The two of us came down here because I thought I heard Yuka cry out. We found Lancelot when we got here. Maybe Yuka followed him? But where is she? My mind gets muddled when I try to think about it."

"What happened to Alina?" Magnus asked.

"That's part of what I get muddled about," said Elizabeth. "I remember coming down here with Alina and seeing Lancelot. But then I can't remember what else happened. One minute Alina was right here. The next she wasn't."