Her face tightened, and she lowered her gaze, gripping her hands together. ‘But I was Cerball’s prisoner.’
Breanne sensed there was more that her mother did not wish to reveal. She turned to Alarr. ‘Will you leave us alone for a moment?’
He drew his hand to her nape and nodded. ‘If you feel safe here. I can guard the door.’
She nodded. Before he left, he pulled her close and kissed her. It was likely a mark of possession, to show her mother that they were bound together. But even so, the brief kiss made her savour the light pressure of his mouth. Breanne gathered her composure and after he left, she regarded her mother. ‘How long were you his prisoner?’
‘For three years,’ Treasa answered. There was hatred within her voice, and Breanne suspected what else had happened.
‘Were you his prisoner...in all ways?’
Her mother closed her eyes. ‘Cerball told me he would send Dal to fight at the front of the battle lines if I did not give myself to him. I despised what he did to me, but I had no choice, if I wanted to keep your father alive. In the end, it didn’t matter.’
‘I’m so sorry for what you endured,’ she whispered to her mother. The thought of being a king’s prisoner, and being forced to share his bed, was horrifying. It evoked memories of Oisin and his attempt to take her into captivity. She could not even imagine her mother’s pain—even worse because Cerball had still ordered Dal’s execution. Breanne could see the suffering in Treasa’s face, and she took the woman’s hand, squeezing it.
Her mother tightened her lips and took a breath. ‘It’s over now, and I’ve made a new life for myself here.’
‘They told me that my father was executed for treason. Was it because the king wanted you?’
Treasa stood and paced across the small dwelling. For several moments, she said nothing. Then she admitted, ‘Cerball was a proud man, and he believed that I would love him more than my husband. He wanted me to set Dal aside and become his queen.’ Her eyes gleamed with unshed tears, and she rested her hand upon one of the beams supporting the roof. ‘When I refused, he grew enraged. He accused Dal of conspiring against him.’
‘Do you think my father knew what was happening?’
Treasa nodded. ‘Once Dal realised I was Cerball’s captive, he did everything in his power to get me out.’ She wiped a tear away and said, ‘He helped me escape with one of his men but paid the price with his life. Cerball executed him and stole our lands.’ She took a moment to gather control of her emotions.
‘And you left me with Feann,’ Breanne finished.
Her mother nodded. ‘I was grateful that he promised to protect you until you came of age. Even if I was not allowed to see you.’
Breanne frowned, not truly understanding the reason why Feann had not wanted her to know that her mother was alive. Was it for Treasa’s protection, or was it for his own reasons? She wanted to ask questions, but something held her back. Someone was lying, and she knew not if it was Feann or Treasa.
‘Are you still a prisoner here?’ she asked her mother.
Treasa gave a weak smile and nodded. ‘This is where I have been exiled. After Cerball no longer desired me, he has kept me here all these years.’ She added, ‘I tried to visit Clonagh a time or two. Feann heard of it, and he brought me back.’ Regret tinged Treasa’s voice, but she could understand her mother’s reasons for wanting to go home.
‘What of our people?’ Breanne asked quietly. ‘What became of them?’
‘They are under Cerball’s rule. Feann was trying to arrange for you to reclaim Clonagh by wedding a man loyal to Cerball. I had hoped he would manage it.’ Her mother’s expression grew tense. ‘But you are already wedded to this Lochlannach.’ She appeared displeased by it. ‘I don’t know what can be done about an alliance now.’
Breanne thought about admitting to her mother that they were not truly married but decided against it. Instead, she rose from her seated position and went to the door to bring Alarr back inside. She had never thought about Clonagh in the past, always believing it was lost. But now, she wondered what to do.
Alarr came to sit beside her, and she took strength from his presence. Treasa eyed him and asked, ‘Tell me how you came to be with my daughter.’
‘I am Alarr Sigurdsson of the kingdom of Maerr,’ Alarr replied. ‘Breanne was in danger, and I wed her as a means of protecting her.’ His tone remained neutral, the lie flowing easily. He slid his arm around her waist in a silent gesture to emphasise his claim.
Treasa’s expression grew strained. ‘Was it your wish to wed him, Breanne?’ She appeared disconcerted by the idea of a union between her daughter and a Lochlannach.
Breanne caught his gaze and recognised that Alarr was trying to gain more information for both of them. She would say nothing to dispute his claim. ‘It was my choice, yes.’
Inwardly, she wondered if it had been the right decision to offer herself to him. She didn’t know if Alarr would keep his vow not to kill Feann. But beyond her foster father’s life, she could not bear the thought of Alarr’s death. She wanted him to live, to recognise that he had a life beyond fighting. Would he truly set aside his plans for revenge? Or was he only saying words she wanted to hear?
His hand moved over her waist in a slight caress of reassurance. She glanced at Alarr, and in his eyes, she saw a man who would not let her go. His gaze was steadfast, and
