“My brother is dead!” Frederick bellowed. “Are you telling me that no one will pay for that?”
Devlin stood up. If Frederick charged, he didn’t want to be caught sitting down. Moreover, the man was known to veer out of control and now was the time to start showing some strength or the situation could turn bad.
He fixed Frederick in the eye.
“Over a thousand English already paid last night with their lives,” he said in a firm, growling tone. “There are thirty-three English prisoners in our custody. If you want to go and kill each of those prisoners, I will not stop you. Let them pay the final price. But you will not touch the lady. She belongs to me. If you touch her, I will view it as stealing my property and I will punish you accordingly. Is that clear?”
Frederick’s mouth worked furiously. He was prepared to come back with a sharp retort but he had better sense than to speak without thinking. Devlin de Bermingham commanded nearly five thousand men. He had the money and power of the House of de Bermingham behind him but more than that, he was a true patriot for Ireland and men followed him for that very reason. He had fought and bled for Ireland, and his charisma and power had garnered him more followers out of respect than out of fear.
Frederick both admired and feared Devlin. He’d seen what de Bermingham was capable of and had no desire to provoke him. Therefore, he struggled to calm himself. There was more anger than grief in him at the moment, but he wasn’t a fool. He wouldn’t test Devlin. He took a deep breath and pushed down the rise of his rage.
“De réir do ordú, sinsear feasta,” he said with forced calm.By your command, sire.
Devlin eyed the man, wondering if he meant it. With Frederick, one could never tell. “Téigh i síocháin,” he said quietly. “Beidh mé páirt a ghlacadh leat níos déanaí.”
Go in peace and I will join you later. Frederick nodded faintly and quit the room, fatigue in his movements. Devlin, Shain and Iver watched the man go before turning to one another.
“He hated his brother,” Iver said in a low voice. “He is only seeking revenge for revenge’s sake. It is not as if he is wallowing in sorrow. He is simply hungry for English blood and will seek any excuse to bleed it.”
Devlin nodded, sighing wearily as he reclaimed his seat. “He is an excellent warrior and a trusted advisor, but sometimes he worries me,” he muttered, moving to collect a piece of stale bread. “You two will watch him when I am not about. If he acts strangely or is not himself, you will tell me.”
The two men nodded. Iver sat back down at the table but Shain remained on his feet. He scratched his dirty head.
“When do you plan to make the rounds,mo tiarna?” he asked. “We have the men breaking down the English cogs and going about their usual duties, but they will expect to see you.”
Devlin nodded as he chewed his bread. “I will come shortly,” he said. “Meanwhile, send Enda to me. I have a task for her.”
As Shain went to find the old serving woman who oversaw the keep, Devlin turned to Iver. His manner seemed to slow, his expression becoming pensive.
“I wonder how long it will take the English to hear of this victory and make plans to overwhelm us,” he muttered.
Iver toyed with an empty wooden cup. “Not long,” he said. “We destroyed a large fleet last night. Word will travel quickly. I am not as worried about Kildare as I am worried about the settlement to the south with the de Cleveley and Connaught clann. After our successful raids last year, you and I discussedplans to wipe them out entirely. Mayhap we should visit that plan again. Any English foothold on our soil can only mean danger for us; mayhap it is time to eliminate them once and for all, and send a clear message to Kildare– we do not want English on our lands. Ireland belongs to the Irish.”
Devlin thought on the rather large settlement they had severely damaged last year. It had been a costly fight, but ultimately a glorious one. He drew in a long, slow breath.
“Long have we discussed their destruction,” he agreed. “Mayhap you are correct; mayhap with Kildare’s defeat, it is time we rid Wicklow of the English once and for all. Gather my commanders this eve and after sup, we will discuss the possibilities. We must strike while fortune continues to be in our favor.”
Iver agreed. “Indeed,” he replied, eyeing Devlin. “Have you thought about asking your prisoner what she knows of the English plans? As Kildare’s sister, surely she was privy to her brother’s intentions.”
Devlin shook his head. “I have not thought to ask her,” he said. “It seems to me that she was truthful when she said she stowed away on the fleet to be near her lover.”
“It is possible that she was truthful, but it is also possible she knows more than what she is telling.”
Devlin thought on that. “I do not believe that to be the case, but I will of course interrogate her. I would be foolish not to.”
Iver nodded his head, rising to stand and clapping Devlin on the shoulder as he moved. It was a gesture of comfort, of confidence. As Devlin watched the man lumber out of the hall, he caught movement over to his left. Turning, he saw the slight figure of his chatelaine approach. When the old woman saw that he was looking at her, she bowed her head in a gesture of utter respect.
“Mo tiarna,” she said. “How many I be of service?”
Devlin’s thoughts immediately moved away from furious commanders and English settlements to the pale, lovely lady trapped in the chamber over his head. With a crooked finger, he motioned the old woman closer.
“I have a task for you,máthair,” he said. “It would seem we have a… guest.”
The old woman was frail, pale, and toothless, but she was much more robust than she looked. She was also fairly unafraid to speak to Devlin, having known him since he’d been a small lad. Old Enda, the chatelaine of Black Castle’s keep, had heard the tales of the English prisoner and she had further heard what Devlin had done to her. There wasn’t much she didn’t know about the place, and she’d heard terrible stories. She simply nodded her head to his statement.
“I have heard,mo tiarna,” she said evenly. “Shall I tend to her?”
Devlin nodded. “Clothing, food, and a bath,” he said, rising from his chair. “Tend her well and do not let her leave that room. I shall be with the men but will return before sundown.”
