Foretold Fate (Sisters of Danu Series Book 2)

by Mia Pride

  He was a warrior! A warrior and a king! Why was he standing her like a madman, allowing these beings from the Otherworld to torment him so? Just as he was about to call in his men, the blonde-haired male faery stepped forward with a quick response. “Nay. Not sorcery. But we have been seeking you. I know you are confused, and rightfully so. Can we guess that these women look like your wife, Una?”

  Brocc’s brows drew down in a deep scowl. Did the faery just call Una his wife? Now they were foretelling his future? Och, nay! “Una? Aye, they look…like Una. But…Una is not my wife…How do you know Una?” His voice was growing more dangerous by the second. Faeries or nay, he would skewer them if they threatened her.

  “Garreth, they are not yet wed, remember?” The brown-haired male faery said as he looked sideways at his companion…Garreth. That was not a very faery-like name…

  “Och, aye. Well, there are too many cursed details to remember, are there not?”

  “I think you all need to explain now, before I call my men in,” Brocc said with a warning growl in his voice.

  The women stood up now, the blonde one shakily holding on to the arm of the red-haired faery. She was holding her head as she rose, clearly injured based on her weak stance and the remnants of blood matted within strands of her fair hair. As they stood, Brocc noticed instantly that they both were, not only the exact same size as Una, but with child, as well. By all the gods, these faeries were clever!

  He took a deep audible breath and let it out slowly as he stared at them, letting his gaze scan them from their emerald eyes, down the bumps of their bellies, never breaking contact. Both women smirked, as if they were enjoying his discomfort overly much.

  The brown-haired male faery grunted with humor, “I reacted the same way at first. At least Una is not here to slap you for it.” The women laughed in unison as they stepped forward and linked arms with the men. “These are our wives, Ceara and Gwynneth. Una’s sisters.”

  Brocc pledged to himself in that moment, he would never eat wild berries again.

  “Unbelievable.” Brocc gaped in awe after listening carefully to the legend of the Sisters of Danu, how they were separated at birth and sent to live in different tuatha until it was time to reunite them. He always knew there was something special about Una. She never seemed like the other women he had known. Her beauty and grace were far superior to any woman.

  “I need to think on this. Una and her sisters are the reborn goddess Sisters of Danu, sent here by the gods to make amends for the deceitful actions of humans against the Tuatha de Danann over a thousand years ago…and the sisters are descended directly from Dana, a faery who snuck away from the Otherworld and lived among the humans? Which makes them part god, part human, and part…faery?”

  Ceara smiled warmly at him and nodded at his brief, yet accurate retelling of their heritage. “Precisely. And we each wield control over a different element. I control fire and Gwynneth water. Una is earth and yet, we have nay control yet. Legend says we must reunite by the eve of Beltane. The gods wish for us to use these elements to serve the humans and make amends. Though tis the faeries who seem to be most angry. They are the descendants of the Tuatha de Danann who were forced underground by humans. We are to make peace between the two, though how, we are uncertain.”

  Brocc scoffed and ran a hand through his hair. “Truly, I would believe none of this if I was not staring directly at two women who look identical to Una. And, I have heard of the legend. Strangely, it was Una’s mother used to retell it. Mayhap she knew…” He shook his head in disbelief.

  Ceara put out a hand on top of Brocc’s and shrugged, “I believe she did know. The legend said each sister would be reared by a seer woman. My mother knew about my identity. Gwynneth did not have a mother, but her father’s servant was a faery who watched over her. I am certain Una’s mother knew as well. It will take a while for us all to adjust. We need to be reunited with Una, that much is certain. Spring is already upon us. We have less than one cycle of the moon to find her and are glad to have found you. Also…” Ceara trailed off, looking at him curiously. “I am sorry to ask, but you, see, tis important. Why are you and Una not yet wed? Tis foretold, you see. She is your fate.”

  Those words gave him pause. He had loved Una since they day she appeared in his home as his foster-sister. Though he tried through the years to hide his feelings and show interest in other lassies, his heart had always burned for Una. And it still burned, with a white-hot intensity that consumed his soul and seared his body whenever she came near.

  Brocc grunted and threw up his hands. “Things have not been easy between us. I have asked her to wed me many times, and yet she rejects me continuously. We are both strong willed and seem to only argue. She refuses to marry for anything less than love but is too blind to see that I love her with a desperation that tears at me! Now, she went off to live with another man because she could not stand living with me anymore, even though she is carrying my child…”

  “Wait a moment.” Gwynneth put a hand up to stop him. “She is also with child?” she looked over at Ceara in shock. “And she was living with you? Why? And now she is living with another man? Our sister is…exciting!” She giggled, but stopped as soon as she saw Brocc’s wary expression. “Sorry…please continue.”

  Brocc nodded and took a bite of the rabbit meat they had shared with him as he sat down on a wool blanket in front of the fire. “Aye, she is that. Her mother passed away several moons ago and I took her in. She was my foster-sister for ten and three summers, you see. I had offered to marry her before her mother’s death and she refused. I asked her again while she lived with me and, again, she said nay. Now she is with child…” he saw their brows lift up in mock scandal at him and he could only laugh and put his hands up defensively. “One does not need to be wed to create a child.”

  He sobered and wiped his smile away. “But truly, I am glad about the child and wish nothing more than to marry her. In fact, I was planning on trying to get her back as soon as I arrive home. Now that I know it is our fate to wed, I should feel more confident, but I know Una only too well. She will accuse me of not loving her and only wanting her because the legend decrees it. I need to convince her that I really do love her, as I should have succeeded in doing ages ago.” He decided not to bother explaining his night with Mealla. He was not altogether convinced he was guilty, but none the less, Una was the one who needed to forgive him and he was unsure that was possible.

  “Well,” Gwynneth sighed, “She will be very overwhelmed when we arrive. And I respect your need to wed her without our meddling. We cannot show ourselves to her without explaining the legend, so our ability to reunite rests on your success with Una.” Ceara and Gwynn were glaring at him with their beaming green eyes. He could feel their intensity and it made him squirm under their scrutiny.

  “Right, then. Nay pressure,” he said dryly. “I have twenty warriors with me and we can safely travel back to Darini, even if we do encounter the Aithich-tuatha, I do not think…”

  “Och, they will not be any trouble for us. I have a feeling we will be safe from them, at least for a little while,” Garreth said, looking at the empty space where the strange black-haired man and his wife had been. They had quietly taken their leave after the legend was told. “That man was Elim Mac Conrach, himself. We aided his family and, while I do not know how long the truce will stand, for now I expect safe passage.”

  As the campsite was quickly packed up, Brocc released a deafening pattern of whistles, resulting in a score of armed men pushing their way through the shrubs and into the clearing with their team of horses, each man armed with swords, spears or bows. “Even if we do find trouble, my men are prepared to fight,” Brocc vowed to his new companions. “If we do not break too often, we shall make Darini by nightfall.”

  “My wife rides with me,” Liam said sternly as he lifted her small body up onto his horse. “I will risk nay further harm coming to her.” Brocc studied these men and their wives. Liam was fiercel
y protective of Gwynneth and Garreth’s eyes seemed to shine twice as bright when he looked at Ceara. These Sisters of Danu certainly had bewitched their husbands. Brocc chuckled to himself as he mounted his own horse and turned in the direction of Darini. He would be a fool to believe that Una did not have the same power over him.

  Chapter 17

  Her plan was working exactly as she had hoped. With Brocc away from the village, Mealla had free reign to set everything up for his arrival. If Collin thought she was going to sit back and let his conscience ruin all their well-laid plans, he was a bigger fool than she had suspected. After her meeting with Collin, she had felt trapped into surrender. If Collin meant to tell Una, what could she do about it? With Brocc away from home, she could not run over to his home and announce Una’s agreement to marry Collin as she had hoped. If Collin told the truth before Brocc came back, all would be lost.

  Nay, she resolved to herself. This was not the time to give up on her dreams of being Brocc’s wife. Closing her eyes, she remembered the hard muscles of his body she had felt under the covers the night she snuck into his bed. She regretted not attempting to wake Brocc in his sleep that night. He was so full of drink and it was so dark, she could have fooled him into believing she was Una. Having Brocc, even under false pretenses, would have better than what she had received, which was nothing but rejection. She would not let the opportunity pass again!

  Brocc may not be home, but his mother was. This would be the first step in her plan. She would leave a message for Brocc that he could never ignore. Mealla knocked on the wooden door and plastered on her sweetest smile for the woman who may be her own mother one day. The door opened swiftly and a woman with the same hazel eyes as Brocc stared warily back at her. It was clear by the slight scowl on Isobel’s face that she had heard something about Mealla, but to what extent, she could not know.

  “Brocc is not here, Mealla,” Isobel puffed in obvious frustration.

  “Oh, well…” Playing innocent was so very hard. She had to struggle to keep her manners and wear a pleasant smile. “I am sorry to hear it. I only meant to see if he had heard the wonderful news.” Isobel did not respond with more than one raised brow in question. “You see, I was in the hall this morn and overheard Collin O’Leary announcing that he is to be wed…to Una.”

  Isobel gasped and staggered backward slightly as she covered her heart with her hand.

  “Oh, I had forgotten. Una is your foster-daughter. Nay wonder you seem so thrilled. I only thought to tell Brocc because I am certain he will want to have a grand feast to celebrate. He and Una are so close…”

  Isobel cleared her throat and blinked several times, as if she were living in some horrible nightmare and was desperately trying to awaken. “I will tell Brocc upon his return. Many thanks, Mealla.” Before Mealla could speak another word, the door slammed shut and Isobel disappeared back into the house.

  Brocc would arrive back to the news of Una’s marriage to Collin and become enraged, especially after his tiring journey. He would likely be irritable and ready for a fight, she thought with a grin.

  The next step was a bit trickier. Brocc had informed his remaining warriors that he would arrive in two days’ time, not wanting to be away from the tuath too long, in case a raid should occur in his absence. Two days had already passed. Brocc should arrive by tonight. How could Mealla keep Collin from sharing the truth of their plans with Una before that?

  What a fool! What sort of a man would willingly give up the woman he loved to another man? Collin disgusted her with his soft feelings. But she would never give up on Brocc. Sure, Una would be happiest with Brocc and Collin knew it, but was that worth his loss of her forever? If this was the behavior of a person in love, then she was glad to not know that emotion. What she felt for Brocc was an intense lust and the need to win her place as his wife, but love was not a factor. To think she could be the wife of a king, if only she handled this delicate matter correctly!

  With that motivation urging her on, Mealla set about her plans with a wicked feeling of contentment. It truly did not matter if everyone else lived in misery, so long as she got her king. Her heart pumped with excitement as she headed over to the hall to execute the next stage of her plan.

  The second day had passed since Una agreed to marry Collin and each day seemed to march on despite her lingering sadness. Though she felt a terrible weight in the pit of her stomach every time she thought of living the rest of her life without Brocc, she put on her best smile as she strolled in the market arm in arm with Collin. She had made this choice and it would do no good for others to see the doubt in her eyes, especially Collin.

  Whenever the thought crossed Una’s mind that she should have spoken one last time with Brocc before agreeing to marry Collin, she was brutally reminded that Brocc had already renounced his desire to marry her and slept with Mealla. How could she bring herself to make amends with a man who did not even care for her any longer, and keep her pride? Nay, she could not. She must put a future with Brocc out of her mind…for good.

  Though the situation was made quite a bit easier without Brocc around to interfere, his absence in the village felt like a void in her heart. As much as she always feared running into him in the market, she could not deny the thrill she felt whenever she saw his burning gaze from across the way.

  She looked up at Collin’s chiseled profile as she linked a small hand around his muscled forearm. It just did not feel right. At times, she felt a twinge of guilt for Collin, knowing she did not love him the way she should. But she reminded herself that Collin was aware of her feelings and had, to her shock, tried to convince her to make amends with Brocc. He truly must love her if he was willing to give her up for her own sake. And was love not precisely what she had hoped for in a husband?

  Perhaps their marriage may not be a passionate one, but she could see them being contented and amicable. He was very attractive and caring, so mayhap she could grow to love him as time passed. It certainly was not what she had ever dreamt of, but she had made a mess of her life and, with a babe arriving in a few moons, she needed to get her life in order. Collin was willing to love her and her child as his own for the rest of his life. That should be enough, right? Then why did it not feel like enough?

  “For you, my beauty,” Collin smiled as he held a beautiful bouquet of flowers before her. She blushed and accepted the lovely arrangement of colorful daisies and lilies that he had been slowly gathering as they walked. “They could never match your beauty, but they shall endeavor to try!” He made a dramatic bow before her while he laughed and picked up her hand, bringing it to his lips.

  “My thanks, Collin! They truly are lovely.” The bright yellow of the gerbera daisy perfectly matched the fabric of Una’s flowing linen dress as it billowed in the breeze. It was a warm and nearly cloudless spring day, and sounds of the farmers and other merchants calling out their wares only added to the charm of the day.

  She brought the bouquet up to her nose to take in the mingling fragrances of the flowers as Collin watched her with delight. One of the unopened lily blossoms bloomed unexpectedly and caused her to pull back in surprise. She looked up at Collin to see if he had noticed and a smile faltered on his face as he watched the lily mysteriously open before their eyes. Una had seen this happen more than once in her life, but it had been so long since she used to collect bouquets for her mother and she had always brushed it off as a little lass. Since then, she had forgotten all about the strange occurrence of buds blooming in her presence, until now.

  Collin looked at her with a reassuring smile and chuckled, “You really are the goddess in the garden, just as your mother told you.” She could see the concern in his eyes but appreciated his attempt at nonchalance. She was slightly unsure of what he had just seen, herself. “Shall we walk through the gardens on the way back to the house?” he asked. Feeling very uncomfortable, Una shook her head and ask to be taken back home for the day. They had already traded for all the ingredients needed for their meal that n
ight, and suddenly their leisurely stroll felt at an end.

  Chatting casually as Collin’s farm came into view, they noticed a package on their doorstep that was wrapped in a dark blue fabric with gold thread woven finely within. “Hmmm,” Collin shrugged as he looked at Una and swooped down to pick it up. “It appears to be the first of many gifts that we will receive as the news of our marriage spreads.”

  “News travels quickly in this tuath, does it not?” Una said with a laugh as they unwrapped the gift. Inside was a full jug of sweet mead, sealed shut with a wax top. “Oh! Well, this will go nicely with tonight’s meal!” Una said with a smile. “How very kind of…” she looked at Collin curiously as she paused, asking him with her eyes if he had any idea who could have brought the gift. With a small shrug and raised brow, he shook his head.

  As Una walked over to place the jug on the table, Collin stopped and stared at it quizzically. This gift was perfect for his plans for the night. He was already planning to sit down and tell Una the truth that Mealla did not sleep with Brocc. He was even willing to divulge that he had helped Mealla trick her into believing it. She would most definitely leave him and go back to Brocc, but that would serve him right, he thought grimly. He deserved to lose Una. If, by some miracle, she should still decide to marry him, well then at least he could enter this marriage with a clear conscience. More than likely, however, this was the last night he would share with Una. He let out a long sigh and plopped into one of the cushions near the table.

  “Is something amiss?” Una turned to look at him from over her shoulder, her silky brown hair falling over the back of her buttercup yellow dress in waves as her green eyes looked him up and down with curiosity. By all the gods, but she was breathtaking. He did not deserve this bewitching woman.

  He shook his head and smiled. “Och nay, tis nothing, my love. I am only tired.”