Scotland

Chapter 3

Malcolm pushed the horse faster, even if it couldn't go any longer. At last he rode over the bridge and arrived at the gates of the castle. A security guard called from above:

"Who are you and what do you want here!?" Malcolm looked up at the battlements.

"I'm Malcolm Mitchell Young!" He shouted.

"From the Young Kingdom!?" Asked the guard.

"Yes!"

"What are you doing here!?"

"I was sent to my aunt!" The gates opened with a loud creak. Malcolm rode in slowly. The horse's hooves clattered on the paving stones of the yard. Servants looked at him. The queen and king came out of the castle into the forecourt.

"Who are you?" Asked the king.

"I'm Malcolm Mitchell Young." Malcolm said, bowing his head a little.

"I'm King Samuel and this is Queen Eve. My wife." Malcolm bowed a little. "What are you doing here?" Shivering, Malcolm pulled a letter from his riding bag, dismounted, and handed it to the queen. She read it all through and then looked up with her mouth open. "What's going on, honey?" Asked Samuel, looking at his wife.

"This is Malcolm, my sister's son."

"I'm your uncle?" Asked the king. Malcolm nodded. "What are you doing here?"

"Let him explain everything inside. He's got to be cold." The Queen wanted to take his hand, but Malcolm didn't give her his hand. "Why don't you give me your hand, Malcolm?" Asked Eve, looking at him.

"I can't give you my hand." Malcolm said. He was holding Angus under his coat. She nodded a little and led the little boy into the castle. The king followed. Malcolm's horse was taken care of and put into a stable. Inside, in the dining room, Malcolm was seated on a chair and food was served in front of him. The king sat down, as did the queen and the knights. Everyone started to eat.

"So why did you come this long way?" Asked Samuel.

"My father was murdered." Said Malcolm. All of the knights also listened attentively. "From one of his knights. Hamish. Hamish is the new king. My mother had to marry him. Actually I would have become king, as the succession wishes, but ... since I'm only five years old and cannot fight for the Thorn, he has become king."

"You're only five years old?" Asked a knight. Malcolm nodded.

"How did you get so far on your own? In a snow storm?" Asked another knight.

"Let him finish." Said Samuel. The knights nodded.

"Hamish sent me from the castle. I mustn't come back. Mama couldn't do anything about it. Everyone in our country who helps me is sentenced to death. Mama said I should ride to my aunt. I would be safe here." Samuel nodded.

"We'll take care of you, Malcolm."

"Thank you, my king." Malcolm said, bowing his head.

"I'm not your king. I'm your uncle." Malcolm nodded a little.

"Now eat, little one. You're definitely hungry and you're cold." Said Eve and pressed a fur blanket over his shoulders. Malcolm nodded a little. Everyone started to eat.

"Do you have milk too?" Asked Malcolm. Everyone started laughing.

"You want milk?" Asked Samuel with a laugh. Malcolm nodded shyly. A servant came and brought milk which she placed in front of Malcolm.

"Thank you." Malcolm said with a smile. He opened his snowy coat. A baby cry rang through the air. Everyone gasped and looked at him.

"What is that?" Asked Eve.

"This is my brother. Angus." Malcolm sat Angus up a little and fed him the milk.

"You brought not only yourself but also a baby here in a blizzard?" Asked Samuel with wide eyes. Malcolm nodded a little. "You'll be a great man when you grow up, Malcolm." Malcolm smiled shily.

"Can I ... can I look at him?" Asked Eve, standing in front of Malcolm. Malcolm nodded. When Angus finished, he slowly handed him over. Eve smiled at the baby and showed it to her husband. She whispered something to him. He grinned and nodded. "We'll take care of him, Malcolm." Eve wanted to pass Angus over to a servant.

"No! Angus has to stay with me!" Malcolm shouted, standing up.

"We... she just takes him to a bed. She will take care of him." Said Eve.

"No! Angus has to stay with me!" The attendant placed the baby in Malcolm's arms. Angus cried a little. "Sh. I've got you, Ang. Everything's fine." Malcolm murmured softly, rocking his brother gently.

"How old is he?" Asked Samuel.

"A month." Malcolm muttered, rocking Angus a little. "Is good. I have you, Angus." Samuel and Eve smiled at each other.

*

After dinner, Malcolm and Angus were taken to a room. Malcolm lay down on the bed and Angus was placed in a small bed next to him. The older one fell asleep. When he woke up again, Eve was standing in front of him with Samuel. Eve held Angus in her arms. Malcolm pretended to be asleep, but had his eyes opened a little to always still being able to see something.

"What do you think, honey?" Asked Samuel quietly. Eve smiled at the baby.

"Well... he's a baby. Nobody wants him, so nobody's going to search him." She grinned. "And if we raise him and say he's our son, he'll think so too. Because he won't be able to remember his real parents." Samuel nodded, grinning. The couple had long tried to get a successor, but Eve was sterile. That was the chance.

"What about him?" Asked Samuel, pointing to Malcolm.

"He is five years old. He won't remember either when we raise him." Eve said with an evil grin.

"But what if he can remember?" Muttered Samuel. "Then we would have been exposed. The boy has to die so that there is no evidence of Angus' actual birthplace."

"When he grows up, we'll claim the kingdom of the Young's." Grinned Eve. "And then our country is even bigger." Malcolm paused. What?

"We're going to rename him. Your name is William now." Said Samuel, looking down at Angus. "Our little William. Our son." Eve smiled and stroked Angus' cheek, who looked at them both with wide eyes.

"Our little William." The Queen smiled and put Angus back in the small bed. "We just have to get rid of that bastard." She grinned and pointed at Malcolm. "Sleep well, William." With that, the two were gone from the room. When the door closed, Malcolm got up quickly. William!? I'll never let that happen! Thought the five year old. He dressed quickly. Then he put some warmer clothes on Angus. Angus whimpered softly.

"Don't worry, brother. I'm not going to let that happen." Malcolm whispered. He crept through the hallways and came into the kitchen. There was nobody there, which the five year old took advantage of. He packed as much food as he could find into two huge bags. He also stole two large skins and money that he found in a pot. With that he ran into the stable. He padded a saddlebag with a hide and put Angus in it. Then he closed the saddlebag. In the other saddlebag he put food. He stuffed the leftover food into his shoulder bag. He tied the bag of coins to the belt of his kilt. He wrapped a thick deer skin around himself to keep him from getting cold. Angus, lying in the large saddlebag, was wrapped in thick fur. So he couldn't get cold either. He saddled a second horse, took it by the reins, and rode away. The guards at the gates let him out.

"My king! Malcolm rode off with two horses!" Shouted a knight as he came into the dining room.

"One less problem." Grinned Eve. But when the two ran up to the bedroom, Angus was no longer there.

"No!" Shouted Samuel angrily. By then, Malcolm had ridden well over the border and was in the Highlands. There he found a small farmhouse where an old woman lived alone. The woman happily welcomed the boy and his baby brother.