Chapter 7

King Arthur stood with his two closest knights at arms. He was angry at the news they brought him, and he shouted. “I want you to find Elspeth McLellan now! If you know she’s in Mystic kingdom, get her, and bring her to me at once. You say she’s wanted for treason, well then, they may have already hung her. Strike that! I’m coming too. In fact, make ready we will go now. I want her taken alive. Now! Before some heads role!”

“Who’s, heads are rolling?” asked Finn striding in. “Anyone I can behead for you?”

“No killing withoot me!” said Angus just behind Finn.

“Your majesty,” said one of three guards rushing in. “We couldn’t stop them!”

“Weel, you ken us Arthur. Canna stand a party withoot being invited.” Connor grinned.

“Who we killin?” asked Taryn

King Arthur looked from his guards to the men. “McGregors!” A joyful look of surprise replacing anger. “Did Merlin send you? Oh bullocks, what now?” He motioned for the nervous guards to leave.

Angus looked at Arthur and wondered at his ability to go from angry to happy in the matter of seconds. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Arthur had the innate ability to find trouble and he had a sneaking suspicion this trip wasn’t going to be any different. Now the question is, can we keep the king alive? They would have to, they always had to. He loved Arthur as they all did. He smiled, suddenly very glad to see him.

“I wanted tae go fishing.” Smiled Finn. “And since your loch has the best fishing, we came here. Thought you’d need a break from kingly duties, and besides you have the best ale! I feel like getting in my cups and telling stories and bedding some of the prettiest wenches alive. You canna have them all you ken. Besides they need a break from all their bruisin’ from falling at your feet. My ma says it’s always nice tae share, you ken!”

Arthur laughed. “You know Guinevere has my heart. She’s at her aunts now waiting for her cousin’s baby to be born. She’ll be gone for days yet. But boys! You can’t tell me you’re here to fish. I know better than that.”

“What were you talking aboot Mystic Kingdom for, king?” Angus asked.

“I’m looking for a woman who is in a lot of trouble. Her name is Elspeth McLellan. Know her? She is to be brought to me at once.”

Angus frowned, here it is, he thought. Gads he wants tae head right where Drakkor was spotted, and where Ian is at right this moment. The one place we were supposed tae keep him from going, he wants tae go. Without thinking he blurted. “You canna go, Arthur. I mean we just got here. Canna it wait? Why do you want this lady so bad anyway?”

“None of your business, nor anyone else’s!” Anger crept back in Arthur’s voice. “I want her found, now! My men and I are leaving today to find her and bring her back.”

Taryn looked at Arthur with a furrowed brow. “Listen, Arthur, this woman angers you it’s obvious, but we just got here. Canna we rest tonight, drink some ale together, catch up, and if in the mornin’ you feel the same, we’ll all go together.”

Angus gave Taryn an angry look. Taryn raised an eyebrow as if to say, “let me handle it.”

Connor said, “Great idea! Let’s enjoy ourselves tonight and sleep on it. I doona ken why one little lady has you so upset as tae set yourself off tae go after her though. What did she do?”

Arthur scowled. “As I’ve said, no one’s business. I found out she was at a monastery in England, and after sending men there, they return to tell me she’s at Mystic kingdom and wanted for treason. I have my reasons I want her brought directly to me, and I won’t be questioned about it again.”

Connor held his hands up in surrender. “Fine.” He smiled. “If you have someone show us tae some rooms where we can freshen up after our long journey, we can do that, then be at your disposal. We have a lot tae catch up on, and later some wenches tae make us smile.”

After cleaning up, Angus and the rest of the McGregors went down to meet with Arthur only to find him gone on an errand. Angus was sure this fiasco was going to turn in to something they were going to have to fight their way out of. It was always this way, whenever Merlin or King Arthur were involved. If it wasn’t a party, it was a mess Merlin would put them and one they would have to keep Arthur out of. What did this woman do anyway? He wondered over it as they headed to the great hall for some mead and talk of their own.

Angus glanced at Connor clearing about a half cup of mead, and no servant in sight, waiting for the question he was afraid Connor was about to ask. His blond-haired brother cleared his throat, blue eyes sharp. “Why do you think Arthur wants tae go tae Mystic Mountain? Is it really because of a lady?”

He wiped mead from his short dark beard leaving a scowl on his face, hearing the question he knew Connor was going to ask. “He canna go and we have tae figure a way tae keep him aboot here. Nae, he’s not tae go.”

“Maybe we can plan a hunting trip. Arthur loves tae hunt. Maybe then he’ll just send a couple men tae look for the lady.” Finn smiled.

Taryn frowned. “Always a party planner, Finn. I do think it’s a lady he’s after. I doona think he kens about Drakkor…yet. You ken his scouts are smart. He’ll find oot sooner or later. You also ken when he makes up his mind aboot somethin’ he doesn’t change it. We can try for huntin,’ but he willna agree tae it.”

“Do you always have tae be so blatantly skeptical? There must be something we can do.” He was getting perturbed. “I could break his leg,” he mumbled, “he’d have tae stay here then.”

Taryn leaned back with raised eyebrows, “Logical, Angus, not skeptical, and you can’t break a king’s legs. Even you ken that. You ken Arthur as weel as any of us. We may have tae end up goin’ with him just tae protect him.”

“Starting the party without me, boys?” Arthur’s boots clipped against the stone floors. He entered removing his riding gloves with two Knights flanking him. “We’ve been having trouble with insects on two crops and I thought I’d see to it myself.”

“Sounds like we need tae stay here,” Connor said. “We can help you figure oot the problem, Arthur. Send some men tae look for the woman, and we’ll see tae the problems here.”

A young dark-haired serving wench came in carrying food and more mead. Two more followed with more food and placed settings in front of the men. Arthur sat down in his intricately carved chair and leaned back at the head of the table, a scowl on his face, anger creases about his eyes.

He looked over at Finn and noticed him staring at the dragon heads curled around the arms of the chair. Finn always did like the finer things life had to offer. He looked at the place through Finn’s eyes.

The whole room was bright, tapestries pulled back from long narrow windows to let in an abundance of light. It shown off the gold gilding surrounding the room. Marble statues of God’s and Goddesses looked almost alive, placed strategically around the grand hall. Large plants lived beside the statues. Bringing the outside in.

Arthur frowned. “No, we leave first thing in the morning. Before anyone else deals with her, I will. You can stay here and enjoy yourselves, or you can go with me. It’s your choice. I have matters settled and we leave at daylight.”

The McGregor men glanced at each other. “Looks like we leave at daylight,” Grumbled Taryn.

“And no party tonight, Finn!” He scowled at Finn. “We need tae have our heads aboot us. I will not have anyone falling off their horses in the morning,” he stated, glaring, brow furrowed and frowning.

“Who died and made you leader, Angus?”

“Angus is right,” replied Connor, giving Finn the look of grow up. “We have tae be on our best.”

“Well,” said Arthur. “We’ll have a party when we get back. I’ll have Jameson plan it. Now tell me what you boys have been up to. Have you heard from Merlin? How’s Moira and your sisters? Where’s Lauren, Dougal, Conall, Ian, and Cameron? Why didn’t they come?”

He and the rest of his brothers laughed and everyone started talking at once. Of course, leaving out everything about Merlin and making excuses for the other brothers. The men played off each other’s stories and finally Arthur had all his questions answered. Dusk turned to night and it was time for sleep. He had a bad feeling about going to Mystic Kingdom to look for this woman. Merlin had told him specifically to keep him away. Did Arthur have a direct line to trouble that always pulled him in? He was beginning to think so. It was going to be a long journey and he wasn’t looking forward to it. Not at all.