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As the two women stood gazing out the tower’s window, they heard footsteps on the outer stairs and Alainn knew it was Danhoul who approached. He came through the door after only briefly knocking and not waiting to be asked inside. He brushed the snow from his overcoat before he stepped within the glow of the chamber. He went directly to the hearth to warm his hands by the fire.
“Tis lovely and warm outside, but with a fresh snowfall the entire valley is breathtakingly beautiful. You must come for a walk with me, Alainn, before the rays of the afternoon sun melt it away. Sorry, I am that you cannot accompany us as well, Deidra.”
The spirit woman only waved her hand dismissively, smiled affectionately at the young man, and listened to the typical merry quibbling between the two of them.
“You’re being somewhat presumptuous, Danhoul Calhoun. What makes you think I will so readily walk with you this day, perhaps I have other plans entirely!” Alainn chided him.
“Your husband meets with your grandfather and two other chieftains this day, and I have not seen Lady Mary this morn so unless you have other acquaintances I am unaware of, I must assume you simply do not care to suffer my company.”
“What other chieftains, Danhoul? What business is being discussed then?” she asked in an interested tone completely ignoring his request and his taunting.
“Sure I’m not a chieftain so I’ve no notion what business they might have.”
“Danhoul, you are a seer, tell me what you know!”
“And you’re a seer as well, milady, so you might inform me as to what you see!” He picked her up and twirled her around until she grew dizzy.
“What has you in such a fine mood this day?”
“Nothing to speak of, Alainn!”
“You have found a woman, Danhoul. You are smitten with a woman?”
“Because I happen to be feeling cheerful this day does not indicate I have found a woman.”
“If you say so!” Alainn smiled at his mood and she gathered her heavy cloak and warm boots.
She affectionately waved to Deidra as they stepped out into the brightness of the day.
“Tis a lovely day, you are correct, and the snow appears uncommonly beautiful.”
“Was it your doing, Alainn? This soft white magical land; was it you who created it?”
“No, not I, though I would dearly love to be credited for the loveliness, I had no part in it.”
As they walked in the direction of Castle O’Rorke, Alainn playfully tossed a handful of snow at Danhoul and he jumped out of the way, but soon he retaliated and she found herself ducking behind a tree to avoid being showered with the freshly fallen snow. But in so doing, she disturbed a nearby branch heavy laden with snow and sent it careening down upon herself.
She shook her head and found it was down her neck and she pulled off the cloak shivering as she attempted to get the freezing snow from within her gown. She was startled to see two men she did not recognize happen upon them at that very moment. She hurriedly draped her cloak around her once more. Danhoul came to greet the men as well.
“I am Declan Fitzgerald, and this is Brendan O’Leary. We’ve business at Castle O’Rorke and were wonderin’ if we’re anywhere near the correct location?”
“Oh, aye, you’re well on your way; you’ve just missed the turn and if you look here to the east you’ll be able to see the castle’s turrets. I assure you; you can’t miss it for it’s the largest, grandest castle you’re likely to see. Well, here in this part of Ireland at any rate. But if you’re a Fitzgerald of the Kildare Fitzgerald Clan, then sure you’ll be accustomed to grand sized castles. And if ’tis true then I believe we are cousins.” Alainn informed the man.
“Cousins? Tell me your name then for if I’d ever met a cousin half as lovely as you, I’m certain I would have remembered!” The man spoke in an eloquent voice with an accent different than Alainn had heard before.
“I am Alainn O’Brien, granddaughter to Niall O’Rorke, and I thank you for your kind words of flattery!”
The other man, though not tall of stature or grand in appearance seemed to be of notable importance and Alainn noticed he also appeared somewhat impatient.
“My friend, Brendan O’Leary, is one of the heads of the Council of the Clans and although ’tis uncommon to have a man of such importance make the considerable journey from Dublin, it was on the high recommendation of Clan O’Neill, we speak with the Chieftain O’Brien of the Clan O’Donnel. Do you know the man, for you bear the same name?”
“Aye, I know Killian.” She smiled as she spoke for she surmised if these men were here to speak with her husband it must be of utmost importance for them to have come all this way.
Danhoul had stood silently as Alainn spoke with the gentlemen, but he now offered to accompany them to the castle and they welcomed his presence once they learned he had been a member of the kern, the Irish army.
“Where are your guards then?” Danhoul cautiously quizzed well aware men of such importance seldom travelled unaccompanied by guards to protect them.
“This is a journey few know of, it is purposefully secretive, for we’ve suspicions regarding an informant who might be feeding information to the English. It is of exceeding importance that few people are aware of what is discussed this day.”
Danhoul seemed momentarily appeased by the explanation and the group walked on together.
“You live with your grandfather then, Alainn,” the middle-aged Dubliner, Brendan O’Leary asked as he smoothly slipped his arm through hers to assist her with walking on the slippery ground.
She stared at the man who had warm brown eyes and curly black hair. She was saved from answering him for she warned him of a fallen branch in the pathway where he might stumble if he stepped upon it. They then soon approached the castle and were allowed over the drawbridge by the guards when they spotted Alainn and Danhoul.
“Where are your horses or your wagon then?” Alainn questioned the two men.
“We left them back at the bend in the road for the wagon was not making grand progress through this wet snow. And now ’tis unlikely we’ll make the journey to Galway tomorrow where we’re to take a coach back to Dublin, sure we’ll be made to spend Christ’s mass away from our families.”
“Aye, well, I’m certain you could stay with my grandfather if you desire it.”
“But sure Niall will not be observing the Christian holiday, or is it because of you and your brother then that he allows it this year?”
Alainn was about to point out to the man that Riley was certainly not her brother, but just then her grandfather came to greet the men, she quickly embraced him, and then politely excused herself and left the men to their business.
Though this was an unplanned visit to Castle O’Rorke, she thought she would find Mary for she’d not seen her in a good few days. She was most certainly busy instructing the servants to where everything must be placed and arranging where all the visitors from the south would stay. Mary appeared to embrace her title as lady of a castle with far more enthusiasm and fervor than Alainn.
When she did not see Mary in the kitchen, the sitting room, or the great hall, Alainn asked one of the servants where Mary might be found. They admitted they’d not seen Lady O’Brien for the last two days and that they believed she was ailing. Alainn hastened to Mary’s bedchamber and knocked softly upon the door. She heard no reply.
“Mary, are you well; might I come inside?”
“Aye.” She heard a weak response and immediately grew fretful for her friend.
When Alainn pushed open the door she saw Mary appeared unusually pale as she sat cross-legged on the bed.
“What is it, Mary? What ailment have you that has you lookin’ so tired and worn down?”
“I am well enough!” Mary hastily replied, but Alainn saw her friend’s eyes were red and puffy and her voice sounded thick with recently shed tears.
“Mary, might I be allowed to attempt to heal you?”
“Tis nothing that can be healed away, Alainn. And ’tis a malady that will work itself out in perhaps six or seven months, I am certain.”
“You carry a child?” Alainn stated as she slowly sat down on the bed beside her.
“Aye, I suppose I do.” The young woman whimpered and then burst into tears.
“Tis sorry I am you are displeased regarding this, Mary. I am well aware the potion does not always prove effective.”
“I am not displeased about carrying the child.”
“Is it Conner’s babe?” Alainn asked uncertain why the woman seemed so upset.
“No, Conner has not touched me. It is my husband’s child.”
“And you truly do not want to carry Riley’s child then?” Alainn struggled to understand why the woman appeared so distressed.
“No, it is not that I am displeased regarding that either.”
“Then you must tell me, Mary, before I am driven to read your thoughts.”
They heard a sound at the door and when Riley stepped inside the chamber he seemed startled to see Alainn there.
“Alainn, I did not know you were here at Castle O’Rorke. I suppose you have heard of the important guests from Dublin and Kildare who’ve arrived and specifically requested to speak with Killian?”
“Aye, I heard as much, Riley.”
Riley finally noticed Mary’s tears and he appeared gruff and uncaring when he spoke to his wife.
“By God’s bones, Mary! Have you taken to weeping again? Whatever is the matter with you, woman? Alainn, can you maybe see what can be done for my wife, for she has taken to weeping half the day and night, and sure she won’t confide in me what has her so cursedly maudlin. If you’re feelin’ a bout of damnable petty homesickness, you’ll need to stem it straightaway. ’Tis unlikely you can visit your kin until well into springtime for the passage is not always possible durin’ the colder months, much less makin’ a trip halfway across Ireland to get to where the ships sail.”
“Riley, why are you often such an unfeeling arse?” Alainn glared at him as she spoke. “Do you have none of your mother or grandfather’s kindness in you then?”
“What in hell did I do?”
She looked at Mary whose large dark eyes were filled with alarm. She was shaking her head indicating with no uncertainty she did not want her condition discussed with her husband. Alainn nodded to her in understanding, tenderly embraced her, and glared at Riley again before she left. She hoped Mary would tell Riley of her condition for surely he would be more understanding then, although she wasn’t entirely certain Riley possessed the ability to comfort Mary in any manner.
She was passing the great hall deep in thought regarding Mary and Riley, when the group of men was exiting the enormous chamber, still engrossed in conversation. She nearly collided with Brendan O’Leary, who upon noticing her smiled warmly.
“You have a very enchanting granddaughter, Niall, she was most helpful in showing us the way to the castle; she and her young soldier guided us here.”
Niall grinned at the man and agreed wholeheartedly.
“Alainn! ’Tis good to see you!” Killian smiled at her as he spoke, “And where is your young soldier now?” he questioned with some disfavor.
“I believe, he and the groom were speaking of bringing the gentlemen’s wagon and horses to Castle O’Rorke to be properly bedded down for the night.”
As she spoke the words, Killian glanced at her with obvious desire in his eyes. He sensually smiled as their eyes met and she blushed.
“Are you taunting your cousin then, Killian?” the Dubliner asked.
“My cousin?” Killian asked in a curious tone.
“You and Alainn are cousins, no?” Brendan O’Leary inquired.
“Alainn and Killian are wed!” Niall hastily clarified the situation before any other words could be misinterpreted.
“You are married, Alainn? I thought you perhaps not yet of an age to be wed, and when I saw you with the soldier earlier I believed you were perhaps his intended. I only assumed you bore the O’Brien name for I thought you were daughter to Hugh.”
“No, thank the lord, for that!” she muttered as she noticed Killian’s displeased expression.
Killian was staring firmly at her right hand. When Niall engaged the other men in conversation, Alainn had drawn closer to Killian and she looked up into his handsome face. She affectionately grazed the appealing stubble on his strong jaw.
“You no longer wear my ring?” he asked and she could detect his wounded tone.
“Not by choice, Killian. ’Tis still too large for my finger from when I grew so thin. But still I keep it close to my heart.” She pulled it from beneath her lacings so he saw she wore it around her neck tied with a thin leather strand as she’d previously worn her amulet.
“Aye, I see that, but we’ll either have to fatten you up a wee bit or have the ring refashioned to fit you then, for I’ll not have you traipsin’ about havin’ other men think you are available when you are mine. Maybe if you didn’t live apart from me they’d not be so quick to draw that conclusion.”
“You are troubled, Killian, and the fretfulness was evident before you saw me, so I take it the meeting this day must have been of dire importance.”
“Aye, it was!” he agreed, but he could not keep his eyes from looking at her.
They went to the lacings on her gown and she untypically heard his thoughts and knew he imagined himself untying them and touching her soft skin, having his mouth upon her. His lustful thoughts left her desirous as well.
“Killian?” The men who had just been speaking called to Killian and distracted him from his lustful thoughts.
“Aye!” Killian called out to them when he managed to pull his eyes from her.
“You’ll agree with no reservations then; we can count on you?”
“Aye, you can!” He finally looked at them and as they extended their hands he shook them both as well as the other chieftains who were present.
Alainn kissed her grandfather’s cheek once more as she left and heard Killian’s footsteps close behind her.
“Will you be in attendance for the first feast of Christ’s mass?”
“Aye, I wouldn’t miss seeing Aunt Siobhan or Rory.”
“I only wondered if you would come when my uncle will be present also?”
She did not reply to the mention of his uncle, but posed an inquiry of her own. “You’ll be here of course?” Alainn spoke the words attempting to sound confident, but her tone held less certainty.
“Aye, I’ll be here as well.”
“Then I’ll see you the day after the morrow.” She smiled and her cheeks burned and her body to responded to his presence.
She did not want to wait until then to see him. He seemed to feel the same way and when they stepped outside he quickly pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly.
“My God, I need you, Alainn! I promised myself I would not force a physical intimacy again, but I had hoped you had begun to miss me as well, and that you would desire to resume the torrid love we once shared.”
“I do miss you, Killian! Come to the tower with me, then.”
“Come home with me Alainn, to our own bed, where we can spend the entire day beneath the covers.”
“Does Ciara remain within the castle?”
He did not respond, but glanced off as if wanting to avoid this undesirable topic entirely.
“Clearly you do not actually want me as badly as you claim,” she said with both displeasure and disappointment in her tone. She longed to put distance between them, she held her head high and marched away from him.
As she entered the stables to alert Danhoul to her leaving, she was startled to find Ciara within the stables and even more displeased to find her in Riley’s arms. Already infuriated and filled with emotion, she felt her magic taking control of her clear and level-headedness and she sent a pitchfork flying through the air toward the two of them.
