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“And you saved her?” Duncan asked.
“I did,” Reeve said, knowing they expected to hear the details. “And she offered me money to keep her safe and find a new home.”
“And her family?” Carmag asked.
“I don’t know details,” he admitted, which was the truth. “I only know she was not wanted there.”
“Do you feel she is telling you the truth?” Bryce asked. “Or could there be more to her story?”
They all stared at him, and he knew they waited for the truth.
“What I share with you stays among us,” Reeve said.
“What is said in this room among us always remains in this room,” Duncan reminded.
Reeve knew that it did, that they had been sworn to secrecy since they had been young and trained to protect the one who would be king. The reason he was compelled to tell them the truth. There could be no secrets between them. Nothing could stand in the way of the true king taking the throne.
Yet he felt an overpowering urge to protect Tara, and in sharing the facts with his family, could it somehow cause her harm? The brief moment of doubt passed quick enough. If he had actually thought that, he would have never brought her here.
“Tara is considered adeath bride,” Reeve said, and went on to explain the exact details of when he had first met her and all that he knew.
“I had the feeling she was running from something,” Bryce said. “And she confirmed it when she chose old Alan’s cottage. She wants to remain separated from people.”
“To her way of thinking, to protect them,” Reeve said. “I believe there is more to this curse than she tells me, but she refuses to discuss it.”
“What do you think of this curse?” Carmag asked.
“I’ve never been one for the likes of curses and spells and such,” Reeve admitted. “It’s just nonsense to me.”
“Not to others,” Duncan said.
“Especially to ones who have experienced it,” Carmag said.
“Are you telling me she is not welcomed here?” Reeve asked defensively.
“Not at all,” Bryce said, “but we have a duty to our clan. If something does occur, and the people find out that we knew about a curse and had not warned them, they will be angry, and justifiably so.”
“Then let their anger fall on me,” Reeve said, his chin jutting up. “No one need know that I shared this information with you.”
“Would that be fair to the villagers?” Duncan asked.
“Would it be fair to Tara to turn her out alone?” Reeve asked. “And what of the money she has given us? You know as well as I do that our coffers are near empty. Her money will provide us and the villagers with much-needed items. And also help further our mission.”
“He is right about that,” Bryce agreed. “There are people out there starving and in need of our help and who will fight when the time is right if they know that their families are cared for.”
“And a king to the southwest, who for a fat purse, will join our cause,” Reeve said.
“So that is how your mission went,” Carmag said.
“King Osgar of the Western Isles says that King Kenneth pays him handsomely for his patronage. But more coins could sway his favor.” Reeve shook his head. “He will keep no true allegiance to any king who doesn’t fatten his coffers, and he doesn’t see to the care of his people as he should.”
“He will be dealt with when the time is right,” Carmag said. “In the meantime, we will seek allegiance from his people by seeing they are given the coins rather than their king.”
“We cannot do that without Tara’s generous patronage,” Reeve said. “Will we accept it or turn her away?”
“You know damn well we would not do that,” Bryce said.
Reeve smiled. “I knew I was right. I’m always right.”
