Written in 65 minutes. Sorry went slightly over, but these things happen.  No time for spell check.

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On the third anniversary of the day she’d come to Braegarie, Elizabeth delivered their second son. Throughout her second pregnancy, she’d hoped and prayed for a girl — anything to prove that the vision all those months ago had been a mistake.

But when Barbara gleefully announced she had a healthy son, Elizabeth had only a moment of regret before the healer placed the newborn into her arms and she fell in love with him—even though he was proof that her time was limited.

“Two sons in three years,” Barbara said with a wide grin to Tracy. “The men will drink themselves silly in celebration.”

Tracy rolled her eyes, but she was also smiling as she and one of the maids helped change the linens and Elizabeth wash up. “I know what you’re thinking,” she said to Elizabeth in a low voice, “but you cannot be thinking about that now.”

“Aye, I know. It could still be wrong,” Elizabeth said. “Will you bring Jason in?”

“I’ll fetch him.” Tracy paused as Barbara pulled open the door. “This is a good day, Elizabeth,” she promised her niece. “You’ve done well by this clan. And this family. My nephew will take care of everything.”

Elizabeth said nothing, just stared down into the red, scrunched up face of her second child. Cameron had just passed his second birthday—and she knew in her vision that he’d been three. It had been a lovely summer day, warm by the spring when they’d disappeared—

But had that been the dream? Had she been dreaming of their future when the vision slipped in to destroy everything? That was was the trouble with the visions that came while she slept. By the time she could determine dream from truth, the vision would have come to pass.

She had been running in unfamiliar woods—could she simply just not leave keep until the boys were older? She could stay on Morgan lands, within the confines of the courtyard. She stroked a finger down her son’s cheek. “What kind of man will you grow to be? Will I be here to see it?”

“Mama!”

She looked up and grinned as her husband and son came through the doorway. Jason set Cameron on the bed as he rounded the foot and joined her. “Dearest, come meet your little brother.”

Cameron made a face as he sat back on his heels with a frown. “He’s little,” he said with a pout. “You said he could play with me.”

“When he grows,” Jason told their son, reaching across Elizabeth to ruffle the light blonde hair he’d inherited from his father. He smiled at Elizabeth. “Aunt said we have another son.”

“Aye. Barbara said he was perfect.” Elizabeth held out the precious bundle and Jason accepted him, a bit more comfortable than he had been the day of Cameron’s birth.

“You’re all right?” Jason raised his eyes from their son, worry lurking within. “We should let you rest. I’ll get Cameron to bed—”

“I’m just tired,” Elizabeth said with a shake of her head, then leaned her head back, closing her eyes. When Cameron had been born, she’d been pragmatic. They had years before they had to worry about her vision, after all. She’d hoped that something would happen to assuage her worries—

But even the brief kidnapping hadn’t eliminated the fear. Albany had sailed to France on other business, and she hoped that meant he’d given up. They were safe here, and Jason hadn’t had to leave nearly as often this last year.

“Papa, she’s sleeping—”

“No—” Elizabeth opened her eyes just as Jason started to stand from the bed. “No, just resting.”

“I’ll take Cameron to Aunt Tracy,” Jason told her, “and I’ll be back—”

“What’s my brother’s name?” Cameron demanded as Jason settled the baby into the bassinet that had once held their oldest son. “What are we calling him?”

Jason looked at her, and Elizabeth knew what he wanted to know. They’d named Cameron after his mother’s family and their ally. And the boy in the vision.

“What do you suggest, Cam?” Elizabeth said, forcing a smile. She would not give in this time. She would not let Fate win.

Cameron furrowed his brow. “I have an important name. He should, too. Auntie says we’re Jacko-bees.”

“Jacobins,” Jason clarified as a strange expression slid over his features. “It means we’re loyal to King James—”

“Can we call him Jacob?” Cameron asked. “Like the king, only it’s his own name?”

Her heart pounding as her son suggested the very name their infant son had had in her vision, Elizabeth met Jason’s eyes. She’d tried to run from it. She’d tried to change the future.

“Aye, I think Jacob is a fine name,” she said, hollowly. “We’ll call him Jake for short.”

—

Jason strode in from the courtyard to find a small figuring streaking past him. He reached over and plucked Cameron up. “Where are you going?”

“Out,” Cameron muttered. He clutched his tiny fists in his father’s shirt. “Mama says no. I wanna swim.”

Jason pressed his lips together and looked over to find his wife by the head table, an irritated expression etched into her features. Of course Elizabeth didn’t Cameron to go swimming. In the two months since Jake had been born, her worry over what might happen had only worsened. She rarely left the keep — Jake hadn’t been outside once — and the only times Jaosn had been able to get Cameron outside these walls was when she was sleeping.

“Let’s go talk to her, all right?” Jason told his son.

“Don’t even start,” Elizabeth warned as the two of them approached. She put her hands on her hips and glared at Jason. “I told you—”

“I know. But it’s a warm day,” Jason said patiently, “and I’ll take him. You can stay here.”

“No, I—” Elizabeth stopped when Cameron’s face lit up. “Can we talk about this somewhere else? Without him?”

Jason glanced around and saw some curious stares. He might understand her reluctance to allow herself or their boys outside of the keep, but all their people saw was the lady of the clan acting strangely.

While he was confident in the loyalty of their people, he wasn’t willing to place all his trust in them. The Old Ways were still practiced, but just as many were devout followers of the Church.

“No,” Jason said after a long moment. “I’ll take him swimming, and you’ll stay here.” This time when he said the words, they weren’t a suggestion. They were an order. Elizabeth stared at him and her lower lip quivered slightly.

He hadn’t given her an order in years—since the day she’d told him the truth about her past, they’d been a team and he’d allowed her to take charge since Jake’s birth, keeping Cameron cooped upside the keep. He knew her worries—but damn it, these were his children, too—

“I see. All right.” Elizabeth lifted her chin. “Then I’ll stay here. Excuse me, I have things to see to in the kitchen.” She whirled around and stalked out of the hall. Jason winced — he’d pay for that later.

“Swimming?”

He looked at his son, then nodded. “Aye, let’s go swimming.”

—

She fumed all afternoon—especially when one of Jason’s men came in and told her that Jason was taking Cameron to ride out on the borders—something he’d often done in the last six months, but not once since Jake’s birth.

He was making it clear what he thought of her desire to keep Cameron safe, and Elizabeth hoped that her hurt and fear didn’t show on her face.

“I’ll speak with him,” Tracy said when the two weren’t back by supper. “There’s making a point and then there’s being a cur.”

“He’s within his rights to take our son wherever he likes,” Elizabeth said tightly as she stared at her plate of food, not an ounce of appetite to be found. “You agree with him.”

“Not—” Tracy paused. “Not entirely. But in part.” She turned to her niece. “You told him you wouldn’t go to the clan gathering this summer. That he couldn’t take Cameron with him.”

“I—”

“It bothered him,” Tracy told her and Elizabeth sighed. She’d known it—and he’d let it go because she’d been upset. She’d cried. “He hasn’t seen his sister in several years, and Emily has never been much of a letter writer. She and her family will be there.”

“I know. I want to meet her. I want Jason to see her, for her to meet our boys, I just—” She couldn’t forget the vision. Even all these years later—

She’d never told Jason, had been very careful to keep it from him—but the vision had just turned into a recurring nightmare. The details had been so fresh and clear that night and they often came back to haunt her.

The pounding fear, the voice of the man who had come for her, the terror of not knowing if her boys were safe—had they been stolen from the stream? Had it been another moment that night? Would she know the last time she held them before the flames consumed—

“Elizabeth?”

She blinked, looked at her aunt, then exhaled slowly. “He thinks I don’t trust him to protect us.” She met Tracy’s eyes. “And he’s right.”

“Because of what happened with the regent.”

“Aye. And because—because I keep trying to stop it. I told myself I wouldn’t give Jake the name from the vision—and Cameron picked it anyway. I want to keep the boys safe with me here, and Jason wants to take them out—and they should go. They should be with him. I want to be—” She bit her lip. “But I can’t forget. I can’t rest. They’re everything to me. I need them to be safe.”

“Well, something has to give,” Tracy said firmly. “None of you can go on this way.”

“Something already has,” Elizabeth said with a sigh. “Jason’s made his position clear, and I’ll have to follow. Excuse me. I need to go upstairs and see to Jake.”

—

It was less than an hour later when Jason finally returned to the keep, his sleeping son tucked in his arms. He passed the boy to the nursery maid who promised to put him down for the night, and then turned to find his furious aunt by the fire.

“Whatever you’re going to say,” Jason began as Tracy lifted her brows, “don’t. I know that I shouldn’t have kept him out. I didn’t mean to—but he asked—”

“And you wanted to make sure your wife knew exactly how little power she has.” Tracy folded her arms. “You think she’s being unreasonable wanting the boys to stay behind while you go to the gathering next month?”

“No,” Jason said after a moment. “I know that her vision happened away from here. All the same—”

“All the same, nephew, she’s the one who felt the flames. She’s the one who has foreseen her own death.”

Shame licked at Jason’s throat as he looked towards the stairs. He knew that. He’d remembered the night she’d had the vision—the shaking, the terror, the pallor of her skin—

“Would it be so terrible to let her have this? Once Jake reaches his first birthday, she’ll worry less—”

“Or will she convince herself that she dreamed their ages?” Jason demanded. “If I give in now, how long will she lock herself up in these walls?” He shook his head. “No. I know her worry. I know her fear. But I can’t let it run our lives. I can’t let it be in charge of my children.”

He left his aunt behind and climbed the stairs to their bedchamber where he found Elizabeth sitting by the fire, their son at her breast.

She glanced up at his approach, then looked back down at Jake. “Is Cameron abed?”

“Aye. He fell asleep on our way back.” He took the chair across from her. “Elizabeth—”

“You think I don’t trust you to protect me,” Elizabeth said. “Or the boys.” She met his eyes. “What happened with the regent was not your fault. I don’t blame you for that. I could have insisted on staying here. You were two days away. We might have withstood a seige that long.”

“You didn’t want to risk the people. Or their crops.” Jason scrubbed a hand over his face. “I can’t pretend that I know what you went through. What you go through every day, wondering if this is the day. I know that I have the same fear,” he added, “but I know it’s different for you.”

“I thought I was giving up my chance to be a mother when Albany took me to Sterling,” Elizabeth said. “I never expected to get it back. I never expected to have any children. Or a husband.” She closed her eyes. “Did Cameron have a good time?”

“Yes.”

“He loves you. I knew he would. He did in the dream. He wants to be just like you.” She cleared her throat. “And I don’t want him to hate me.”

“He couldn’t—”

Elizabeth sighed and rose to put Jake into his cradle for the night. Jason went over to her, touched her shoulder. “Elizabeth—”

“My mother wanted me to be quiet. To be invisible. My father locked me up in my rooms.” She looked around the bedchamber. “What I’m doing to Cameron, to myself—to all of us. It’s no different.”

He drew her into his arms, feeling his chest loosen when she relaxed into his embrace. He hadn’t pushed her too far. “You want to protect us. You’ve always put us first. I love you for that.”

“And you’ve always pushed me further than I was comfortable.” She raised her face to his. “I love you for that.”

He brushed his mouth over hers, then rested his forehead against hers. “I’m sorry for today,” he said.

“So am I.” Elizabeth waited a moment. “We’ll go to the gathering. All of us. We’ll take the boys and we’ll see your sister—”

“You don’t—” Jason shook his head. “You don’t have to—”

“But I do.” Elizabeth smiled, though it was a pained one. “I’m terrified, but I don’t want to live my life that way. All my life I dreamed of a bigger world. I have it now. And I want to give it our sons.”

He kissed her again. “I promise I’ll protect you,” he vowed. “We’ll be safe.”

“I know you will.” She patted his chest. “Come, let’s go to bed.” Elizabeth eyed him over her shoulder. “Barbara says it’s been long enough since Jake was born, and I’ve missed you.”

He grinned at that and joined her in the bed, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that she hadn’t really changed her mind—

Had she just stopped believing they could stop the inevitable?

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