The visitors came forward and Robert rose, moving forward to greet them.

“My Lord De Monford. My thanks for your hospitality.” The old Lord sketched a respectful yet shallow bow.

“Not at all My Lord. You are most welcome. Please joins us, you must be hungry after your journey.” He turn back and direct them to seat at the height table offering introductions. “My guests, Lady Serenity Neville, Lord Aelfwine and my ward, Osgar. My I introduce Lord Roger Beaumont and his daughter, Lady Evelyn Beaumont.”

They all murmured greetings, the visitors weary from travel and the everyone else wary. Serenity seemed to be oblivious to the intones of the great hall, too busy watching the glances shared back and forth between Evelyn and Aelfwine. It was sweet and somewhat amusing for, if anyone cared to look, the truth of their love was obvious.

After satisfying the sharp edge of hunger, Lord Roger finally spoke. “Montford, you’re invitation to deal with this rouge element up here was most fortuitous. I have been tasked with delivering a message to you from the King.” He removed a sealed parchment from some place upon himself and handed it to Robert. Serenity, sitting next to him as she was, saw the large seal. It was the kings seal, a knight with a spear riding or a horse. Shoe knew this would come eventually.

“My thanks for your service Lord Beaumont.” Robert took the parchment, his manner reserved. He broke the seal and read the letter, quietly recorded it and put it away in his blazer. No one was brave enough to enquire and Robert swiftly move the conversation on.

“Lord Beaumont, I do not wish to be a bad host thus I’ll have your party shown to their accommodation. If you will, we shall meet after break fast to discuss the recent unrest and my new alliance that I believe will help us bring peace our lands.”

Lord Roger smiled and nodded. “I am most agreeable, however I must confess there is another matter that I have come here to resolve, if you are agreeable.”

Robert nodded and Serenity braced herself. Would this be bad or good?

“My daughter, Evelyn, has long been faithful and obedient child. But, of late, I know she has been troubled.”

Evelyn and Aelfwine both watched a little stunned. Neither was aware that anyone knew of their hopes. They both believed that anything between then would be impossible. And now, their fears would be confirmed. They could not endanger the alliance that Lord Robert has forged, too many people would be hurt.

“She had fallen in love with a man most would deem unsuitable. A Saxon princling leading a rebellion against our good King with nothing to his name to offer either to myself, my daughter or the kingdom...”

Aelfwine clenched his jaw to keep his angry words behind his teeth.

“Thankfully, I have found her a suitable match. A Saxon princling allied to one of this new kingdoms most powerful lords, working to catch a dangerous man who has killed many brave Normans, who has been gifted a generous land grant with a suitable income to support my daughter in the manner she deserves and whose alliance will benefit myself and thus my king who was quite agreeable. Ow all that remains is for his to accept the engagement. Aelfwine. Come and take my hand and sign the engagement papers.”

Evelyn, hiding a grin, glorious happy, had to give her intended a little shove to get him to move. Lord Roger had manoeuvred them all just perfectly. He’d used Lord Roberts alliance to refute any objections that Aelfwine was an enemy, he used Wicks activities to redirect hostility and provided the land needed to make Aelfwine a desirable match. And by making it all public in front of the host and Evelyn herself, he had made it impossible for Aelfwine to be stubborn or prideful about being managed.

Aelfwine moved forward and shook his future father-in-laws hand. The papers were produced and signed in the spot, seal already affixed. It seemed Lord Roger Beaufort would do almost anything for his daughters happiness. A rare thing in the 1000’s.

The meal came to a happy end and they all drifted off to their rest. Serenity took Osgars hand, content that her friends were happy, and they made their way to their room. She would spend some time with him. He’d been doing so well at the castle but last three days had set him back again. She felt terrible about that. Osgar deserved safety and stability. It was good that Robert had offered him a home here...

***

Osgar had finally fallen asleep but Serenity could not rest. She debated jumping but decided that she could afford to be absent right now. A feel was growing in her gut that things where happening here and she needed to be present.

She didn’t know if she could risk walking around the castle with guests around but she was used to sneaking. Perhaps she didn’t even need to, jumping worked with space as well as time. But where to go? Closing her eyes, she reached for that light in her core, searching the pictures, sounds, sensations for something that felt right. Somehow, this was harder than jumping through time even with practice.

There. That was it. Serenity grasped at something and then let go. She opened her eyes and found herself in Roberts office. He was sitting at his desk, just staring into space. He hadn’t noticed her.

Jumping to his office made sense. Proprietary would be met and the last thing she needed now were rumours or insinuation of being a mistress. Roberts people had been kind and open with her and had accepted her easily, all things considered. But with her “mixed” status in the current climate and her strange ideas, not to mention hyper appearance coinciding with Wicks activities, she needed all the help she could get when it came to her reputation with Roberts allies. Serenity knew that Robert was planning a trap for Wick. One decisive moment to get rid of the threat. Then he could work with his Saxon allies to change the dynamic of this new kingdom.

Knowing what she knew about history, about the cruelty of William the Conqueror and the Norman Lords, she had to wonder if Robert would succeed. Maybe the history she knew was all wrong, written too long after the fact to convey the subtle balance of power that existed. Maybe she and Wick had changed it all and nothing she had done would survive. She didn’t know.

Shaking off her thoughts, Serenity cleared her throat and Robert started.

“Serenity. I didn’t hear you come in. Please, have a seat.” He stood and offered her a chair not far from his, the desk in front of them both. Serenity sat and waited. The letter from the king had upset him and she thought she knew why.

“Are you well? You seem to be more enlivened today.” Robert enquired.

Serenity paused to really think about it. “I am I proven thank you though not quite back to how I was before.” She realised as she said it that it had felt good to eat with the castle residents and spend time with little Osgar. For a while, she forgot about Wick and Time Jumps, Shadows and danger. For a while she was just a friend. Was she letting Wick manipulate her? She hated that thought.

Why was she so detached. On some level, none of this felt real. She might as well be back in the Cyprus sun. Ever since Terrance had found her there, she’d felt off. But the thought that Robert, Aelfwine, Osgar, Gawain and the rest were not real was painful to contemplate. If they weren’t real, then they were never her friends but they’d also never suffered because of Wick. Because of her. To distract herself from her guilt, Serenity focused back on Robert.

“So Robert, who did the king choose?”

He simply looked at her, sadness in every line of his body.

“I’m not surprised you know. The king has chosen a Norman woman, sister to one of his close friends and new Lord of Sussex. We are to wed in the spring. I cannot disobey.”

“I know. You’re a good man Robert, loyal to your people and your King. It was inevitable.”

“And yet, I would do almost anything to change it.”

“No you wouldn’t. That’s not the man I have come to... to admire.” Serenity couldn’t continue with this. “I am glad that Aelfwine and Evelyn can be happy together.”

Robert didn’t answer, contemplating the news he had received and knowing he would find no such happiness.

“I’m sorry I have been so distant My Lord.”

“Are we back to My Lord?”

“You are now an engaged man...”

“It changes nothing. If you agree that is. I would not want you to do something that makes you uncomfortable...”

“...Robert”

The silence stretched between them.

"I understand. You have been through so much and you need time to heal.” He paused to clear his throat. Emotion fought to overwhelm him. “I thought I'd lost you." Robert took her hands in his and looked into her eyes.

She could see the love and intensity in his eyes and it tore at her heart. How could she decide whether to love him or not? No matter what she would lose him, either because this was all and dream and he wasn’t real or because staying would destroy history and everything she knew. How can you love a figment of your own imagination or someone who died long before you were even born? It seemed it didn’t matter how, because she already did. Yet she couldn’t leave Wick to cause his destruction. Only she could stop him. Serenity felt her heart breaking.

"Serenity, I’ve never met anyone like you. You are … compassionate but strong… brilliant. If you were a man, you would be a Prince. I wish there was some way…"

The look in Serenity’s eyes stopped him. Instead, he clasped her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. An idea occurred to him.

"Here, for now take my ring. If you ever need help, this will show you have my protection."

He pulled out from his pouch a beautiful ring made of white gold. It was her size with an beautifully intricate knot design and an inscription on the inside. It said "Holder of my Heart". Serenity couldn't take her eyes off it, it felt so familiar, like it had been hers for a lifetime. He must have worn it on his littlest finger, it was just the right size for fit on her middle finger. She slipped it on and the weight of it calmed her, as if she had worn it before.

“But won’t people believe…”

“No, I would not do that to you Serenity. We may never be allowed to marry but… I’ll find a way. Make you my sister or my ward. I don’t care how, I’ll keep you safe with me.”

Serenity was quiet. She knew it would never work. At some point this disaster of a jump would, she have to go back to her time. Once it was all fixed. And Robert would notice when she didn’t age properly. She had spent years jumping and hadn’t aged a day. She suspected she would until she returned to her own time. And she couldn’t live two lives, pretending that everything was okay. She was in love with a man who died more than 800 years before she was born.

“Is that for the best Robert? To be so close but unable to have what we really want. We’d have to watch each other marry, have other peoples children. I don’t think I could suffer through that. Maybe it would be best for me to leave. Break away cleanly.”

Roberts’s face crumpled with pain and desperation.

“I won’t marry, Osgar will be my heir.”

“You know the King will not accept that. You’ll lose your land. The next lord will not be as kind as you. He won’t honour your pact with the Saxons. You know you will have to do it Robert. If I stay, it will only make our lives more difficult. I don’t want you to suffer Robert. I love you too much.”

He pulled her into his arms and felt her silent tears soak his vest. He did not want to accept this. He wanted to find a way, but he knew there wasn’t one. If he kept her, he would hurt them both. If he have up everything, he could not protect her or her people. He would not sacrifice those she loved.

“When?”

His voice broken. He couldn’t say anymore.

“Not immediately. I promised to make sure Osgar was taken care of, it’s still to soon for him to be truly settled. And we still need to catch the traitor. He’s too dangerous to leave at large. I promise I won’t just disappear Robert. I won’t leave you like that.”

He just nodded. He would cherish every moment they had together. He continued to hold her on his arms, desperately wishing he could stop time and spend the rest of his life holding her like this.

Robert drew her to him, tucking her head under his chin and wrapped his arms around her. They sat like that in silence as he gently rocked her. She began to drift off to sleep, the emotion and exhaustion of the day pulling at her. Just as her body melted into a boneless sleep, she felt the soft brush of his lips across her temple and a single last tear escaped her closed eye. She slept.