A Knight To Remember

Epilogue

“Aine, you must listen to your mother.  You are a lady.  You are my Princess.  Be good and listen to your mother.”

Her little eyes narrowed as she looked at me like I had just betrayed her, I cleared my throat and stepped away from her as her hands went to her hips.  I quickly turned to Thomas.  I had to get out of here.  This was a losing position.  If I gave in to Aine, Maeb would be angry with me, but Aine knew exactly how to get her own way.  Escape was the safest option.

“Thomas, let’s leave the ladies.  I am sure that they have... lady things to do.”  I fumbled as I quickly pulled him with me out the door and into the corridor.

“Phew that was close!” I muttered as we made our way out in the direction of the practice field. 

“You were always good with the quick exits,” Thomas laughed.  “So how have you been Jonathan?”

“Good, good,” I lied, “it’s been too long Thomas, how are things at Hithwood?”  

I half listened to Thomas as we walked.  When I became King I made Thomas a Lord and gave him back the lands belonging to Lord Maine.  Father preferred to stay dead to the world and returned to live out the last days of his life with Grace in the forest.   They lived together for many happy years before age caught up with them.  They died within days of each other as I expected they would.  We buried them side by side near the waterfall, their special place.

“Your feet, Callum, move your feet!”

I put a hand out and stopped Thomas, they had not seen us yet.

“Yeah, yeah, James, my feet, my feet!  I get it!”

“Well Callum if you listened to Grandfather Robert and practiced more, this wouldn’t be so hard!”

“I listen!”

“No, you tease Aine and spend your time thinking up new ways to annoy my little sister!”

“Yeah, well that’s a hell of a lot more fun than practicing this!”

James signed deeply, lifted his sword and started the training exercise again.

“It sounds like little Aine has an admirer,” Thomas laughed softly to my horror.

“No!  It’s just sibling rivalry.  They have grown up together they are practically brother and sister.”

“You just keep telling yourself that!” Thomas laughed. 

I looked back to the boys.  Thomas couldn’t be right could he?  My oldest daughter was barely fifteen.  She wasn’t old enough for that sort of attention.  Hell, I wasn’t ready for her to have that sort of attention.

“James, Callum,” I greeted them as I stepped out from the shadows.

“Father!” James turned.

“Uncle Jonathan,” Callum cringed and rubbed the back of his head.  I almost laughed, sometimes he reminded me so much of Douglas it was uncanny.

“Apparently I am sending you to the gallows Callum.  Can you explain why this is necessary?”

“Tattle tale,” Callum muttered low enough that he thought I didn’t hear, “Aine is just over reacting.  It was an accident Uncle.”

Thomas was doing a poor job of hiding his laughter behind me.

“Hey Uncle Thomas, is Maine here?” Callum skilfully changed the subject then ran off towards the hall as Thomas nodded.  “I’m going to see Maine!”

The boys loved it when Thomas visited.  James, Callum, Maine and little Robert, Colm’s son, were best friends.

“How was your trip father?” James asked warily.