by Mia Pride
“Who are these men?” Jeoffrey crossed his arms over his chest and nodded toward the tall black-haired lads standing on either side of Eoin.
“These are my cousins, Brennain and Flynn Mac Greine, the sons of King Brocc Mac Greine and his wife Una, one of the Sisters of Danu.” The large lads nodded politely, not looking nearly as angry or defensive as Eoin. A collective gasp seemed to fill the air around them at the mention of the legendary Sisters of Danu. They had, after all, been one of the driving forces behind Tuathal’s victory and were said to be reborn goddesses with the ability to control certain elements. Treasa was the daughter of one of the other Sisters of Danu, Gwynneth. Her relationship to the powerful family was the very reason Jeoffrey had been ordered to abduct her. His father had hoped their marriage would unite two strong families and make his reign untouchable. How foolish it all seemed now in retrospect.
“The tall one is handsome,” he heard Agnes say behind him and the man in question, Brennain, gave her a sly wink and half smirk, showing off a dimple and straight teeth. Jeoffrey wanted to roll his eyes. Was everyone in that family so cursed attractive? He supposed that the mixed blood of gods and faeries would create such creatures. Still, he felt his irritation rise. Why were they here, if not to exact revenge upon him?
“Wish to tell me why you have come to my tuath, if not to insult my finest warrior?” King Ailbert said with even more aggression than before and Jeoffrey couldn’t help but feel pride at his king’s praise.
“Aye. Our High King and my brother by marriage, Tuathal Techtmar, wishes to offer Jeoffrey a place within our new Hillfort in Ériu, Ráth Mór. After the war, he had one central tuath built to combine the more powerful of tribes. He wants to offer you sanctuary, for your help in his victory. Another enemy is on the rise, threatening to upend the fragile peace Tuathal has fought to bring to Ériu. You may be familiar with the man. He was your father’s best warrior.”
Jeoffrey’s eyes grew wide at that new information. “Mal Mac Rochride?” he asked wearily. Aye, he knew the man well. Hungry for power and willing to do aught to get it, the man could make a dangerous enemy. And now that Elim was dead, Jeoffrey could easily see Mal looking for his turn at the throne.
Eoin nodded grimly. “Aye. That’s him. He has been building an army against Tuathal slowly and causing trouble with small raids. Tuathal seeks your help, as a man who likely knows Mal well. If you accept, you shall be offered a place as one of his warriors, given a home, horse, cattle, and a safe place for yourself,” Eoin looked behind him at Clarice who was still clinging to him. “And for your family, of course.”
“How can I know this is not a trap? Why would he send you, of all people, to seek me out? You will attempt to slaughter me before our boat ever makes it to the shore of Ériu.”
Eoin grunted at this. “Aye, I would, if not for the word I gave my king to see you safely across. He sent me, of all people, because I was the unfortunate bastard who knew your face from the battle…or have you forgotten?”
“Are you asking if I forgot how I saved your life? How you were lying on your back in the grass with my father’s blade ready to crash down onto your skull before I ran him through? Nay, I have not forgotten. But mayhap you have?” Jeoffrey had had enough of Eoin. Aye, the man was rightfully angry, but Jeoffrey had done his very best to rectify the situation by keeping Treasa safe. In doing so, he almost died by his own father’s hand. He defied his orders and kept his promise to reunite Treasa with her husband. He had even saved her husband when he very well could have allowed his father to slaughter the man. Without Eoin, Treasa would have stayed with him. But that was not the path he had chosen because aside from his disgraceful behavior in stealing her away, he was a man of honor and would never allow an innocent man to die if he could help it.
To his utter astonishment, Eoin bowed his head respectfully to Jeoffrey and put out his hand. “Nay, I have not forgotten. And while I would never have been in that position if you had not stolen my wife, you could have allowed your father to slaughter me and attempted to keep Treasa for yourself. You did not. Tis the only reason I believe Treasa when she continuously insists that you are a man of honor. Tis why she vouched for your character when Tuathal suggested allowing you to settle with us in Ráth Mór.”
Silence followed for several awkward moments. So many thoughts ran through his mind. Should he accept this offer? He quite enjoyed the life he had created here in Alba. And yet, Ériu would always be his home. Could he live in the same hillfort with Treasa? He knew for certain that any lingering feelings he had for the lass were purely those of friendship. They had created a bond and he would love to see her again and know she was well, but beyond that, he had no romantic feelings for her any longer. His entire heart belonged to the woman clutching at his tunic for dear life behind him.
Which made him ponder the most important question of all. What did Clarice prefer? Ériu was also her home, but would she feel comfortable living so close to the woman he had once believed he was in love with? The woman he had, at one point, said marriage vows to? He could not possibly know those answers without asking her himself, but he could tell by her white-knuckled grip on his waist that now was not the time to ask.
Eoin’s arm was still outstretched to him, offering the only peace the two men may ever know between them, and Jeoffrey slowly put his hand out to clasp forearms with the one man who hated him most in the world. If he did go home to Ériu, it would take a great deal of time to convince Eoin that he did not have any interested in his wife and that he wasn’t the bastard Eoin thought he was…at least not entirely. Yet, for some reason, he welcomed the challenge. It was time to show the world who he truly was. For so long, his every decision and action had been commanded by his mad father, Elim. Aye, he had already proven himself a faithful husband and strong warrior over here in Alba, but to have the opportunity to prove his worth in his homeland made his heart beat slightly faster with the possibilities.
“I must think on this. There is more to consider than myself. I have my wife, Clarice,” he smiled at her and gently released her grip on his tunic so he could bring her in front of him for introductions. “She is with child and our son Wee Jeoff who is almost four summers old now.” Eoin raised a brow at those words, clearly wondering how Jeoffrey and Clarice already had a son of four summers when it had been less than a year since he tried to marry Treasa. “Och…tis a long story, Eoin,” he said with a laugh, finding himself relaxing a bit now that they had formed a fragile peace between them.
A throat cleared to his left and he looked over his shoulder. Alastar had stood by and watched in silence, which was a feat of its own. Alastar nodded his head and kept a serious look on his face. “And, if we do decide to go back, my best mate must be allowed to come along. He is a fine warrior. One of the very best.”
King Ailbert strode forward with a deep frown on his face. “I do not agree to lose my two best warriors and one of my finest farmers without compensation. I respect Tuathal as a native of Alba and I value his cause, lads, but he must understand that I cannot stand to lose them for nothing.”
Jeoffrey looked from his king to Eoin, Brennain, and Flynn. “So you see, to take me back to Ériu, you must also take my wife, son, Alastar, and reward King Ailbert in some way. Mayhap I am not worth such a sacrifice.”
“Depends on who you ask,” Brennain spoke for the first time. His voice was quite deep and there was a playful twinkle in his bright green eyes. “Eoin here would most certainly agree that you are not worth such sacrifice,” he laughed and punched his cousin in the shoulder. “But if you ask Tuathal, he would say you are more than worth the sacrifice. He already sent us here with instructions to bring along any men or women you believed to be valuable. And for King Ailbert,” Brennain turned to their chief and bowed his head. “Tuathal is not only a king. He is a man who had to fight for his claim. He is a native of Alba, and he would never offer to take away another king’s warriors without expecting a payment. If you agree, he wil
l send over ten cattle, a pile of furs, five sacks of grain and, as a gesture of good faith, has already brought with us a barrel of our finest ale. He knows this cannot replace the loss of your man, but he hopes it is the beginning of a strong alliance.”
King Ailbert’s eyes grew larger and larger with greed with every word Brennain said. “Och, well…I…well then! We have much to discuss!” King Ailbert shouted with more exuberance than Jeoffrey ever thought the usually reserved man was capable of. “Let us make our new friends feel at home with a feast and dancing in the ale house. And, mayhap we could open that barrel of ale?” He looked over at Brennain and guffawed as he slapped the tall lad on the back and walked away.
Chapter 13
It seemed the entire village had come out to feast in the gathering hall in honor of Tuathal’s guards’ arrival. Apparently, they had brought many more men, about a score, with them across the sea. All the unmarried lassies in their village were pining for an opportunity to speak to the warriors in the hall.
Loud laughter echoed across the room and tallow candles flickered repeatedly as new people came in and out of the hall doors, casting shadows on the walls. The barrel of ale had been opened and was being shared by all, but it only heightened Clarice’s anxiety. She and Jeoffrey had not yet had an opportunity to discuss this life-altering situation, and yet the payment was already being consumed. What if they decided not to go? What if the king ordered them to go, deciding his reward was greater than the combined benefits her family brought to the village? It was a small village and ten cattle was no small treasure. The furs and grain only sweetened the deal and would most certainly benefit the entire tuath.
Was she being selfish for thinking this way? She did not want to go to Ériu. Jeoffrey may have only come over to Alba this past year, but she had been here for almost five years. The people here were quite similar in tradition, language, and culture as her people in Ériu, and she had made Alba her home. Ériu held nothing more than bad memories of her life as a poor serf. Those memories were laced with the deep love she had found with Jeoffrey and mayhap would be tolerable, if not tinged with the bitterness of Elim’s threats on her life.
Ériu also had one other thing that Alba did not have, and she was loath to admit to Jeoffrey that she was not certain she could accept this one thing…or person. Treasa. Clarice considered herself a confident woman and was never prone to jealousy like so many other lassies, but she was only human. How could she live in the same hillfort as Treasa and not question every single day if Jeoffrey still did love her? Mayhap he simply said he did not because he knew he could never have her. Mayhap he had settled for Clarice because Treasa was out of reach. Moving to Ériu and living within the same walls would add a certain amount of temptation for Jeoffrey. And what if that temptation became too much to deny?
She did not know this Treasa woman nor her level of commitment to her husband, but she did know her own husband and the affect he had on women. Few were the women who did not find him attractive. Even fewer would reject him. She certainly never could. These thoughts taunted her and made her stomach churn with nausea. It was not the babe in her womb making her feel as if she would be sick. It was jealousy and that fact alone made her want to smack herself across the face. She carried his babe in her womb…still, would that be enough? Could she convince Jeoffrey she wished to stay here in Ériu and would that be terribly selfish? The entire tribe could benefit from the payment Tuathal had offered.
“You are brooding,” Jeoffrey observed as he swiftly sat down next to her on the bench, wrapping her in his strong arms. He smelled a bit too strongly of ale and the front of his red tunic was soaked through, molding itself to his hard chest as some dark hairs peeked out of the neckline. Aye, he was a handsome man. Irresistible even. Suddenly she even second guessed his promise that he and Treasa never consummated their marriage. What woman could be faced with this powerful man, stare into his dark eyes, be married to him in front of witnesses and then have the power to not spread herself before him?
The images dancing around in her mind made her sick. And then, another thought crashed into mind with the force of lightning, causing her to gasp with its impact. If Jeoffrey was lying and he and Treasa had truly lain together, then Treasa would be his true wife in the eyes of the gods. Nay. She must not allow these dark thoughts to consume her. They were unfair to Jeoffrey, who had given her no reason to mistrust his word. And yet staring at him now, she still couldn’t shake her fears that he could be taken away from her again.
“Clarice?” he placed a hand gently on her shoulder, causing her to jump. “I can see you are very deep in thought and I do not like the direction your thoughts are going.”
She scoffed at him playfully. “You cannot possibly know what I am thinking.”
“You are wrong, wife. I know you are pondering whether we should go. I know you are brooding over Treasa and wondering if I still have feelings for the lass.”
Hearing him say the words only heightened her worries. He was thinking it, as well. Was he also wondering if he could still love Treasa? She hated herself for these dark thoughts, but these men from Ériu had swept through her tranquil life and upended it in the worst way. “I do not want to go back to Ériu, Jeoffrey.”
He flinched slightly. She saw the telltale clench of his jaw and knew he was displeased. “Why is that, Clarice?” She was quiet for several moments, not quite certain how to explain herself without sounding like a jealous fool, or worse yet, a mistrusting wife. “You cannot give me a reason that you know will not insult my honor.”
Curse Jeoffrey and his ability to always know her thoughts! “I do not think tis a good idea. We are happy here, Jeoffrey.”
He shook his head and narrowed his gaze at her. “You cannot stand to be near Ealasaid. You cannot trust her after what she did to you and neither can I. Then there is the memory of your abuse from Gregory and Harrold’s death. You have many reasons to want to leave Alba, Clarice. I want to be a part of something bigger. We can start over. Have a life there, a home. I can fight for a cause worth fighting for again!”
“I thought you were done with war?” she whispered. This conversation was only making her more upset. She did not want Jeoffrey off fighting wars for another man. They were safer here in Alba.
“I was done with war because I had nothing to fight for. Now I do. I have you and our children to fight for, to make a better world for. And as one of Tuathal’s warriors, I will, for the first time in my life, have a king and leader worth fighting for. And as for farming, I can have a farm there as well, Clarice. In fact, based on what they have brought us, I believe they are very prosperous. The soil in Ériu is less rocky than it is here. We can grow wonderful crops.”
His arguments were hard to deny. In fact, she found that she could not deny any of them. However, none of those were the one reason she simply could not agree to go, and by the frown on his face and the tenseness of his shoulders, she was certain he knew that.
“Say it, Clarice,” he demanded and she flinched. Things between them had been so wonderful since the day they spoke of all their secrets and agreed to marry. There had never been anything for them to argue over. Now, they were confronted with the very first big decision they must make as a married couple and they could not come to terms.
Taking a deep breath, she squared her shoulders, trying to feign the confidence that usually came naturally to her. Inside she was terrified. “I am saying that I do not believe it is a wise choice for us to leave all that we have built here.” He looked at her skeptically and she knew that he knew she was holding back her true thoughts.
“Alright, Jeoffrey. You want the truth? I am terrified that you will take one look at Treasa and fall in love with her again. I am terrified that living so close to her every day will create feelings between the two of you. I am terrified of ever losing you again, Jeoffrey! By all the gods I would not survive it!”
She expected him to rage at her. Closing her eyes, she cringed and slumped he
r shoulders, waiting for him to shout at her for doubting his love for her, for putting his honor into question. After all, that was precisely what she was doing. And yet, her feelings were set in truth, for he had before believed himself in love with this other woman, even if he now realized it was not true love.
After a moment of squeezing her eyes shut and waiting for his infamous temper to flair, nothing came but silence. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw him staring back at her with a look of dejection on his face. “Clarice, mo chroí. You are my heart. My whole heart. There is nay room for another. I want nobody but you. Can you not believe that?” he whispered as he grabbed her hand and brought it up to his cheek. The feel of his scruffy beard against her palm made her heart race. “I love you. Only you. If you and I are to trust one another, we cannot make decisions based on mistrust.”
Guilt and shame flooded her as she saw the sadness in his eyes. He truly wanted to go back to Ériu. She could feel his excited energy radiating off his body. “Alright, Jeoffrey. If you truly want this and think tis best for our family, then I will go.”
The sadness in his eyes swiftly changed to elation as he grabbed her behind her neck and brought her face to his, pressing his lips firmly against hers in a powerful kiss. Then he stood quickly from the bench, bringing her up with him and wrapping his arms around her tightly. “I have an announcement to make!” he shouted into the smoke-filled room. All the laughter and voices died down instantly as everyone stopped to hear whether or not Jeoffrey would stay in Alba or Ériu. “My beautiful wife and I have decided to go home to Ériu and start our life anew under the reign of King Tuathal!”
The crowd cheered loudly for them, most assuredly because this also meant the village would receive all the wonderful gifts from Tuathal, which would be of value to them all. “And I am coming along!” Alastar shouted as he raised a horn filled with ale into the air. The voices of men whooped and cheered for him as well, but more than a few lassies gasped or let out wails of discord. Clarice pursed her lips to keep from laughing. She did not want to hurt any lassies feelings, but any woman who had held on to hopes of snagging Alastar for a husband may as well have tried to capture the sun’s rays in her hand and watched as they faded over the horizon.
