and brilliance of my gold torque. It confirmed my high birth and noble status more eloquently than words.
So did the gleaming collar around his own neck.
He dropped from his horse’s back and came within a hand span of me. “I’m very sorry for any insult or offense I’ve given you, Lady Maeve.” The corners of his eyes crinkled with hidden mirth.
Before I could accept or reject his apology, Kian made himself into a wedge between us. “Well said. Now go on your way. I’m sure someone wants you elsewhere. We haven’t any more time to waste in your company.”
“And you called me rude?” the stranger murmured for my ears only.
I took a long step back, away from him. “Lord Kian and I do have an important task at hand; one that you interrupted. I wish you a safe journey and farewell.” I showed him my back as I went to retrieve Ea’s lure.
I heard his retreating footsteps behind me, followed by the sound of his horse trotting away. “ Yes , I called you rude,” I muttered as I searched for the baited string. “You proved it, didn’t you? Not even polite enough to tell me your name.”
“What did you say, Maeve?” Kian asked. He stood scanning the sky for Ea, the lure already in his hand.
“Nothing.”
I failed to call Ea back to me. She was used to returning on command to Kian’s hand, not mine, and the hubbub the stranger caused upset her. She was in no mood to try anything new. I conceded temporary defeat and let Kian bring her down and hood her.
We no longer bothered splitting up before returning to Dún Beithe. It was an inconvenience and did nothing to stifle gossip. I’d learned that when malicious folk wanted to wag their tongues about something, they’d do so despite all the opposing evidence. As long as Kian understood that we were nothing more than friends, I’d put up with the irritating buzz of rumors.
As we entered the gateway, I saw a big commotion outside the door of the great house. Lord Artegal and Lady Lassaire stood in the midst of their most nobly born warriors and attendants while servants hovered nearby with food and drink. My fellow fosterlings waited among the other women. They wore demure expressions, but any time someone tried to edge in front of them, they deftly moved to hold their places. Then the crowd shifted and I got a good view of the reason for all this fuss.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Tell me it’s not him I’m seeing, Kian. Please.”
But Kian couldn’t lie about what we both saw: the wild, insolent young man—no, the rude boy who’d nearly trampled me on the road—was being welcomed to Dún Beithe with the citadel’s most elaborate show of hospitality.
“Kian!” Lady Lassaire caught sight of her son and waved happily. “Come here and greet our guest.”
My friend gritted his teeth into the stiff semblance of a smile. “See to the kestrel,” he told me in an undertone as he took my hand and managed to slide Ea from his arm to mine, along with the leather guard.
I gave Ea only a moment to adjust to the abrupt shift, then hurried away to restore her to her perch before anyone decided I should welcome that unbearable boy too.
It was a moment too long.
“Maeve! Maeve, dear, is that you?” Lady Lassaire’s voice trilled with pleasure. “Where have you been roving? And—oh my, what happened to you? Your dress and your hair look like … like—” She paused and darted a sideways look at her son.
Oh, wonderful, now she’s blushing , I thought bitterly as I approached the lady of Dún Beithe. There’s no doubt about what she thinks Kian and I have been up to, and I can’t say one word to deny it. It’d only reinforce her silly fantasy. I sighed deeply. At least she’s smiling.
“I’m sorry for my appearance, Lady Lassaire,” I said, stroking Ea’s feathers. “I’ve always been curious about this beautiful bird, and today Lord Kian was kind enough to let me watch him fly her. She’s a graceful creature, but I’m
So did the gleaming collar around his own neck.
He dropped from his horse’s back and came within a hand span of me. “I’m very sorry for any insult or offense I’ve given you, Lady Maeve.” The corners of his eyes crinkled with hidden mirth.
Before I could accept or reject his apology, Kian made himself into a wedge between us. “Well said. Now go on your way. I’m sure someone wants you elsewhere. We haven’t any more time to waste in your company.”
“And you called me rude?” the stranger murmured for my ears only.
I took a long step back, away from him. “Lord Kian and I do have an important task at hand; one that you interrupted. I wish you a safe journey and farewell.” I showed him my back as I went to retrieve Ea’s lure.
I heard his retreating footsteps behind me, followed by the sound of his horse trotting away. “ Yes , I called you rude,” I muttered as I searched for the baited string. “You proved it, didn’t you? Not even polite enough to tell me your name.”
“What did you say, Maeve?” Kian asked. He stood scanning the sky for Ea, the lure already in his hand.
“Nothing.”
I failed to call Ea back to me. She was used to returning on command to Kian’s hand, not mine, and the hubbub the stranger caused upset her. She was in no mood to try anything new. I conceded temporary defeat and let Kian bring her down and hood her.
We no longer bothered splitting up before returning to Dún Beithe. It was an inconvenience and did nothing to stifle gossip. I’d learned that when malicious folk wanted to wag their tongues about something, they’d do so despite all the opposing evidence. As long as Kian understood that we were nothing more than friends, I’d put up with the irritating buzz of rumors.
As we entered the gateway, I saw a big commotion outside the door of the great house. Lord Artegal and Lady Lassaire stood in the midst of their most nobly born warriors and attendants while servants hovered nearby with food and drink. My fellow fosterlings waited among the other women. They wore demure expressions, but any time someone tried to edge in front of them, they deftly moved to hold their places. Then the crowd shifted and I got a good view of the reason for all this fuss.
“No,” I said, shaking my head. “Tell me it’s not him I’m seeing, Kian. Please.”
But Kian couldn’t lie about what we both saw: the wild, insolent young man—no, the rude boy who’d nearly trampled me on the road—was being welcomed to Dún Beithe with the citadel’s most elaborate show of hospitality.
“Kian!” Lady Lassaire caught sight of her son and waved happily. “Come here and greet our guest.”
My friend gritted his teeth into the stiff semblance of a smile. “See to the kestrel,” he told me in an undertone as he took my hand and managed to slide Ea from his arm to mine, along with the leather guard.
I gave Ea only a moment to adjust to the abrupt shift, then hurried away to restore her to her perch before anyone decided I should welcome that unbearable boy too.
It was a moment too long.
“Maeve! Maeve, dear, is that you?” Lady Lassaire’s voice trilled with pleasure. “Where have you been roving? And—oh my, what happened to you? Your dress and your hair look like … like—” She paused and darted a sideways look at her son.
Oh, wonderful, now she’s blushing , I thought bitterly as I approached the lady of Dún Beithe. There’s no doubt about what she thinks Kian and I have been up to, and I can’t say one word to deny it. It’d only reinforce her silly fantasy. I sighed deeply. At least she’s smiling.
“I’m sorry for my appearance, Lady Lassaire,” I said, stroking Ea’s feathers. “I’ve always been curious about this beautiful bird, and today Lord Kian was kind enough to let me watch him fly her. She’s a graceful creature, but I’m
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