by Kit Morgan
Their business with Andel and Maddie done, Dallan and Shona went to talk to Lady Mildred. Lany was standing next to her, his eyes on Albert and Velta. “Looks like we still have some loose ends,” he said.
“Aye, but we’ll wrap them up soon enough.” Dallan smiled at Lady Mildred. “We thank ye for all yer help.”
Lady Mildred looked worried. “Oh? I hadn’t realized …”
“That you helped?” Shona said. “More than you know. Or than we knew.”
Lady Mildred fussed with her long purple scarf. “Oh, nevermindnevermind. Just doing my job.”
“Speaking of which,” Lany said, glancing around the room. “Who do you work for?”
Lady Mildred gulped. “Her Majesty the Queen, of course.”
Dallan folded his arms in front of him. “And?”
Lady Mildred stalled a few moments before finally saying, “I don’t want to leave here! You can’t make me go back to Genis Lee!”
“What?” Lany said. “Who brought you here?”
“I bet I can guess,” Dallan grumbled.
Lady Mildred played with her scarf again. “He gave me this, you know. And a lot of the clothes I have.”
“Melvale?” Shona guessed.
“Who’s that?” Lady Mildred said. “Kwaku never mentioned a Melvale.”
“Kwaku Awahnee?” Shona said.
“I was to watch over the royal family. He and Zara would show up now and then, and I would report. I must say it’s been rather dull here until Mitzi showed up.”
They glanced at Mitzi and back.
“I’ve had the most glorious three days,” Mildred gushed. “But now I suppose I have a new assignment?”
“Do ye want one?” Dallan asked.
“Oh, no, Time Master,” she said quietly. “I love it here, and I love the queen and her family. Please let me stay and watch over them.”
“Of course ye can. I’ll speak to Kwaku myself. But how did ye ken I was a Time Master?”
“Oh, that was easy,” she said. “Anyone who shows up and causes this much trouble has to be. Kwaku always did.”
Shona grinned. “She’s got you there.”
He sighed. “Aye, mayhaps she does.” He shook his head and laughed. “Why am I not surprised the heathen had his hand in this?”
“He was Time Master for a hundred years,” Lany said. “You’ve only had a few months.”
Dallan sighed. “Aye, but it feels like years.” He put his arm around his wife. “Come, let’s say good night and let the happy couple have their privacy.”
“Sounds good to me,” Shona said. They thanked Mildred one last time as Lany went over to talk to Albert, wished everyone a pleasant evening, then called it a day. Who knew what their next assignment would bring?
Epilogue
The Elvis Wedding Chapel, Las Vegas, Nevada
“And do youuuu,” the Elvis impersonator said, playing a guitar, “take this young maaaan, to be your lawfully wedded hubby?”
Velta openly gawked. She’d been doing that a lot. “Yes. I do.”
Mitzi and Asger smiled as the ceremony continued. They’d been in her century for three days. She had no idea what Dallan and Shona said or did to convince her father that she’d met the man of her dreams and was getting married. But he gave them his blessing and acted like she’d been dating Asger forever. They were waiting for her mother to fly in from Hawaii for an intimate ceremony with a justice of the peace. She decided not to broach the subject of whether or not she’d been adopted by them. To her they were her parents and that was that. One day she’d find out her true origins but was fine not knowing for now.
In the meantime, it was enough to know she and Asger had been husband and wife since the night of the dance in Dalrovia, where Dallan “joined them” with a few choice questions. When it came to Muiraran weddings, they got the simple version. It was good enough for her.
“They make a cute couple, don’t they?” Mitzi whispered.
“Yes, they do. Albert can’t stop smiling. I have to admit, I’m a little jealous they didn’t have any side effects like we did.”
“That’s because Velta is only a little bit Muiraran. Just enough to know who she’d be compatible with.”
“That’s so fascinating, yet so frightening.”
Elvis struck a chord. “I now pronounce you man and wife! You mayuhhhh kissthebride!”
Mitzi clapped as Albert kissed Velta. “Hurray!”
Albert and Velta laughed and turned to them. “Thanks!”
“Thankyouverymuch,” the officiant added.
Asger clapped and offered Albert his hand as soon as they reached them. “Congratulations!”
Albert shook it. “We’re looking forward to attending your wedding.”
“Second wedding,” Velta added, smiling at Mitzi. “Thank you for everything. I still cannot believe I am here.” She hugged Mitzi and whispered, “I am so glad you are with us. You make me feel so safe.”
Mitzi hugged her back. “Don’t let Albert hear you say that.”
Velta laughed. “He said it first.”
Now Mitzi laughed. “Well, I’m glad to be doing my job. Never thought I’d be guarding royalty.”
Albert hugged her next. “And to think, if you’d never become a security guard, none of this would have happened.”
Mitzi nodded. “Wow, you’re right. You two would never have met.”
Albert and Velta joined hands and stared dreamy-eyed at each other. “I am glad we did,” she said. “Now I know why the last year or two have been so hard.” She turned back to Mitzi. “Thank you.”
Mitzi blushed. “My pleasure.”
“Hey, who wants pizza?” Albert asked. “I’m starved.”
“Pizza?” Asger said. “What’s that?”
Albert and Mitzi grinned. “C’mon,” she said. “We’ll show you.”
They took care of a few details with Elvis, then headed for Albert’s favorite pizza place just a few blocks from Java King. Dallan and Shona had paid a visit to his parents too, who treated Velta like she’d been around forever. Their only objection was that the wedding wouldn’t be at Temple Sinai, but Albert and Velta were in too much of a hurry.
Mitzi headed for her car as Albert and Velta headed for his. She stopped and smiled at Asger when they reached her little blue Honda. “What did you think of the ceremony?”
“I think I liked ours better.”
“Yeah, but that was the Muiraran version. Maybe we ought to let Elvis marry us too.”
Asger shook his head. “A judge will do.”
She laughed, motioned him to get in, went to the driver’s side and started the engine.
“When do I get to drive?”
She laughed again. “After I teach you. But I don’t know what good it will do. They don’t have cars in … wait a minute, they will have cars in another few years, I think. I’ll have to check.”
“So you’ll teach me?”
“On our next visit.”
He smiled. “What else can you teach me about this place?”
“Well, there’s this.” She reached over, grabbed his seat belt and buckled it for him. “Safety first. Always put on your seat belt.”
“I see I have a lot to learn.”
She gazed into his eyes, then kissed him. A promise of what dessert would be after pizza.
When she broke the kiss, he licked his lips. “Mmm, I like that.”
“There’s more where that came from.”
“That reminds me.” He reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a small box. “I have something for you.”
“What’s that?”
He faced her, took a deep breath, opened the box and presented it to her. “I never got the chance to actually ask … Mitzi Fine, would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
She smiled, then laughed. “Asger!” She threw her arms around him. “You just proposed to me in a car!”
“Did you not tell me cars are romantic places?”
“Oh. Um, will you answer my question?”
She looked at him, then at the huge diamond ring. “Yes! Oh, Asger, you could sink a ship with that.”
He glanced at it. “Is it not to your liking?”
“No, I meant it’s huge! Where did you get it?”
“It’s a wedding gift from Dallan and Shona. That and a map.”
“A map of what?”
“Of Dalrovia, with little X’s marking different areas around the country. Very odd.”
“That is strange,” she agreed. “Well, you can show it to me later. Let’s go get some pizza.”
He smiled, kissed her, then settled in for the ride. “Wait!” He reached over, took her left hand and slipped the ring on her finger. “There, now it’s official.”
She smiled. “I love you, Asger Berg.”
“And I love you, Princess Mitzi.”
Mitzi smiled, put the car into gear and they were off.
“It’s an iced protein cold brew,” Dallan said. “Try it – there’s nothing better on a hot day like this.” They were sitting outside a coffee place similar to Java King.
He watched intently as Melvale examined the drink. “Did you like it, Time Master?”
Dallan grinned. “Och, aye. And be sure to drink it fast. It’s more fun that way.”
Melvale arched an eyebrow, took a sip through the straw, then smiled. “Oh, stab me!”
“I told ye it was good,” Dallan said as Shona and Lany joined them with their own drinks.
Melvale took another long swallow. “Yum!”
“Oh, dear – I wouldn’t drink that so fast,” Shona said as Melvale happily sucked it down.
But it was too late. His eyes went wide, his mouth fell open and he smacked his hand against his forehead. “AAAAAAAAAGHH!”
Dallan smiled in satisfaction and took a small sip of his. “I’m told that’s called a brain freeze. Wasn’t that fun?”
“Time Master!” Melvale squeezed his eyes shut.
Lany shook his head. “I can’t believe you just did that to Melvale.”
Dallan waggled his eyebrows.
“Stop it you two,” Shona scolded. “Melvale, are you okay?”
He set the drink on the table and grabbed his head in his hands. “In a moment, Princess.” Once his face stopped contorting, he shivered. “Yes?”
“If you boys are done playing,” she said, “we’d like to know if you have our next assignment.”
Melvale reached for a briefcase and pulled out a file. “Here.”
Shona opened it and read it. “What?” She looked at Dallan. “I don’t believe it!”
“What is it, Flower?” he said in alarm. He took the file from her. “What is all this?”
Shona covered her mouth as tears filled her eyes. “Those are airline tickets! Hotel reservations!”
Dallan’s eyes narrowed. “Melvale, what’s this about?”
Melvale slid his drink toward Dallan with a glare.
He rolled his eyes. “All right, I’m sorry I made ye get a brain freeze.”
Melvale smiled in satisfaction. “Especially right after I secured you a vacation.”
“Dallan!” Shona said with glee. “We’re going to Hawaii!”
Dallan eyed the folder Shona was leafing through. “What is this … Hawaii?”
“An island chain in the Pacific,” Lany sighed. “Tropical sandy beaches, palm trees. A vacation paradise.”
“Oh, that reminds me,” Melvale said. He slid a file across the table. “You get one too, you and your whole family.”
Lany’s eyes popped. “All of us?” He looked at Dallan and Shona, then at Melvale. “Thank you!”
“Don’t mention it. You’ve all been working so hard without a break. I convinced Shona’s father you needed some time off.” Melvale smiled nervously. “He did, however, have a few stipulations.”
“Uh oh,” Shona said. “Like what?”
“That if you’re taking a vacation, it be a place of his choosing, done the way he wants it. And he’d like the Time Master to experience a modern vacation.”
“Do you mean my time?” Shona asked.
“Precisely. Which means you’ll also find in your packet a few more plane tickets and hotel reservations.”
“What?” Shona squeaked, rifling through the contents. “There’s a ticket for Kitty!”
“Oh, saints.” Dallan buried his face in his hands.
“And for my parents!”
Lany looked at her. “Somehow I can’t picture the King of the Muirarans vacationing in Hawaii.”
“Her adoptive human parents,” Melvale clarified. “Evan and Maggie.”
Lany smiled as happy tears rolled down Shona’s cheeks. Evan and Maggie Whittard had raised Shona, not having a clue as to what she really was until Lany and a handful of others brought Dallan to her, much as Dallan and Shona had recently been doing for others. “Okay, this will be fun.”
Dallan let his hands drop. “So we’re to go to this Hawaii together?”
“Yes,” Melvale said. “Two weeks of fun in the sun with family and friends.”
Lany grinned. “My kids are gonna love this!”
Dallan rubbed a hand over his face then nodded at Melvale. “I thank ye.”
“Oh, there is, um, one minor detail …”
Dallan’s eyes narrowed. “And what would that be?”
Melvale produced another file. “You’re to take Vale Berg with you.”
Dallan, Shona and Lany gaped at him. “What?!” they said at once.
Melvale shrugged. “Turns out that in about seven years, he’ll be quite compatible with a Miss Makana James. She works at the resort you’ll be staying in.”
“Dallan, don’t,” Lany warned as the Scot got to his feet. “So it’s a working vacation. It’s still better than nothing.”
“He’s right,” Shona said. “We don’t have to travel to the past. Instead we get to bring Vale from the 1890s to my time in the 1990s. Won’t that be nice?”
Dallan’s jaw twitched. “Fine. A working vacation.” He sat as everyone slumped in relief. “But mark my words, it’ll be anything but.”
Melvale rolled his eyes. “Oh, stab me, what could possibly go wrong?”
“Don’t answer that.” Shona reached for her drink and leaned toward Dallan. “Everything will be fine, you’ll see.” Dallan didn’t look convinced.
Neither did Lany as he looked at the airline tickets and pictured a 6’5” Highland Scot warrior with a bad case of claustrophobia on an airplane. He picked up his drink, took a sip and muttered, “Creator help us.”
THE END
About the Author
Kit Morgan, aka Geralyn Beauchamp, has been writing for fun all her life. When writing as Geralyn Beauchamp, her books are epic, adventurous, romantic fantasy at its best. When writing as Kit Morgan they are whimsical, fun, inspirational sweet and clean stories that depict a strong sense of family and community. Raised by a homicide detective one would think she’d write suspense, but no, Kit likes fun and romance. Kit has plenty of both in her books. Books often described as Green Acres meets Gunsmoke! Kit resides in the beautiful Pacific Northwest in a little log cabin on Clear Creek, for which the fictional town from her Prairie Brides and Prairie Grooms series is named.
And yes, Kitty Morgan (Kit) has written about Dallan and Shona’s assignments. If you’d like to read Kit’s other books you can check them out on Kit’s Amazon page in the Prairie Bride and Prairie Grooms series. And if you’d like to find out more about Dallan and Shona, you can check out the Time Master Series on Geralyn Beauchamp’s Amazon page.
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