WHAT IF: 1660s - What if Kyle had known the truth

Posted on Thu Oct 13th, 2022 @ 10:06am by Vice-Consul Josephine Carlyle-Cragen & Kyle Cragen [Reece]

Mission: MISSION 0 - History Speaks
Location: Earth, Old England, Various Locations
Timeline: December 1664
Tags:
3221 words - 6.4 OF Standard Post Measure

OOC: This is a What If, based on if Kyle Cragen and Josephine Carlyle confessed their truths to each other before she was rescued by the USS Elysium

==

Christmas was around the corner and the court was in full swing of Christmas celebrations.

Josephine hated being at court. More so now that Sir Kyle's suit of her had become common knowledge.

James was surly and other women gave her cool looks. Hell, she never asked to be a part of this era, let alone this court, but, dressed in her best gown for the Christmas season, she descended from the carriage and followed the crowd flowing into King James' Palace for the ball they were all summoned to. She had to admit that if Kyle showed up, at least she would have intelligent conversation.

As if he were conjured by her very thoughts, Ser Cragen stepped forward at the top of the long, wide staircase. There were several women, of various social ranks, trying to gain his attention. However, once his eyes landed on Lady Josephine, it was as if no one else existed around him. He moved to her and bowed like the gentleman he was. "My Lady, you brighten the area with your very presence."

Josie's response was a curtsey with a warm smile. "Sir Kyle" she said in her court voice, which was for him warmer than when she spoke to others, King included at court. "I had wondered if His Majesty had convinced you to attend this evening's festivities."

Kyle smiled politely at Lady Josephine as he stood back up and offered his left elbow to her. "As soon as I heard that you would be attending, I could not be kept away. May I escort you inside?"

She smiled and placed her arm through his. "I would be honored Sir Kyle" She said as she allowed him to lead her in.

As they moved inside, the majordomo announced her arrival. As Kyle had already been announced, he was not named. Slowly, the pair moved down the wide stairs to the ballroom floor and started to move about, mingling here and there with the rest of the guests. After a few moments, it was clear that the various single women there were scrutinizing Lady Josephine, as they started to gossip among themselves as to why Sir Cragen would choose her over them.

Josephine ignored them. She didn't play the same games. She was friendly to the Queen and the King but she had never gone to the King's bed, which the Queen appreciated. Josephine was not one to backstab or cheat at cards. She was polite to all, regardless of rank and she also, though this was lesser known, taught her servants how to read and write. She walked beside Kyle and let her lips rest in a half smile. "A crush it seems" she said softly so only he could hear. "their majesties must be pleased."

Kyle nodded as he replied just as quietly. "His Majesty did seem pleased by the turnout when he spoke to me earlier."

As they continued to move through the guests, Lyle moved them back outside, onto the east veranda. "I'm glad that you decided to attend, Lady Josephine." He smiled softly to her as he spoke.

"I did consider not coming. But I had heard that intelligent conversation was to be had, and so, I thought it best." She walked to the balustrade and looked over the gardens.

"Well, I am honored that you did attend, my Lady." He paused briefly before adding, "I was wondering, would you care to do me the honor of dining at my home again soon? We would, of course, have our chaperones with us again."

Josephine let her gaze sweep up to the stars above them. She considered them for a moment. "Yes, that would be lovely." She said turning her gaze to him.

Kyle followed her gaze. If only she knew who he really was, he mused to himself. Would she still care to be around him? Or would she demonize him and see him killed, like his parents had been when he was a boy?

"Then I shall send a proper invitation to you on the morrow, my Lady." He lifted her right hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles.

She smiled into his eyes. "I look forward to it. Though I think I would like to walk a bit more with you tonight, and perhaps dance?"

"Of course!" Kyle replied with a chuckle. "The night has only just begun." At that moment, a servant approached them, carrying a silver tray of champagne flutes. Kyle took two and handed one to Lady Josephine. "To a wonderful evening and hopefully many more to come."

It was wrong, she knew to go ahead with this, but she was never getting home, so why not? She was not James, looking for power, she wanted peace and happiness. She took the glass and sipped it "Hmm french wine is always perfect."

"One of the few things that the French do correctly," Kyke commented with a grin. He then led her back inside and for the next several hours, danced, dined and danced some more. For Kyle it was the best night he had had since she had had dinner at his home.

Josephine enjoyed the evening and made her own plans to get her own life. As the evening drew to a close she asked if Kyle would escort her to her carriage.

He told her that he would be honored to do so. As they followed the line of leaving guests, he kept her close to his left side and whispered to her, "I hope you enjoyed the evening, my Lady. I will get the invitation to dinner sent out to you at first light."

"My brother and I look to retire to the country at New Years, I do hope to correspond with you further during that time, and maybe you could come visit?" she said as her Carriage was brought around.

"I am at your service, always, my Lady," he bowed to her, then brought her hand to his lips again, and kissed her knuckles again. When her carriage pulled to a stop in front of them, and the door was opened, he helped her up and into it. "Safe journey home, Lady Josephine." He smiled warmly at her, clear desire for her in his eyes.

She recognized it. Easily. She squeezed his fingers with her hand. "You too Sir Cragen." she said softly. Then the Carriage moved and they were off.

Kyke watched her carriage leave until it was no longer visible. He then moved to collect his horse and rode off to his estate in the capital.

The next morning, as promised, he sent a properly worded dinner invitation to Lady Josephine.

The response came back a short time later, an acceptance in her neat handwriting. Along with a personal note of "I am looking forward to it"

Kyle was overjoyed by her reply. He quickly sent word to the house staff that they would be hosting Lady Josephine again and he wanted everything to be perfect.

The servants got to work, ensuring every surface of the home was spotless, while the kitchen staff got to work getting various ingredients and creating a meal fit for a queen.

Hours later, at the appointed time, Lady Josephine's Carriage rolled up to the Manor house of Sir Kyle Cragen.

As the carriage came to a stop, the doorman jumped down and quickly moved to open the door and lower the steps for the Lady inside.

As he did so, Barnaby, Sir Cragen's butler and most trusted servant, stepped forward and offered his hand. "My Lady, it is a pleasure to see you again, Ma'am. Welcome back to Lord Cragen's home."

Josephine gave the buttler a warm smile as she allowed him to help her down from the carriage. "Thank you Barnaby." She said.

Barnaby nodded respectfully as he replied. "It is my pleasure, m'Lady. Lord Cragen wishes for you to go up to his study, third floor, second door on the left. He says that he has something important to discuss with you."

Josephine nodded and thanked the butler before following his directions up to the third floor. She knocked lightly on the door and awaited his reply.

From inside, a muffled male voice called out. "Enter!"

Josie opened the door. "Sir Kyle" She said brightly

Looking up from his desk, Kyle smiled warmly as he beckoned Lady Josephine to come closer. "I have a gift for you My Lady."

She raised an eyebrow and stepped up to his desk. "Yes?" she asked curiously.

"I remembered your fondness for old maps," he said with a grin as he lifted the blue cloth that was covering his desk to reveal a n ancient looking map, which had both ends rolled on wooden dowels. "I give you the Tabula Rogeriana. Muhammad al-Idrisi created this map in 1154 for King Roger II of Sicily. He was the first to break the known world down to a more granular level with 70 smaller regional maps dictated by Ptolemy’s seven climate zones, and 10 different geographical sections. Every section has not only the map, but also a description of the land and the indigenous people there."

Josie sat down at the visitors chair and stared at the Map. She reached out slowly to touch it. Then she drew her hand back. "Sir Kyle,... I.. it is a great gift and one that is beyond my ability to accept" Oh she wanted it. But part of her screamed about timelines and accepting gifts from a man while unmarried.

A sad smile moved across Kyle's face. He moved to sit next to her in an adjacent chair. "My Lady, there...there is something else that I need to discuss with you." He was slowly building up the courage to tell her the truth of himself.

Josephine looked at him. "Oh? And what is that?" She asked softly.

He took a breath and released it slowly, before he replied. "Since they day we met, I knew you were different then the rest of the ladies at court. The way you carried yourself, the way you listened and observed, but barely pushed your own thoughts out." He paused to take another breath.

"I noticed this things because, it is something my people are very good at. We listen to everything around us. And what I hear from you, and have been hearing from you since that first day is...you come from a much farther place than the one you first told me of."

Josie's face was guarded. "What are you speaking of?" She asked. "I and my brother come from the south of France as we told you. And the King investigated it before he granted us our family lands."

He gave her an even expression. "My Lady, I was the one who did the investigation for the King. I know that what you spoke of is false." He then paused before adding, "And before you attempt deception again, know that I can hear everything you are saying and not saying. As I said, my people are known as listeners."

Josephine stood up and brushed her hands down her skirts. If this man was part of a temporal force then why had he allowed for this to continue. "And what exactly do you think you know?" she asked cooly.

Seeing that he had upset her, Kyle sat back and put his hands on the armrests of the chair, projecting as calm an non-threatening a demeanor as he could. "Before I answer, I will tell you a truth about myself. Something only a few extremely trusted individuals know." He took another breath, then laid it out. "I was born in the year 1419 and while I was born here, my people are not of this world. My people are called El Aurians, and we come from a world very far from this one."

That seemed to really hit Josephine. "El-Aurian." It explained a lot. She sank back down to her chair. Did the Temporal time directive or even the prime directive apply here? She looked him straight in the eye. "And how do you know I am not who I say I am?"

Breathing a sigh of relief, a softcgrin crossed his face. "For one, your reaction to what I just said. If you were actually from here, your body language would have been vastly different. However, as I said, the way you carried yourself in court, seemingly afraid to say or do anything that would cause you to stand out." He paused a few beats, then asked the loaded question. "When are you from?"

She bit her lip and considered what James would do if he knew. "2394." She confessed softly.

His eyes widened briefly, then he nodded. "So, humans of your time have advanced enough to travel through time. Impressive." He looked her in the eyes and asked, "Are you part of an archeological team, sent back to investigate your own history more closely?"

She shook her head. "No it was accidental. We were not meant to be here. I was against this whole thing. We should have found an out of the way place and lived out our lives. But ... " her hands trembled. "We are spacefaring, your race is known of. This was a total accident."

Kyle considered her words, then nodded. "I assume then that James is not actually your brother?"

She shook her head. "No. He is my superior officer. I am in the military"

Kyle nodded again. "Though, I sense that you and he have differing views on how to behave in this time. I imagine your government has certain rules about non-interference?"

Josephine nodded. "Cannot change the past events. It's very important. Its why I do not get involved at court. Why I stay clear of the lords and ladies vying for position. And James he thinks he can change history. Change the world."

Kyle's brow furrowed. "Doesn't he know that he could destroy your future by doing so?? He could cause a temporal paradox where he exists in this time, but not in your original time! A paradox of that magnitude could destroy the Space/Time Continuum!!" He stood suddenly. "He had to be stopped immediately, before he causes any lasting damage!"

"I know. I have been sabotaging him where possible. Without power he can do nothing. You could do something like that right."

Kyle got quiet. He hated to say what he was about to say. "Delaying him will only hold him off for so long. I've seen how he behaves at court. He is dangerous. There is only one way to stop him." He sighed heavily, worried Lady Josephine would feel as strongly about the situation as he did.

"I.. can't kill him Sir Kyle, I can't. But..." She paused. "We may have another way."

Kyle paused, then nodded. "Very well, My Lady. As he is one of your people, the choice of how we deal with him is rightfully yours to make." He stepped closer and offered his right his right hand to her.

She accepted his hand. "So I guess this was all a ruse to uncover us. I thank you for not doing it in front of the king. How long do I have to get us out of the country?"

He shook his head. "You misunderstand, My Lady," his voice grew softer as he gently pulled her to him. "It wasn't a ruse. Nor do I want you to leave." He swallowed as he stared deep into her beautiful eyes. "I...I have grown extremely fond of you these last several months. Or...or have I been a fool in my attentions?"

She raised her head and shook it. "No not a fool." she replied.

For several beats, by Kyle's perspective, the entire world seemed to freeze and vanish. The only thing that existed was Lady Josephine and her hypnotic beauty.

Slowly, at first, he leaned closer. Then, he leaned in more and kisses her full lips. In the comparison of every powerful kiss that had ever been given, this first kiss, even though it was soft and tender, laid all others to shame.

Josie let his kiss sweep the passion through her. She was no novice in kissing, other areas yes so she kissed him back.

For what seemed like an eternity in paradise, they continued to kiss, finally coming back up for air, panting from the stimulation.

Kyle gently pressed his forehead to Josephine's and whispered, "You are amazing, My Lady!"

She blushed. "Why thank you Sir." She said with a small curtsey. "You are wonderful also."

For several more beats, they simply stood there, holding on to one another in comfortable silence, seeming to gain strength from the closeness.

Finally, he spoke up. "I do not want you to leave," he said quietly. "But, I cannot allow James to do something to the timeline that will put you at risk."

"I think I can contain him. I just need a plausible explanation for the King, to explain James's absence."

"I will take care of the King," Kyle promised. "You take care of James. If you require assistance in any way, my men will follow your orders if I tell them to."

Josephine shook her head. "No the less people involved the better." She assure him. Then she paused. "Are we not supposed to be having dinner chaperoned?"

He nodded to her first statement, then gave her a handsome grin. "And we will, when we go down to eat dinner. Unless of course, you want our chaperones in here with us right now?"

"I believe we have ruined my reputation enough." She smiled. "In my time such things do not matter"

He grinned again, lifting his right hand and gently caressing her left cheek. "You could never have anything about you ruined, My Lady."

She blushed and smiled. "So, would you like to join us at Hever for Christmas, Sir?"

A warm smile crossed his face as he nodded. "It be my honor and pleasure, sweet Lady." He leaned in and kissed her again, just as tenderly as before, yet just as powerfully.

She kissed him back and then when they came up for air, she followed him down to dinner.

If their chaperones had any inkling of what had transpired upstairs, they kept it to themselves during dinner.

The dinner itself was both a delicious and very enjoyable one. Several times as they talked, Kyle and Josephine would share a quick look when their chaperones weren't paying attention.

Finally, regrettably, the night came to an end. As Kyle helped Lady Josephine back into her carriage, he said, "Thank you again for coming, my Lady. I look forward to receiving your Christmas dinner invitation." He reached out for her left hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her knuckles very tenderly. As he did so, he slipped something small and circular into her palm secretly. It was a ring of his that he wanted her to have.

Smiling she closed her fingers around it and settled into the Carriage her maid opposite her. "Good Evening Sir Kyle."