by Mia Pride
“Aye, their king is named Brocc Mac Greine. He is a very large, strapping young lad, about the age of six and twenty summers, I believe. He never married, though I am not sure why…certainly not for lack of interested lassies. He is kind, a shrewd leader, and a very strong warrior. He is also temperamental and easily frustrated, yet quite reasonable all the same.”
“Well, then we know we have the right location!” Ceara smiled and wiggled in her seat again. “Now I simply cannot wait to find her!”
“Where can we find her, Deaglan? What is the name of this tuath and where can we find it?” Liam was taking a very subdued approach to all the new information, more wary than excited. Gwynneth frowned, wondering if he resented his role in the legend. Though she did not doubt his love for her, the responsibility thrust upon him by the legend was visibly wearing him down. In truth, it was wearing them all down.
“It is a place far to the west, near the coast. It is a small tuath, but a strong one. Its name is Darini.” Liam and Garreth both looked at each in unison, checking to see if the other man had heard of it. Garreth shook his head and Liam shrugged.
“Looks like we will be discovering yet another a new tuath,” Liam sighed. “By the time we are done with this journey, we will at least know many of our neighboring tuatha and their chieftains. Tis a good thing, aye?” Gwynneth smiled at his attempt to stay positive. She knew what this journey had cost him, leaving his own responsibilities behind.
“That reminds me…I must inform you that in between here and there, there is a rather hostile Tuath led by the new High King, Elim Mac Conrach, and they have been the cause of many skirmishes in the area, wreaking havoc upon the tuatha who refuse to accept his new claim. I would suggest you avoid them. The harder part is that they are nomadic, thriving in the wilderness and attacking as they go. He travels with the angry Aithech-tuatha, the lower level serfs who, just two summers ago, helped Elim overthrow the previous High King, along with many of the nobles of the land. As you can imagine, many kings of local tuatha are resistant to follow him after he caused so much trouble. I would avoid them at all cost.”
“Tis just what we need. Another obstacle,” Garreth groaned as he kicked his feet up on the wooden table.
The meeting with Deaglan had been a success and a relief. They now knew where to travel next. They would rest one more day before they continued their journey. Liam had business to tend to with the village and still needed to speak with Duncan. There was also the matter of his secret meeting with Fiona. By the gods, would his life ever be calm?
Gwynneth claimed to have some mending to do, deciding to stay indoors. Liam could see right through her; she was avoiding running into Fiona in the village. The thought of his own wife, the queen of her people, staying indoors on this beautiful spring day just to avoid Fiona was more than he could bear. He decided it was time for him to put this to rest and make her see how devoted he was her. He could not allow her to hide away in fear.
“Gwynneth, now that our meeting with Deaglan is over, I have something to discuss with you.” His voice was serious and his face was stern as he sat down next to her and grabbed on to her hands. She looked up to meet his gaze, a glint of knowledge in her eyes.
“What is it?” Why did he get the feeling she already knew the answer to that question?
Liam sighed and squeezed her hand. “Last night in the hall while I was seeking out Deaglan, Fiona found me.”
“I knew it! Can you not go anywhere without her cornering you?”
Liam could see her anger building and he quickly questioned whether this was a good idea, but it was too late now. “Gwynn, she was truly upset, talking about me abandoning her and the child.” He could see Gwynneth start to speak, but he put a hand up to stop her. “Gwynneth…she is not wrong, a chailín mo chroí. I left to find you and when I came back, I married you immediately without a single word to Fiona. I know I did not owe her a thing. And I do not regret my decision in the least. But, she does feel abandoned. And with the babe…” he saw her flinch and frown as pain shone in her eyes.
“What is the purpose to all of this, Liam?” She pulled her hands away from his and crossed her arms, making herself inaccessible.
“The purpose is that she has asked to meet me alone today to discuss the future of the child…and I agreed.”
“You, what?” She stood up and balled her fists until her knuckles turned white. “Oh, nay, nay, nay! You will not go anywhere alone with that wicked, scheming woman! You know she bedded Baine too! She has bedded both of my husbands! And goodness knows how many other men! There is nay proof that child is yours and I will not allow her to pin it on you! I forbid it!” She was screaming at Liam as her face turned red and her body was shaking with fury. He had never seen her so upset and became concerned when she started to swerve. She plopped back down next to him and held her swollen belly. “This is your child, Liam.”
He looked down, feeling ashamed that he had caused this tangle, frustrated that she still punished him for something he did before their marriage, and worried she would never accept the child into their lives if it was, indeed, his. He put a hand on her belly and rubbed it in circles. “Aye, I know that well, Gwynn. That does not mean that my child is not also in Fiona’s womb too…I know you do not want to believe it, but it is a real possibility and I need to discuss it with her.” He hesitated, “I have to ask…If the child is born and looks the spitting image of me, then what, Gwynneth? Are you going to force me to reject it?”
She looked up at him and all the color in her face drained away at the horror of his question. “Of course not! I am angry, jealous, and brokenhearted, but I am not a cruel woman! I would never deny a child his father.”
“I am glad to hear it, because I would not either, Gwynn. Now that you and I agree upon that, we need to deal with Fiona.” He raised his brows at her, urging her to see reason.
“We?” she whispered, then chewed on her lower lip anxiously.
“We. I want you to come with me. I promised her some time alone with me to discuss this. But I don’t want you to feel betrayed. That is why I told you. I have learned my lesson about keeping secrets from you, Gwynn. So please do not punish me for my honesty now.”
She sighed and visibly relaxed as she slouched in her chair and pouted in resignation. “What do you plan to tell her?”
Liam leaned over and stared into Gwynneth’s glistening green eyes. “I am sorry you have to go through this. I do understand. I felt this way every day for five summers seeing you with Baine. How did I react when I found out you carried his child? Did I become angry?” he smirked at her as he watched her face transform into one of humility.
“Nay.”
“Did I blame you?”
“Nay…but he was my husband!”
“Aye! And I was not yours when Fiona became with child!”
“I understand.” Her bottom lip was pouting fully now and Liam could not help but lean in and pull on it with his fingers, laughing at her stunned reaction as she sucked it back in.
“I want you to see for yourself when I tell Fiona that there is nothing between us. And I want you there to hear us discuss what will happen if the babe is mine. It is your life too, Gwynn. I hope this will make you feel better.”
“But, she expects you alone.”
“Which is why I plan on hiding you. Sounds adventurous, aye? And if she tries to take advantage of me, I expect you to defend my honor!” he said with a laugh as he leaned in and kissed her crinkled forehead.
Gwynneth took a deep breath. “I am thankful for your honesty.” He could tell it pained her to admit as much, so he leaned in and squeezed her against him.
“I am glad of it, Gwynn,” he said with a mischievous grin. “Now, we have some time before we must meet her…whatever should we do with ourselves?” He pulled her onto his lap and she melted into him with a sigh as her arms wrapped around his neck.
Chapter 13
Liam showed up right on time to his usual meeting
spot with Fiona, behind the stables facing away from the main road. Nobody ever went behind the stables and it gave them freedom to talk in private. What Fiona did not know was that Gwynneth had arrived early and was comfortably positioned on the other side of the wall, in an empty stable stall.
There was a small crack in the wooden wall, allowing Gwynneth the perfect opportunity to see and hear everything. Her heart was beating wildly and she could not tell if it was excitement or nervousness. It galled her for Fiona to think that Liam would meet her alone without telling Gwynn. She longed to jump out and make her presence known, but that would all have to remain in her thoughts as she tried to temper her own pride.
From out of the shadows, Fiona walked up, the picture of graceful elegance. This was the closest Gwynneth had ever been to Fiona and it made her stomach drop to her feet when she saw how exquisite her husband’s former lover truly was.
She was a very petite woman, delicately boned with a slender long neck that held her perfectly proportioned face. A small sophisticated nose complimented her full pink lips and her eyes were the most extraordinary shade of golden brown Gwynn had ever seen. They seemed to sparkle when she made eye contact with Liam, her long thick black lashes sweeping upward with a natural grace. Her skin was the softest shade of cream and it was a bold contrast against her jet black, curly hair. But her cheeks had the right amount of pink flush that accentuated her high cheekbones.
Suddenly, Gwynneth wished she had stayed home in bed. Seeing this prodigal woman and knowing Liam had touched, kissed, and loved every inch of her body made Gwynneth want to tear Fiona’s lovely brown eyes out. As Fiona sauntered forward in her tight fitting soft yellow dress that made the gold in her eyes stand out, her breasts swelled over the edge of the very low-cut neckline that came off her shoulders with long graceful sleeves hanging past her wrists. The fabric clung to her curvy hips and accentuated her round belly, displaying the child she hoped to convince Liam he had fathered. The dress was so thin, Gwynneth could swear she saw the outline of Fiona’s nipples when the sun beamed down on her.
What a brazen woman, to wear something so revealing about the village! Gwynneth knew what game Fiona was playing and she wondered if Liam would have succumbed to Fiona’s temptations if she was not watching in the shadows.
“Good morrow, Liam, mo chroí.” Even her voice was the perfect combination of lilting softness, seduction, and confidence. Gwynneth wrinkled her nose in distaste. She bet Fiona had never met a man she could not seduce, and two of them had been Gwynneth’s own husbands. That thought did not sit well with Gwynneth, but she fought the urge to quietly flee.
She was not certain what was worse: the images floating around in her jealous brain since she found out about Fiona, or seeing the true beauty before her now and knowing she was even more beautiful than Gwynneth ever imagined. When she smiled, her teeth were perfectly straight and white. Of course, they were. Gwynneth rolled her eyes.
“Fiona,” Liam said in a cool voice. “You seem to have calmed since I ran into you last night. Nay trace of the sobbing, desolate woman who cornered me into this meeting,” he said with an ironic slur.
“Perhaps it was the knowledge that I would get to be alone with you, even if just for a moment, that made me happy.” Fiona pushed her large breasts up higher, clearly hoping Liam would dare to glance downward, but he skillfully looked straight into her eyes.
“Your behavior today is only further evidence to me that this child could be literally any man’s in this tuath,” he said with a sneer. “You have nay self-respect, nor respect for the wives’ of the men you try to ensnare.”
Fiona stepped back and flinched as if she had been slapped. “Liam! You insult me!”
He grunted in his annoyance. “I suppose you are used to getting your way. And that is what this is all about, is it not, Fiona?”
“What, exactly, is it that you think I want?” she asked with a curved black brow quirking up lustfully at him.
“It really does not matter what you want. You will not get it from me. You should save your considerable charms for another man. I am too occupied with the many charms of my own wife.” Gwynneth could sense the real danger growing in Liam’s voice. He was having a hard time controlling his disgust and it made Gwynn’s heart lift, if only just a little.
“How could I forget? What a plain, simple woman! I have nay idea what power she wields over you, but I find it insulting that you could prefer her over me. Did you not enjoy all of those hot nights in my bed, Liam?” Liam squirmed in discomfort and it spurred her to continue her seduction. “You do not remember the way it felt when we made love? When you held my naked body against yours? Touched me? Tasted me?” Her lips quirked seductively at her own memories. “You certainly were not thinking of her all those nights. What about the time we—”
“Enough, Fiona! You are out of line! That is all in the past, do you not understand that?”
Before he could say another word, Fiona tugged her dress down over her breasts and they came bouncing out in all their glory. Her firm, full breasts peaked with stiff pink nipples flashed at him as she came closer. Liam turned his face away and put his hands out to stop her, but he suddenly found her warm breasts pressing against his outstretched palms. He moved his hands away quickly and she giggled, “It does not need to be the past, Liam. She does not need to know. Many men take concubines. Tell me you do not miss my body pressed against yours. It can be, again, if you will only let it…” Gwynneth was seething and her stomach began to roil with nausea as she watched this woman seduce her husband before her own eyes. She could not stand by in silence any longer.
“You poor, pitiful woman.” Fiona heard a calm feminine voice from behind and she spun around quickly while fumbling to stuff her breasts back into the fabric of her dress.
“G-Gwynneth?” Fiona blushed profusely as she adjusted her dress. She didn’t look so confident now that she was staring Liam’s wife in the face, and Gwynneth couldn’t help but let out a rueful laugh at the comical situation. She had turned Fiona’s moment of seduction into one of embarrassment.
“I feel sorry for you, Fiona. Is this what you have been reduced to? Trying to seduce married men in dark corners? Having to expose yourself to them? Tis really quite pathetic.” Gwynneth’s voice was calm, betraying no hint of the anger that simmered just below the surface.
“But, how…why are you here?” Fiona stumbled on her words as she crossed her arms over her breasts. Gwynneth was surprised to see a look of shame and discomfort cross the woman’s usually smug face.
“Why? Because my husband asked me to come, of course. You did not really think he would keep a secret from me, did you?” Liam was sitting in the background watching Gwynneth with admiration, a wide grin spread across his face as his dimple flashed in the sunlight.
“You see, Fiona. When a man loves a woman, he does not feel the need to sneak around, looking for the affections of easy women. Do you truly think Liam has never seen a pair of breasts before? Did you think he would simply pack up his satchel and move into your bed, leaving me and our child behind, because you showed him your breasts? Tis nay wonder you are husbandless and desperate to claim my husband as the father of your child. But I know all about your affair with Baine. How many other women’s husbands have you bedded, I wonder? Mayhap you should find your own.”
Fiona’s faced drained of color as her chin began to quiver, but Gwynn felt no pity. “Baine also did not keep secrets from me. He was a horrible husband, but one thing is for certain, he told me every single time he shared your bed. Do not pretend that this child could easily be Liam’s. I will never force my husband to turn away from any child of his…even if the mother is as vile as you. But until we know for certain, I expect that you will stay away from my husband and know that anything you say to him, will come back to me. Do I make myself clear?”
Fiona looked at Gwynneth in shock. Aye, she called Gwynneth plain when speaking to others, but those words were only a guise, a distracti
on from the truth. For she had always known Gwynneth’s beauty outshone hers. With her silvery blonde waves blowing in the breeze, the light of day shone through her locks as if she were the sun itself. Her body was long, slim and graceful. The white linen dress she wore clung to her slight curves and Fiona was reminded of Gwynneth’s renown status as a Sister of Danu. With the slight curvature of her belly showing through her dress, it was easy to believe Gwynneth was, in fact, the goddess of fertility herself. Her green eyes burned with disapproval and Fiona felt, for the first time in a long time, genuine shame for her actions.
And yet, she would try again if given the chance. Liam was hers. Gwynneth had no right to steal him away from her. She looked over her shoulder at Liam, hoping for some support or a sign that he would choose her, but he did not notice her at all. He was staring fondly at his wife, with a proud smile on his face and his arms crossed strongly over his chest.
Fiona just nodded in humiliation and ran off. She would get her revenge on them both, she swore to herself while angry tears caught in her throat. She would show them what happens to those who cross her. Liam would be hers and she would do anything to make it happen, even if it meant disposing of his perfect wife. Sister of Danu or not, Gwynneth would suffer for stealing Liam away and then making a mockery of her in front of the man.
Liam and Gwynn walked back to their home in complete silence. Her body was tense and rigid with suppressed emotions as she swiftly walked away, leaving Liam in her dust. When they entered the house, Liam wrapped his arms around her with a smile. “That was brilliant, a chailín mo chroí.” He tried to give her a kiss on the lips, but she turned her head away and pushed him back.
“Do not touch me, Liam. Just go away.” Her suppressed tears broke through as her chin began to quiver. She turned away from him and crossed her arms.