The two king's men leaned against a wall, watching the people of Glengary with narrowed eyes. They were not actually doing anything; obviously, they had been sent here to observe, not to act. But it was clear from the way that they were speaking that they were not happy about what they saw.
Breana touched Eoin's arm, and they moved together behind the wall of a little building. She knew that it would be safer to move on past, but she needed to hear what these men had to say. Eoin gave her a look but didn't object.
"They werenae like this when I was here a year ago," the other soldier commented. "They were as beaten down and subservient as anyone else in these villages. We'll need tae let his majesty ken that some of his subjects are gettin' unruly."
The first man grunted. "Aye. He willnae be happy. Especially when he hearswhythey say they're actin' this way. Surely, they must ken that the whole thing is a falsehood."
"Aye," grumbled the second. "All this talk of the dead prince returnin' is inspirin' these people. Givin' them a dangerous hope. But they willnae be so happy when the king turns his wrath upon them and reminds them of their place."
Both men laughed, and Breana felt a strange surge of both hope and fear. Could it really be that just the news of the rebellion had been what bolstered this whole village so much? But if it was, did that mean that they were responsible if the village was in danger? It was such a complicated mix of emotions, and she didn't know what to do with it.
Her fingers itched for her bow. She wondered what it would be like to shoot these men—perhaps not to kill them, but to disable them, maybe even take them prisoner, before they could harm anyone here. There was no evidence that theywoulddo anything to harm the villagers, but it seemed dangerous to take that chance.
Eoin touched her arm and shook his head, the message clear. He knew what she was thinking, and it wasn't worth it. Besides, she realized with a sigh, there was no guarantee that her arrow would go anywhere near them even if she did fire. She still had a long way to go.
One of the king's men laughed darkly. It was clear from their voices that both men were already quite drunk. "Perhaps he'll send that brute of a son of his here soon enough. The lad is a killer through and through. I have nae doubt he could end this place single-handed."
The other snorted. "Ye shouldnae speak such a way of our prince," he said. "Though he's grown tae be quite the executioner indeed. Did ye hear what he did taehim?"
"Merciless and brutal, right there in the throne room, from what I heard," the other guard replied with a cruel laugh. "Och, how I wish I'd been there tae see it instead of on duty out in this pointless village with these useless people."
"So what do ye think will happen tae his clan? What about those daughters of his?" the first man said, and he had a suggestive tone to his voice. "I heard they've left one of the lassies in charge. All alone without a man… perhaps the king will send us along tae keep her company."
The two men laughed darkly and started moving. Eoin pulled Breana back slightly against the wall, and they remained hidden in place until the two men passed—directly into the tavern that Eoin and Breana had been heading toward.
Breana immediately stepped out from behind the wall, striding straight forward toward the entrance of the tavern. Eoin's hand wrapped around her arm, pulling her back with urgency.
"What are ye doin'?" he demanded. "We cannae go in there now. There will be rooms elsewhere in the village, or else we can just find somewhere tae camp out in the forest."
"Ye're the one who insisted I needed the heat and warmth of a bed," Breana retorted. She looked pointedly around them, indicating how people had turned to stare, and Eoin immediately loosened his grip. "And we must follow them inside. We cannae act like we didnae hear anythin'. If the False King has ordered an execution important enough that his son was the one tae carry it out, then it may have been someone important. It may even have been one of our allies."
"Breana, this isnae why we're here," Eoin told her, though it was clear from his expression and tone that he was torn. Sheknew that if he were by himself, he would have already headed into the tavern, paying no heed to the danger. He was trying to protect her, and she adored him for it, but she also felt impatient.
"Did ye ken who those men were? I didnae. They were clearly low-rankin' amongst the False King's men. There's nae way they'll recognize either one of us on sight. We'd be lettin' the rebellion down if we didnae find out all the information we can, and ye know it."
Eoin sighed, obviously frustrated, but then nodded. "Ye're right," he muttered, obviously not happy about it. "But even if we willnae be recognized, we cannae simply stroll in there. An armed man and a lovely single woman like ye wanderin' intae a tavern late at night when the king's men are waitin' inside…"
Breana thought of Maeve teasing her lightly just before they had left and blushed, but swallowed down her embarrassment and met his eyes with determination.
"Who says," she said, "That I'm a single woman?"
6
"Newlyweds, are ye?" the cheerful man tending the bar asked as he handed over the key to the room upstairs. "Well, enjoy it. There are nae many places left in this country where ye can celebrate. That's a bonny bride ye've got yerself there, lad. Me own lady was just as lovely thirty years back when it was our turn. I wish ye just as many happy years."
Eoin smiled, no sign of any doubt in his expression or voice as he replied. "Aye, I'm a lucky man tae have found such a wife. Thank ye for sayin' so." He turned to Breana and asked, "Are ye hungry, love?"
Breana tried to hide the flutter in her heart at those words. She firmly reminded herself that this was just an act—an important cover story—and returned his smile with one of her own. "Aye, I could eat. We've traveled quite a way."
"Then allow me tae fetch ye some stew, eh?" the proprietor suggested. "Half the price for the bonny couple. Me wife is cookin' it in the back, and she'll insist upon it."
He continued to chat as he fetched their food, talking about how prosperous their lives were going to be and how he wished them many children. By the time they were finally served theirbowls, after what seemed like an age, Breana was fighting back the deepest blush of her life.
They both thanked the man and handed over some coin, then turned toward the tables that were scattered nearby. Eoin led Breana to a small table in a dark corner of the room, positioning them near the two king's men, who were deep into yet another mug of ale each, still talking loudly to each other and to anyone who would listen.
"...made a right mess of the castle, so I heard. He screamed and begged, but the king had nae mercy for the traitorous coward," the guard on the left was saying, sounding deeply amused by the whole thing. "And nor should he. Handed an opportunity like that only tae throw it away. He deserved everythin' he got and worse."
A traitor. So it had been someone the king previously thought loyal? The thought disturbed Breana as she thought of those few clans who had recently raised their banners to join the McNair cause. Could it be that one of their lairds had been taken and made an example of? The thought disturbed her; they had precious few allies as it was, without losing those that they had managed to gain.
