“Oh! Of course.” She bobbed a sloppy curtsy before scurrying from the hall.
Gormla joined Astrid and Sitric at the table, inspecting the game ofhnefataflunderway and taking Catrin’s next move for her. “I’m not sure this can be salvaged,” she muttered, shaking her head.
“I assure you, it can’t,” Sitric laughed. “But she had fun, and she’s only just learning.”
“You need a cleverer wife than that,” Astrid told him.
“I’ve bigger problems than a wife, at present.” He paced instead of sitting, a sure sign something troubled him in spite of his good temper. “Cahill has asked for an alliance against Brian, regardless of the outcome of the tournament. What say you?”
Gormla rapped her fingers over the oaken tabletop.
Astrid couldn’t quite decide how she felt. On the one hand, a rebellion against Brian to reclaim their autonomy was exactly what she wanted. But on the other, Cahill had only recently helped Brian crush them in battle. “How much do you trust him?”
Sitric’s smile fell to a grimace. “Not even a little. Aside from his oath to Malachy, the man’s allegiance changes with the wind.”
“What did he offer, exactly?” Gormla asked.
“Men. Aid in battle. And a fair deal on trade goods.”
“And how do we know for whom his men fight?” Astrid pressed. “For all we know this could be some ploy between him and Malachy to force us under their boots instead of Brian’s.”
“I agree with Astrid,” Gormla declared. “He cannot be trusted.”
“And,” Astrid continued, the reasons piling up against Cahill, “does he have enough men for us to attack soon? If not, and if Brian discovers your secret dealings, the chance may never come. Brian won’t take such an alliance lightly should he discover it.”
Sitric stroked his long beard, still pacing. “This is why I come to you both. Ever the fonts of wisdom and insight. I shall decline his offer. And Astrid,” he looked to her pointedly, “don’t feel the need to grow close to Teague solely for politics.”
She nodded, swallowing. There was little danger of that after the events of the opening feast. Though he wasn’t a wicked man, he remained strongly in opposition to Cormac.
And, for better or for worse, Cormac was always on her mind.
Chapter Eighteen
Thus far, Cormachad managed to avoid his father and brother, aside from Teague’s antagonism at the opening feast, anyway. Unfortunately, he and his brothers were tasked with determining what their father and Teague were plotting by showing up to the tournament uninvited—which meant he’d need to speak with them both, and soon.
Astrid had relayed to him the conversation she had with Teague at the feast, including a comment he made about Cahill being the one to watch. Cormac didn’t like that one bit, as it implied that there was something to watchfor. His father wouldn’t be easy to taunt into speaking, but since Teague had openly made such a statement, Cormac hoped he might divulge even more with the correct motivation.
That morn, Sitric announced that the men would play games oftoga honk, which Finn told him was a tug-of-war. Like all the other challenges, the men were matched by their respective strengths, which meant that Cormac would battle Cairell for certain, and likely his brother Teague as well.
After breaking his fast, Cormac ventured down to the guest housing outside Dyflin, near the field where they competed each day. Though Diarmid and Conan were also responsible for speaking with Teague, Cormac thought it may feel less like a conversation and more like an attack if they all descended at once. He guessed the best chance at getting some honest answers from his elder brother lay in speaking with him alone.
Cormac only needed to follow the sound of clashing steel to find Teague. A group of men sparred in the fields outside the guest halls, his brother among them. Teague wasn’t in a match, so Cormac approached him and stood beside him in silence, watching the sparring currently underway.
“I’m surprised you aren’t already wed,” Cormac mused aloud. “As I recall, you had droves of girls following you around.”
“I almost married,” Teague replied, his attention still fixed on the men crossing swords. “I’m surprised Diarmid was the first to choose a wife.”
“If you’d known him as a young man, you’d be even more shocked.”
“Is she a good woman, his betrothed?”
“Aye. One of the best.” Cormac smiled to himself. “Why did you not marry? You said you almost did.”
Teague’s jaw clenched, but he still didn’t turn to face his brother. “The marriage wasn’t deemed suitable.”
“I’m sorry.” Cormac meant it, too. He knew how it felt to care strongly about something only to face their father’s opposition for it.
“Do you know the princess well?” Teague asked. “I’ve heard she can be a handful.”
