“Well, I'm glad she's spreading her wings, so to speak.” She was about to go on when he manifested a tent that only partially stayed up.
“I know that tent.” She narrowed her eyes. “Only it was in a little better shape.”
Cian frowned. “’Tis my magic misbehaving again.” His frown fell away when he flicked his wrist, and the tent rectified itself. “As to why you recognize it, mayhap ‘twill become clearer when you look inside.”
Madison eyed him curiously and peeked inside, only to grow warm with arousal. “I’ve been here before.” She glanced up at him. “With you.” She felt it out until she saw things clearly. “This is where we kissed in my last dream before I came here. Where we nearly did so much more....”
“Ta.” He grinned. “However tempted I am to continue where we left off, ‘tis best we spend time amongst our men. Let them hear stories of our battle this morn so that it might rally their spirits.” He glanced from the woodland to her. “Then I will show you where my brothers and I often played as children.”
“I’d like that.”
She was no storyteller and wasn’t sure how comfortable she would be, but once she started talking to Cian’s men, everything came easily. From describing what had happened during their mini-battle to how it felt when the tree came to her aid.
“That’s when I realized it was responding to my inner druidess.” She looked from man to man. “That it,” she gestured at the woodland around them, including King’s Heart, “all of this is backing me up. Backingyouup.” She shook her head. “Because I know without question that tree, all of these trees, nature itself, would only help me if they believed in what I fought for.WhoI fought for. Those who belonged on this land.”
“’Tis clear ye’ve got a way about ye,” one of his men praised. He handed her a skin. “A bit o’ good Irish whiskey for ye, Unnamed One?”
“Call me Madison.” Having no intention of getting intoxicated again, she thanked him and took a tiny sip.
“Or m’Lady,” Cian said when his men shook their heads, clearly not comfortable with being so informal with their future queen, never mind an Unnamed One. Especially when she outranked their own king.
She went on to tell them about what she’d experienced at the base of King’s Heart, minus the part about seeing Riona. Instead, she confirmed what they had long known about the tree. How powerful it really was. How it did, in fact, watch over Cian and his brothers’ kingdoms.
“What of King Raghnall?” another man asked, narrowing his eyes. “Did ye sense if it watches over him too?”
“I can’t say for sure because the treedoeswatch over all of Ireland.” She thought about it and answered truthfully. “I can say with certainty, however, that it doesn’t oversee nor condone evil. That would be the opposite of what it represents. Everything King’s Heart is not.”
Many wore relieved expressions and nodded.
She continued sharing her thoughts on the tree for a while, then enjoyed simply getting to know them. Though battle-hardened, many had a good sense of humor, and most enjoyed talking about either their exploits in war or their families. Some even spoke of their love for a woman.
After a while, she and Cian went their own way so he could show her around before the storms came.
“What storms?” She pointed at the clear sky. “It’s gorgeous out.”
“Right now.” He took her hand. “But soon enough, you’ll see, if not sense it yourself.”
She imagined she would.
“These woods feel so familiar,” she murmured as he led her down a forest path laden with moss-covered trees and patches of wildflowers. “I’ve been here with you before, Cian. I’m certain of it.”
“’Twould not surprise me as I spent a lot of time here in my youth.”
“So close to the enemy?”
“’Twas best to get a good sense of him. More so, to learn to harness the power of King’s Heart from a young age. Learn how to bring it with me even when I wasn’t here.”
“A tree that either appeared when you were born,” she said. “Or sometime long before that.”
“Ta, and I always found that baffling.”
“Because it is.” She shook her head. “How can people be so undecided about something like that?”
“’Tis part of the magic of the tree, I suppose.”
“A tree that’s brought us together twice that we know of.” He helped her down an incline between boulders. “And now it seems to be connecting Riona and Declán.”
“Or reconnecting.” He reminded her of Riona’s familiarity with Declán’s name. “It seems this is how we might finally make contact with him. Mayhap learn his plans.”
