inept thieves trying to rob her.â
âAnd you saved her?â Duncan asked.
âI did,â Reeve said, knowing they expected to hear the details. âAnd she offered me money to keep her safe and find a new home.â
âAnd her family?â Carmag asked.
âI donât know details,â he admitted, which was the truth. âI only know she was not wanted there.â
âDo you feel she is telling you the truth?â Bryce asked. âOr could there be more to her story?â
They all stared at him, and he knew they waited for the truth.
âWhat I share with you stays among us,â Reeve said.
âWhat is said in this room among us always remains in this room,â Duncan reminded.
Reeve knew that it did, that they had been sworn to secrecy since they had been young and trained to protect the one who would be king. The reason he was compelled to tell them the truth. There could be no secrets between them. Nothing could stand in the way of the true king taking the throne.
Yet he felt an overpowering urge to protect Tara, and in sharing the facts with his family, could it somehow cause her harm? The brief moment of doubt passed quick enough. If he had actually thought that, he would have never brought her here.
âTara is considered a death bride, â Reeve said, and went on to explain the exact details of when he had first met her and all that he knew.
âI had the feeling she was running from something,â Bryce said. âAnd she confirmed it when she chose old Alanâs cottage. She wants to remain separated from people.â
âTo her way of thinking, to protect them,â Reeve said. âI believe there is more to this curse than she tells me, but she refuses to discuss it.â
âWhat do you think of this curse?â Carmag asked.
âIâve never been one for the likes of curses and spells and such,â Reeve admitted. âItâs just nonsense to me.â
âNot to others,â Duncan said.
âEspecially to ones who have experienced it,â Carmag said.
âAre you telling me she is not welcomed here?â Reeve asked defensively.
âNot at all,â Bryce said, âbut we have a duty to our clan. If something does occur, and the people find out that we knew about a curse and had not warned them, they will be angry, and justifiably so.â
âThen let their anger fall on me,â Reeve said, his chin jutting up. âNo one need know that I shared this information with you.â
âWould that be fair to the villagers?â Duncan asked.
âWould it be fair to Tara to turn her out alone?â Reeve asked. âAnd what of the money she has given us? You know as well as I do that our coffers are near empty. Her money will provide us and the villagers with much-needed items. And also help further our mission.â
âHe is right about that,â Bryce agreed. âThere are people out there starving and in need of our help and who will fight when the time is right if they know that their families are cared for.â
âAnd a king to the southwest, who for a fat purse, will join our cause,â Reeve said.
âSo that is how your mission went,â Carmag said.
âKing Osgar of the Western Isles says that King Kenneth pays him handsomely for his patronage. But more coins could sway his favor.â Reeve shook his head. âHe will keep no true allegiance to any king who doesnât fatten his coffers, and he doesnât see to the care of his people as he should.â
âHe will be dealt with when the time is right,â Carmag said. âIn the meantime, we will seek allegiance from his people by seeing they are given the coins rather than their king.â
âWe cannot do that without Taraâs generous patronage,â Reeve said. âWill we accept it or turn her away?â
âYou know damn well we would not do that,â Bryce
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