The Warrior's wager: A Celtic Romance Novel (Warriors of Eriu Book 2)

by Mia Pride

  That thought made her shiver. “The water is growing cold, Lin. You are covered in gooseflesh. Stand up.” As she did, she heard Treasa sniggering in the corner, as if she knew precisely why Aislin was covered in gooseflesh. Her mother dried her hair with a linen square, and then handed it to Aislin so she could dry off and step out.

  The rest of the morning flew by in a blur. Her aunts, Una and Gwynneth, and twin cousins, Allyson and Leannan, fluttered in and out of the house, gawking and tittering at Aislin as her mother dressed her carefully, plaited her hair, and tugged fresh wild flowers into the folds.

  “Och! Ceara! Your dress looks wonderful on Aislin!” her Aunt Gwynneth beamed.

  “Aye, she is lovely. Her breasts may spill out the top, though,” Una said when she tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. Aislin self-consciously tugged up on the low-cut bodice of her dress, wondering if her mother, who was an expert seamstress, had intentionally made it so her ample bosom was on display. It was likely. Her mother seemed just as excited to get Aislin wedded and bedded as the rest of the family. Nobody seemed to care what she felt or that they spoke about her, instead of to her.

  “She is a true descendant of the faery Dana,” Gwynneth added with a nod. “She looks just like her, as well.”

  Aislin smiled at that. When she was a wee lass of nine summers, she did not believe anything her mama told her about being a descendant of the legendary faery Dana, or that her mother and her identical sisters were truly the Sisters of Danu, born again goddesses sent to live amongst humans and save all of Ériu. But having met several faeries herself, including Dana, and seeing the power over the elements her mother and aunts held, she had long ago learned to take pride in her heritage. It flowed through her, the connection with the earth. She may not have any control over the elements, but the elements controlled her and she never wanted to lose that connection to her world.

  Her cousin, Alyson, who had married a faery named Freyne, stepped up to her with a huge smile on her face, her deep blue eyes shimmering with tears. “Oh, Aislin,” she clutched her heart and choked back a tear. “You are a truly beautiful lass. I have always envied your untamable spirit. I am so very happy you found a man who will honor that spirit.”

  An unstoppable smile spread across Aislin’s lips. “Aye. I have,” she replied. “I truly have.” And she knew it to be so. She may not love him or even plan to stay with him, but she knew that while they were together, he would honor his promise to her. A sudden glow of expectation consumed her. She was ready to become handfast to the most handsome man she had ever met.

  Her mother grabbed her by the shoulders and spun Aislin around to face her, eye to eye, emerald green on emerald green. A small tear trickled down her mama’s cheek and she smiled. “You are perfect, daughter.” Kissing Aislin on the forehead, her mom let out a sob and Aislin had to choke back a tear of her own. Her mother’s pride in her was unwavering and a small niggle of guilt burrowed into her chest for the wee lie she was harboring. Nobody had ever asked her if she was certain this was forever, and she never said otherwise.

  “Tuathal is all ready for you, Lin,” Leannan said with excitement. “I think ‘tis very sweet that Alastar chose to keep your handfast location a surprise from you. And I must say, he chose well. You will love it. The druid is there along with all the men in the family awaiting your arrival!” She clapped excitedly and hugged Aislin. “Are you ready?”

  Aislin laughed. “Not really, but I’m as ready as I will ever be.”

  And in one year and a day, it will all end, she added silently to herself.

  ***

  Looking around at the sea of huge bulky men all around him, Alastar grunted in amusement and shoved Eoin in the ribs. “I should have known better when Treasa promised me she would only invite close family.”

  Jeoffrey laughed when Eoin shrugged. “My wife said ‘close’. She never said small,” Eoin added wryly and chuckled.

  Aislin’s cousins, Brennain and Flynn, stood near their father, a huge black-haired, hazel-eyed man named Brocc. Two other men of almost equal size stood beside him, laughing about something. One of them was Aislin’s father Garreth and the other was a man he had only met once or twice, her Uncle Liam. He had graying brown hair and bright blue eyes, the same shade of blue his twin daughters Alyson and Leannan had inherited from him. Alastar knew that Liam was also the adoptive father of Eoin’s wife, Treasa.

  He knew Aislin’s father and her two uncles were not only the husbands of the legendary Sisters of Danu; they were rightful kings of their own small tuatha and the descendants of the very first High Kings of Ériu.

  Standing near the aging druid, High King Tuathal Techtmar spoke with Freyne, Alyson’s husband. Alastar had been told the story of how Alyson met Freyne, a faery who had lived in the Otherworld before falling in love and choosing to stay here in the human world with his wife. He was a tall man and though a very renowned warrior in his own right, his muscle was lean compared to the huge men in Aislin’s family. He had black hair, but the feature that stood out the most was his unearthly green eyes. They were similar to Aislin’s only a bit brighter in intensity. And right now, they were trained directly on him as he spoke to Tuathal, who was the largest of them all, towering over all the men present… and also staring in Alastar’s direction.

  Alastar took a deep breath. He was about to marry into a very powerful family filled with kings, queens, faeries, and three sisters who could actually control fire, water, and earth. He knew his High King, who was married to Aislin’s cousin, was discussing him with Freyne right this moment and neither man tried to hide it.

  Jeoffrey pounded him on the back and made a low whistling noise. “You may be in over your head, mate. Aislin comes from the most powerful family in Ériu and it appears most of them do not trust you yet,” he laughed and wrapped an arm around Clarice’s expanding waist. Her child seemed to be growing more every day.

  “I can see that,” he murmured as Freyne narrowed his glowing green faery eyes as if he knew the dark lusting thoughts that swam through Alastar’s mind. He knew King Tuathal trusted him as a warrior. He had proven his strength not only in the battle that had secured the throne for Tuathal, but in the several mock battles and trainings he endured over the past several sennights. That did not mean the man trusted him with the heart of his innocent cousin. Alastar would have to prove himself once again… only this would be a different sort of battle. It would be a battle for Aislin’s heart.

  “My family is not so frightening,” Eoin smirked.

  “Not to you,” Alastar shot back. “You are one of them.”

  “Mayhap. I will say this. You chose well for the location of your handfast ceremony. She will love it. I assume you did not tell everyone else that this is the location where I found you compromising my sister’s reputation?” Eoin added dryly.

  Alastar looked around and took a deep breath of the fresh late summer afternoon air. The river Aislin loved so much served as the background for the ceremony. The druid stood in front of it now as they awaited her arrival. The pine trees swished in the wind, sending a few of their needles raining down to the forest floor and releasing their earthy scent. This was the best place to have the handfast ceremony and not only because it reminded him of his powerful, life-altering kiss with his soon to be bride. It symbolized so much more. It represented his promise to allow her to be free, to roam the earth and hopefully, if she allowed, he could accompany her from time to time. It was his promise to never hold her back or try to change who she was because she was absolutely perfect in her primal ways.

  A tall man with blond hair came up beside him, clapping him on the back. “I suppose I must give over my dagger,” Àdhamh said wryly as he unsheathed the blade and handed it quietly over to Alastar.

  “Nay. I do not want it. Wagering I could marry Lin was foolhardy and boastful. I marry her today because I want her, not your dagger.” Alastar tried to push the blade away, but Àdhamh would not relent.

  “A wage
r is a wager, mate. If you refuse to take the dagger, ‘tis a mark against my honor.”

  “The bride approaches,” the druid announced and all the air left Alastar’s lungs. He had not even seen her yet and already he could not breathe.

  In a panic, he growled and grabbed the dagger from Àdhamh’s hand before anyone else, aside from Eoin, saw the exchange. “I only accept this due to your own cursed honor. I do not want it,” he murmured under his breath as he stealthily slipped the blade into the leather belt around his waist and sent Eoin a dark warning scowl to keep his mouth shut. He would find a way to rid himself of the blade later. It may be against Àdhamh’s honor to break the wager, but it was against his honor to keep it. It was also an insult against his soon-to-be-wife.

  Following everyone else’s gaze, he first saw Aislin’s mother approaching, arms linked with her two identical sisters: one blonde and one brunette. Alyson approached next with a wide smile on her face, carrying her twin lassies in her arms. She stared at Freyne as she came closer. Treasa followed behind her carrying Neassa, and then their High Queen Leannan entered, also carrying a wee babe in one arm while her other hand carefully rested on a slight bump on her abdomen. It struck him then that this family was extremely fertile, blessed by the goddess Brigid to birth many babes. Why did that thought send his blood pumping through his veins? Why did the thought of planting his seed and watching Aislin grow round with his child call to his primal instincts as a man? Those feelings had never once befallen him before and their sudden impact nearly knocked him backward with their power.

  The lassies all smiled at him kindly as they passed and Treasa sent him a wink. He shook his head at her. She was full of mischief.

  And then, he saw her. All other thoughts escaped him. His eyes grew wide, and he swore he would fall to his knees and worship her for the goddess she was right now if he was not surrounded by her massive family. He had never seen her in a full dress before, and though he did love watching her shapely thighs as she confidently hunted in her short animal hide skirts, something about this long flowing silk gown encasing her body, simultaneously hiding away her flesh yet enhancing every enticing curve, made him feel as if he were floating on air.

  Her usually wild red waves were expertly plaited over her shoulder with smaller plaits intricately woven within the larger ones and delicate flowers finishing off the look. She looked like the goddess of the forest, the woman of his dreams. The closer she came to him, the harder his heart pounded in his ears.

  As she approached, he swallowed hard and resisted the urge to stare at her breasts. The fabric was stretched across the delectable flesh and the hardened tips of her nipples could be seen through the thin material. Tearing his gaze away, he focused instead on her beautiful face, cheeks flushed, pink lips parted as she nervously licked her bottom lip. Her green eyes shone with anticipation and he took her hand in his.

  “You are so beautiful, Aislin. You take my breath away.”

  She boldly looked him up and down, and smiled. He had also dressed in his best, wearing buckskin trousers that molded to his muscular legs and a crisp clean white tunic. He only owned one pair of boots, but he had spent all of the night before cleaning them until they looked brand new just for her. He was no fancy king with pelts to adorn his shoulders or thick chains of metal around his neck. Unlike her father, uncles, and King Tuathal, he had no gold circlet adorning his head. He was but a simple man, a warrior who earned his keep by fighting for his king. And yet, the look in her eyes told him she was more than happy with what she saw.

  “You look very nice as well, Alastar,” she whispered and licked her lips again. “I cannot believe you chose this place for the ceremony,” she added as she grabbed his extended hand.

  “Do you like it?” he asked hopefully.

  She smiled widely and nodded, “Aye. Tis perfect.”

  His heart fluttered. He would do aught to make her smile that way every day.

  They walked hand and hand up to the druid and he squeezed her tighter, feeling relief when she squeezed back. Everyone else faded away. Jeoffrey was directly to his right with the other men of the family. There were more than a dozen men there and he was not certain if they were there to support Aislin or intimidate him. Still nothing they could say or do in this moment would ever make him turn away.

  On Aislin’s left stood her mother, aunts, twin cousins, Treasa, and Clarice. Her family was a large one, but he was more than willing to join their ranks and that thought alone made his lips twitch up slightly. How did he come to stand here so willingly in such a short amount of time? He was a man who had sworn to never commit himself to one lass. Now, looking to his left, he sucked in a deep breath at the beauty of the woman clasping hands with him, and he watched in wonderment as the druid held out a long blue length of linen.

  Aislin’s breasts heaved with every breath, and he worried she may pass out by the rapid increase of the rise and fall of her chest as she watched the druid with trepidation. “Breathe,” he whispered and her brilliant green eyes shot up to his, causing his insides to clench. A small frown marred her lips and he cringed. That was not a look he ever expected to see on the woman he was about to handfast with.

  “We can stop,” he mouthed silently to her. That was the last thing he wanted. Nay, it was the second to last thing he wanted. The last thing he wanted was to have a bride who felt trapped into the union. Holding his breath, he waited in torture for her to give him a response.

  Only a few seconds passed, but it had felt like an eternity before she shook her head and smiled tentatively at him. She squared her shoulders, raised her head, and stared him in the eyes with determination just as the druid began to speak.

  “Alastar Mac Murray and Aislin Mac Cecht,” the druid with his long thick white robes began to recite in monotone. “This cord is a symbol of the lives you have chosen to lead together. Up until this moment, you have been separate in thought, word, and action. As your hands are bound together by this cord, so too, shall your lives be bound as one. May you forever be one, sharing in all things, in love, and loyalty for all time to come.”

  Those were heavy words and yet to Alastar, they made him feel as light as a feather as if years of believing himself incapable of such ideals were lifted off his shoulders. If only the beautiful red-haired lass of his dreams standing beside could believe herself capable of the same sentiments.

  “Alastar and Aislin, I bid you look into each other’s eyes.” As they did so, he saw the blacks of her pupils expand and he couldn’t help but smile. She had feelings for him. Those feelings may not be strong enough to keep her by his side, but they were a foundation to build from.

  “Will you honor and respect one another, and seek to never break that honor?”

  “We will,” they said in unison and the druid draped the first cord over their hands.

  “And so the first binding is made,” the druid murmured. “Will you share each other’s pain and seek to ease it?”

  “We will.” The second cord was draped over their hands.

  “And so the binding is made,” he repeated.

  “Will you share the burdens of each other so that your spirits may grow in this union?”

  “We will.” Aislin’s voiced cracked as she swallowed hard, feeling the depth of their promise to one another. Most people went into handfast ceremonies expecting to say their final vows when the year and a day was over. Aislin planned on honoring her vows, he was certain… but for no longer than a year. That thought weighed heavily on his bruised heart as he watched the druid drape the third cord over their hands.

  “And so the binding is made.”

  “Will you share each other’s laughter and look for the brightness in life

  and the positive in each other?”

  “We will,” they replied and Alastar watched in fascination as the druid draped the fourth and final cord over their bound wrists.

  “And so the binding is made,” he said with finality as he tied the ends of the co
rd together.

  “Alastar and Aislin, as your hands are now bound together, so your lives and spirits are joined in a union of love and trust. Above you are the stars and below you is the earth. Like the stars, your love should be a constant source of light, and like the earth, a firm foundation from which to grow.”

  With a few more blessings for the newly handfast couple and a few more prayers to the gods, the druid finished with one final blessing to the goddess Brigid, asking her to make theirs a fertile union. Aislin burned bright red in her cheeks listening to the druid speak of her having many children, but she refused to look him in the eye until the druid concluded the ceremony.

  When it was time to finally kiss her plush pink lips, he froze, so enamored was he by the anticipation glowing in the bright green of her eyes, and the rapid rise and fall of her chest. He stared at her in awe, letting the moment sink in, memorizing every detail… the scent of sweet lavender drifting off her hair in the breeze, the rush of the river behind them, the mesmerizing way her lips—

  “Kiss her, you dolt!” Jeoffrey shouted loudly enough to make everyone titter with laughter.

  “Aye! Now you hesitate to kiss my sister when you know I’m watching,” Eoin added good-naturedly.

  “What?” Garreth roared in what Alastar hoped was mock indignation. “You’ve kissed my daughter already?”

  Aislin rolled her eyes at her father and returned her gaze to Alastar. Before he could make the first move, she stepped closer and drew herself up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. Needing no more permission than that, Alastar wrapped his hands around her waist and bent her backwards, sealing his lips to hers as she squeaked in shock and everyone else roared with applause and approval.

  “Can you believe it?” she whispered once he reluctantly removed his lips from hers and brought her back up to her feet. Her mouth tasted sweet like honey and he could not wait for more of those kisses later tonight. He wondered briefly if the rest of her tasted so sweet, but decided to save those thoughts for later.