your help. This matter must go no further than the family.
That's of the utmost importance. Sean, I want you to fetch Conor here. Go yourself, and go alone. Tell him it's urgent, but don't speak of the reason to anyone else. You'd better leave now.
And keep your anger in check for everyone's sake. Liadan, I am reluctant to involve you, for such matters are not fit for a young woman's eyes or ears. But you are family, and you are part of this now, like it or not. Thank the gods Eamonn and his sister are no longer at Sevenwaters.
Now I want you to go down and wait for Niamh; keep watch by your garden entry until you see her on her way home. Then bring her straight to me in the private chamber. Again, I cannot stress too strongly, no talk. Not to anyone. I will send for your father and break this news to him myself."
"What about Mother?" I had to ask.
"She must be told," he said soberly. "But not yet. Let her have a little more peace before she must know."
So I waited for Niamh; and as I waited, I watched Sean ride away under the trees in the direction of the place the druids had their dwelling, deep in the heart of the forest. The dust flew under his horse's feet.
I waited a long time, until it was nearly dusk. I was cold, and my head was aching, and there was a strange sort of fear in me that seemed quite out of proportion to the problem. I had been over Page 37
and over it in my mind. Perhaps she really loved him and he her. It had certainly looked that way. Maybe he was the son of a good family, and maybe it didn't really matter whether he remained a druid or not, and—then I
remembered the look on Liam's face, and I knew that my thoughts were utterly futile. There was far more here than I could rightly understand.
It was very hard to tell Niamh. She was radiant with happiness, her skin glowing, her eyes bright as stars.
She wore a wreath of wildflowers on her shining hair, and her feet were bare beneath the hem of her white gown.
"Liadan! What on earth are you doing out here? It's nearly dark."
"They know," I said straight out, and watched her face change as the light went out of her eyes, quenched as quickly as a doused candle. "I—I was picking herbs, and I saw you, and—"
"You told! You told Sean! Liadan, how could you do such a thing?" She gripped my arms, digging her fingers in until I gasped with pain. "You've ruined everything! Everything! I hate you!"
"Niamh. Stop it. I said nothing, I swear. But you know how it is with me and Sean. I could not keep it from him," I said miserably.
"Spy! Snoop! You use your stupid mind-talk, whatever it is, as an excuse. You're just jealous because you can't get your own man! Well, I don't care. I love Ciaran, and he loves me; and nobody's going to stop us being together! You hear me? Nobody!"
"Liam told me to wait for you and bring you straight to see him," I managed, and now I found I had to make an effort not to cry. I swallowed my tears. They would help nobody. "He said we must keep this quiet, keep it in the family."
"Oh, yes, the family honor. Wonderful. Can't ruin the chance of an alliance with the Ui Neill, can we?
Never mind, Sister. Now that I've shamed the all-important family, maybe it's you who will wed the illustrious Fionn, chieftain of Tirconnell. It could be the making of you."
Liam's reaction had been deeply unsettling, and a fear had gripped me, a fear whose cause I did not understand. I had tried to be calm, to be strong for my sister. But Niamh's words hurt me, and I found I
could not hold back my anger.
"Brighid save us!" I snapped. "When will you learn that there are more folk in the world than just yourself? You're in real trouble, Niamh. Seems to me you're overeager to hurt those who would help you. Now come on. Let's get this over with."
I walked to the stillroom door. From here, it was possible to go up the back stairs to the chamber where
Liam waited and with luck be unobserved. Niamh had fallen silent. I turned, hoping I would
That's of the utmost importance. Sean, I want you to fetch Conor here. Go yourself, and go alone. Tell him it's urgent, but don't speak of the reason to anyone else. You'd better leave now.
And keep your anger in check for everyone's sake. Liadan, I am reluctant to involve you, for such matters are not fit for a young woman's eyes or ears. But you are family, and you are part of this now, like it or not. Thank the gods Eamonn and his sister are no longer at Sevenwaters.
Now I want you to go down and wait for Niamh; keep watch by your garden entry until you see her on her way home. Then bring her straight to me in the private chamber. Again, I cannot stress too strongly, no talk. Not to anyone. I will send for your father and break this news to him myself."
"What about Mother?" I had to ask.
"She must be told," he said soberly. "But not yet. Let her have a little more peace before she must know."
So I waited for Niamh; and as I waited, I watched Sean ride away under the trees in the direction of the place the druids had their dwelling, deep in the heart of the forest. The dust flew under his horse's feet.
I waited a long time, until it was nearly dusk. I was cold, and my head was aching, and there was a strange sort of fear in me that seemed quite out of proportion to the problem. I had been over Page 37
and over it in my mind. Perhaps she really loved him and he her. It had certainly looked that way. Maybe he was the son of a good family, and maybe it didn't really matter whether he remained a druid or not, and—then I
remembered the look on Liam's face, and I knew that my thoughts were utterly futile. There was far more here than I could rightly understand.
It was very hard to tell Niamh. She was radiant with happiness, her skin glowing, her eyes bright as stars.
She wore a wreath of wildflowers on her shining hair, and her feet were bare beneath the hem of her white gown.
"Liadan! What on earth are you doing out here? It's nearly dark."
"They know," I said straight out, and watched her face change as the light went out of her eyes, quenched as quickly as a doused candle. "I—I was picking herbs, and I saw you, and—"
"You told! You told Sean! Liadan, how could you do such a thing?" She gripped my arms, digging her fingers in until I gasped with pain. "You've ruined everything! Everything! I hate you!"
"Niamh. Stop it. I said nothing, I swear. But you know how it is with me and Sean. I could not keep it from him," I said miserably.
"Spy! Snoop! You use your stupid mind-talk, whatever it is, as an excuse. You're just jealous because you can't get your own man! Well, I don't care. I love Ciaran, and he loves me; and nobody's going to stop us being together! You hear me? Nobody!"
"Liam told me to wait for you and bring you straight to see him," I managed, and now I found I had to make an effort not to cry. I swallowed my tears. They would help nobody. "He said we must keep this quiet, keep it in the family."
"Oh, yes, the family honor. Wonderful. Can't ruin the chance of an alliance with the Ui Neill, can we?
Never mind, Sister. Now that I've shamed the all-important family, maybe it's you who will wed the illustrious Fionn, chieftain of Tirconnell. It could be the making of you."
Liam's reaction had been deeply unsettling, and a fear had gripped me, a fear whose cause I did not understand. I had tried to be calm, to be strong for my sister. But Niamh's words hurt me, and I found I
could not hold back my anger.
"Brighid save us!" I snapped. "When will you learn that there are more folk in the world than just yourself? You're in real trouble, Niamh. Seems to me you're overeager to hurt those who would help you. Now come on. Let's get this over with."
I walked to the stillroom door. From here, it was possible to go up the back stairs to the chamber where
Liam waited and with luck be unobserved. Niamh had fallen silent. I turned, hoping I would
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