Chapter 53: Chapter Twelve

ADA

The entire walk back to my chambers, I thought about how alive I felt holding a sword again. Training with the soldiers would be the perfect opportunity for me to practice my skills.

So, I made the bold choice to join Ciaran tomorrow. That afternoon, I asked Myrna to send in the tailor. He took my measurements for pants and a long top for me to wear.

King Toren was holding a special concert in honor of one of his earls that evening in the dining hall; a night sure to be filled with lavish food, music, and dancing.

This would be one of the first times I would be officially presented to the alderman of Oranmore by the king himself.

I looked at myself in the mirror—my body had gradually returned to almost my original size. I attributed most of this to nursing, my daily walks, and my tall stature.

I still had a slight bump, but compared to most of the other women in the court, I would easily be one of the most slender women in the room.

Sable finished lacing the back of my dress up. This time I did not ask her to loosen the strings around my breasts, feeling rather excited about my appearance.

She placed a gold headpiece on my head with my long curls draped around my shoulders. A little jewel from the headpiece hung just at the top of my forehead.

It was simple but elegant. It had been a long time since I’d felt this content about my body, only wishing my husband was here to see me. I gave Cay a kiss goodnight and left him with Sable.

Music and laughter filled the hallways as I walked closer to the dining hall. When I reached the doorway, voices quieted down.

The eyes of the women scanned my entire body, while the men’s eyes fixated on only two regions. King Toren greeted me almost immediately and brought me to the front of the hall where his throne sat.

“Lords of Oranmore, may I present to you my ravishing daughter, Lady Ada.” His words were followed by clapping.

“In her short time here, she has fed and clothed our people, learned the ways of our kingdom, and ensured the legacy of the crown.

“It comes with great pleasure and sadness this evening that I announce our friends in England wish to make her a future queen!”

I looked over at him, trying my best to keep the smile on my face, even though I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. His arm held onto me as I almost lost my balance.

“That’s right, my dear daughter. Lord Arthur, Lady Brynlee’s cousin, has extended his hand to you in marriage.

“We shall discuss it more tomorrow. For now, let us celebrate!” King Toren exclaimed while guiding me down the steps of the throne. He signaled for the music to begin playing.

It was done. Whether I was ready or not, I would need to flee Oranmore soon. If taken abroad to England, I would never have a chance to find Cayden.

For the rest of the evening, defiant as a young child, I took to the ale like never before. I found myself a bit woozy by the time dinner was finished.

The tables were pushed back for dancing, and I noticed Ciaran keeping a watchful eye on me. He made his way over and asked for a dance. I was too drunk to say anything, especially the word no.

Before I knew it, his arm was tight around my waist, leading me across the floor. He danced with me for what seemed like the rest of the night, until the room began to spin.

I excused myself and slipped into the kitchen to find some water. As I sloppily poured myself a cup, I heard footsteps behind me.

“May I have a cup as well?” Ciaran asked, standing just a few feet away. I poured him a cup and held it out in front of me. He stared at me for a moment, like a fox deciding how to attack its prey.

He slowly made his way toward me, knocking the cup out of my hand. The next thing I knew, he had grabbed the back of my head, pulling me in for a kiss.

It happened so fast that it took my impaired mind time to catch up with what my body was doing. When I became aware that we were kissing, I immediately pushed him away.

That was when Myrna entered the room, looking at both of us. Without a word, she took my arm and escorted me up the servants’ stairs to my chambers.

“I do not know what just happened between you two, nor do I want to know.”

I blinked away a wave of dizziness. “It wasn’t what it looked like…”

“You will be faced with your fair share of temptations along the way, dearie, but just remember where your loyalties lie.”

***

The next morning, I awoke with a pounding head, a crying child, and a feeling of complete regret. I should have known better than to let my guard down by drinking so much.

Cayden would have been so disappointed. Ciaran had no regard for me other than sex. Regardless of his intentions, I still planned on training with him.

I needed the practice, and somehow, I would use his weakness for me as a way to find an opportunity to escape.

I got dressed in the pants and shirt the tailor had made for me. Standing in front of the mirror, I watched Sable tie my hair back in a long braid.

She wished me luck as I left my chambers and made my way to the training yard. It was an overcast day, and the breeze off the ocean made it feel more like the middle of fall.

I began to feel nervous as I walked through the castle to meet the group outside. As I approached them, I realized just how different it was from the first time I joined Cayden’s men for training.

While they greeted me with respect, none of the men were open to a woman, even the king’s daughter, joining their training. They believed me to be a distraction.

I did my best to ignore their displeasure with my presence. I was here for a reason, and my path to freedom was through Ciaran.

We began with simple sword and shield techniques. Ciaran paired me with a man who was less than enthused to have me as a partner. He was a few inches shorter than me but much stockier.

Ciaran walked through, making sure we were following his demonstration. He lingered noticeably when it came to me, and I did my best to avoid eye contact with him.

“Okay, now each pair will practice fighting one another. You may go as hard as you want.”

“You want ~me~ to fight the ~king’s daughter~,” my partner mocked. The men around us began to laugh.

“Are you afraid of me?” I shot back.

“I am not afraid of a little girl whose shield is bigger than she is.”

“Well, you should be. I am about to kick your arse,” I said, getting into position. Ciaran looked amused by the situation. He pushed the man forward to fight me.

“This is a good lesson. There are Viking women on the battlefield as well.” My partner looked embarrassed by the interaction but took his position facing me.

Ciaran called for all of us to begin, and the man took a step toward me. I followed with a step backward. He took a step to the right, and I to the left.

“Are you dancing or fighting, milady?” Ciaran jeered. I knew what I was doing, though. To move hastily would be a mistake. I wanted to see how he stepped, moved his sword, where his weak points were.

After a few more steps, I noticed he dropped his shield when jabbing his sword. If I could throw my shield into his, it would throw him off balance enough so I could push him backward.

I pretended to move one way, causing him to follow, and brought my shield upon him with all my might. He stumbled backward; I took my wooden sword and swept it under one of his legs.

Falling backward, his sword flew out of his hands toward Ciaran’s feet. I looked from my partner sitting on the ground to the eyes of all the other men in the group.

They had stopped fighting and all looked at me with the same surprised face.

“I think it is safe to say none of us saw that coming,” Ciaran finally said.