Page 33 of Where Broken Wings Fly

“I know,” Aisling added, “bless his soul.”

“Why?” I finally asked, my eyes flicking between the two of them at my side.

Aisling’s face lit up as she recognized a willing contribution to the conversation. She pushed some of her pastel hair behind her ear and leaned against me. “He’s been rather… beside himself, since the incident.”

“The incident?”

Rory was roaring to add on. “When his daughter was killed, of course.”

Of course. I tried to nod along, but my confusion must have been puddled on my face between the creasing of my brows.

“You don’t know?”

I sucked my lip between my teeth and diverted my eyes to my plate, noticing how rich the carrots looked.

“You travelled with the Prince of Cluaineach, though?”

The Prince of…

“The Choillteaners are a secretive bunch, Aisling.” Rory paused only to slam a potato into his mouth. “It’s probably guilt that keeps them quiet.”

“Careful, Rory.”

He shrugged, his shoulder grazing mine.

“Secretive about what?” I interjected.

Aisling was giddy in her seat, wiggling her bottom as she tried to keep her excitement contained. “King Ronan killed our Queen — Queen Róisín.”

“Easy, Aisling. Keep your voice down,” Rory whispered as he cast a nervous glance around the table. Everyone else present was far too taken by Raegan, their fluttering lashes battering rapidly as he spoke.

“He what? Why?”

Rory finished swallowing whatever concoction he had jammed into his mouth. “I don’t think he meant to. Not really. The whole incident was explosive. The way I heard it – everything happened so quickly the King lashed out without meaning to.”

“I heard the same.” Aisling nodded. “He only meant to grab and go.”

“Grab what and go where?” I hissed.

“Oh, she really knows nothing.”

Rory waved her off. “Raegan.”

“What about him?”

Both of them rolled their eyes at me at the same time.

“When Raegan was born, King Ronan was content to leave him. That was until his Queen – what was her name?”

“Queen Aoife, I think,” Aisling said.

“Right. Queen Aoife died. King Ronan would seek no other after losing her, but he needed an heir–”

“So he finally came for Raegan and laid claim to him.” Aisling cut Rory off, earning her a hardened glare from his violet eyes.

“Kings can just steal children from other kingdoms? That doesn’t seem right.”

Both of them shook their heads. “No, not at all. It’s an act of war. But, the situation was grey in their case.”