10 June, 1744
Jared's House, Paris, France
JAMIE POV
Jamie was awoken by the sound of knocking at the door. Confused, and glancing out the window to find that it was still dark, Jamie got up and pulled his shirt on over his head to answer the door. "Suzette?" he asked. "What are ye doin' up at this ungodly hour?"
"It is the prince, Milord. He has gotten himself into some trouble at the salon. It seems that he has run up a substantial debt and refuses to pay. Madame Elise has threatened to call for the gen d'armes unless restitution is made immediately," Suzette explained to him, and he let out a heavy sigh, rubbing his eyes sleepily.
"Of course," he said. "Is the messenger still here?" Suzette nodded. "Tell them te get word te Madame Elise that I'll be on my way soon."
Oui , Milord," said Suzette, and then she was gone. Jamie let out another heavy sigh.
"No peace fer the wicked," he said as he went to get dressed. As he went downstairs, he was surprised to find Cailean and Fergus still awake and in the parlour playing a game of chess.
"Maidainn mhath, a bhràthair," Cailean told him. "Do ye need company te Maison Elise?"
"No, I'd rather ye here fer when yer sister returns. I'll handle Charles," Jamie answered.
"Shall I go as proxy, Milord?" Fergus asked him.
"No, best go myself. We dinnae need the gen d'armes makin' inquiries into our business affairs… today of all days," Jamie told him.
"Then I shall come with you to guard your right," said Fergus, standing up from the table.
"And leave me te play chess all on my own?" Cailean asked, teasing the young lad.
"You are not good anyway," Fergus told him, and Jamie chuckled lightly.
"Aye, get this wee bawbag out of my sight," Cailean told Jamie playfully.
"Go and put a coat on, lad," Jamie told Fergus, who ran off, and then he turned to Cailean. "What are ye doin' up so late, anyway?"
"It's only half past three, dawn will be soon," Cailean told him. "I cannae believe how early the sunrise is in this century. I never kent the sun rose at four in the mornin'."
"What time does it rise in yer time?" asked Jamie, rather perplexed by this observation.
"Nearly six," Cailean answered him. "And the sun sets at nearly ten."
"How verra strange," Jamie said.
"Astronomy is weird," Cailean answered just as Fergus came running back in. "Off ye two go, then. I'll hold down the fort."
CAILEAN POV
Cailean eventually moved to the study and found himself reading a new book titled 'Fables of the Female Sex' - one can imagine why Cailean was drawn to the title. He carried it to the nursery, where his two nephews could be found gurgling and kicking the air - or rather, Archie did, as Brian was fast asleep. Picking up Archie, Cailean sat down with the book in hand and let out a heavy sigh, then opened it to Fable II. "Right, lad. Let's read a story, aye? 'The Panther, The Horse, and Other Beasts'," he read. "'The man who seeks te win the fair, So custom says must truth forbear; Must fawn and flatter, cringe and lie, And raise the goddess te the sky; Fer truth is hateful to her ear, A rudeness which she cannot bear— A rudeness? — Yes — I speak my thoughts, Fer truth upbraids her with her faults.'"
"Aah," little Archie babbled, reaching for a brown curl on his uncle's head, and Cailean chuckled and gave the lad a kiss on his head.
"Ye like it so far, do ye? Is yer Uncle a good storyteller?" Cailean asked his nephew, and then he cleared his throat to read the next section. "'How wretched, Chloe, then am I, Who love you, and yet, cannae lie; And still, te make ye less my friend, I strive yer errors to amend! But shall the senseless fop impart The softest passion te yer-'" The sound of an angry voice suddenly echoed through the halls, drawing both Cailean and Archie's attention to the door. "What the hell…" Setting the book aside, Cailean stood with Archie in his arms to investigate, exiting the nursery just as Jamie came onto the second landing - he looked furious. "Jamie! What is it, man?" Cailean asked him, approaching the steaming man.
"I need te go somewhere," Jamie told him, looking at Archie in Cailean's arms. He took his son, then held him tightly and kissed the young lad's face. "I love ye, mo ghille . Never forget how much yer Da loves ye."
"What are ye on aboot?" Cailean asked him as Jamie handed Archie back to him and went into his bedchamber.
"I dinnae have time te explain. Go te L'Hôpital and get yer sister. Tell her I love her," Jamie said as he reached under the bed for his sword and pistol.
"Tell her yerself, mate!" Cailean told him as Jamie stood and went to the desk to scribble something onto a piece of paper.
"There is no time," Jamie told him, and then he turned to face his brother. "If somethin' happens, take care of my sister." Cailean then realised that this was clearly something very serious, and instead of being stopped, Jamie just needed assurance that his loved ones would be cared for.
"I will," Cailean told him. As Jamie was on his way out, Cailean stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "God be with ye, brother." Jamie nodded to him, and then he was gone.
L'Hôpital des Anges, Paris, France
CATRÌONA POV
I was examined and asked how I felt, but wanting to get home and see my sons and my husband, I lied and said I felt well enough to go home. I was informed that my carriage was waiting for me outside, and I was surprised to see that it was Cailean who came to fetch me instead of Jamie. "Not that I'm no' glad ye see ye, but where's Jamie?" I asked him.
"He had somethin' te do. I dinnae ken what, he didnae say, but he told me te tell ye he loves ye," Cailean replied. That cryptic message confused me a little, but I was sure he'd explain when he got home. I let Cailean help me into the carriage, ignoring the pain in my abdomen that had gotten significantly worse, and we rode home. When we arrived, Cailean helped me down and took me by the arm to lead me into the house, where Magnus greeted us.
" Bonjour, Madame, " he said to me, taking both of our coats and hats.
"Good mornin' to ye, Magnus," I said. Suzette suddenly came into the foyer from the kitchen and seemed surprised by our appearance.
"Oh! Good morning, Milady! Forgive me, I did not know you would be home so soon," Suzette told me. "Do you wish a bath? Perhaps something to eat?"
"No, just a lie down with my lads would be nice," I said. I was about to go up the stairs, but then another one of the servants came to me and curtsied, then handed me a piece of folded parchment.
"From Milord, Madame ," she said, bowing her head.
"Oh, all right," I said, taking the parchment and unfolding it. All it had were four cryptic words: ' I'm sorry. I must. - J ' I was very confused by this message, and I looked up at Cailean. "Ye said he had te go somewhere… Did someone summon him?"
"Sort of. A servant from Maison Elise came and said that Charles was in trouble and needed his help. He went, and came back sometime later lookin' like the vengeance of God sayin' he needed te go somewhere and didnae have time te explain," Cailean told me.
"Oh! This is what I heard from Marie!" Suzette exclaimed. "Marie was at the market this morning and she heard a master telling his wife everything! There was a loud sound, and then an English soldier came hurtling out of the doorway, smashing into the walls. Then, as Monsieur Cailean says, Milord appeared looking like the vengeance of God! It is just as Marie conveyed it."
"An English soldier," I said, and then the cryptic message made sense: ' I'm sorry. I must. ' "Randall…"
"Randall?" Cailean asked me.
"He's duelling Randall! That bastard promised!" I exclaimed, and then I grabbed my brother by the front of his shirt, startling him - it helped that we were nearly the same height, with Cailean, a mere six feet, only two inches taller than me. "Where did he say he was duelling Randall? Where? "
"At the woods, I think!" Cailean exclaimed, and I let him go and went in search for my coat. "Ye cannae go! Ye've only just gotten out of hospital!"
"Magnus, the carriage. I'm goin' te Bois de Boulogne ," I said to Magnus, who glanced at Cailean briefly.
"No ye are not! I promised Jamie I'd take care of ye, and I will!" Cailean exclaimed, and I turned on him, my eyes likely glowing like the fires of Hell themselves, judging by Cailean's expression.
"You cannae stop me," I hissed at him venomously. I opened my mouth to say something more when I suddenly heard the sound of a scream from upstairs, all of us turning our attention to the source. Suddenly, Beth came running down the stairs in her shift carrying a limp bundle in her arms - Brian.
"Mistress! Mistress, oh, Mistress! He isnae breathing!" Beth cried, alarming me. I ran to her side to look at Brian, finding that he was breathing, but extremely faintly and his nose, lips and fingers were turning purple.
"We have te get him te hospital," I said. "Quickly!" I grabbed Brian from Beth's arms and turned to run for the door, only to suddenly feel very faint. The edges of my vision began to darken and I stumbled. The last thing I heard and saw was my brother running to me, calling my name.
Time Unknown
It was still dark, but suddenly, I could hear the faint sound of… beeping? It… it sounded like a… a heart monitor? Slowly, I opened my eyes, finding myself blinded by a very bright light. Weakly, I raised my arm to block it out, and suddenly, the intensity was turned down. "Is that better, fy ffrind ?" I heard a voice say - in Welsh? Wasn't I in Paris? My eyes adjusted to the new light - light I wasn't used to seeing - and finally landed on the cheerfully green eyes and fair hair of a very lovely, friendly, familiar face that I hadn't seen in some time.
"M-Maidie?" I asked in a hushed whisper, and the girl smiled at me. Maidie Mackenzie, a young nurse who I worked alongside of in the field hospital at the Battle of Pitlochry in the summer of 2137. It was how we met, and we got very close after that. Maidie was a young girl from Wales, born to a Welsh mother and a Scottish father. Her parents joined the rebellion, same as mine did, but managed to avoid imprisonment by going back to Wales. However, when the second rebellion came, they were hunted down and executed, leaving just Maidie and her younger brother, who died in an earlier battle. "Wh-Where am I…"
"In hospital," said Maidie in her sweet Welsh accent. "You've been in a coma for some time."
"No, that… Tha's impossible," I said. "Where's Jamie?"
"Jamie?" asked Maidie. "I don't know anything about a Jamie." I heard the sound of approaching footsteps and saw a familiar face dressed in a white doctor's coat and a white cap. "Dr. Hildegard! Catrìona has just woken up."
"I am glad to see it," said this Dr. Hildegard in a French accent. "Did you tell her yet?"
"No, I wanted to wait until she woke up a little more," Maidie replied.
"Tell me what…" I asked weakly, looking around the room. Another face soon joined the crowd - another doctor, Dr. Forez.
"Glad to see that you are awake, Captain Fowlis," said Dr. Forez, a Tim Burton-looking man with beady eyes and pencil-thin eyebrows. "You gave us quite a scare."
"I… I don't… understand…" I said. Another nurse came in, dressed somewhat similarly to Dr. Hildegard but in white scrubs instead.
"Nurse Angelique, if you will bring us another bag of saline, and put in an order for a bit of soup. I think Captain Fowlis would appreciate it very much," Dr. Hildegard told this nurse, who nodded and disappeared.
"I… I don't understand. Where is Jamie? Where's Cailean? Where's my sons? I demanded from these people, all of whom looked vaguely familiar.
"Cailean? Catrìona, he's been missing for two and a half years," Maidie told me.
"She must have been dreaming," Dr. Hildegard said, writing something on her tablet.
"There's no Jamie, either. Would you like me to fetch Tom? He's been worried sick about you, Catrìona," Maidie told me.
"That would be wise, thank you, Nurse Mackenzie," said Dr. Hildegard, and Maidie left.
"She must be informed," Dr. Forez said to Dr. Hildegard, who nodded.
"I agree, Dr. Forez," Dr. Hildegard said. "Captain Fowlis… Catrìona… You have been in a coma for a little over a year."
"What?" I said. I'd been in a coma? Since… since Culloden? So the stones weren't real? Jamie wasn't real? Archie… and Brian… Beth, Murtagh, everyone I'd met, spoken to, formed a relationship with… that never happened? "No… My… My sons…"
"You were pregnant, Catrìona, but… I'm afraid you have had a miscarriage," said Dr. Hildegard. Pregnant? How the hell could I be pregnant if I'd been in a coma for the last year? And why weren't these doctors alarmed by it? "The pregnancy was ectopic, and there has been a complication. We will have to remove it via a laparoscopic procedure." They hadn't done it yet?
"How… How can I be pregnant?" I asked. Suddenly, a new face appeared in my field of vision - Tom. He looked just like Jack Randall - who I must have been hallucinating.
"Cat! Oh, my God, Cat!" he exclaimed, rushing to my bedside, and I recoiled from him as soon as he came near.
"Get away, dinnae touch me!" I said with alarm, and Maidie placed a hand on his shoulder.
"It's all right, just back up a little bit," she told him.
"Cat, it's me! I know it's been a while, but I'm here, and I love you," Tom told me, but I kept my distance from him.
"Stay away from me! Stay away!" I shouted.
"She needs some midazolam, and quickly," Dr. Forez said to Maidie, who nodded and went to get it from a cart.
"Dinnae dare!" I exclaimed as Maidie connected it to my IV and pushed the plunger. "No! No, don't ye dare! Where's my son? Where is he? Where's Brian? Where… Brian…" My vision clouded again, and then I was unconscious.
The next time I awoke, it was dark. Very dark - no electric lights, no beeping or glow of heart monitors, nothing. Just silence and darkness. The hospital bed beneath me felt different. The sheets weren't as soft and the blankets were heavy. Where on Earth had those doctors put me? Alarmed, I opened my eyes and found that I was actually not in a hospital in the twenty-second century, but instead in L'Hôpital des Anges . Thank Christ… I was so scared that everything I'd done, everyone I'd loved, weren't real… Sister Angelique appeared in my field of vision with a glass of water, setting it on a table beside me.
"You," I said, recognising her from what must have been a fever dream. "My son? Where is he? Where's Brian?"
" Chére, Madame. Do not trouble yourself," said Sister Angelique. "You must save your strength."
"I dinnae care aboot my strength. Where is my son?" I demanded from her.
"You must have some water," said Sister Angelique, picking up the glass to try and give me some, but I smacked it out of her hand, the glass smashing on the floor.
"I dinnae want any water, I want my son! Where is he? " I demanded. The look on Sister Angelique's face should have been enough to give me an answer, but I still wasn't prepared for the words that she spoke next.
"He… He has joined the angels," Sister Angelique said, and it felt as if my heart had stopped. Brian was dead. His time had come to an end and he had passed away. I failed him as a mother. I couldn't save my son. But what if she was lying to me to get me to calm and quiet down? What if Brian was really alive?
"No," I said. "No, it isnae possible."
"I am afraid that it is the truth," said Sister Angelique. "He failed to thrive."
"'Failure te thrive' isnae a diagnosis! I want my son. Bring me my son! Bring him te me!" I shouted.
" Madame, you must calm down!" Sister Angelique said. " Aider! Aider! "
"Bring me my son! I want my son!" I shouted, thrashing in the bed until suddenly, I was held down by multiple hands. My mouth was forced open, and though I tried to fight it, something - laudanum, by the taste - was poured into my mouth. They continued to hold me down until I yet again slipped into unconsciousness.
I awoke again to the sound of the heart monitor beeping, and when I opened my eyes, I was blinded yet again by the electric lights. Maidie was sitting at the foot of my bed again, a comforting smile on her face, and behind her was a man dressed in black - a priest? " Bore da , Catrìona. This is Father Laurentin," she said to me, introducing the man behind her. "You haven't been improving… I don't want to scare you, but your fever is very high and… We've done just about everything we can… Tom summoned him, said he wants to prepare your soul."
"Tom kens I'm not Catholic," I said quietly.
"Even more reason, then," said Maidie again.
"I need my husband. I need Jamie," I told her.
"I'm sorry, Catrìona, but as I've told you before, there is no Jamie. There never was," Maidie replied calmly.
"Then… then my sins are all I have left," I said. "I dinnae wish te be resolved of them."
"Catrìona…"
"Just leave me be," I said, turning my head away from them both.
"All right," said Maidie after a sigh, and she led Father Laurentin out of the room. To myself silently, I began to cry, letting the tears fall freely down my cheeks and onto my pillow. There was no Jamie, no Brian, no Archie, no Cailean… Only faces I didn't recognise, faces I had known a long time ago… Faces that didn't know.
The next time I awoke, it was dark again, and the rough heavy linens had returned. I heard rustling by the foot of the bed, and when I opened my eyes, candlelight being all I could see by, I saw a shadow against the wall. "J-Jamie?" I called weakly, and the figure appeared in the candlelight, revealing that it was not Jamie, but… Master Raymond.
"Shh, hush, Madonna. If they find me here, I am finished," said Master Raymond. I couldn't see what he was doing, as I'd closed my eyes again, but I felt his hands on the bare skin of my abdomen, then felt a tiny pinch. "Tell me what you see, Madonna."
"I am no Madonna," I replied. "I lost my son. I failed him as his mother."
"I did not call you Madonna because of your children, my dear. Everyone has a colour about them. Yours is a pale blue, like the Virgin's cloak. Like my own," said Master Raymond. "Tell me, now. What do you see?"
"Wings…" I answered weakly. "Blue wings…"
"You see, blue is the colour of healing," Master Raymond told me. "Give yourself up to them. Allow them to carry away your pain. Say the name of the red one."
"Jamie… Jamie!" I called. I couldn't see what he was doing, but I believe that I had some sort of sense of it. Suddenly, I was in an operating room, the bright electric lights shining down on me. In my mouth was an intubation tube, ensuring that I breathed during the procedure. At my feet, Master Raymond - Dr. Raymond - was using the equipment common to a laparoscopic procedure.
"There is infection. She will need a good course of antibiotics," I heard Dr. Raymond say to the nurse - Maidie.
"I'll make sure it gets down," Maidie replied.
"And there it is," I heard Dr. Raymond say. "Poor thing… She will have to lose this Fallopian tube. The foetus has completely destroyed it."
"Poor thing," I heard Maidie say. My eyes closed again, and when they opened, I was back in L'Hôpital, Raymond working diligently behind my linen blankets.
"Ye shouldnae have come," I told him. "It's too dangerous…"
"You were right about the King. He wants blood now, but these are things you do for your friends," Master Raymond told me. "I must go."
"Will I ever see ye again?" I asked him.
"As I told you before, we will see each other again," he said to me. "Be well, Madonna." And then he was gone, and I was alone once more.
Sometime later, I don't know when - I didn't even know the date - a visitor came to my side and held my hand in hers. I glanced over, expecting to see Maidie again, but instead, it was Louise. "Louise," I said weakly.
"Hello, mon amie ," she said to me.
"Jamie, where… Where is he?" I asked her.
"Unable to come," she replied sadly. "He was arrested for duelling with an English captain and is being detained in the Bastille."
"Fer how long?" I asked her.
"It is hard to say. Duelling is a serious offence. I am afraid Monsieur Fraser will remain in prison at the King's pleasure," Louise told me. "Had he killed his opponent, the punishment would be much worse."
"He… He's no' dead?" I asked, referring to Randall, and Louise nodded.
"As I've heard, he is badly wounded, but he was sent to England to recover," Louise replied. So. Randall lived - the cat with nine lives. If Randall lived, so did Tom, but at what cost had all this come? "This is fortunate, no?"
"It is," I said. "But he betrayed me. Revenge mattered te him more than me… more than his family… And now, his son is dead, and so is another child I didnae ken I was havin'." I placed my hand over my now empty womb. "All I asked fer was a year, and he couldnae give me that. He may as well have run his sword through me."
"They say that God says we must revel in mercy," Louise told me, covering my hand with hers.
"Tread sins underfoot and hurl iniquities into the sea," Mother Hildegard said as she came to examine me.
"I'm no' sure there's a sea deep enough," I answered.
I laid in that bed for weeks. Cailean and Fergus both tried their best to encourage me to return home, but I just couldn't. It was Jamie's home, and Brian's, too, but both of them were, in some form, dead to me, and I couldn't go. On the second of July, Cailean finally brought Archie, who was glad to see me, but I couldn't look at him, either. I'd lost his brother, and he looked just like him. "Cat… This is yer son, who still lives. Hold him," he said.
"I cannae," I answered, my back turned to them both.
"Then come home, at least. Lyin' here will be no good fer ye," Cailean told me.
"I dinnae want te," I said.
"Well, ye've no choice in the matter. I've done all I can te convince ye te come home on yer own but ye won't, so yer comin' home with me right now," he said to me. I didn't reply, but the nuns helped me to dress and got me up to get into the carriage. Fergus was there, as was Beth, and they both looked so solemn on the ride home. When we returned, I ignored everyone who spoke to me and went straight to my bedchamber, crawling into bed and not coming out.
Louise came to visit me again, but there was nothing she could do to convince me to come out of bed. Cailean tried to bring Archie in, but he got the same reaction from me as he did at L'Hôpital . I just couldn't look him in the eye. "She should come to my estate," I heard her say to Cailean.
"I think we will. I'll talk te her," Cailean replied.
4 July, 1744
Jared's House, Paris, France
CAILEAN POV
Catrìona finally moved from the bed to the study, but only for a change of scenery. She was confined to the couch and refused to change out of her shift, wrapping her tartan firmly around her. Cailean was worried sick about her, but no matter what he did, he just couldn't reach her. A few weeks before, he had hired a wet nurse to care for and feed Archie, who seemed to be in a bit of a funk himself. Cailean, being a twin who had lost his brother as well, knew exactly how Archie was feeling. Despite being an infant, Archie knew that his brother was gone.
Cailean was in the parlour, wanting to leave his sister alone, when Magnus entered to announce the arrival of a guest. "Prince Charles Edward Stuart, Monsieur ," said Magnus, surprising Cailean. Cailean stood as Charles entered the room.
"Yer Highness," Cailean said with surprise. "What are ye doin' here?"
"I wished to offer my condolences to Madame Fraser," said Charles.
"Tha's verra kind… She… She isnae really seein' anyone presently," Cailean replied. "Er… Suzette? Will ye go and ask Catrìona if she'll receive a guest?"
" Oui, Monsieur, " said Suzette, disappearing upstairs.
"How is she? And James as well?" Charles asked him.
"Jamie is in the Bastille. Unfortunately, there is nothin' we can say or do te get him out. I've been tryin' te think of somethin', but I'm comin' up blank," Cailean explained. "As fer my sister… She's lost her son. Brian was aboot six months old, and she's been takin' it real hard."
"I can only imagine," said Charles. Suzette returned shortly to inform them that Catrìona would receive a visitor, and Cailean brought the prince up to the study.
"Now, Yer Highness, as I said, she's takin' the loss of her son verra hard. She may not be fully dressed, but she's decent, and she may look rather ill," Cailean warned him, and then the two of them entered the study. "Cat? His Royal Highness is here te offer his condolences." Catrìona was on the couch bundled up in her tartan. She didn't move, nor did she acknowledge the intrusion.
"Madame Fraser," said Charles, entering the room and approaching her. "I wish to offer my most sincere condolences for the loss of your son." Catrìona didn't respond to him, nor did she even look at him.
"Catrìona, did ye hear the prince?" Cailean asked his sister. She was silent for another moment before speaking quietly.
"Thank ye, that's verra kind of ye," she said, still not looking at him.
"I do hope you are doing well," said Charles. Catrìona didn't respond to that and continued to remain motionless on the couch. Feeling awkward, Charles stood and turned to address Cailean. "May we converse in private?"
"Aye, we'll go te my quarters," Cailean said. He allowed room for the prince to exit the study, then he looked back at his sister, who still hadn't moved, before closing the door behind him.
CATRÌONA POV
It seemed like I couldn't be left alone. Everyone was checking up on me - Cailean, the bloody prince, Suzette, Beth, other servants, even the new wet nurse that Cailean hired when I was in hospital. Frankly, I just wanted to be left alone, but a knock on the door later that evening indicated that that wouldn't be happening. The door opened and Cailean stuck his head in. "Cat, Alasdair Fowlis is here. He says he has somethin' verra important te say te us," Cailean told me.
"If it's more condolences, I dinnae want te hear it," I said back, not moving an inch.
"While I do offer my most sincere condolences, a leannan, ye'll be glad te hear that that is not the reason fer my visit," I heard Alasdair say. For the first time all day, I turned my head a little to see the two of them standing in the doorframe, and then subtly nodded.
"All right," I said. They entered the study, Cailean closing the door behind him, and the two of them sat down. Cailean sat on the couch near my feet, while Alasdair sat in a chair beside the fire.
"This… This may be hard te hear, but I have been givin' it some thought and I believe ye both deserve te hear the truth… That is, if ye are who ye say ye are," Alasdair told us. "My cousin, Archie Fowlis, disappeared in 1725, when he was eighteen years old. Ye ken that already. But that wasnae the first time he disappeared… The first time was actually three years earlier, when he was fifteen… and I was there te witness it." This piqued my interest and I turned my head a little more to look at him.
"Ye witnessed it?" Cailean asked him.
"Yes," Alasdair replied. "We went te North Uist. Fer what, I forget now as it was so long ago… But when we got there, we heard some local lads speakin' aboot the stone circle, Pobull Fhinn. Archie and I were young lads who wanted te prove ourselves te these lads, so we went. They told us we had te touch the largest stone te prove that we were tough and manly. Everraone did, including me… but when Archie touched it, he… disappeared. Right before our verra eyes." Now completely interested, I sat up.
"He… He went through the stones," I said.
"Aye," said Alasdair.
"But he returned," I said again, and Alasdair nodded.
"Aye, in early October of that year. It was around May Day when he disappeared," he told us.
"Did… Did he say what happened?" Cailean asked.
"He did," said Alasdair. "None of us believed him at the time, but… he said he went te the year… 2095." Cailean and I looked at each other, our eyes wide, and then looked back at Alasdair. "He said that Scotland was at ends with England and there was talk of rebellion. He wanted us all te try and go through the stones te help them, but we all thought he was mad. I remember his sister, Maisie, callin' him a rambling gabbot. After a while, he dropped it, but he was never the same, and then in April of '25, he left Cìosamul, leavin' behind a note that said 'I must help them'. We never saw him again." Alasdair paused for a moment, then looked back up at us. "I ken that you, Cailean, look identical to him, and you , Catrìona, have his eyes and his strength. Yer a natural leader, just like he was."
"And ye… Ye think we're from that time?" Cailean asked him.
"It'd make sense, wouldn't it?" Alasdair asked us. "He says he went te 2095. You two come of out of nothin' claimin' te be the children of Archie Fowlis, growin' up on Barra. Is that where he went? Barra?" Both Cailean and I were silent. What if he was baiting us? We exchanged another glance, and then Cailean let out a heavy sigh and turned his attention back to Alasdair.
"He fought in the rebellion in 2098," he said, and I whipped my head in his direction.
"Are ye mad?" I demanded of him.
"We can trust him, Cat," Cailean told me, and then he let out another sigh again. "Archie Fowlis was a commandin' officer in the Scottish rebel army from 2098 te 2100. Nothin' exists of him before that date, and he used te tell us aboot his family, claimin' they died a long time ago." He then looked at me again. "Cat made that observation, actually." I cast my eyes down, then looked at Alasdair again, who had wide eyes.
"Aye… We're from that time," I said. "I was born in 2116, Cailean in 2118. He… He met a… healer, durin' the rebellion. Married her after the war, then had us. He was imprisoned fer fifteen years in between."
"I… I see… Aye, tha'… certainly would account fer… the strangeness of the two of ye," Alasdair said. "So… He did live."
"Fer a time," I said. "I told ye he and our brothers died at the hands of the English. Unfortunately, that is true. They were killed in 2131." Alasdair nodded, then seemed to trace the pattern in the carpet with his eyes.
"I thought somethin' like that might be possible… So then ye really are the grandchildren of my uncle," Alasdair told us. "He… He'd be glad te ken ye."
"Would he truly believe who we are?" Cailean asked the man who we now could confirm was indeed our direct relative.
"He kens aboot what happened, kens the truth. I've told him everrathing. He'll believe ye," said Alasdair. He stood and then cleared his throat. "I'm te return back te Scotland. I've no purpose here in France anymore."
"Before ye go," I said, standing up from the couch. "Wait here, just a moment." He nodded, and I left the room to dig through my medical bag, pulling out the identification case that contained the photograph of my father. I carried it back to the study, then handed the photograph to Alasdair, who's eyes widened when he saw it. "Is that him? Archie Fowlis?" Alasdair seemed frozen for a moment, but then he nodded.
"Aye… Aye, tha's him…" he said quietly, a little choked up.
"That's our father in the rebellion," I said, and I looked up at Cailean. "We… We're not alone, after all."
"No, we arenae," said Cailean, smiling at me. Alasdair handed me the photograph back, then took my hand in his and held it tightly.
"If either of ye need anything, send word and I will be there. Ye have a home in my home, and ye'll always be welcome at Cìosamul. I hope ye'll come, someday. Yer… Yer grandparents will want te ken ye," said Alasdair.
"We'd be glad te," said Cailean. Alasdair let go of my hand and then bid us one final goodbye before he left the room, leaving both Cailean and I staring after him. "So Da's a traveller… He must be where we got it from."
"No wonder we never kent anything aboot him before the rebellion," I said. This news was starting to make me a little dizzy - it was quite overwhelming to have everything you knew, or thought you knew, pulled from right under your feet only to find the rug you were standing on covered an old stone floor. "I… I think I need te lie down…"
"Um, before ye go," Cailean said, standing up. "I… I spoke te Fergus. He… had a night terror last night. I was up late, wanderin' the halls when I heard him. He was sayin' things like 'Stop. Dinnae touch me' and the like… I woke him up te check on him and he seemed verra frightened, and at first, wouldnae tell me what happened, but then he said tha'… Tha' it wasnae just a dream. He said that he went te Maison Elise with Jamie, didnae listen, as usual, when Jamie told him te stay put, and went te check the rooms fer things te steal when he came into an open room. He said he came across a lavender-scented perfume and wanted te give it to ye, but then he was… was stopped by an Englishman." At this, I turned to face him, eager to hear the rest of this story. "This Englishman - Randall - raped him, Catrìona, and Jamie found them and stopped him."
"Christ," I said, needing to sit down in the chair that Alasdair had just vacated.
"Jamie challenged him te a duel after findin' him attacking Fergus. He blames himself fer Jamie gettin' arrested," Cailean told me. "Dinnae tell him I told he, but I just couldnae have ye continue te blame Jamie fer what's happened." I wasn't entirely sure that I heard him, but I knew then that no matter what, this meant that I had to get Jamie out of prison. Randall raped a child, and Jamie stopped him. He shouldn't have duelled Randall, , but I could only imagine the rage that he must have felt knowing that Randall had attacked Fergus, whom we both had come to love like our own child. "Cat?"
"I need te go," I said, standing back up and leaving the study.
"What? Go where? Cat!" Cailean called, following me.
"Te L'Hôpital. Mother Hildegard kens the King. I… I need te seek an audience with him," I said. "Just stay here, I'll be back as soon as I can."
"I'm goin' with ye," he told me. "Just get dressed and I'll get the carriage ready." I watched as he rushed off downstairs, then quickly went into my bedchamber to change.
L'Hôpital des Anges, Paris, France
Cailean and I both entered L'Hôpital together, Cailean assisting me by giving me his arm to hold onto. Mother Hildegard happened to be near the front door and was surprised to see me, but approached us. "Madame Fraser, you are unwell?" Mother Hildegard asked me with concern.
"No, but I do wish te speak with ye," I said. "Privately, if we can. Cailean, wait by the carriage."
"Are ye sure?" he asked, and I nodded. "All right. I'll be outside." I watched as he left, and then Mother Hildegard led me to her study.
"What is it that I can do for you, my dear?" Mother Hildegard asked me, annoyingly compassionate. I was so sick of being spoken to like a fragile package, but I pushed that aside. Snapping at Mother Hildegard would do nothing but upset us both.
"Ye mentioned that ye were the goddaughter te the old Sun King," I said calmly, but a bit brashly. "I need te ask fer ye te use yer connections and help me get a private audience with the King."
"A private audience with the King?" Mother Hildegard asked me with surprise.
"Aye," I said. "Surely, ye have somethin' still, maybe… an entrée or ken someone who does."
"It is possible," said Mother Hildegard. "What is the reason?"
"I wish te petition fer my husband's release from the Bastille," I said, earning a knowledgeable smile from Mother Hildegard.
"Ah, ma chère , you have found a deep enough sea," she told me, and I glanced down at the ground, feeling the heat of a faint blush in my cheeks.
"I… I've learned the reason he broke his promise te me…" I muttered, and then I looked back up at her. "I was angry. Still am, a bit, but… he was Brian's father… still is Archie's father."
"I see. His Majesty is a mercurial man. There is a price to such requests," said Mother Hildegard.
"I ken what they are. If it comes te sacrificin' my virtue, Mother, well, I'll add it te the list of things I've already lost here in Paris. Not te mention, my virtue was lost long ago, at no fault of my own," I told her.
"Very well. I shall see what I can do. I shall send word if I am successful," said Mother Hildegard in the best supportive tone she could manage.
Four days later, I received a letter from Mother Hildegard stating that the King would grant me a private audience on that upcoming Saturday at noon. I breathed a deep sigh of relief, as well as concern - Jamie would be free, but at a cost that he might not accept.
11 July, 1744
Versailles, Paris, France
At half past eleven, I arrived at Versailles dressed in a forest green dress. It was plain, but regal-looking, as I wanted to be seen as a respectable woman who did not regularly warm the beds of other lovers as opposed to a free-loving, frivolous woman. I put on the best perfume that I had, one I wore when I wanted to attract Jamie's attention, and had my hair done in a simple Georgian style as opposed to rococo, and around my neck, I wore the poison-detecting stone that Master Raymond had given me. I was led through Versailles by a servant, who brought me to the King's chambers. I was instructed to wait outside, and then was led in by the servant. "Madame Catherine Fraser, Lady Broch Tuarach," said the servant, pronouncing my name incorrectly. I curtsied to the King, who was dressed in an ornate robe, and stayed in that position until the servant was dismissed.
"Lady Broch Tuarach," said the King. "The King believes that your name is not Catherine."
"It is not, Yer Highness. I gave my correct name of 'Catrìona', but am no stranger to mispronunciations," I answered him.
"Your Scottish names can be quite a tongue twister," said the King. "Now, tell me, what is it that I may do for you, Madame Fraser?"
"My husband is in the Bastille fer duelling, and I wish te petition fer his release," I answered.
"Then your husband has broken a royal decree," said the King.
"I understand that, but he was provoked. His opponent was found te be rapin' one of our servants - a child servant - and he could not allow his opponent te go unpunished. As ye ken, he is a Scot, as am I, and we are most fierce where questions of our honour are concerned. Had I not been ill, I cannae say I would not have injured the man myself," I told him.
"I see," said the King. "I hear you most certainly have a reputation for being fierce." He approached me, then reached for my right hand, running his thumb over the silver ring on my finger. "Is this his ring?"
"It is," I answered.
"There is often gossip of women of your class seeking lovers. Many do, but you do not," said the King. "Your loyalty is most… noteworthy."
"I do love my husband… dearly. I dinnae find myself unsatisfied in our marriage, nor do I desire to seek the comfort of another," I answered.
"Hmm. I am inclined towards mercy, ma chère Madame , but… the law is the law," said the King, releasing my hand and turning to walk in the other direction. He was silent for a moment, and I waited to see what His Majesty's pleasure would be. He was called Louis the Beloved, but he was an absolute monarch - he could choose to have Jamie released, kept in prison, or killed with just a word, and he could do whatever he liked with me. "Tell me… If I were to grant your request to free your husband, would you be inclined to grant me a small favour in return?"
"I would, of course, be inclined te give ye whatever ye asked of me, Yer Majesty. I am at yer complete disposal," I said to him.
" Très bien, " he said, and then turned to face me again. " Très bien, Madame. Come." He motioned to me to come towards him, which I did, and he gently touched my face with his fingertips. "So pale… I see why they call you La Dame Blanche. " I raised my eyebrows slightly, and the King then led me into a separate room attached to his bedchamber, surprising me even more. I followed him cautiously, finding myself in a dark room with astronomical symbols, stars, planets and more painted on the floor, ceiling and pillars.
"Blessed Bride," I muttered under my breath, admiring the night sky on the ceiling. "This room… It's verra beautiful."
"I am glad you find it so," said the King. "The King asks that you give us the benefit of your skill." He waved to a guard on the opposite side of the room, who opened the doors he was guarding. Coming into the room were three faces I did not expect to see at all - Monsieur Forez, Master Raymond, and the Comte Saint Germain. With the presence of Monsieur Forez, who was the King's personal executioner, I could only assume one thing - someone in this room was going to die.
"I… I see," I said, my eyes a little wide.
" Maître Raymond et Comte Saint Germain , we have no quarrel with the proper search for wisdom, but while much good may be found, so, too, may evil be discovered," said the King, addressing the two men before me. "And the search for wisdom may be perverted into the desire for power and wealth for one's own depraved and immoral purposes."
"Blessed Bride," I murmured to myself, and the King turned his attention to me.
"I beseech you, use your talents, Madame Fraser. Look into their souls and if there is darkness within, they will be handed over to Monsieur Forez and put to death," said the King. I glanced between the King and the two men on the other side of the room - Raymond wouldn't look me in the eye, while Saint Germain wouldn't look away from my eyes, a small smirk forming on his face.
"It would be an honour te assist Yer Majesty in this task," I said, narrowing my eyes at the Comte. I approached the two of them, staring into the eyes of both of them. The King wanted a show, so I would give him a show. "In these eyes, I sense darkness," I said as I looked into the eyes of Master Raymond. "But only the darkness that lives in the souls of all men and all women…" I turned to look at the King. "…even in the soul of a king, for without darkness, there can be no light." I faced the two men again, directing my attention to Master Raymond. "And without light, there can only be darkness. But I sense in yer eyes that there is light te be seen. A wisp… of pale blue. The colour of healing." Master Raymond met my eyes, a slight smile spreading across his lips. I then turned my attention to Saint Germain, who was glaring at me as I 'examined' him. "Ah, but behind your eyes, I see a shadow. I see an image… of bitter cascara. Ah, there is not one shadow, but two … A word is forming… Tell me, le Comte , are you familiar with the words 'Les Disciples'?"
"I know nothing of these 'Les Disciples' that you speak of," said Saint Germain bitterly.
"But how strange, fer I see them in connection with you. They are a group of masked men, generally of our class, who seek the maidenhead of a virgin to achieve access to a special elite… club," I told him. "Are you certain ye dinnae ken it?"
"This woman is lying, sire," said Saint Germain to the King. "This woman is a liar and a witch. This woman has been known to drink poison and survive."
"'This woman'. Am I, now?" I asked him. "Ye ken, it takes a lot te kill a White Lady. We are chosen specifically by God to do good in the world." Well, if God decided I was going to hell already, a little bit of lying wouldn't hurt.
"Tell us, le Comte, how you come to this knowledge," said the King curiously.
"Because I gave her the poison myself," said Saint Germain, confirming the suspicion I had had all along. "She tried to ruin my livelihood. She had my ship destroyed with her false condemnations."
"There was nothing 'false' about my diagnosis of those men, who verra clearly had smallpox," I said to him, which seemed to surprise the King.
"You have brought smallpox into my country," said the King, now staring at Saint Germain with suspicion.
"There was no smallpox on my ship until she arrived. She is a witch!" Saint Germain exclaimed. "And she does not deny it."
"Indeed, I do not. As I have said, I am a White Lady - La Dame Blanche. She is a White Witch, who practices white magic - healing magic. I was born with my gift, as was my mother before me, and I have healed many a man," I said, turning to the King again. "Do ask Mother Hildegard, and she will tell ye herself. I have performed miracles, saving men from the brink of death at L'Hôpital des Anges ."
"I have indeed heard of such a rumour," said the King, and then he looked at Saint Germain again. "Madame Fraser is not on trial here."
"As a practitioner of the white arts, I do not wish to condemn anyone to death, but I cannot deny that I see a darkness in your soul," I said to Saint Germain, who narrowed his eyes at me.
"All men have darkness in their souls, as you have said, but if I am to cleanse this city, then I must make an example," said the King.
"Perhaps we can aid in your decision," said Saint Germain, his malicious eyes on mine. "The Bible claims that a true believer can handle serpents and they will not harm him, for they are the servants of God." I was certain that Saint Germain could see the slight worry in my eye - with my luck, this would be God's chance to reveal that I was Pagan and was not a servant to God.
"Or, perhaps, Yer Majesty, I might suggest another test," I said. "As Monsieur Saint Germain claims, I did drink his poison and survive. It is due to my true faith, so let him drink mine , and we shall see what happens. Let them both drink it. With yer permission?" The King seemed intrigued.
"Very well, the King shall allow it," said the King. Having stored it some time ago, I had hidden a very small vial of the bitter cascara and lobelia tincture in the stone, in case I desired revenge on the Comte. Here was my chance - it would make both men ill, but would kill neither of them, and perhaps, pleased with the show, the King would be appeased and free them both. No blood on my hands, and both men go free. I removed the tincture from the stone and accepted a full chalice of wine from another servant, pouring the tincture into the wine and holding up the chalice.
"This potion shall give ye yer answers, Yer Majesty," I said, making sure the chalice was visible to all. "As I said, all men have darkness in their souls, but this potion will reveal the darkest of those souls. We may have one death, or we may have two… But I must ask one thing - if both men survive, they will be set free." I turned my attention to the King, who seemed very intrigued.
"We shall see if it pleases the King," the King answered. Nodding to him, I brought the chalice first to Master Raymond, who was closest to me. I placed the chalice in his hands and he accepted it, ducking his head beneath his cloak. He took one sip, and after a moment, he doubled over and began to cough, indicating that he had been affected by the bitter cascara, and the King watched with eagerness, but Master Raymond did not die. He returned the chalice to my hands, and suddenly, I noticed that the white stone that hung from my neck turned a vicious-looking black - poison.
I hadn't seen Master Raymond add anything to the wine - no one had. It was an amazing feat of sleight of hand, so incredible that I was stunned into silence as I turned slowly to Saint Germain, who had seen the stone around my neck turn black. Inside of this chalice that I carried in my hands was death, and Saint Germain knew that. He accepted the chalice, his malicious eyes on mine. "Tchin tchin," he said, taking a sip from the goblet. For just a moment, he was fine, but then like Master Raymond, he began to cough and double over, then fell to his knees, falling dead at my feet. I was alarmed, stepping back to avoid the red, blood-like puddle of wine that had spilled from the glass.
"It is done," said the King. "Release Maître Raymond at once." I looked up at Master Raymond as he was led from the room by Monsieur Forez and he gave me a wink, then disappeared from the room completely. Still stunned, I slowly turned to face the King, whom I found I was now alone with in the room.
"Ye… Ye will honour my request, Yer Majesty?" I asked him.
" Oui, but first, there is still the matter of payment," said the King, and then he regally held out a hand to me. "Come , ma chère ." A little nervously, I swallowed my pride and nodded, accepting his hand and being led out of the mystical room and back into the brightness of the King's bedchamber. He led me to the bed, where I sat. "Lie back, ma chère. " Without saying a word, I lay down on my back, focusing on the painted ceiling of the lavish and elaborate bedchamber. As the King climbed on top of me, I locked eyes with a red-haired, blue-eyes cherub. Forgive me, I thought to myself. It was over so quickly that I barely realised it had even begun. I felt violated, but believed that I felt more sorry for the pathetic excuse for sex that I had just received from the King of bloody France. He stood back up and buttoned his breeks, then stood with his back to me. "I will issue a pardon for your husband and arrange one with the English crown, should you wish to return to Scotland. But he must leave France by the end of August."
"Thank ye, Yer Highness. I am verra grateful for yer generosity," I said as I stood. I adjusted my skirts one final time, then glanced back at the King, who was still turned away from me. On the table by a very ornate-looking settee was a bowl of Spanish oranges, and I took one, holding it firmly in my hand, as I was shown out of the room by the same servant who led me there.