Clothra could feel the shock on her face—the heat of her emotions was making her sweat. She did not believe, could not believe, what the king had told her. The assembly nominated Lugaid as High King. How? How could they reach such a nonsensical decision. Apart from his being just a boy, her son would not be suitable. Lugaid was a creature of peace and music, love and laughter.
Much like Connery, and look what happened to him.
A High King needs strength, she knew.
“When he assumes the throne, you will convince him I am to be his advisor,” the king said, barely above a whisper. “I will rule the Five Kingdoms with your son as High King in name only.”
The king had demanded Clothra attend him in his guest roundhouse in Temuir. She had been surprised to be called and knew it would not be for anything good.
“Why Lugaid? He is not strong enough?”
“Never you mind. Just see it is done. I must be an advisor to your son.”
Clothra shook her head in continuing bewilderment. “Why do you keep saying your son? He is your son, too.”
“Is he? I am not as sure as you claim to be Clothra. I have heard rumors.”
“What rumors?”
“Rumors of your infidelities.”
“My what?”
“Your infidelities.”
The words brought a tear to the queen’s eye. She had always been faithful to her husband despite his brutishness and philandering. He was not an easy man to be married to, but Clothra was a woman who believed in the sanctity of that union. The Tuatha Dé Danann blessed it, and only they should be able to tear it asunder.
“But that is as maybe, Clothra. I will not be crossed in this matter. If you do not convince Lugaid to my cause, I will tell him he was conceived of incest.”
“But we are not related.”
“No, but I shall tell Lugaid you seduced your three brothers on the eve of the battle of Druimm Criaich to ensure your family’s propagation.”
“That is a monstrous lie.”
“Is it? I have heard many speak of it. And your brothers all died on the battlefield, so they are in no position to deny it. I can see where you might benefit from such an arrangement.”
“You are an evil man, Ulster. Do you think that Donn will allow your likes into his mound?”
“Donn will welcome me and willingly. I do what is necessary to keep my kingdom safe. And not only my kingdom, woman, all the Five Kingdoms owe their continued existence to me.”
“And how, King, do you have the temerity to stand there and make such a claim in front of me? Do you forget that I have been here from the outset? I know how many battles you have fought. I know what you did to Conall and how you conspired with the Silver Hand to overthrow Eterscel.”
“All in the name of the Five Kingdoms,” the king hissed. Clothra could hear the menace in that hiss and knew it would be best to get away from him. He was more than capable of ordering her death when in a rage.
Despite fearing for her safety, Clothra called back over her shoulder as she left his presence, “I will not do it. You must do your worst. But know this: my son will not believe you.”
“You have twelve hours, woman,” the king called as Clothra strode from the feast hall.”
“You will succeed in this,” Kathvar said.
“Only if Clothra does what I have said. If she does not, I must think of some way to discredit Lugaid before the coronation.”
“Surely carrying out your threat will be enough, sire?”
***
The following morning, Lugaid stood before the king with a lute and a faraway look. “You sent for me, father.”
Mac Nessa nodded before he said, “I am not.”
Talking to the boy earlier, Kathvar learned that Clothra had kept her promise and had not succumbed to his demand. Mac Nessa was angry to the point of ordering her execution, but Kathvar had talked him out of it. It would have proved another rash choice, and the druid was beginning to threaten him with abandonment, so he had agreed.
“You are not what?”
“I am not your father. I have just learned that your mother had a tryst during which you were conceived. I am sorry to tell you this, Lugaid.”
Lugaid stared at the king with a look of growing confusion.
“A tryst with who?”
“I do not know how to tell you this, boy, but it was with her brothers on the eve of the battle of Druimm Criaich.”
“Which brother?”
“No, no, all three brothers. She was worried that the family line would cease if their father and her brothers all died in battle. The risks to a continuation of the family were high.”
“Are you trying to excuse her actions?” Lugaid asked while looking at his feet.
“Not excuse, no, explain them perhaps. I can understand why a woman would want the family line propagated and how she might turn to a brother to see that happen.”
The boy looked up in time to catch him enjoying the moment.
“You are sick, old man. Even if you are my father, I no longer think of you that way. You are naught to me from this moment.”
Mac Nessa shrugged. “You can ask the druid if you do not believe me. Kathvar.”
“What your father says is true, Lugaid. Your mother was afraid her family line would die out. You are the get of an incestuous liaison, or more accurately, three incestuous liaisons.”
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Lugaid stormed from the feast hall with the druid’s words ringing in his ears.
“The depths of your depravity never cease to bring me pause, sire. How any man could say that to his own child is something I will never be able to fathom,” Kathvar said with a shake of his head.
“But what a son, Kathvar. Have you ever seen his like? I think the spawn in the pond each spring is hardier than Lugaid will ever be.”
“Which is to your benefit, I believe,” Kathvar shook his head again.
***
Clothra was sitting in front of the cooking fire in her guest roundhouse when Lugaid arrived. She had been expecting him. Many would be the woman who would not believe their men capable of such evil, but Clothra was not among them. She knew the king well. As she had thrown the words over her shoulder, she knew he would back up his threat with actions.
“You look troubled, son. What is it?”
Instead of answering, Lugaid slumped onto the bench beside his mother and began to cry. Clothra frowned at her son. He was weak. Even if not as feeble as his father believed, he would still not be a good ruler. She could see how a hard man like the king would react with disdain when it came to her son, but she could not see how any man would put his flesh and blood through such a trial, even if he did think him weak.
“Talk to me, Lugaid.”
“The king said—”
“Your father,” Clothra interrupted.
“But is he my father? He said that you lay with your brothers and that I am born of incest.”
Clothra bowed and thought how best to respond to the awful allegations. She knew the king was a wily man and would have dressed the claim with platitudes to make it seem more reliable. She could see Lugaid was taking her hesitation to mean something different.
“Is it true?” he pressed out between sobs.
Clothra felt herself losing patience with her son. She held her breath and counted to ten before she said, “You sit there and blubber like a child. You must understand how your father thinks. He has created this story because he is a man who will do anything to get what he wants.”
“I, I, I...”
“Get a hold on yourself, Lugaid. I will not sit here and listen to you mumbling. You are to be High King.”
“You change the subject,” Lugaid hissed.
“Perhaps a little,” Clothra admitted and then smiled before she could help herself.
“Oh, mother, how could you?” Lugaid wailed before storming from her roundhouse, his sobs now Sidhe-driven tears of hatred.
***
Queen Medb had not intended to return to the scene of Mac Nessa’s depravity. She had intended to sit in the druid’s glade to watch the morning sun dapple the grass and contemplate the previous day’s success. It could not have gone better. The kings had behaved in exactly the way she had predicted. The queen knew, though, that there was a risk of complacency when early successes were so complete. They had to be sure not to become arrogant.
She was walking deep in thought when the caw of a crow startled her. She looked up and realized she was nearing the secluded spot on the banks of the river where she had been defiled.
Rather than turning away from the bad memories, they drew Medb onward—it was almost like she had a morbid desire to revisit the scene of her shame and degradation. She did not understand it, but she continued instead of turning back and looking for the druid’s glade.
The river was beautiful.
There was a peacefulness to its slow-moving water. The early morning sun was dappling the surface with bright diamonds of light. It seemed somehow surreal that Mac Nessa maltreated her in such a beautiful spot. A trout jumped as she watched the river’s surface, probably catching the flies attracted to the water by the dappled light.
Medb sighed and sat down on the bank. She removed her shoes and let the coolness of the water wash over her toes. As with the last time she had visited the river at this spot, a single tear leaked from the corner of her eye and ran down her cheek. She swiped at it with the cuff of her sleeve.
“Stop being so foolish,” she hissed. “It is gone and will never happen again.”
“What did you say?” startled her, and she looked up.
With the depth of her thoughts, as she approached the river, she had failed to see Lugaid sitting a little farther upstream, also with his bare feet in the wash of river water.
“I thought I was alone,” she said. “It was just, I do not know, just a silly prayer, I suppose.”
“Yes, I know of them. It seems my life spins around silly prayers to the Tuatha Dé Danann. Only this morning, I have been praying that they take my mother from me.”
“That is an awful thing to say, Lugaid. You cannot mean it.”
“Oh, but I do mean it. She has betrayed me.”
Medb stood up and walked over to Lugaid so she could sit beside him. She had been admonishing herself on the walk to the glade not to be caught up in her early success and to be cautious as she moved forward, but here, now, on the banks of the river where her enemy had taken her soul, she could begin her vengeance in earnest.
“Tell me about it,” she said as she put a hand on his knee.
Lugaid looked at her. She could see he was weighing his response. Unlike his father, he seemed to use his mind before he wagged his tongue. I suppose it is a welcome change for a man to think with his head instead of his cock, she thought.
Finally, the boy seemed to reach a decision. “The king called for me this morning,” he said before pausing.
“What did your father want?” Medb prompted after the pause, which seemed to have dragged on too long.
“He is not my father.”
“He is not? What do you mean?”
“My mother engaged in a tryst and was impregnated as a result.”
“Oh, Lugaid. That is so awful. I am sorry for you. It must be hard to hear your mother is less than honorable.”
“You know her, aunt. Would you think Clothra capable?”
“She is my sister, I know, but we have lived most of our lives apart. I know that Mac Nessa is an honest man and a good king. I would not leap to doubt his words.”
Lugaid nodded, and Medb could see tears beginning to threaten. He did not seem to have any control over his emotions. He is weaker than I could have hoped, she thought, keeping her face neutral. She had no idea how Lugaid would react in the long run to the news Mac Nessa had given him, but she thought backing Ulster in his mad claims would only aid her cause, whatever he meant to achieve by them.
There is only one unknown in my plans, she realized as she looked over her shoulder at the greens of the forest.
“Where is that bothersome warrior? I thought he went everywhere with you, like a second shadow,” she asked, turning back to Lugaid, happy she had had this moment to talk to the boy without Cú Chulainn.
“I am here, if you mean me, Medb,” she heard from the bushes. She jumped and looked over her shoulder as a bush parted, and Cú Chulainn stepped out into the sunlight.
The queen bristled as she jumped up and slipped her shoes onto her wet feet. A warrior should not be calling her by name. She glowered at him and thought about reprimanding his insubordination, but the words died on her lips, and she changed them to, “How long have you been there?”
“Long enough.”
“I must go. I have much to do,” Medb said as she backed away and turned to flee up the path.
She had only taken a few steps when she felt her forearm grasped and was pulled back to stare into the warrior’s silver-gray eyes. She had never seen eyes that gave her so much pause. Mac Nessa, as he had grunted above her, showed something, a mixture of lust and hate and a need to subdue, but the eyes of the young warrior spoke of nothing. She felt a chill run the length of her spine.
“Get off me. I am a queen of the Five Kingdoms,” she shouted. Her objections sounded lame even to her ears. “I will not tolerate being manhandled by one of the warrior caste.”
“You threaten me?” he asked with an even voice.
“No, no, I…,” she mumbled, sure only that she did not wish to anger this man. She knew it might well be the last thing she ever did. “I do not know what I am saying. Unhand me, though, please.”
“You are unsure of what it is you do?”
The queen nodded frantically. Cú Chulainn let go of her wrist as he said, “One thing is for sure, Medb; Lugaid is not a strong man, and you will not involve him in your political intrigues while I am his protector.”