‘We need to talk about what should be done,’ Breanne started to say, but Feann cut her off.
‘Do you really think I would believe any words spoken by a Lochlannach?’ He shook his head in disgust. ‘My men will escort you out. I give you the gift of your lives, for Breanne’s sake. Go now, before I order my men to cut you down.’
‘No.’ Breanne stood, her face pale. ‘Alarr will remain at my side.’
At her declaration, Feann’s face grew thunderous. ‘Why would you dare such a thing, Breanne?’
Alarr stood beside her, still holding her hand. He didn’t trust the man’s rage, and he intended to guard Breanne from all harm.
‘Because Alarr took care of me when I needed help. He rescued me from the slave market, and he protected me from Oisin.’ Her voice was tremulous, but she slid her arm around his waist to emphasise her words. Alarr pulled her close, watching as Feann’s mood darkened. Against his body, he could feel the tremor of her fear.
‘I will not let you remain with a Lochlannach,’ the king insisted. ‘Especially one who wants me dead.’
She faced him boldly, and admitted, ‘I would rather have a man willing to fight for me than one who treats me as if I am worth nothing at all.’
Feann’s face turned stony. ‘I knew nothing of your captivity until recently. And by then, my men had found you.’ There was no sympathy in his tone, and Alarr sensed that the man was holding something back. There were secrets the king was keeping, though he could not guess what they were.
‘I want you to leave Killcobar,’ Feann commanded Alarr. ‘Take your brother with you, and do not return. Breanne, you will remain here.’
Her face turned scarlet with her own anger, and she levelled a stare at Feann. ‘I brought these men here because Alarr deserves justice for the murder of his bride and his father. I told him that the brehons would treat them fairly. But I never imagined you would behave in this way. I believed that you were a man of honour.’
‘I owe nothing to these men,’ Feann countered. ‘They are lucky I didn’t kill them that day.’
Before Breanne could respond, Rurik stepped forward. ‘There is more you should know about your sister, Feann. I believe you will want to hear my tale.’ He paused a moment, then added, ‘Or perhaps I should call you Uncle.’
At that, Feann froze. He stared hard at Rurik, but his emotions were unreadable. It was a risky move, but Alarr understood why his brother had spoken. The question was whether the king would recognise Rurik as his nephew.
‘Saorla was my mother,’ Rurik continued. ‘She gave birth to my twin brother Danr and me after she reached Maerr.’
‘You have no proof of that,’ Feann started to say. ‘Why would I believe this?’
‘She told me stories about you,’ Rurik continued. ‘Though she refused to speak any names from her past, she told me that the two of you were close. And that you gave her a blade when she was young.’ He unsheathed the knife and held it out hilt-first.
At that, Feann’s expression transformed. He took the blade and examined it, running his thumb along the curved antler handle. He glanced back at Rurik for a long moment, his gaze passing over him. There was an unreadable emotion in his eyes, a flare of grief mingled with distrust.
Rurik asked, ‘Why did you come to Maerr to attack my father? It was twenty years since Saorla left. If you wanted to kill our father, why wait that long?’
‘I did not know that Sigurd had set her aside,’ Feann said. ‘I believed Saorla made the choice for her own happiness, to wed a man she loved.’ He shook his head in disgust. ‘But I was wrong to let her go with him. Once I learned the truth, I sailed across the sea to kill Sigurd for what he did to my sister.’
It made Alarr wonder who had informed Feann about his sister and why. Saorla had died years ago, and no one had known that she was a king’s daughter, save Sigurd. After all these years, why would anyone bother to send word across the sea to Éireann? His first thoughts went to his mother. He wouldn’t put it past Hilda to do such a thing. Or perhaps his aunt Kolga.
‘Saorla sailed to Maerr of her own free will,’ Rurik reminded him. ‘When she learned she was with child, she remained there.’
‘Likely she was ashamed,’ Feann answered. ‘She fought everyone for the right to abandon her responsibilities and run away with him. But I don’t understand why she didn’t come home after he set her aside.’
‘I heard them fighting, years ago,’ Rurik answered. ‘Sigurd would not let her go unless she left my brother and me behind. She refused.’ He turned sombre at the revelation, as if he blamed his father for imprisoning her.
Feann’s expression tightened with unspoken emotion. ‘Our father was furious with her for leaving her responsibilities and our kingdom. But Sigurd was only using her, wasn’t he?’ While he spoke, he kept his eyes fixed upon Alarr. There was no doubt of the hidden meaning in his words.
‘Sigurd was already married,’ Rurik answered. ‘And while his actions lacked honour, he did give Saorla a home of her own, and he provided for Danr and me.’
‘My sister deserved better than to be treated like a whore,’ Feann shot back.
‘Then why did you not come earlier to see her for yourself?’ Rurik asked. ‘If you cared about her welfare so much, why did you never visit while she was alive?’
‘Because we argued the day she left. Saorla swore she would never speak to me again. I was angry with her for choosing a Lochlannach instead of obeying our father. I told her she was welcome to return, but I would never set foot in Maerr.’
Breanne took a
