“I am glad you arrived safely,” she told Carice, while Killian helped the young woman sit down.
“So am I.” She tried to smile again, clenching her fingers to keep them from trembling. “It was not easy to escape my father.” Carice did not elaborate further, but added, “Has your mother pursued you here?”
Taryn shook her head. “Not yet.” She didn’t doubt that Maeve lay in waiting on the road to Tara. There was no reason for the Queen to move in pursuit, when her desire was merely to keep her daughter from pleading with the High King.
“Do you still intend to speak to King Rory?”
“Yes. The MacEgan soldiers have agreed to escort me, as well as your brother.” A flush rose over her cheeks at the thought of Killian. To disguise it, she gave Carice a trencher of roasted meats and cheeses.
“I am glad you are going,” Carice said to him. “Your father will want to see you.”
“I’ve my doubts on that point,” Killian said. “But aye, I think it’s time he knew of my existence.”
The young woman toyed with the cheese and studied him. “Be careful, Killian. Don’t do anything dangerous.”
“As you say.” His gaze suddenly locked with Taryn’s. This man knew how to melt her defenses, how to make her feel desire. He was the last man on earth she should ever be with, and well he knew it. She decided that now was a good time to slip away. But before she could excuse herself, Carice reached out to take her hand.
“Don’t go yet,” the young woman begged. “I would like to stay and talk with you awhile.” She turned to Killian. “Give us a few moments alone, won’t you?”
He inclined his head, but before he left, he caught Taryn’s gaze. The look in his eyes was enigmatic, as if he wanted to say something to her but couldn’t find the words. “As you will.”
Carice waited until he’d gone, and motioned for Taryn to sit beside her. “Something has happened, hasn’t it?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” Her words were calm, but Carice could see right through her.
“He hasn’t taken his eyes off you. I’ve never seen my brother give such attention to a woman before.”
Because I am a means to an end, Taryn thought.
When she only shrugged, Carice probed further. “Does it bother you, that a low-born man would desire a king’s daughter?”
Taryn sent the woman a sidelong glance. “Has Killianeverbehaved like a low-born man?”
Carice laughed suddenly, nearly choking on her food. She took a sip of mead to clear her throat and beamed at her. “No, never. He might be afuidir, but there is no doubting he is the High King’s son. And that is what I wanted to speak to you about.”
Taryn leaned in, and the woman continued. “Knowing Killian, he will attract attention. There are tales about the High King’s cruelty, of how he is a man who punishes his enemies. It is why—” Carice paused for a moment to choose her words. “It is one reason why I did not wish to wed Rory Ó Connor.
“But...if Killian goes with you to Tara,” Carice continued, “there is an opportunity for him to leave behind his old life. If he swears fealty to King Rory, it might be that he could earn a place of his own. I do want that for him. Even if it means humbling himself before a man like the High King. Would you take him with you?”
Though she knew Carice was only trying to help the man she thought of as a brother, Taryn wanted her to know the truth. She traced the edge of a silver goblet, wondering how to putthis without offending Carice. “I agreed to give Killian a place in Ossoria, if he can save my father’s life.” She deliberately said nothing about his offer of marriage.
The young woman sobered. “And if he cannot save him?”
Taryn didn’t know how to answer that, but she admitted, “He may still dwell among us. But if Rory takes command of our lands, I can do nothing.”
Carice stopped eating, and she thought for a long moment. “Killian will have to gain the favor of the High King. And that may not be possible if they believe he was responsible for my escape.” She rested her chin on her hands, mulling it over. “Perhaps I am wrong, and it is too dangerous.”
“I am going, regardless. My father will die if I don’t plead for his life.” Taryn glanced over at Killian and realized that he had not taken his eyes off her. “Besides, I have the MacEgan men to accompany me on the journey.”
Carice frowned. “The men can protect you from any outside threats, yes. But they cannot protect you from the High King himself.”
“My face is my protection,” Taryn reminded her. “The High King will have no interest in me.”
The young woman took a breath and shook her head. “You misunderstand me. I mean that the High King might try to use you to punish Devlin even more. He could try to hurt you, in order to bring greater consequences to your father.”
A chill rose over her skin at the thought of being tortured at the hands of the High King. “But I’ve done nothing wrong.”
“Your father has. And Rory will not hesitate to use you for his own purposes.” Carice sent her a look of sympathy. “You should keep Killian near you always. Trust that he will keep you safe.”
