The Guardian by Diana Knightley
Some thoughts and research…
Characters:
Kaitlyn Maude Sheffield - born December 5, 1993
Magnus Archibald Caelhin Campbell - born August 11, 1681
Baby Archie Colin Campbell - born August 12, 2382
Isla Peace Barbara Campbell - born October 4, 2020
Lady Mairead (Campbell) Delapointe - Magnus’s mother, born 1660
Hayley Sherman - Kaitlyn’s best friend, now married to Fraoch MacDonald
Quentin Peters - Magnus’s security guard/colonel in his future army
Beaty Peters - Quentin’s wife, born in the late 1680s
Zach Greene - The chef, married to Emma
Emma Garcia - Household manager, married to Zach
Ben Greene - born May 15, 2018
Zoe Greene - born September 7, 2021
Sean Campbell -Magnus’s half-brother
Lizbeth Campbell - Magnus’s half-sister
Sean and Lizbeth are the children of Lady Mairead and her first husband.
James Cook - former boyfriend of Kaitlyn. Now friend and frequent traveler. He’s a contractor, so it’s handy to have him around.
Sophie Milne - wife of James Cook
Bella Florentin - mother of Archie
The Earl of Breadalbane - Lady Mairead’s brother
Grandma Barb - Kaitlyn’s grandmother
Grandpa Jack - Kaitlyn’s grandfather
Fraoch MacDonald - born in 1714, meets Magnus in 1740, and pretends to be a MacLeod after his mother, Agnie MacLeod. His father is also Donnan, which makes him a challenger to Magnus’s throne.
Agnie MacLeod - farm girl who hooked up with Donnan. Mother to Fraoch. She has used the alias Jeanne Smith. She has since aligned herself with Reyes and Sir Padraig Stuart, possibly others.
Colonel Hammond Donahoe - Magnus calls him Hammie, come to find out — cousin.
Sir Padraig Stuart - Not the actor. He’s from the future-future and continues to wreak havoc. He’s a complete arse.
Rebecca - we have no idea who she is.
Ormr and Domnall - half-brothers to Fraoch (not related to Magnus at all) but probably trouble.
* * *
The kingdom of Riaghalbane, comes from the name Riaghladh Albainn, and like the name Breadalbane (from Bràghad Albainn) that was shortened as time went on. I decided it would now be Riaghalbane.
* * *
The line of kings in Riaghalbane
Donnan the Second- murdered by Kaitlyn Campbell in the year 2381
Samuel- Donnan’s brother. Attempted takeover during the transfer of power between Donnan and Magnus, uncrowned. (Killed in the arena by Magnus.)
Magnus the First - crowned August 11, 2382 the day before the birth of his son, Archibald Campbell, next in line for the throne.
* * *
Some Scottish and Gaelic words that appear within the book series:
Chan eil an t-sìde cho math an-diugh 's a bha e an-dé- The weather's not as good today as it was yesterday.
Tha droch shìde ann - The weather is bad.
Dreich- dull and miserable weather
Turadh- a break in the clouds between showers
Solasta- luminous shining (possible nickname)
Splang- flash, spark, sparkle
Mo reul-iuil- my North Star (nickname)
Tha thu a ’fàileadh mar ghaoith- you have the scent of a breeze.
Osna- a sigh
Rionnag- star
Sollier- bright
Ghrian- the sun
mo ghràidh- my own love
Tha thu breagha - You are beautiful
Mo chridhe- my heart
Corrachag-cagail- dancing and flickering ember flames
Mo reul-iuil, is ann leatsa abhios mo chridhe gu brath- My North Star, my heart belongs to you forever.
Dinna ken- didn’t know
A h-uile là sona dhuibh 's gun là idir dona dhuib - May all your days be happy ones.
Tae - to
Winna - won’t or will not
Daena - don’t
Tis - it is or there is. This is most often a contraction ’tis, but it looked messy and hard to read on the page so I removed the apostrophe. For Magnus it’s not a contraction, it’s a word.
Och nae - Oh no.
Ken, kent, kens -know, knew, knows
iora rua -a squirrel. (Magnus compares Kaitlyn to this ;o)
scabby-boggin tarriwag -ugly foul-smelling testicles
latha fada- long day
sùgh am gròiseid - juice in the gooseberry
Beinn Labhair -Ben Lawers, the highest mountain in the southern part of the Scottish Highlands. It lies to the north of Loch Tay.
"And I will come again, my love, though it were ten thousand mile…” is from the beautiful Robert Burns poem, O my Luve's like a red, red rose, written in 1794 after Magnus’s time.
beannachd leibh - farewell or blessings be with you.
"Fra banc to banc, fra wod to wod, I rin, Ourhailit with my feeble fantasie, Lyk til a leif that fallis from a trie…” is from a sonnet by Mark Alexander Boyd. 1563-1601
breac- trout.
iasg mòr- big fish
uile-bhèist- monster
mucag- is Gaelic for piglet
m’bhean -my wife
m’bhean ghlan - means clean wife, Fraoch's nickname for Hayley.
droch-spiorad - evil spirit
bean Nighe- Described as a form of banshee. Also known as the washer woman. She appears near a stream washing blood from the clothes of people who are about to die.
An uaimh bhinn- ‘the melodious cave’,
faoileán- sea gulls
Là Naomh Anndrais - St Andrews Day feast
* * *
Locations:
Fernandina Beachon Amelia Island, Florida, present day. Their beach house is on the south end of the island.
Magnus’s homes in Scotland - Balloch. Built in 1552. In early 1800s it was rebuilt as Taymouth Castle. (Maybe because of the breach in the walls caused by our siege from the future?) Situated on the south bank of the River Tay, in the heart of the Grampian Mountains. In 2382 it is a ruin.
Kilchurn Castle- Magnus’s childhood home, favorite castle of his uncle, Baldie. On an island at the northeastern end of Loch Awe. In the region Argyll. This is where they have been hiding.
The kingdom of Magnus the First, Riaghalbane, is in Scotland.
His castle, called, Caisteal Morag, is very near Balloch Castle lying on the south bank of the River Tay about a mile from Loch Tay.
Musso & Frank Grill has been a restaurant in Hollywood since 1919. Charlie Chaplin had a special table there.
Dunscaith Castle is a ruined castle on the coast of the Isle of Skye. Originally the castle belonged to a branch of the Clan MacDonald and has also belonged to Clan MacLeod.
Legend has it the castle is featured in Irish mythology as the place where Scáthach the Shadow, a legendary Scottish warrior woman and martial arts teacher, trained heroes. Scáthach’s brother was named Domnall. (Note: Ormr means dragon.)
* * *
True things that happened:
Clara Bow, Marion Davies, B.P. Schulberg, and Percy Marmont were all real people in the silent film industry. I don’t know if they ever met for dinner at Musso & Frank Grill in 1926, but maybe?
At time of press Lady Mairead could not be reached for comment...