by Mia Pride
Brennain turned to her and planted a kiss on her lips, causing her to flush scarlet and she looked around. Most people had already turned away, but enough people saw the display and looked at them with curiosity… and a few scowls from some younger lassies did not go unnoticed. That had been precisely what she feared. It was not jealousy, but she did not need to walk into this new village and be immediately hated by half the women.
“Love, I need to go with my king. I am sorry I cannot be with you now. Do not think I do not know how strange all this is for you. Just know I will be with you as soon as possible. Maggie lives with my family. Follow her back and I will return.” He took her hand in his and kissed it gently before placing a soft kiss on Glennis’s forehead. People still watched, and she felt intense fluttering in her stomach at his open affection for her daughter. She briefly wondered how many of these people assumed Glennis was his child, just like his mother had. She also wondered if he did, in fact, have other children here or elsewhere. That was an unsettling thought, but not one she could do anything about.
Breathing deeply, she nodded, and Maggie stepped up to her, introducing herself to Elsbeth before leading them back to Brennain’s family home while he followed in his king’s wake in the opposite direction, Reaghan beside him.
Looking behind her, she noticed Nola standing alone and looking very much troubled. The poor lass. She knew nobody had been introduced to her. “Nola, this is Maggie. She is a dear friend of mine and I am certain she will be yours, as well.”
Maggie stepped forward and put a hand on Nola’s shoulder. “Aye. I look forward to getting to know you better. Any friend of Brennain and Morna’s is a friend of mine. Please join us. You are most welcome to stay. I warn you… my family is quite loud, but they mean well.”
Nola forced a smile, one Morna had seen many times in the past few days, but she could not be blamed for her apprehension. It was clear she was still recovering from her ordeal and would be for quite some time. She also could not help but scowl in Reaghan’s direction. The man may not have any romantic interest in Nola, but he had taken her under his wing and brought her this far, only to walk away without a word to the frightened lass. She would have some choice words for the lout later. For now, she was more than willing to get inside, have a meal and put Glennis down. Her arms ached from holding her so much.
The village looked surprisingly similar to Miathi with its round-shaped homes and pointy thatched roofs, smoke billowing from every home even in the middle of the day. The sky was blue and endless as a few straggling clouds chased one another with the wind. Her cloak blew to the side as they passed a series of stilted granaries and byres with bleating sheep and snorting cattle. Nay, not much was foreign to her, aside from its enormous size and apparently large population. The sound of the ironsmith hammering away echoed in the distance, as did the sounds of men and women as they shouted out their wares for trade.
But, there was nothing similar to her life at Miathi inside his family’s home. The moment Maggie opened the door, a barrage of women’s voices overtook Morna’s senses. The chatter was so loud and the room so overtaken by blondes, redheads, and brunettes that she did not know where to even look.
“Morna!” Una pushed through the crowd of women who all turned to look at her as they went silent. “Welcome to our home! Let me introduce you to the family.” Two women about the same height and age as Una stepped forward and Morna gasped. They all looked identical, aside from their hair color. Una chuckled. “We get that reaction quite often. These are my sisters, Gwynneth,” she pointed to the blonde first. “And this is Ceara,” Una signaled to a fiery redhead. They were so beautiful and mysterious. Never had she met identical sisters with different hair.
Her mother gasped behind her and whispered in her ear. “By all the gods. Why… ‘tis the Sisters of Danu.”
“Nay…” Morna murmured in response. Not possible. It seemed the entire world knew of the legendary Sisters of Danu, the reborn ancient goddess sisters who the very land of Ériu had been named after. They were said to be part god, part fairy and part human, with identical faces and… different hair… and control over the elements. Her mouth fell open as she looked at all three of them. If it had not been for the sisters, their husbands, and their entire family, Ériu would still be under the thumb of their awful false High King, Elim Mac Conrach… her friend Jeoffrey’s father. They defeated him and Tuathal became the rightful king. Brennain was the son of a Sister of Danu? “Nay…” she repeated again, this time slightly louder.
“Aye,” Ceara winked. “’Tis all right, Morna. We do not bite.”
“And we will not use our powers against you,” Gwynneth laughed.
Una stood there with a wry smile on her face. “Allow me to introduce the rest of the women in the family. This is Ceara’s daughter, Aislin.” Una pointed to a beautiful red-haired woman with green eyes who looked exactly like a younger version of her mother, then pointed to three blonde women. “And these three are Gwynneth’s daughters, Alyson and Treasa, who is married to Ceara’s son, Eoin…”
“Pardon?” Morna did not wish to be rude, but if Treasa was Gwynneth’s daughter and Ceara was Gwynneth’s sister, did that not make Treasa and Eoin cousins?
Treasa giggled and flushed. “’Tis perfectly all right. I am adopted,” she said airily, as if she was used to answering that question. Morna also flushed and nodded, biting her lower lip to try to stop herself from making a scene.
Una continued as if nothing had happened. “And this here is Queen Leannan, King Tuathal’s wife.” The queen waved and smiled warmly. Morna’s eyes grew even wider. She knew Brennain’s cousin was married to the High King, but it was still far too intimidating to meet so many powerful women in one small room. Having no idea what was expected of her, she attempted a curtsy but stumbled as she still held Glennis.
“Here, can I hold her?” Una asked, putting her arms out and wiggling her fingers impatiently. Morna was more than happy to shift her sleeping child into someone else’s arms.
“’Tis wonderful to meet you all. I have heard much about you from Brennain. He speaks highly of his family.”
“As he does of you, lass.” Una smiled as she rocked Glennis in her arms with a whimsical look in her eyes.
“Not fair. You are gaining another grandchild,” Ceara huffed, and eyed Treasa, then Aislin. “I need more grandchildren.”
Morna froze and stumbled on her words. “N-nay… she is not Brennain’s child.”
“Oh?” Every single woman in the room aside from Una said in unison. Had they all truly believed and accepted so easily that he would have a child? What did that say about the man?
“Does Brennain have children?” she asked, suddenly unsure of her place in his life.
Una waved a hand and scoffed. “None that we know of.”
Aislin snorted loudly. “Who can possibly know? He is Brennain, after all.”
Alyson elbowed Aislin in the side, causing her to wince and holler, elbowing her back. “What?”
“You never say the right thing at all, Aislin.”
“The truth is always the right thing to say, Alyson.”
Morna frowned and looked at her mother, so uncertain of where she belonged at this moment. The women seemed kind enough, but they were not her family and even they knew Brennain had slept with many women. It was of no comfort at all.
“By the gods!” Gwynneth hollered. “Will you lassies stop? Poor Morna.” Gwynneth walked up to Morna and put a hand on her shoulder. “Do not listen to them. ‘Tis true Brennain has a past, but if you heard the way he spoke of you, you would know you are his future.” Morna appreciated the sentiment, but she was not so sure. All she knew was that she was overwhelmed and needed to rest and bathe.
“Glennis will need to feed. Are there any nursing mothers in the village who might feed her?”
“You cannot feed her?” Aislin blurted out, and Alyson elbowed her again.
“She is adopted, much like Treasa.” Morna
smiled kindly, somehow not at all offended. “I am the healer of my tuath… previous tuath. Her mother died during childbirth and her father did not want her, so I took her.” Morna shrugged, hoping she did not need to say more than that.
“Well, I did not think you could be any more perfect, but I can see I was wrong,” Brennain’s mother said with a smile.
“Aye, we all know that an adopted child is just as much a part of the family, like our sweet Treasa.”
Treasa rolled her eyes and winked at Morna.
Queen Leannan stepped forward. “I am nursing, as are Aislin and Treasa. Maggie will be nursing soon. I believe our friend Clarice is also nursing and Elwynna is to give birth in a few moons.” Leannan laughed. “You are at nay shortage of women who shall help feed your child.”
“Wonderful. My thanks. I truly appreciate it. Would it be rude if I asked to take a wee nap and mayhap a bath?” I am exhausted, and I can feel the grime on my body.”
“Oh, my. I am sorry. Of course. I will show you to your chamber and have a bath drawn. We also have stew in the cauldron should you desire a meal.”
Morna nodded and followed Una away from all the women who smiled as she passed. They went down a small corridor and turned into a room with a simple wooden bed, a chest, and a table with a candle on top. “It is simple and hardly ever used, but you will be comfortable and are welcome as long as you like. I do not mean to be overly forward, Morna, but it would please us all if you became a true part of this family.” Una raised her brow and continued to rock Glennis in her arms. “Your wee daughter is safe with me. I shall care for her and see her fed when she awakens. Get some rest.”
Swallowing hard, Morna tried to hide her trepidation. She could see how badly Brennain’s mother wished for them to wed but was it because that is what he wanted? Or simply a mother hoping her wild son would settle down and Morna was a convenient bride? She was too tired to think about it just now. Morna simply nodded and yawned as Una shut the hide curtains as she left. The room was chilly and black, but soon Una returned to light a fire and fill a tub. In a daze, Morna undressed and bathed while she stared into the flickering flames finally warming the small room. When finished, she crawled beneath the furs of the bed, stretched out, then turned toward the wall where she promptly fell asleep.
* * * *
Tuathal paced back and forth in front of the hearth with his powerful arms crossed over his chest. “Tell me all that you have learned.”
“I am afraid none of it is good,” Reaghan said cautiously.
“We first traveled to Miathi, as you suggested,” Brennain interjected. “You were correct. Mal had been there trying to gather men. Fortunately, they are fiercely loyal to you and none… but one, strayed. We were informed that Mal had headed north with his army, in search of a Rómánach fort to convince them to join forces and take over Ériu. From what we found, he succeeded.”
“Aye, Brennain and one of the men we met on the journey, an informant for King Ailbert, set their ship full of cargo on fire. Unfortunately, that bastard Eoghann thought a man from Miathi did it and beat us back. When we arrived, he was there harassing Morna.”
Tuathal stopped pacing and stared at Brennain. “Eoghann? Where is he now and why was he harassing Morna?”
“When we left, he was in the custody of King Ailbert while they decided what to do with him. They did not want to kill him, for that would bring Mal and his army down on them. I do not know what they decided. As for Morna, it was her husband who abandoned Miathi for Mal. He also abandoned her and their daughter… his daughter. Morna has been raising the daughter and was forced to marry Caleb, though neither cared for the match. The lout fled the moment he could. Eoghann believed it had been Caleb who set the fire, so he came to Miathi to find him, harassing Morna for information.”
“Why would Eoghann believe this man Caleb was the one who set the fire?”
Reaghan gave Brennain a sideways glance, knowing full well they would need to confess that they had taken on other missions while doing their king’s work. “Well…” Brennain said. “Here is the thing…” He was obviously stalling, and his king narrowed his eyes at him.
“Once I learned Caleb had abandoned Morna and Glennis, I made it part of my mission to seek him out and drag his sorry arse back to his family. We found him in a place called a brothel. It’s a place where—”
“I know what a brothel is, Brennain. Continue…” Tuathal waved his hand impatiently.
“That is also how we found Nola. She was stolen from her village in Alba and enslaved. She begged us to save her. We grabbed Caleb, took Nola, set the ship on fire, and got out of there. However, when Caleb went missing at the same time as the fire, Eoghann and Mal suspected him of being an informant and fleeing, so they went after him. Turns out, Caleb was, in fact, an informant… but we all know he had nay plans to return. He is a deserter whether King Ailbert knows it or not.” Brennain took a deep breath and looked at Reaghan for support but the man only stayed silent and looked straight ahead. He supposed the chase down for Caleb was all his doing and he deserved the blame.
“I see. May I ask how you infiltrated a Rómánach fort, where they do not speak our language, without being found out?”
Now, Reaghan spoke up. “We were accosted by two Rómánach warriors in the woods just after meeting up with two of Miathi’s men. We had nay choice but to kill them. They attacked us. We took their clothing and weapons and stayed silent. It was night and most men were otherwise occupied with their wine and the brothel. Nobody gave us a second look.”
“Where was Mal?” Tuathal sounded angry, and Brennain knew they were in for a rough time.
“The men from Miathi had already confirmed with us that he had joined with the Rómánach. He offered them his knowledge of the land and ways, and location of Ráth Mór. In turn, they would make him High King and give him all the power, but he would stand back and allow them to destroy villages and conquer. Mal was outside the walls of Barochan Hill, the fort. Only a few well-trusted men, such as Caleb, were allowed in.”
“Why is Morna with you now if she is married and her husband returned?”
Och… Brennain was going to get run through for certain when he told this next part. “By the time we returned, she had already had her marriage to Caleb dissolved due to abandonment. She did not believe Caleb was coming back, nor did she want him to. However, when Caleb saw how much I cared for Morna, he tried to punish me by punishing her. He told her if she did not stay with him he would take his daughter away from her. He cares not for Morna or Glennis. To him, it is all control and revenge. As soon as I left, he would have abandoned them once more. I could not allow him to control her for the rest of her life by using her love of his daughter against her. When we left before dawn, I…” he took a deep breath and winced. “I abducted them.”
“You… abducted them?” Tuathal said calmly.
“Aye.”
“Against their will?”
“Well… not really. I mean… I did not ask, but I knew it was best for them…” Och, he was a blithering fool.
Tuathal remained silent for a moment and began to pace while he rubbed his dark-bearded chin. Then, he spun and charged at Brennain, knocking him back several steps, his nostrils flaring and his face flaming with rage. Brennain had never been on the wrong side of King Tuathal’s ire and he did not like it one bit.
“You are telling me that you had already confirmed that Mal had joined the Rómánach and plotted against Ériu, yet instead of coming straight home, you risked being caught and killed within the fort to drag Morna’s husband back to her? For what purpose?” the man roared. “Pride? Honor? Loyalty? Loyalty to whom? Certainly not your people or your king! If you had been killed, Mal would be marching on us and we would never have known! We could have all been killed! And all to reunite a woman with a man she did not want! And then you stole her away and brought her here! You will bring that man’s wrath upon us if he seeks them out! He will know where she is… och,
you are a bloody fool!”
Brennain closed his eyes and looked down. His king was not wrong. He had never looked at it that way. Truly, he lost no time on his mission by taking Caleb and saving Nola. Either way, they had to reach Barochan Hill, make sure Mal was truly there, destroy that ship, then head back to Miathi to inform King Ailbert before heading back across the sea. Still, he had indeed risked their mission by unnecessarily risking their position. Had they been caught or questioned, they assuredly would have been killed and nobody would be arriving to warn King Tuathal of the attack.
He had no words. Shame consumed him. Brennain had allowed his feelings for Morna to cloud his judgment and potentially jeopardize his mission. He was more worried about her happiness than the lives of his entire family. Nay, that was not true, for never once had he thought about the risk… but was that not the very issue? He had not thought at all. Feelings of failure were new to him and he hated himself and the way he felt. He had risked Reaghan’s life, as well, and mayhap gotten his companion and fellow warrior into trouble.
“I take all the blame, King Tuathal.” He looked up at his king and got down on one knee, willing to take his punishment. “Reaghan had nothing to do with any of it. He tried to talk me out of it, in fact. I will take the punishment as you see fit.”
“Nay, Brennain…” Reaghan said, and got down on his knee, as well. “I was there. I am just as guilty. I took the time to save Nola, knowing it would slow us down. I shall share the blame.”
Both men lowered their heads and awaited their king’s judgment. After what felt like a painful eternity, Tuathal growled. “Get up!”