When Grainna returned and discovered what had happened, he’d barely survive her anger. He knew her return was imminent. She didn’t forgive without dispensing pain and consequence.

But he would endure her wrath, for power was the sweetest of rewards, and the powers he had gained at Grainna’s hands were many. She needed him. So no matter what her punishment may be, it wouldn’t be death. Her reward for bringing her pure Druid blood, virgin or not, would bring him closer to his ultimate goal. So he waited, watched and planned.

Todd’s days were filled with shopping, something he seldom did. Myra had the strangest things on her list. Books on plumbing, herbal medicine and gardening, were just the beginning. After the check cleared for the candlesticks, she purchased bolts of material with matching thread and more needles than one would need for a lifetime.

She bought packets of seeds for several types of plants, fruits and vegetables. Jars of vitamins, Ibuprofen, and antibiotic creams were purchased in bulk. Reams of paper and boxes of pens made the growing stack bulge. She had acquired every possible item on her list and more. Some things Lizzy suggested, others he did.

Every day Myra prepared for the eventuality of her leaving. They didn’t talk about when, but he knew it wouldn’t be long.

Their passion filled evenings fell into a pattern, leaving him with less than a handful of hours of sleep. He should have been left tired and worn out, instead, his body and mind were more alive than ever. Dinner out was going to be a surprise. Todd made reservations for all of them, keeping the destination to himself. His only hint was the evening’s entertainment would be a history lesson for Liz and Simon.

“Where are we going, Uncle Todd?” Simon asked from the back seat.

The minute Myra came into money, the kid started sucking up to his newfound ‘Aunt Myra’. “I’m not your Uncle and stop asking. It’s a surprise.”

Simon rolled his eyes, “Todd and Myra sitting in a tree...”

“Knock it off.” Lizzy and Todd scolded at the same time. Only Myra was in the dark at what else he was going to say.

Myra sat in the passenger seat, watching the world go by at a pace faster than any horse could take her. Her life had changed so much, and she surprised herself by adapting to it so easily. She stopped probing into Todd’s thoughts when he asked her to. Not looking was hard at times, like now when he seemed so distant. Christmas was only a few days away and the solstice had passed. She knew he thought of her leaving. Like him, the thought of her going brought a heaviness to her heart. Their relationship was so new, so exciting, she couldn’t bear the thought of not seeing him again.

Todd pulled into the parking lot of Renaissance Times. Myra, slightly baffled, had no idea where they were headed.

“I knew it,” Simon said from the back.

“What is it?”

“It’s a restaurant set up to look like a medieval castle. Inside they have a tournament with horses and everything.”

“That is supposed to resemble a castle?”

“Yeah.”

“Huh.” It fell short. The cars were parked right up next to it for one thing, and every stone that made up the walls were too perfect.

Simon slammed his door and ran up ahead, not bothering to keep his voice low when he asked Myra his questions. “So this is like your home?”

Myra clenched her teeth, looked between Lizzy and Todd. “Not quite.”

“What’s different?”

“MacCoinnich Keep is much bigger to start.”

Lizzy gave her a disbelieving look, “Bigger than this?”

“By three.” She looked over Simon’s head.

“Maybe four.”

The hostess was elaborately dressed in peasant garb, but the colors were too vivid and the adornments of ribbons were out of place. Her smile was pleasant enough, and when she addressed them as Lords and Ladies, Myra nodded her head in acknowledgment by habit. The woman gave her a puzzled look.

People filled the outside lobby, most holding large colorful glasses filled with different types of alcoholic beverages. Men dressed as knights were flanked by their squires. They walked with authority in the crowd, causing many heads to turn in their direction. Not very different from her home, Myra thought, although their costumes were more English than Scottish. Myra couldn’t help but want to see a kilt or two in the mix. She was disappointed to see none.

She watched, tucked under Todd’s arm, and asked her own set of questions when Lizzy and Simon headed off to where the horses were displayed. “What are we doing here?”

He looked between her and the two that walked ahead. “I thought if Simon was going to take a quick trip back in time,” he whispered, so no one else could hear, “he might want to see what it’s like. Or at least have the right questions to ask before he goes.”

“That was very thoughtful of you.”

“That’s me. Mr. Thoughtful.”

A woman, dressed from head to toe in a gown of gold and black, nodded and smiled when she walked by them. “I need to remind Lizzy to prepare to wear dresses like those.”

“I have a hard time picturing Lizzy in anything other than jeans.” Todd watched as the woman passed.

“What of me? Do you have a hard time picturing me dressed as her?”

Todd stopped, caught the glint in her smile and placed a slight kiss on her lips. “I see you dressed in rich green velvet. The sleeves would flow to your fingertips, but off your shoulders, exposing your lovely skin. I see small flowers in your hair, brushed free and blowing in the wind.”

She closed her eyes picturing what he described.

In her vision, Todd stood beside her, attired as the knight she knew him to be, her family crest etched into the shield he carried. As lovely as the image was, it panged her heart in an ache she knew too well, an ache that would grow at the impossibility of their tomorrows. Their lack of a future.

“Hey, why the long face?”

She shook off her thoughts, her pain. He was still there, and Myra was determined to cherish every moment. “I will have my maid make a dress just as you describe. It will always remind me of you.”

Her ache was contagious. Todd put a protective arm around her and moved closer to where Lizzy and Simon stood. “How exactly has Liz explained this all to him?”

“Delicately, I think. He seems to understand.

Then again, maybe he thinks us all crazy and is just going along to save our feelings.” Myra looked at a display of knight’s armor and couldn’t help but miss her home. Her family.