Unexpected return, p.28
Unexpected Return, page 28
When he opened the door to the office, he saw John sitting on the doctor’s table.
“John, is everything fine? Did something happen?” Then he noticed John’s arm wasn’t in the sling. “John, please answer me.”
John got a huge smile on his face, hopped off the table, walked over to his father and gave him a big hug.
“John?” his father exclaimed. “But your injuries?”
“Father, I am healed! My bones are no longer broken!”
“But, how is this possible?”
“Your majesty, I came across a spell to heal broken bones while reading Merlin’s manuscripts! I performed it on John and it worked! It can only be done once the bones are in their right place which was accomplished by the doctors. Now he can travel with no worries.”
“I am as surprised as you are!” Dr. Ross responded. “But he’s right. I checked, and the bones are as good as new!”
“This is more than I could have ever hoped for!” Then King William hugged his son tightly.
“Father, is that a tear I see in your eye?”
“No, no, just have something in it. We must go and inform the rest of the family of this great news. Oh, I almost forgot. Arius, did you also have a chance to perform the ‘silence’ spell on him?”
“Aye, your majesty. It has been done.”
“It is time for us to go and let John surprise his bride with this good news and make preparations to leave. Now that everything has been accomplished, the only thing left is to meet everyone in the courtyard.”
CHAPTER 48
JOHN AND CATHERINE SAY GOODBYE
Everyone was summoned to the courtyard for the departure of the new King and Queen of Dorset. They were excited and sad at the same time. Soon John and Catherine appeared at the front door, and John ran over to his family. King William had already informed them of the spell Arius had cast, so they were very excited to see it for themselves. They all crowded around him, each in turn giving him a hug.
“I cannot believe how good you look, John!” James exclaimed. “You look as good as new! As if nothing ever happened!”
“I feel as good as new!” John replied. “Now I can hug my new bride and not worry about breaking any bones!” John looked around and did not see a dragon waiting in the middle of the courtyard. “Where is Arius?” John inquired.
He had no sooner asked the question when above them they heard the loud flapping of wings. Everyone backed up as Arius descended into the courtyard and touched down with a thud.
“I am here, your majesty, as requested. I have fashioned a saddle I think will enable the two to ride comfortably.”
“Thank you, Arius. Just one request before you leave.” Arius, the dragon, lowered his head so he could hear the King.
“You will be careful when flying my son and his bride back to Dorset. Now that he is healed, I don’t want him to have any more broken bones.”
“I will fly as smoothly as possible.”
“That pleases me greatly! Thank you.” King William looked around him to see if he could locate James. “Ah, there you are. James, would you demonstrate the technique you used to mount and dismount this dragon.”
“I would be happy to do that. With the help of Arius, I was able to get on and off with ease. You will find that flying is an experience of a lifetime! I look forward to the time when Arius and I can again fly off into the clouds.”
Then James showed John and Catherine the method he used to climb up on Arius’ back and then slide off.
“There you go, brother. It is a rather easy process.”
“Thank you for showing us how easily it can be done, James,” his father shared. “Now it is time to say our goodbyes to King John and Queen Catherine. That is the first time I have used the titles given to you. It seems strange to have John be King of Dorset but they will have a just and fair King whom I am very proud to call my son.” John hugged his father and then backed away.
“This is not forever,” John insisted. “We will return to Wiltshire for visits, and you may travel to Dorset as well. Riding Arius would make the journey much quicker.”
“I will miss you, John, I mean King John,” Bethany babbled as she started to cry.
“Little sister, you may always call me John for I will always be your big brother.” Then he stooped down and gave her a big hug. “And you, Miss Madison, will you miss me?”
“Every day!” and Madison began to cry, too.
John hugged his mother and then James. He walked over to Justine, and whispered in her ear, “You take good care of my brother. He loves you very much.” Then he hugged her. Finally he shook hands with the rest of the Ross family. When he got to Dr. Ross, Dr. Ross gave him some last-minute instructions on how to take care of himself.
“Do not worry, Dr. Ross. I will take good care of him,” Catherine assured him.
“Catherine, we must depart if we are to arrive before dark,” John insisted.
John got on the dragon as James had instructed and then helped Catherine climb on. He had her sit on the saddle in front of him so he could hold her tightly. “Hold on to the strap Catherine, and do not let go. And I will hold on to you.”
“I do not intend to, my husband.”
Changing the subject, John affirmed, “In truth, this is very comfortable, Arius. Thank you for making it so.”
“You are very welcome, King John. Now we must go. Hold on, you two.”
With that, Arius spread his wings and ascended into the air above the courtyard.
“Ohhhh myyyyy goodness…” they heard Catherine scream as Arius took off.
Soon the dragon and its passengers were a small blip in the sky, and John and Catherine were gone.
No sooner had they disappeared when King William announced, “Now, we must prepare to send Sir Gregory and his band of travelers on their way,”
The King walked over to Sir George who had been standing nearby in case he was needed during the take off.
“Sir George, I need you to assemble the knights who are to escort Sir Gregory to Dorset. Also, tell Gretchen we are in need of the person she has chosen to accompany this group.”
“Aye, your majesty. It will be done.”
Within a half hour, the knights were assembled on horseback and Gretchen had appeared accompanied by a seeker named Joseph. However, the visitors from Dorset did not know he was a seeker for that was a term only used in Wiltshire.
Then the King addressed Sir Gregory. “This group of knights are to go with you on your journey to Dorchester. Once you are delivered and they find the kingdom to be receptive to the new King and Queen, they are to depart and return to Wiltshire. Joseph, however, will remain as right hand to King John and will decide if and when he will return to Wiltshire.”
“Thank you, your majesty. We will ensure that Lady Victoria and Lord Chauncey arrive safely in Dorchester. I see a wagon has just pulled up behind the knights. Is it to travel with us as well?”
“Aye, I am afraid those are the items John and Catherine wanted to take with them but could not carry while riding a dragon.”
“Understood, your majesty. We will see that the wagon arrives safely as well.”
Lord Chauncey and Lady Victoria climbed into the carriage that had originally brought them to Wiltshire and Sir Gregory mounted his horse.
“We both want to thank you for your hospitality during our stay in Wiltshire,” Lord Chauncey called out from the window on the carriage. “We are ready, Sir Gregory.”
Sir Gregory signaled to the small band of travelers to move forward toward the front gate. Both families stood to the side and watched as they traversed the courtyard, went through the outer courtyard and on through the massive gates. Soon, they were all but specks in the distance and King William ordered the gates closed.
King William proceeded to walk to the palace with the Queen and everyone else followed close behind. Justine peered behind her and noticed James was not far away. He looked in her direction and she smiled at him. He smiled back and then looked away. No one talked all the way back to the palace. Once inside, the royal family went in one direction and the Ross family in another. However, Dr. Ross approached the King in the Main Hall.
“We have made our decision. May we share that with you now or should we wait until later.”
“This is good news. Very good news indeed. We must discuss it now while it is fresh in your mind. You gather your family and meet me and my family in the Throne Room. I want everyone to hear what you are going to say, not just me.”
“I will go get my family and will meet you soon.”
“I will summon mine as well. I look forward to hearing from you.”
CHAPTER 49
THE ROSS FAMILY DEPARTS
The Ross family entered the Throne Room simultaneously. Queen Marianne took her place beside her husband and the children stood to his right facing the Ross family.
“It is my understanding that you have come to announce your decision,” King William began. “We are most eager to hear it. Please, tell us.”
“We appreciate greatly the time you have spent on this matter. We are also very sorry our presence here has caused so many problems within your kingdom. It was never our intent. But at the same time, I think some good has come out of our being summoned here originally since you have now learned so much more about the portal and how it can be used. But I will not lie. We never in our wildest dreams thought that we would have to live out our days here in Wiltshire. That was an unforeseen consequence of Gretchen bringing me and my family here more than once. We have all come to grips with it now and are prepared to accept that fact. We are grateful for the opportunity you have offered to us to return to Oxford for the next two years…” At that moment, James looked over at Justine and held his breath. “… and we have decided we would like to do just that.”
James dropped to his knees and looked down at the floor. Justine ran over to him knelt down in front of him, took his hand and whispered, “I am so sorry.” James raised his head and as he did, she noticed he had tears in his eyes. “I told you I would never leave you and I meant it. But my parents have decided I need to finish high school. And they want me there to help get our affairs in order.” He reached over and hugged her and then kissed her. They stood up together still holding hands.
“Prince James, you didn’t let me finish. Stephanie, Luke and I will definitely be in Oxford for the next two years. We have informed Justine we may renegotiate at the end of a year. It is important we all finish what we came there to do. At the same time, we will work to get our affairs in order so we are ready at the end of the two years to make the move to Wiltshire. The one caveat to all of this is that we will be able to travel back and forth if needed. It is important we return to Oxford as a family. Justine will travel with us but intends to return to Wiltshire as often as she can during her school breaks. We feel Justine is still too young to get married and ask that James and she wait at least a year before they are wed. Then, they will have a whole lifetime to be together. If it is decided at the end of the first year that she will be returning to Wiltshire for good, we will tell people she has decided to return to the United States in order to finish her last year of high school. Also, we do realize a seeker will be with each of us, invisible I’m assuming, the whole two years. We also promise to never reveal any information at any time to anyone about our time here or about Wiltshire and the portal. If any one of us breaks that promise, we are aware that person will be immediately returned to Wiltshire. But that is not expected to happen. We will sign your document stating all of this and want to leave tomorrow. We can’t let anymore time pass between the time we left and the time we will return. Right now, we’re afraid there will be too many questions as it is.”
“Tomorrow? You are leaving tomorrow?” James asked Justine.
“Yes, it isn’t something I wanted to do but I understand the point my dad made. People will be asking a lot of questions about where we have been for these many weeks and the more time we let pass the harder it will be to explain our disappearance. I hope to be able to return in a month.”
“One month will be like an eternity! But how often will you be able to return?”
“I will return as often as I can. Once we are married, we will never again be parted.”
“James and Justine, has your conversation ended? I would like to respond to Dr. Ross.”
“Aye, Father. I am sorry for the disruption.”
“I thank you for the promises you have made, and we will be sorry to lose you and your family for two years but understand the choice you have made. Now we must have the document to sign and the seekers who are to accompany you. We will wait to set the date for the wedding as you have requested.”
“If I may, I would like to suggest a date for the wedding,” Dr. Ross mentioned.
“Suggest away.”
“Well, your majesty, there are breaks in the college calendar that would make it easier for us to attend depending on when the wedding takes place. But whether it is within a year or after two years when the whole family is to return for good, Stephanie and I would like to suggest a wedding at Christmas.”
“Thank you for the suggestion. I think I will leave this decision up to James and Justine with the Queen also having her say in the matter.”
“I think a wedding celebration at Christmas would be absolutely beautiful,” the Queen insisted. “We have plenty of time to prepare, and John and Catherine would be able to join us then.”
“That sounds wonderful, Queen Marianne. I would love a Christmas wedding,” Justine admitted.
“Then Christmas it is. Now that that is settled, we must know who the seekers will be, and we need the document to sign. Once done, you are free to leave at any time. I will ask Gretchen to draw up the document for your signatures. The seekers will be ready to leave with you tomorrow morning. You may sign the document any time prior to your departure. Now I ask that everyone be in the Great Hall this evening where we will have our last feast together and say our goodbyes.”
The Ross Family spent part of the day gathering their belongings and packing the bags they had brought with them. It didn’t take very long since they had originally only packed for a weekend. Each one spent the rest of the day walking around the palace and the garden for the last time and visiting with the royal family.
Dinner was announced that evening, and they all gathered in the Great Hall. It was bitter sweet for the Ross family had come to love the members of the Pendragon family and would miss them dearly. It helped to know they would be returning for visits during the next two years and could look forward to the upcoming wedding set for Christmastime.
Everyone had a wonderful dinner that evening. There was some crying and a lot of laughs as they reminisced and said their goodbyes. Finally, the meal ended and everyone got up from the table.
“I will miss you, Luke,” Bethany cried, and she ran over to him and hugged him.
“I will miss you, too. Take care of my sister for me whenever she returns, will you?”
“Aye, I will be most happy to do that.”
“I will miss our morning walks, Stephanie,” Queen Marianne shared. “I always looked forward to those. So many good conversations were had.”
“I will miss that as well, your majesty, Marianne. But we can resume those when we are back in two years or when we come to visit.”
King William walked over to Dr. Ross, “I will miss your counsel, Drew. You are most wise and always tell me the truth, which may not always be what I want to hear. I owe you my life, and for that I will forever be in your debt.”
“Thank you, William. I have actually enjoyed our time here. It is a very interesting place to be living. I look forward to coming back for visits and then finally residing here.”
“I am thankful you do not resent us for leading you here over a year ago. Without you, I would not be alive today. You will be missed.”
Dr. Ross bowed to the King and then left the Great Hall followed by Stephanie and Luke. Justine remained behind to stay with James for a little longer.
“Come,” James said as he grabbed Justine’s hand. “We must go sit in the garden for a while for that is our special place now.”
She put her arm in his, and together they walked through the door and out into the garden. The fragrance of the flowers surrounded them as they strolled down the path.
“I won’t be gone long, only a month.”
“One month is too long for me. I do not want you to leave, but I understand why it has to be this way even though I do not like it. Promise me you will be back.”
“Of course, I will be back. I love you and want to be with you always.”
“But, promise me,” he turned and looked at her very seriously. “Promise me.”
“I promise! I will come back. It would have to be something very serious that would keep me from returning to you.”
“Then you must be very careful for I cannot be there to protect you. Nothing will keep us from being together.”
“I will, I promise! I won’t even leave the house if that calms your fears.”
“That is a very good plan. I like that idea.”
“Besides, I will have a seeker with me at all times. The seeker will look after me.”
“That is true. I will ask Gretchen to be that seeker. She will make sure no harm comes to you.”
“I would love it if Gretchen were to accompany me.”
“Then, it shall be done. Now, let us go sit on the bench in the Gazebo together.”
They walked over to the gazebo and sat down, he with his arm around her and she with her head on his shoulder. Neither of them talked for a while just enjoying the warmth of each other’s body. Finally, Justine spoke up.
“I would like to lie next to you and watch the stars like we did the night of the wedding. Then I would like to watch the sun come up over the castle walls and be together until the very last moment I need to leave.”
“My thoughts as well! I had hoped you would say that and left some blankets out here in the garden. The ground was cold last time we lay together. I will get them.”
