Love and Sex in a Paradox Pt. 02

Thank you for the likes and feedback on part one. I had intended it being a single part but when I opened my mind to more, I found this story and loved writing it. I have some references to historically correct persons of the age but this isn't a history story and I've made my own universe in that timeline. The same goes for use of addressing Lords and Ladies, my story, my rules. I hope you enjoy, more story than sex but I promise it's in there! All straight sex, all over 18.

Life after the auction was very good. Our house took a while to build but Gina and I got to enjoy just being together with no stress or worrying about being caught. Dad was having our Aunts visit quite often, one was married but Mom and Dad would spend days just enjoying them together. Gina teased me about seducing a 'hot Aunt' but I wasn't interested. They were reasonably attractive, it wasn't that but they just didn't have nice personalities and that put me off.

When we didn't have guests, Dad spent a lot of time hunting for hidden rooms in the house. He bought himself thermal imaging and surveying tools and became a little obsessed with finding rooms after he accidentally found one when hanging some shelves. When we asked him why he was so determined to find more rooms, he said it was to try and find more treasure, despite the story behind finding the sword being a lie.

Once our house was ready, Gina and I made it our home and set out to make love in every single room. We'd join our parents for dinner but they just liked that we were happy. I was having dreams about being in the past again too. Gina thinks it was just echos of the alternate life but I'd wake up in a cold sweat then forget the dream once Gina kissed me. I liked to tease her too, I'd wake from a nap and talk in the old English accent from movies and pretend I'd changed but I couldn't keep a straight face. I suspected it was from my reading, I'd spend hours reading about the history of Covington house and the many owners it had over the years.

I woke up one morning, our routine was usually the same. Brush our teeth, shower if we'd been up all-night making love then do the same thing all day. Gina was lying in bed still asleep and I had already showered and brushed my teeth. I crawled onto the bed beside her and ran my hand over her naked body. I cupped her breast and ran my thumb over her nipple then gently kissed her neck. She smiled at me then rolled over onto her side.

"Can you spoon me, take me from behind? I'm a little tired," she said.

"I can stop," I replied.

"You're already hard, Marcus. You'll be begging me all day. Cum in me and enjoy yourself."

She reached back and guided my cock into her. She'd never been so uninterested before, no matter how many times we'd made love. My desires took over so I slowly thrust into her, hoping a nice orgasm would awaken her lust but she just gave quiet moans until I exploded deep inside her. I didn't know it at the time but it would be the last time I'd make love to her.

Later that afternoon, Dad called us over to the house. He said he'd found another room and wanted us to explore it with him. He was impatiently waiting for us.

"I had a quick look, it looks like an old study but there's a lot of dust. Please put on the gloves and masks," he said.

The gloves were too small for me so I put them in my pocket. Dad opened the wooden door that had been covered up by a thin layer of plaster. It creaked as if it was complaining but it opened into a room that looked like it used to be an office or a study. We were curious why they would have just closed it off but the building layout didn't make any sense to us at all.

There were books but when Dad picked one up, being slow and careful with it, it just crumbled in his hands. Mom found a couple of crystals on a shelf, I'd picked a couple up too that were sitting in a box. They looked like they were glowing in my hand, I blew the dust off them to get a closer look.

"Are they glowing, honey? These ones aren't," said Mom.

Gina started walking towards me with a concerned look on her face, she had been looking at something on the wall. As Mom put the crystals she had in her hand into mine, she yelled "No!" but it was too late. As soon as the crystals touched, everything went black.

"Is 'e breathin'?" said the woman as she poked my arm.

"Hey," I said as I sat up. The man and woman got a fright.

"Sorry, Guv, you gave Miss Spencer quite the fright. She said you just fell out the air, I thought she'd been drinkin' again," said the man.

I looked at both of them, they were dressed in what I saw as really old-fashioned kitchen clothes. They helped me stand up, the woman gasped when my clothes just crumbled to dust and left me naked. The man quickly handed me a small towel to cover myself.

"Let's get you inside before the Lady see's you out here," said the man.

They took me into a kitchen, I was in agony and barely able to walk. It seemed like every bone in my body was on fire and my head was pounding. Once inside, they sat me in a chair and found me a clean apron to put on and better cover myself up. The woman handed me a mug of tea, I hated the stuff but it was hot and sweet and helped my pain go away.

A few minutes later, a woman came into the room. She was wearing nicer clothes than the two kitchen staff that were helping me had on. They both stood back and lowered their heads but didn't say anything.

"I looked out of my window and see my cook and my maid helping a naked man into my house. Who are you, where did you come from?" she asked me.

I thought for a second as I looked around, the crystals, Gina's reaction when Mom handed me the other two. I'd been sent to the past again.

"Well, shit," I said to myself as I sighed.

The maid and cook gasped.

"Do you not know who I am? Such language in front of a Lady will get you whipped, boy!" said the woman.

"Ma'am, I'm not a boy, I'm 26 years old and I'm from somewhere you won't understand," I replied.

I didn't even see the man come into the room or what he hit me with but I saw movement at the corner of my eye then I was out cold again.

"Come on, wake up, boy," said a man.

He'd held what I assumed to be smelling salts under my nose. It burned my sinuses but holy shit was I awake then. I looked around, I was tied to a chair in what seemed to be a barn or something. The man who I figured had knocked me out was in front of me, the woman was standing a little behind him. I'd been dressed in some kind of burlap sack.

"Oh, that stuff is not cool man," I said to him.

"His accent is most curious, have you heard it on your travels, Mr. Smith?" said the woman.

"I have not, M'Lady. Where are you from, boy?" he said to me.

"My name is Marcus, I'm not a boy," I replied.

"Yet you have no hair on your body and you barely look old enough to shave. Who are you, were you sent here to find me?" said the woman.

"I was sent here by mistake. You seem like an important woman, Ma'am but I'm afraid I don't know who you are or when I am," I replied.

"He's telling the truth, M'Lady," said Mr. Smith.

"Mr. Smith has a very good talent of spotting a lie. Makes him the most annoying opponent when playing cards but I digress, you said 'when' I am? Explain yourself," she said to me.

"I don't know what date today is. If I'm right, I'm still at Covington house," I replied.

"It is the year of our Lord, 1527 and you are correct, this is Covington house."

"Which would make you, Lady Alice Covington if my history is correct?"

"History?"

"I am no threat to you, Ma'am. This may sound kinda crazy but I am from another time."

"That is not possible. Such things are of children's tales."

"I am from the year 2029. Crystals that my mother and I found sent me back here. I have to find more if I am to ever return home, I don't belong here."

"He.... He's telling the truth, M'Lady. That or he's better than I am at lying," said Smith.

"Untie him. I want to speak to him alone," said the woman.

"I will be right outside, M'Lady."

I rubbed my wrists where the rope had been digging in and watched as the woman pulled up a stool and sat facing me. She was looking into my eyes with an intensity that made me a little uneasy.

"I have dreamt of you. Four months now. I saw you wielding a sword beside a lake of fire, I saw you do things with a woman that... It can't be you," she said quietly.

"There was a time where it was me. I changed the past in one reality and I had to fight to correct it. It took away all that I had done in the past but I somehow remember and dream about it too," I replied.

"So, you cannot wield a sword?"

"I can, it's something I train on very often."

"Your accent is something I still cannot place. You speak English but I have not heard another speak as you do."

"Would you prefer I spoke like you, Lady Covington?" I said, emulating her accent.

"No, most definitely not. Sounds like you are mocking me," she replied with a laugh.

"I will work on it. If I may, I am alone here, I have nothing, not even clothes on my back. May I work for you and earn a place here?"

"You said you are from the future, is my name written down in your history you spoke of?"

"I shouldn't answer that, Ma'am. Nobody should know their own fate. I changed one by accident and it took me 3 months to get away from a place that wanted to judge me."

"My husband will be returning in several months, he would not look kindly upon a strange man in our home. I will speak with Mr. Smith, he may know of somewhere safe for you."

She called him back inside. He came in with his hand on his sword but saw how relaxed Lady Covington had become and he relaxed a little too.

"Mr. Smith, I can't help feeling a bond to this man that I cannot explain. Lord Covington would most unhappy if he were here upon his return but is there somewhere safe you can accommodate him?" said Lady C.

"The cottage you set me up with has more than enough room, M'Lady, I can keep him with me. If it pleases you, I he can be my apprentice, I'll teach him how to fight and protect the household," replied Smith.

"I am well trained in combat, Mr. Smith but I would be happy to learn from you," I said.

"Take this, I will have Mr. Garver find some suitable clothes but buy him attire that is more suited for your work, Mr. Smith," she said to him, handing him some coins.

"We will speak again, Mr. Marcus," she said to me then left.

"With me, lad. I can't say I'm happy with this but I trust her judgement. Is not to say I'm not going to test you. If you're standing by me and it comes time to fight, I want to know you can hold your own," he said.

The cook, Mr. Garver, brought some clothes that were okay on me. I made do and waited to see what Smith had in store for me. He meant what he said about testing me. He took me into the nearby village in a horse and cart and after checking with a few locals, rode us to a bigger town. He stopped to talk to me before we went into a barn. I could hear shouting and cheers, it was definitely not horses in there.

"So, you said you can fight. If you were just trying to act tough in front of the pretty lady, now's your time to come clean. I'm taking you in here to fight for money. You have muscles on that skinny frame of yours but you don't look like a fighter. Do you think you could handle me?" he said, looking into my eyes.

"By your confidence in the way you walk, the way you look around and by your build, I think I'd not want to tangle with you, Mr. Smith. I haven't watched you fight so I can't say for certain," I replied.

"That's another thing, don't talk in here."

He led me inside and he spoke to a man by the edge of the fighting pit. The man he spoke to looked at me and laughed but I didn't hear what he said. They beckoned me over to them.

"So, Smith 'ere put you in for a fight. Win and he gets his money and some of the take, lose and you owe him. You're up next, no rules," he said and pushed me towards the ring.

My shirt and jacket were taken from me, I heard laughs and various jeers about my lack of body hair or my size but I toned it out. The man in the ring already looked pretty wiry. He was about the same height as me but had a face that looked like he'd been in his fair share of fights. He looked like a boxer by the way he was loosening up, I aimed to not let any of his punches land. He held his hand out as if to shake but it was a trick, he grabbed my hand and tried to sucker punch me but I instead used his momentum and threw him onto his back. I gave him a quick kick into his armpit since he didn't let me go and his grip loosened. He quickly got to his feet and took a wild swing at me. He was in pain and angry so it was easy to spot coming, I slapped the swing aside then countered with a rapid combo of jabs then a kick to the side of his knee. He felt every one of them and limped back in pain. It seemed to fuel him but it did nothing for his skill. Another wild swing and I dodged it easily and countered with a hard strike to his jaw. He dropped and was out cold before he hit the ground.

The crowd was pretty quiet after that. Smith had a soft smile on his face but the ringmaster guy looked pretty pissed. They exchanged a few words, Smith beckoned me and gave me my shirt and jacket back. The man slapped some money into Smith hands and we left pretty quickly. Once we were clear of the town, Smith stopped the cart and took a bundle of cash he'd stuffed into his pocket.

"He was not happy with me. I paid ten shillings to let you fight and won enough to buy a horse. I saw enough. You fight like men I've seen fight in Asia, they don't teach us westerners though. When the Lady mentioned her husband, your face changed. You know more than you're saying, don't you," he said to me.

"If I tell you, it's not to cause pain. It can't be changed, I wish I didn't know. He isn't coming back. What month is it? By the weather I'm guessing spring, early summer? By August, she'll get a letter telling of his ship running aground, all aboard slain by pirates. He was the Captain, they did not treat his body with dignity," I replied.

"Tell me."

"He was dismembered and his head placed on the wheel. Most of the other men were left where they were cut down. I'm sorry. They said he was a great man, he put up a fierce fight but they were greatly outnumbered. It led to the King sending a fleet to hunt them down, they killed so many pirates and sunk their ships."

In the fading light I could see the pain on Smith's face. It was clear to me that he knew him.

"Two months. You say it can't be stopped, do you know where it happens?" he asked.

"No, Sir. Just where it ran aground, South East coast of India," I replied.

He didn't say anything for the rest of the ride back to the house. The grounds were laid out differently but his cottage was not far from where Gina and I had built our house. I ached for her but knew where and when I was put me in danger. I knew I had to put her out of my mind until I could find a way home.

Smith led me to a small room, it had a bed with some sheets and blankets folded at the bottom and a small dresser. He showed me the bathroom and gave me a towel.

"Get cleaned up then we'll go and talk to Lady Covington," he said to me.

"You're going to tell her?" I asked.

"She is as smart as she is beautiful. I have known her since her mother first brought her into this world. She was talking at 3 years old and hasn't stopped learning since. She'll know as soon as she sees my face."

"I truly am sorry, I hate that I gave you this news."

"I would be more upset if you'd kept it from me. Hurry up."

I washed with a cloth and the bowl of cold water then dressed in the clean shirt he gave me. We walked up to the house, Lady C was drinking warm milk in one of the lounges.

"I'm guessing your trip to that horrible fighting place gave you what you needed, Mr. Smith?" she said with a smile.

"He's very capable, M'Lady. I'll see how he is with a sword but he went up against a pretty seasoned fighter and made easy work of him," he replied.

"There's something more though, isn't there. Hearing from you at this hour and I can hear it in your tone."

"He shared something, M'Lady, it is not good news."

"Do tell."

"It's about Lord Covington."

"Then he can tell me. Do not spare my feelings, Mr. Marcus, I do not like being lied to."

"I'm deeply sorry, Ma'am, but he won't be coming back. Two months from now, a letter will tell you that his ship ran aground in East India. Him and his crew killed after a fierce battle with pirates. None survived," I said.

"Please leave us, Mr. Smith," she said.

"Yes, M'Lady," he said then left the room.

"Somehow I already knew what you were going to tell me. I saw things in your eyes when I faced you in the stables. You didn't tell me how he was found but thank you for sparing that of me. You know my fate, don't you?" she said to me.

"I can't. Knowing could change something I can't control," I replied.

"I know it is not death of a broken heart. My father insisted I marry him but he was a cruel man. Smith respected who he once was but I know the pain in telling me was more for me and my feelings. Until I receive this letter, I will forget I know. I will appear to grieve, I will go on. Goodnight, Mr. Marcus. Thank you for telling me the truth."

She turned her gaze to the fire and I let myself out of the room, closing the door behind me. Smith took us back to the cabin and he handed me a small glass of whiskey.

"He was a good man once in his life but he did not deserve Lady Covington's hand. We drink to him all the same," he said, holding up his glass.

I touched his glass and drank with him, it was strong stuff but it was good. My dreams that night were a mess. I dreamt of Gina but she was older and didn't want anything to do with me, even looking at me in disgust. Then it changed to holding Alice in my arms like we were lovers, visions of her naked and standing beside me in the rain. I woke up as the sun began to shine through my window. I got up, washed with the bowl of water that was left for me then wandered to the stables. Alice was there, brushing a horse.

"Good morning, Ma'am," I said, I startled her a little.

"Goodness, nobody is ever up this early. I like to ride before the world awakens," she said.

"I have no idea what time it is, I'm sorry I startled you."

"It's okay. Do you know how to ride?"

"No, to be honest, those things scare me a little."

"Oh, do you hear that, Rupert? Afraid of a gentle giant like you," she said, rubbing the horse's face.

"Come, put your hands behind you and stand beside me. Rupert is wonderful, he'll sense you're afraid and will want to comfort you. Trust me."

I did as she asked and the horse sniffed my face then kind of rubbed my arm with his nose.

"He likes you," said Alice with a smile.

"Awesome," I replied.

"You say words that mean nothing here, it's quite amusing."

"I'll try to fit in but sometimes they slip out."

"Well, it's why I wear a corset, can't go scaring all the men with these," she said, a wry smile on her face. She saw my shock then laughed.

"I'll try to keep up, Ma'am," I said to her.

"I'm sure you will. Here, let me get another saddle on Rupert, you can ride with me. I'll ride Ginger."

She helped me get onto the horse and gave me a few tips on how to control. It felt strange but I soon got the hang of it. I couldn't help gazing at Alice too. She was incredibly beautiful, held herself with elegance and grace and was every bit the epitome of what an aristocrat would be in those times. She was 4th cousin to the King but never wanted anything to do with the Crown and lived on her father's estate when he passed away. She was to vanish without a trace in 5 years. Rumors said she was having an affair with a Prince and she was murdered and buried in an unmarked grave but there was no evidence behind that and the rumors were dispelled by most scholars.

She caught me looking at her a few times but she just smiled.

"How does it feel?" she said to me.

"Different. I had lessons when I was a kid but has been a long time," I replied.

She smiled at me as we rode on. She took us through the woods and we ended up at the edge of a beautiful meadow. There was still dew on the grass and the sun made it shine like diamonds.

"This is my favorite place to come and be alone with my thoughts. You miss her, don't you?" she said.

"I'm sorry, what?" I replied, I was confused.

"You have love in your eyes but it's love that shouldn't be, isn't it."

"How..."

"I've had glimpses of things with other people but with you, I see so many things, clearer. I saw a Princess who fell in love with you then she was killed by her uncle, when he stole the throne. I saw you fight things that I cannot describe, all to return to that forbidden love. She betrays you. A child who is not yours leaves you broken."

Alice wiped a tear from her cheek then she stared into my eyes again.

"I don't know how, Marcus Black, but I think we are meant to be. We will both mend our pain and find our place," she said.

I was conflicted. I wouldn't imagine Gina ever cheating on me but if she thought I was dead, I'd hope she'd move on. How Alice knew about my alternate path was wild too.

"What if I was only to bring pain to your world. This is a time I know little about. I've read about things in this time but I'm from a world where life is very different," I said to her.

"I will guide you, Mr. Smith will guide you. I'll show you how wonderful this life can be. I ask only that you are honest with me," she said.

She turned as we heard galloping coming from behind us, it was Smith.

"Sorry, M'Lady. When I found he was gone and two of the horses too, I feared the worse," he said, a little out of breath.

"It's quite alright, Mr. Smith. Mr. Marcus woke early and I offered to give him a riding lesson. He picked it up quite well but he'll practice. Come, I'm getting quite hungry," she replied.

Smith looked at me with a mildly distrustful look, I smiled at him and he turned to follow Alice. We got back and the stable hands helped me off the horse. We went inside and breakfast was already set out on the table for us all. The food tasted amazing, no additives, just fresh eggs, bread baked that morning and I figured I'd have to get used to tea.

"I'm going to read for a while, Mr. Smith. Please ensure the tailor finds Mr. Marcus today," said Alice and she left the room.

"Come, you still have sword play to show me," he said as I finished the last of my tea.

He took me to a small courtyard at the rear of the house. It was set up as a training area with archery and a few other things around. He picked up 2 wooden training swords and tossed one to me. I felt its balance then swung it the way I would with one of my combat lightsabers. Smith tested me with fencing then basic combat, I was able to match him without much trouble. He stepped it up a little and handed me a metal training sword. It didn't have a sharp edge but I knew it would have hurt if I messed up. He increased the intensity of his attacks and I had to really focus to beat him. We were in the middle of a pretty long exchange when I noticed a man standing at the edge of the courtyard. I decided I'd had enough of being tested, I switched my style and got Smith into submission. He grinned at me as I helped him to his feet.

"You know, I was really trying to hurt you and you held back. I haven't met many men who could beat me, I've killed a few who thought they could. I'm glad you're on my side, Lad," he said to me with a grin.

"Now, there's a compliment I've never heard this man give. Who is this, Mr. Smith?"

"He's a friend from out of town," replied Smith.

"Friend, eh? Well, I'm sure if he'd met you in your younger days, he'd be the one being knocked down. Where is Lady Covington?"

"Resting, I will see if she is accepting visitors my Lord."

"No need, I'll ask her myself."

I noticed a slight snarl from Smith but he didn't say anything. The man left and went into the house.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"Someone I don't like. Edward Collins, he has designs on Lady C for her money, nothing more. He doesn't care that she's married," he replied.

"He looks like a snake."

"Couldn't have said it better. Now. Let's go interrupt his little party, shall we."

When we got inside, he was yelling at one of the maids.

"I don't care if she's sleeping, if I have to tell you again, you'll see the back of my hand!" he said.

"Now, Edward, if you were to strike a maid belonging to Lady Covington, I'd have to bloody your nose. This is her house, her maids and I am here protecting her interests. Step away at once," I said in my best old English accent. It only pissed him off.

"How DARE you, do you know who I am? You just threatened a relative of King Henry himself," he said to me.

He came at me pretty strong; I hit him with an open hand to his throat and knocked the wind out of his sails. He buckled and dropped to his knees. He stood up and went to say more but Alice was standing at the edge of the room, glaring at him.

"I was sleeping, my headache was almost gone and I have to be woken by you raising your voice in my own home? If you don't leave at once, Mr. Collins, I shall message your father and have you whipped," she said.

He saw how calm I was and didn't say anything else. He quickly left out of the back door.

"My apologies, M'lady, he was most insistent and not taking no for an answer," said the maid.

"Did he hit you or just threaten you?" replied Alice.

"Just threats, M'lady."

"You, with me," she said to me.

I followed her into her study and she closed the door behind us.

"I was watching you train with Mr. Smith. Very impressive. I didn't really have a headache, that man is insufferable and I loathe him. He may come back to challenge you, please be careful, he is not an honorable man," she said to me.

"I was always taught, you fight with honor or you fight to win. He is a bully and I don't like those kinds of people, Ma'am," I replied.

"We'll work on that accent of yours, too," she said, grinning.

"It was that bad?"

"Yes, yes it was. Come, you have an appointment with the tailor, Mr. Black."

"I meant to ask, how do you know that name? You've mostly been calling me Mr. Marcus."

"You told me. At some time you do at least."

I was fitted for clothes that better matched my new stature as a friend of the family. It wasn't long after the clothes arrived when the Collins man and his Father showed up at the estate with a local Magistrate. Alice met with them at the door with Smith and myself close behind.

"Lady Covington, it is very nice to see you. I come to you with a serious matter that I'm hoping can be settled quietly. My son told me that a few weeks ago, he was struck by a member of your household. Despite my efforts to dissuade him otherwise, he wants to settle the matter with a duel rather than drag it into court. I have heard his side of the story, I suspect it is embellished somewhat but I want the matter dealt with so my peace may return," said the Father.

"I witnessed the whole thing, your son was being a brute and Mr. Black defended himself," said Alice.

"Might I speak with him a moment?"

"Please do."

The father came to me while his son was arguing with the Magistrate about the rules.

"I have heard you were able to hold your own against Mr. Smith. I would ask, unless given no choice, please don't kill him. He is insufferable to many but my wife would be most distraught if I went home without him," he said to me.

"I will try, Mr. Collins," I replied.

The Magistrate had us both stand facing each other and spoke to us.

"Mr. Black. You have been accused of assault without honor and a charge has been brought against you. To settle this matter, Master Collins, wishes to settle the matter with a duel. You will each be given a sword and the result of this will settle the matter conclusively. Do you both agree to the terms?" he said.

"Yes," we replied in unison.

"I did want to have this to end at blood drawn but Master Collins insists it is to the death. I wish you both luck," he said.

I saw the look of concern on Alice's face. I hadn't seen the man fight before so I was apprehensive but based on how he held his sword, I didn't believe he'd had a lot of training. When we were given the order to begin, he took a fencing stance and had a few jabs at me. I changed my stance a few times to unsettle him and watched for his tells. I defended his first few attacks easily. He bared his teeth and looked to the side of his swings with every one so I kept every one of his swings at bay. After a few minutes, he started getting angry and his attacks became more erratic. I decided I'd had enough and went on the offensive. When he swung at me, I used the flat of the sword and slapped his hand, knocking the blade from his hand. I let him pick it up then when he swung at me again, I trapped his sword and hit him pretty hard on the jaw with my other hand. That made him even angrier and he went on a full rage attack. I switched to what I called my Anakin Skywalker move I'd used so many times, parried all of his attacks, knocked the sword from his hand again then switched hands with mine. He swung at me with his fists, I side stepped, punched him in the kidneys and kicked the back of his knees, sending him down to all fours. As he knelt up, I spun round and with a broad arc, swung and stopped my blade, millimeters from his neck. His Father gasped.

"Do you yield? I do not wish to take your life Mr. Collins. We had a heated moment and it got out of hand. Yield and we can consider this settled," I said to him.

"You fight without honor and you expect me to cower before you?" he replied.

"I fight to win, Master Collins. You are not my enemy and I certainly don't want your demise on my conscience."

"Then I yield."

"If it helps, I offer my sincere apology for striking you in front of the Lady. I prefer to conduct myself without resorting to violence."

"I accept your apology."

We shook hands but I could see the anger still under the surface by his demeanor. I handed the sword to the magistrate then briefly spoke to Alice. She just said 'okay'.

"Sir, if it would please Lord Collins and his son, I'd like for this to be kept off the record. We can consider this a private matter that we can consider resolved by our handshake and my apology. I do not wish to tarnish his good name on record for a moment of heated tempers," I said.

"Lord Collins?" asked the Magistrate.

"I would find that most pleasing. It is very decent of you Mr. Black," he said.

"Then as the record goes, this never happened. I would like to hear that from you that you agree to these terms Master Collins. This man spared your life and is offering to spare your dignity also," said the Magistrate.

"I agree," he said.

He shook my hand again and walked to their carriage with the Magistrate. His father shook my hand and thanked me and then joined him.

"Is there something you know about him that made you do that, Mr. Black?" Alice asked me.

"Nothing bad. I respect life, killing him would have been pointless. I'm hopeful he learns from this, they move to India and find great success in spice trading and gold but they didn't write much about their history here, just that they came from here."

"Your accent is getting better too, keep it up," she said with a smile then walked inside.

"Between you and me, Lad, that boy needed that lesson. Well done," said Smith.

"Thank you," I replied.

My timing wasn't precise on the report of Lord Covington's demise. A few days later, a messenger arrived with news about his death. Alice summoned me to her study before she addressed the entire staff.

"I had a tiny fraction of belief that all of this was some kind of dream, that you really can't know things about a future I've yet to live. This letter from the Admiral destroys that notion. I will put on a display of grief then I will open my heart to you, Mr. Black, if you will have it. I am 27 years old, I do not wish to be paired off with some Lord just to please what family I have left. You will council me in my grief and my hope is that you can find a life with me somewhat appealing. I know you have pushed away the feelings you have for your sister but she isn't here," she said to me.

"I have been in your company such a short time but I dream about you every night. It's almost like a vision. You are standing at the meadow you took me to that first time we rode together. I am behind you at first and it is raining and we stand together," I replied.

"You left out that we are naked. I have the same dream."

"I did not wish to embarrass the Lady," I said with a smile.

"Well, I just hope you find the view of my buttocks to be a pleasant view."

"Very much so."

"Good. I would very much like to kiss you but I have on this ridiculous makeup and it would show."

"Then I will kiss your hand and take my leave."

She looked at me in a way that in different settings, I'd have wanted to ravage her right there. I know she felt it too but I walked away. The timing was way off. A few minutes later, I was fetched from the kitchen where I'd walked to. Alice was standing in front of all the staff, Mr. Smith was off to the side.

"I wanted to share some news with you all, it is not pleasant but I wanted you all to know. My Husband, Lord Covington, will not be returning. I was given a letter from the Admiral that he perished at sea at the hands of pirates and none of his crew survived. The Admiral assured me that he has sent a fleet of ships to deal with them but that is not my concern. His family, despite being upset that he took the Covington name for his Lordship, will be attending the service but since his burial will be at sea at his request, they will not be needing rooms here. Please clear all of my social engagements for the next two months. I will not be accepting any visitors," she said.

For the next few weeks, Alice went through with all the things required of her as the grieving widow. Talking with the staff painted a pretty grim picture of him though. I learned he'd gotten pretty handsy with at least 3 of the maids, likely more to it but they didn't say. I couldn't find anyone who said they were sad he was gone. Alice put on her brave front for the time required, stayed away from me as much as she could but I was asked to join her in her study by a maid. I recognized the room right away, it was where we'd found the crystals.

"This room was taken over by my late husband. I've cleared most of his personal things but I never liked this corner of the house," she said to me.

"This.... This is the room we found the crystals," I replied, looking around.

"I know. We will embark on a quest to find them, when we do, we will place them in here and seal the room. We can make changes to the plans, to the layout of this house so they are only found by your father like you told me. Please close the door."

I did as she asked.

"There is something you should know. I still dream of you every night. It's like we're sharing a space in the dream world and when I wake without you beside me, I am sad until I see you. I cannot bear children, if you are to be with me, that is something you should know," she said.

"I would be with the most beautiful woman I've ever met. A woman born over 500 years before my time and I would be the luckiest man alive," I replied, she smiled at me.

"Do you think you could settle for a Lady after you've had a Princess?"

"I would go and fight King Henry himself so that I could make you a Queen. I wouldn't compare you to any other woman."

"You'd fight for me?"

"I would."

"Would you give up your sisters hand for me."

"If I give you my heart, I am yours alone."

As we spoke, Alice was getting closer to me. She pretty much pounced on me, pulling me for a kiss that was so passionate, I felt like the air left the room. I'd never felt anything like it, when we parted lips, still holding each other, we both looked at each other in shock.

"I have never felt anything like that before in my life. Please tell me you felt it too?" she said, quietly.

"Like the world stopped, like you were the only being in existence and you wanted only me," I replied.

"Yes, very much that. Tonight, I will bathe and I will send for you. I would like you to bathe also."

"Of course."

"You should leave before I cannot wait until tonight and insist you take me right here."

My heart was pounding in my chest. When Alice kissed me, I could have sworn that we became one, that I could feel her heart beat through her many layers of clothes and when we looked in each other's eyes, it was like we could see each other's minds. I knew I had been falling for her. The visions in my dreams and the ones she had of me, were like we were led to each other. I took a bath and made sure I was nice and clean then sat in my room, waiting to be summoned. When the maid did come, it wasn't the nice, 'hey, she wants you' I was expecting.

"Y... you have to come quickly, Master Black, something strange in one of the rooms," said the maid, she looked pretty frantic.

I followed her to the house and she took me to one of the spare rooms. Alice was standing in the doorway, Mr. Smith was standing beside her with his sword drawn. They were both looking at something intently in the room. They both stepped aside when I arrived.

"I've never seen anything like this, lad," Smith said to me.

I looked and there was a shimmer, almost like a blurred, floating mirror at the foot of the bed. I could see a woman laying on her back on the bed, it looked like Gina. I remembered her coming to me, she woke up to this. I reached into the shimmer, hoping she could touch or even recognize me but she woke up and freaked out then ran out of the room. When I pulled my arm back through, the shimmer left with a flash and I blacked out.

"He's waking up," said Alice, she had me resting my head on her lap as she sat on the ground.

I stood up but I felt a little dizzy, Alice sent a maid to make some tea.

"Was that her?" asked Alice.

"Yes, she ran to me when this happened, I didn't see it then but she described what I did," I replied.

"We can talk about it alone. I found something in the study you should see."

Alice led me to the study then closed the door behind us. She pulled me close to her and kissed me, it felt wonderful.

"I do have something to show you but I was so worried when you collapsed. I wanted to hold you," she said, smiling.

"I will never complain about you kissing me," I replied.

"I found these. Do not touch them! They were in a box on the shelf here. Are these the ones that brought you here?"

"Yes, but there should be four."

"There was, I left one the shelf."

"The red one was with it."

"Then there it shall go. Do you remember anything else about this room, does it look like that day?"

"I'm trying to remember, I was in here so briefly before I was taken."

"I'll put this with the other 2, the box should be here. We will close and lock the room until it is time to seal it."

"I think a painting of you, right here. It was faded but Gina was fascinated by it. It distracted her from stopping the stones touching."

"With you standing beside me," Alice said with a smile.

"She would be confused, 'how is that him'."

"That, can wait. You were going to drink tea with me then show me the things I've been dreaming about."

Alice took my arm and walked us both to her room. She closed and locked her door then turned to face me. She unbuttoned her dress and let it fall to the ground, she was naked underneath. I was in awe of her, she was so very sexy. Her skin was pale but it suited her, she was unshaven but I didn't care. She had a body that in my time she'd be called curvy but she had beautiful full breasts and to me, was a goddess. I felt my cock getting hard just at the sight of her.

"You're just staring," she said softly.

"I... You're so very beautiful, Alice," I replied.

"Even compared to the women of your time?"

"I will never compare. You are perfect."

She smiled then started pulling at my belt, I took the hint and took my clothes off. She smiled at me.

"I have already seen you naked, now we are even," she said then pulled me to her to kiss.

We stopped kissing long enough to climb on the bed, she pulled the blankets back and laid on her back with her legs open. I kissed her then started a trail down her body, kissing her neck, her collarbone, the swell of her breasts then took each nipple into my mouth until they hardened. She was gasping in pleasure but I kept going. I kissed my way down again until I was kissing her inner thighs getting closer to her pussy. Seeing hair was a rare thing, I didn't let it distract me and ran my tongue over her labia. She was already soaking wet and my tongue slipped inside her with ease. She gasped when I began to really please her, I soon had her writhing on the bed and when I pushed a finger inside her and found her g-spot, she cried out and arched her back as she came for the first time. I licked and sucked on her clit until she begged me to stop, her face was flushed and she was wide eyed and breathless. She looked even more beautiful to me, I kissed her and looked into her eyes as I placed my cock at the entrance of her pussy. I pushed inside her slowly, she was breathing so hard and she felt incredible. I began to thrust, gradually increasing my pace as I watched her beautiful breasts bouncing for me. I soon lost track of how many times she climaxed, I loved watching her face with each one. I lasted longer than I expected but I soon felt the familiar tingle in my balls and I knew I was close. I increased my pace again and when Alice came again, I let go and groaned as we came together. I stayed inside her until I was spent then rolled over to lay beside her. She was looking at me as if in awe.

"I.... Have never felt.... Anything.... So wonderful..." she said, still catching her breath.

"You felt amazing, Alice," I replied.

"Is it like that every time?"

"I try to make it so, I will find the things that make you feel good and do those things more. I am a very unselfish lover, I get pleasure making you have pleasure."

"Before, I would get two or three from him then he would be finished. I have touched myself and made myself climax but never so many at once. And your tongue, you made me feel things I, well, I've never had that before."

"I love doing that."

"Well, I will never refuse it."

Alice pulled the covers over us, she melted into me then fell asleep. I brushed the hair from her face and kissed her cheek, she woke up briefly, kissed me then we both fell asleep. We woke at sometime during the night, I was spooning with her and I was hard. I think she was touching herself but I cupped her breast and kissed her neck. I pushed into her from behind and we made love until we both came again.

For the next few days, she would find every excuse for us to be alone. She moved me into the house into one of the spare rooms, we would take turns on each-others beds to make love. The days soon blurred and we were like teenagers, sneaking away from the staff to be alone and kiss.

One morning, Mr. Smith didn't show up as he usually did each morning. He was never late. I walked over to his cabin to check on him.

"Mr. Smith?" I called out as I let myself in.

He was sitting at his kitchen table, his head resting on his arm. He looked pale.

"Aye, Lad," he replied, coughing into a rag. I saw blood.

"Are you okay? Should I fetch the doctor?"

"He's already been. Nothin' he can do for me. I've been sick for a while, I've been staying strong for Alice but my body is giving out on me. Don't look so sad, it's just my time."

"I'm bringing Alice to see you."

I sprinted to find Alice, she was just leaving her room.

"Well, good morning Mr. Black," she said with a smile but that soon faded when she saw my face.

"You must come with me, Alice," I said to her.

We ran back to Smith's cottage, he hadn't moved.

"Oh, Mr. Smith, has the sickness gotten worse?" said Alice, touching his shoulder.

"Yes, M'Lady, the doctor said I don't have long left," he replied.

"It's Alice, you can call me Alice."

"Not on yer life, M'Lady," he said with a smile.

"You have known me my whole life. You have given me all the values I hold dear. What will I do without you?"

"You already know the answer to that. Marcus is a good man, I watch how he treats you and I know I'm leaving you in good hands, M'Lady. Now if you please, give me a minute with the lad. Goodbye, M'Lady."

Alice walked out with tears running down her face, I sat with him.

"There's a box under my bed, lad. Fetch it for me."

I brought back a small box.

"I found these many years ago, I think you know what they are. Take her with you, you two belong together but you don't belong in this time. You'll know when the time is right," he said.

I looked in the box, it had more crystals.

"She disappears without trace in just over 4 years from now," I said.

"I leave her in your care, Lad. Now, pour us both a drink."

We drank a small shot of his whiskey together then he had me help him into his chair. He shook my hand, took a deep breath then closed his eyes for the last time. I left him and found Alice standing watching the door, she burst into tears when she saw my face. I held her tight.

"H.. He has been with me my entire life. He never let any man or woman harm a hair on my body, the strongest man I have ever known. What is it he gave you?" she said, tears still flowing.

"I will tell you when the time is right," I replied.

The funeral was a quiet one. He was respected by everyone who knew Alice and they knew to never cross him. Alice clung to my side the whole time, not caring about who saw us together. She had the cottage pulled down, said she couldn't bear to see anyone else live there. It took her a good few months to get over losing him but she stood me beside her to address her staff one morning.

"Some of you may have seen things and I wanted you all to know but I have taken Mr. Black as my love. He has been by my side and has helped me through tremendous pain with the loss of my husband and more so, Mr. Smith. He will be moving into my room but we will be making some changes to the house. Does anyone have any questions?" she said to them. A maid raised her hand.

"If I may, M'Lady. We're all very pleased for you. We've seen how much happier Mr. Black makes you and we do love to see you happy," she said.

"Thank you, Mabel. He is a good man," said Alice, smiling at me.

The staff all went back to work and left Alice and I alone.

"You know, I wasn't consulted about this. I thought I was just a plaything keeping you happy," I said, smiling.

"Are you refusing a command to the Lady who lives in a house bearing her name?" she said.

"If I say yes, do I get to spank you?"

"No but you'll miss the most wonderful surprise I have for you."

"There is something I have been meaning to say to you for the longest time."

"If this is more teasing, good Sir, you shall sleep on the lawn this evening."

"No teasing. I'm in love with you Alice. I think I have been since the moment I laid eyes on you."

"Well, I know that, silly," she said with a grin.

"You do?"

"Well, I wouldn't love a man who didn't love me and I have been in love with you before we even met."

"You are looking a little pale, my love. I think you should lay down."

"You just want me to practice with my mouth again, don't you, naughty man."

"Well, I was hoping I get to use mine."

"Then, yes. We should go and lay down."

We walked to what was now our room officially and closed the door behind us. We pulled at each other's clothes and kissed with the passion we shared every time. While she still held me, she told me to close my eyes and let her get onto the bed. I did as she asked and when I was allowed to open them, she was laying with her legs open. She'd trimmed her pubic hair.

"When you told me it's how women in your time kept themselves, I was curious. I like it!" she said to me, touching herself.

"It's uh, I like it too," I said, grinning.

"Well, I think you should kiss it, make sure I got all the long hairs."

I licked her the way I knew got her off hard then climbed up her body to kiss her while she was still catching her breath.

"I do like the taste of me on your lips," she said between kisses.

"We have lunch with your cousin, I think you should get on all fours," I replied.

"Oh, are you going to pound me?"

"Yes."

"Fill me with your seed, my naughty man."

Alice got on all fours. I loved gazing at her ass but I pushed inside her and held on to her hips. She groaned in pleasure as I began to thrust and soon the walls echoed with the sound of her moans and our bodies slapping together. I never lasted long that way, she felt so amazing and I gasped 'fuck yes...' as I climaxed. We collapsed together, gazing into each other's eyes, smiling as we caught our breath.

"You should ask me for my hand, Mr. Black. I wish to be your wife," she said to me.

"I have no job, everything I have is yours," I replied.

"You do not have to work. Your job is to make me happy and you do that very well. I will fetch my mother's ring from the bank and you can choose when to propose."

I was a little in shock. I was deeply in love with Alice, she was with me too but I felt so out of place. She'd kept me sheltered but marrying her would mean social engagements, parties and more that were expected of her with her status. She saw the hesitation on my face.

"Marcus, I will guide you in this world. I will have you by my side protecting me and all I ever want in return is your love which you already give freely," she said, touching my face.

"It would be my honor," I replied.

Her face lit up, seeing her smile always made me happy. We took a bath together, resisting the urge to make love again but we both knew we would be back in our bed that evening. We held hands as the carriage took us to her cousin's house. It was an estate of similar size to Alice's. We were greeted by her butler and taken to the dining room. A few women were standing talking, one saw Alice and came running to her.

"My goodness, look at you! You look incredible, dear cousin. Is this the man who has stolen your heart?" she said.

"It certainly is. Marcus, this is Lady Elizabeth Cardington. Her husband is off fighting for the King somewhere but she is my cousin," said Alice.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Cardington," I said, kissing her hand.

"Ooh, an actual gentleman. Come, food should be almost ready."

I tried to keep up with the conversation but I was the only man there and didn't understand most of what they were talking about. I tried to think of why her name stuck in my head then I remembered. With her husband gone, she liked to sleep around. She caused a pretty serious love triangle with 2 men that were obsessed with her and it became deadly. One of them killed her and the other killed him then committed suicide after setting the house on fire. Cardington house would be gone in about 2 years and I couldn't stop it.

The lunch seemed to go on forever. Through it all, Alice would look at me and smile and my heart felt like it was skipping a beat.

It went on like that for a few years. Despite her status, she wanted a quiet wedding, she looked breathtaking when we shared our vows and we could be in a crowded room and when our eyes met, we were in our own world. We were drinking tea in the lounge one afternoon when darkness came to our door. It would be the catalyst that sent us on a different path together.

One month until Alice was to disappear.

"M'Lady, there's a gentleman here who insists on seeing you. He refused to give his name but is quite adamant," said a maid.

"Thank you, Laura, see him in," replied Alice. We both stood up.

"That's him. Be wary, I was told he looks like nothing but could stand against Smith in his prime," said the man. He was flanked by two other men, they did not look friendly.

"Who are you, Sir, why do you visit my home?" replied Alice.

"Lady Covington, I have come to ask for your hand in wedlock. Your marriage to this man is a fraud, this man does not exist in any papers and I have annulment papers signed by the Magistrate himself," he said.

"You still have not identified yourself."

"I am Lord Etherington the third. My Father owns 7 ships that supply the King himself so you will be well taken care of. I will give you time to see this imposter off your land then I shall return to fetch you. We can keep this house as one of our estates, I will allow it to remain Covington house out of respect to your late father."

"I do expect this to be some kind of joke, Lord Etherington. If so, I applaud you on your straight-faced delivery. If it is not, you can take your two men and leave my house at once."

I'd never seen Alice so angry.

"I can see this has come as a shock but I assure you it is no laughing matter. We are to be wed and this charlatan will be sent away," he said.

He took a step towards Alice but I pulled her back and stood in his path. I had to be careful.

"Step aside, boy, or I will be the last thing you see," he said, angrily.

"See, I really don't like threats," I said.

Everything happened so quickly. He went to swing at me so I punched him in the throat. His men reacted quickly too. One pulled a short blade, no longer than a machete and the other pulled a hatchet. I spun and kicked the long blade guy in the chest to give me space then after blocking the hatchet, hit him hard on the nose. It dazed him and gave me enough time to grab my sword from the fireplace. Both men drew swords of their own. Etherington made a move to stand up but I gave him a solid kick to the ribs and he crumpled again. The other two had fought together before. They coordinated their attacks and it took effort to plan my own. Alice backed into the corner but I was glad she was out of immediate danger. I needed to end things fast. I spotted both of their tells when they both came at me. I defended then unleashed a counter attack on both that had their eyes widen from my ferocity. I'd trained on multiple attackers before. My Aikido master taught me how to defend against that kind of attack and I could still hear his words in my head. They served me well. I put a deep cut into one of the men's forearms, he reeled in pain and was out of the fight. The other was more serious, he increased his own intensity, he was really strong and I had a hard time parrying him. He gave himself away on a lunging attack, I spotted it in time and turned it against him. I side-stepped, knocked him off balance and spun, plunging my sword into the man's ribcage. He fell face forward, gurgling blood and gasping until he stopped breathing. The other man helped Etherington to his feet as they began to leave.

"Stay where you are!" yelled Alice.

The wounded man cradled his arm, Etherington turned to face us.

"You DARE to come into my home and attack me and think you can leave him on my rug? I will see you hang for this," continued Alice.

The wounded man came back with the coachman and they carried the body from the house. Alice called on the staff.

"There has been an incident and a man who wanted to put harm upon us was killed. I would like the rug in the front room burned. Laura, send a messenger to Lord Meekin, tell him I need 20 of his men at once and I am in need of his assistance as soon as he can come to me. Other than the men I have asked for and Lord Meekin himself, nobody is to enter this home, is that understood?" said Alice. They all replied their Yes in unison.

"Are you okay?" I asked her.

"I have witnessed death before my love. I love you, please trust my guidance on this and allow me to take charge."

"I am yours to command, my Lady. I know this is your world, I will not fight your path."

"How soon?"

"What?"

"Our destiny does not lie here, I know this. Is it time?"

"No."

"Then keep us alive until it is. I love you, with all I am," she said and kissed me.

Within the hour, 15 men from Lord Meekin's estate arrived on horseback. The Sgt dismounted and came to address Alice.

"Lady Covington, I am Sergeant Williams of the Kings guard. My men and I have been sent to guard you until Lord Meekin can arrive, he is engaged in another matter but assures he will take care of you," said the man.

"Thank you, Sergeant. My message was for 20 men."

"These are my best men, My Lady. They fight as strong as 40 men. Lord Meekin will have his personal guard with him also. May I ask who we are defending against so I can prepare my men?"

"Lord Etherington and two of his thugs attacked us in our home. Marcus defended against all 3, wounded one, killed another and hurt Etherington pretty badly. He threatened to return."

"If I may speak bluntly, Sir, you should have ran all three of them through. I've dealt with him in the past, he is no Lord but his connections to the King make him bolder than he should be and he's dangerous. I commend you Sir, which one did you kill, the one with the scar or the bulldog looking one?"

"The scarred one now has a bad cut on his sword arm, I suppose it was the bulldog I killed," I replied.

"Well, you have my respect, My Lord. Those were dangerous men on their own. All three at once? Very impressive. I will be here, My Lady, I assure you, nobody with ill intent will pass this door."

The Sergeant spoke to his men and they began their patrols. About an hour later, another man came on horseback with an entourage of another 10 tough looking soldiers. He spoke to the Sgt then was led inside by the maid.

"Alice, it is so good to see you, I wish it was under better circumstances but you look glowing, young Lady," he said, hugging her.

"I hate having to summon you, Uncle, but because of who it was, I felt I was in danger," she replied.

"And you cut one of them down, wounded another and had Etherington on his knees? I am impressed and that is not something that happens often. You must be Marcus," he said to me, shaking my hand.

"It's an honor to meet you, Sir," I replied.

"An honor. What have you told him about me?" he said to Alice with a smile.

"You can tell him," said Alice.

"Everything?" I replied.

"No, my love. Who he is."

"Lord Edward Meekin, Commander of the private Kings Guard before the Royal Army is commissioned. Well respected and personal advisor and tactician to the King himself, you served with Alice's father and owe him your life, a debt which he repaid in the battle of Heron's bay. It was said that if your men stood guard at any gates in the country, you should keep riding or the next guards you'd see would be the ones in Heaven. I believe Mr. Smith was one of your men until he swore himself to protect Lady Alice."

"Now, only a handful of men knew Smith was one of mine and you're not old enough to know all that," he said with a hearty laugh.

Alice nodded.

"I am from a time where your name is written in books, My Lord. You had my respect many years before we met today," I said.

"Now, Alice knows that I can tell when a man is lying. Smith had the same gift. I expect you have told me all I really should know. The matter at hand, Etherington has a large company of rough, undisciplined fighters. They're no match for my weakest men and you have my best. He won't dare come at you while they're here but we cannot be here forever, I know you know this, Alice. Tell me what you want to do about him," said Meekin.

"He said he has proof that Marcus should not exist here and has demanded my hand in marriage. I would sooner wed a slaughtered hog than even consider him but I am married to Marcus and that is that. He tried to kill him, Uncle, the men he brought were his assassins."

"Then I will talk to the King. We have 2 weeks until he returns, until then, I will have him tied up in the courts. During that time, you will have my men at your disposal. I will take my personal guard and have more return with provisions so they are not a burden to your household."

"Thank you, Uncle."

"It has been a pleasure, Marcus. If Smith trusted you, then I trust you. Lady Covington means the world to me and I see she is in safe hands," he said, shaking my hand again.

"You should come with me. We have a room to seal but I must show you something first," said Alice after Lord Meekin had left.

She led us back to the study, the walls had been prepped to cover the door and it wouldn't take long for us to finish the task. We stepped inside and closed the door. I spotted the painting right away, it was Alice with me standing behind her, my hand on her shoulder. Alice smiled when she saw me notice it.

"I figured it would fade but hopefully be enough to keep Gina's attention away from you coming to me," she said.

"It is perfect," I replied.

"I quietly commissioned a safe in here. I paid extra to have all records of the task destroyed but you and I will know. It contains gold, silver and jewels. The combination is your birthday, 23052003."

"You remembered. Even knowing or guessing that would throw my family off, where I'm from we do the date by the month first. Are you sure about this, Alice? My time is very different in ways you cannot imagine. I swear on my life that I will guide and protect you as you have done for me here. I love you."

"And I love you. My fate is written, if I am with you in the future, I am away from the clutches of Etherington and whoever else may try. My Uncle, what do you remember of his fate?"

"He oversees the founding of the Royal Guard and then he retires. He lives to a good age. I don't remember reading about Etherington or his Father's company though."

"Right now, it is not our concern. We must prepare. I'm taking this off but I do expect for you to place it back on my finger."

Alice showed me the safe, it was hidden in plain sight, when the shelves were pushed back, you would never know anything else was there. She placed her ring inside, replacing the diamond and ruby encrusted ring with a plain gold band. She closed and sealed the safe then put the shelves back in position. It took us another few hours but we closed the door then covered it with plasterboard. When it dried, we hung a painting then relaxed together.

"Time has flown for us. You've been here 5 years but I still remember you arriving like it was yesterday," she said as she touched my face.

"I remember you having Smith knock me out. I'm thankful I earned his respect though," I replied.

"My father would have liked you. Do you think yours will approve of me?"

"He only cares that I am happy and I am, my Lady."

Alice and I made a few other changes to the building plans over the next few weeks. All references to the study were gone and we hoped it would remain untouched until my Dad found it in my time. When the time came, the King's arrival brought a swift and brutal end to the Etherington line. Lord Meekin came to see us.

"I have spoken with the King. He was outraged that my own blood was threatened in her own home. He told me he merely tolerated him but has instructed me to take my men and wipe them out. I'm taking my men but when I return, Etherington shipping and their family of thugs will be no more. Will we meet again, Sir?" he said to me.

"No, My Lord. I assure you, Lady Alice will be safe. Meeting you has been an honor," I said, shaking his hand.

When he left, Alice looked at me.

"You said you didn't know of Etherington's fate, is that still true?" she asked.

"In one of the books I read, there was something about threats against the King. A warehouse was burned down, ships sunk and men stripped of their titles and hung.

I didn't think about that until Lord Meekin said so," I replied.

"You look afraid, Marcus."

"Only of losing you, Alice."

"I love you, Marcus, we will be fine."

We had dinner that evening, a messenger dropped off a small piece of paper, it simply said 'Threat Ended' and Meekin's initials. I noticed something when we went to retire for the evening though, when Alice got up to use the bathroom, I slipped into the shadows of our room. Alice gasped when she was faced with a man, he was hiding in our walk in closet and was holding a dagger.

"My master told me with his last breath, to cut your pretty throat and take your body out to sea. He didn't tell me what I couldn't do before that," he said.

'When you are no longer the shadows, you will become death. Strike with precision, strike to kill your enemy but only return to the shadows when all trace of you is gone...'

The words of my Ninjitsu Master. He may have added about not killing anyone in modern times but I wasn't in modern times and his original message became true. I grabbed the man's throat from behind then pushed a blade into his back, piercing his heart. He didn't get a chance to cry out, I let his lifeless body fall at my feet.

"I never liked this rug anyway," said Alice as she helped me roll his body into it.

"I will have the staff take care of it. I think It's time, Alice," I said to her.

"May I at least put on something other than this bloodstained nightgown?"

"It won't matter."

"Okay."

I took the box that Smith gave me from under the bed. It contained six crystals. We both took 3 in our hand then joined hands, then everything went dark.

I woke up in darkness, it was pouring rain and the rainfall actually washed away my clothes. I looked around me, I was in the woods sitting in the mud. My heart dropped, I was alone. Then I remembered the dream. I got my bearings, the house was lit up in the distance which made me close to the meadow. I got up and saw her standing there, her hair soaked and the water just running down her naked body. She turned to me and smiled and held out her hand. I ran to her and held her to me, kissing each other as we embraced.

"When I woke up and couldn't see you, I felt my heart break. Then I remembered. We've both dreamt of this," I said to her.

"I wish we could have picked a warmer time of year, will you take me somewhere warm, my love?" she replied.

"How about I take you to Covington house?"

"Yes, that will do."

We were both shivering by the time we got to the driveway. Alice was fascinated by the floodlights and the tarmac and was happy her home was still standing. The door was locked but I saw Mom's hideous curtains so I knew it was still them living there. I rang the doorbell a few times.

"That house, is that where you lived?" asked Alice, looking at my old place with Gina.

"Yes. It's almost where Smith's cabin was but not as far away," I replied.

I rang the doorbell again, it was mom who answered. She opened the door and just stared for a second, her eyes wide open. Dad was not far behind her.

"Who is it, honey?" he said to her.

"It.... It's Marcus!" she said and held me close.

"Gina, grab some towels and blankets, hurry," said Dad, Gina had came to see also.

"Who is this, Marcus?" asked Mom as I wrapped a towel around Alice.

"It can't be..." said Dad.

"Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet my wife, Lady Alice Covington," I said. Alice just smiled.

"I've put the kettle on, make you some hot chocolate," said Gina.

"What is that?" asked Alice.

"It's warm and hot. I'll see if they have any tea," I replied.

Dad lit a fire and Alice and I dried and warmed up. Mom brought us some clothes, she was about the same size as Alice and they still had my clothes in a closet. Dad made us tea and brought some bottled water.

"She looks exactly like her painting, Mom," said Gina.

"He was a very good artist, I am happy to see it survived," said Alice.

"Marcus, you've been gone for 8 years," said Mom.

"For me it was 5. Alice dreamt of me and things were already in place for us to find each other. History shows her disappearing without trace, I think without me there she was murdered and dumped at sea but her would be assassin met his end instead," I replied.

"Why is the water in a bottle, Marcus, what is this made of?" said Alice.

"Taste it, you'll understand," I replied. I opened and handed it to her.

"Your accent, you went native on us bro," said Gina.

"Our rings are gone," said Alice.

"We will fetch the others after some rest. We are safe, that's all that matters," I replied.

"Marcus, what happened. The last time we saw you, I put crystals into your hand and you just vanished. Your Dad was terrified, he closed the room back up and we searched for you for years. We thought we'd never see you again," said Mom, tears running down her face.

"The crystals sent me back to her time, 1527. She had been dreaming of me, I dreamt of her too. I think they're the same kind of crystals that sent the other version of me back to this time. I knew it was Alice the moment I laid eyes on her, we fell in love, we married and when the time came, we escaped to here. I didn't change anything, the things that made me fight in that other time, didn't interfere. Alice cannot have children so I haven't changed any lineage timelines, the men I killed were assassins and thugs but I didn't change the past," I replied.

"You killed people?"

"Yes, Mom. Men came for Alice a few times. All those years of martial arts and weapon training with my lightsaber nerds paid off. Alice is from a different time. She will question everything. Can we please hire a private doctor to give her a full medical, get her any vaccines she may need?" I said.

"Of course, I'll call in the morning," said Mom.

"Marcus, there's something you should know," said Gina.

"Gina, let him breath first," said Dad.

"How old is he now? He must be four or five by now," said Alice.

"Ho... How do you know that?" replied Gina.

"Alice can see things. She has a gift. I'm an uncle, right?" I said to Gina.

"Yes."

"We can talk about it later. My wife and I are tired, do we have a spare room?"

Alice was look all around her as we were taken to one of the many spare rooms. Mom put on fresh sheets and got us some dry towels.

"I think I am far too excited to sleep. Can we wash this mud from us and then make love? This material is fascinating, are all clothes like this?" she said to me.

"No, that is just a light cotton and polyester mix, there are so many. The clothes here are lighter than you're used to. I'll take you to stores tomorrow and we will buy you an entire wardrobe."

Our room had a spacious walk-in shower. Alice was fascinated by it but loved how the warm water felt on her skin with the shower gel and shampoo. She was amazed by how light and warm our duvet and sheets were. We made love then fell asleep in each-other's arms. The next morning, Mom woke us around 10am. We brushed our teeth (I showed her how with a modern toothbrush) and walked down to breakfast holding hands. Alice jumped when Dad's phone went off, his ringtone was a Metallica track he liked.

"Tea, Marcus?" said Mom as she began to serve.

"Oh, please tell me you have fresh coffee. I got used to tea but we didn't have coffee back then," I replied.

"What is coffee?" asked Alice.

"I'll have you try mine. It is wonderful."

Alice grimaced when she tried it.

"And you enjoy that? I will stick with my tea," she said with a laugh.

"Marcus, I'm having a hard time believing all this. She looks a lot like the paintings, sure but I think you found some woman who looks like her and are using her to get back at me. I thought you were dead, I moved on. He turned out to be an ass but I have a son now. I know you loved me, I have always loved you but this facade is getting old. Your accent is like hers but it's not real, none of this bullshit is," said Gina. She looked angry.

"I can prove who I am and what he's saying is true. The study where he vanished, is it still intact?" said Alice.

"Yes, I was afraid something else would happen so I closed it up again," said Dad.

"Then bring your tools, good Sir, I will lead the way."

Alice took my hand and led us to the study. Thankfully, Dad had just put up a few boards blocking the door so I pulled them off and Alice led us inside.

"Did you find the safe, Mr. Black?" said Alice.

"There's no safe, I used spectrum mapping and thermal sensors," he replied.

"I have no idea what that means but I hope you mean no."

Alice had me help her move the bookshelf then wiped centuries of dust from the safe door.

"Mrs. Black, the combination is your son's birthday, he told me you put the month first? Please use the English way, left then right and so on," said Alice.

Mom turned the dial then it clicked open when she turned the handle.

"If I may? The contents belong to Marcus and I," said Alice.

Alice opened the door and took out her ring. The bags that the gold coins and gems were in crumbled to dust but everything else was fine. She handed her ring to me and took my hand to place my ring on my finger. I did the same with her ring.

"This house bears my family name but it has been 500 years. I am happy it was built to withstand time. This safe will give us a new start, my husband and I will navigate this life under his guidance but I wish only to grow old in his arms. Gina, I know about your past with him and I am happy that you were able to move on. This man has fought for me and I will let nobody take him from me, I hope you understand. Mr. Black, Mrs. Black, I hope you can accept me as family, I love your son with all that I am and hope that I can earn your blessing in time," said Alice.

"Oh, Honey! I'm just glad he's back. Seeing him happy is all I care about," said Mom. She grabbed Alice with a big hug.

"I will always love him but he is yours now, Lady Covington," said Gina. She walked away.

"She'll get over it, Son. She was pretty devasted when you vanished. She told me she thought the painting looked like you but it's so faded and it crumbled when we tried to move it. You can keep the safe but you remember we're rich, right? I'll give you a card to take your wife shopping, I'll re-open your account but anything you need, is yours. She'll need papers, you'll need to be brought back from legally being dead but our lawyer will take care of all that. We need a story for her though. Time travel isn't exactly a thing they'll accept for no paper trail," said Dad.

"I don't know. Lived on a farm, amnesia, hick parents that hid her?" I replied.

"I'll see what he says. Young lady, you are family now, we will take care of you as much as my son will. He's a good man, we raised him to be so," said Dad.

Alice and I moved into the house that Gina and I had built. Gina had moved to the big house to get more help with my nephew but she eventually moved away on her own. We hear from her now and then. Alice and I spent a long time bringing her to life in the modern age. She reads history books about the people she left behind and has started writing a book of her own, correcting the things she's read about how life really was back then. Alice views the modern world with wide eyes and fascination, she's saddened by the loss of honor and the values that have been replaced by rudeness but is amazed by modern technology that show her worlds she might never see by using VR or just videos on the internet. Me? I survived early 1500's brutality by fighting like my favorite Star Wars characters and the martial arts that people think are useless in modern times. At the end, I look at my wife, Lady Covington-Black and see only the most beautiful 520ish year-old woman I've ever known and have never been happier.....