Page 74 of Queen of the Shadow

Looking dazed, Aillis blinked several times. “But I assumed you would take the herd with you to Dunscáith as payment for returning our fort to us.”

“There is no payment required. Aife was only here because she wanted to destroy me. I do not ask payment to clean up my mess.”

Aillis took Scáthach’s hand and kissed it. “Thank you, great queen!”

Scáthach patted her cheek, thinking how very young she looked. Then she raised and lowered her hand. At the signal, Uathach brought Aife forward. Scáthach had allowed her a bath and fresh clothes. Not as a kindness to Aife, but so that the evidence of what she’d done to Cuchulainn was washed away.

As Uathach brought her from the great hall to the front of the keep, there was movement in the crowd and the people parted to allow Cuchulainn to take a place in the front. His hair was wet. When he met Scáthach’s gaze, she saw that his eyes were completely his own—amber fire that blazed when Aife came into view.

Scáthach turned to her half sister. “With the authority granted me by our father, Ardgeimm, Jarl of Lethra, I sentence you for your crimes, which are: leading a traitorous revolt against Lethra; ordering your men to ambush my students and me; putting a price on my head in exchange for my castle; and finally, we come to the atrocities you committed here at this fort, which are too many to name.”

“You have no authority over me.” Aife’s words were petulant and held no fire.

“You know that is a lie. Our father named me his heir, which grants me the right to mete out justice in his name.”

Aife spoke bitterly. “The only thing I’ve ever wanted is to have Father’s approval—to be his heir—but I couldn’t compete with the daughter of a goddess.”

“You lived your entire life with Father, yet you seem not to have known him at all. He wouldn’t have chosen me because of my mother. He wanted the best for Lethra. He believed that is me.” Scáthach saw the despair in her half sister’s eyes. It saddened her. She looked away and her gaze went to Cuchulainn. His face had again lost all color. Dark circles shadowed his amber eyes. His hands were fisted at his side as he stared at Aife, disgust curling his lip. Scáthach’s heart hardened, and her gaze returned to her sister. “And your actions since Father’s death have proven him wise. Lethra refused you as their queen. Did you stay and work to show them you would be a thoughtful, just ruler?”

“I did not because—”

“You are correct,” Scáthach interrupted. “You did not. Instead you seduced weak-willed, selfish warriors from him and thought to take what you did not deserve. You are the kind of woman who makes life more difficult for the rest of us.

“I stand against a rising tide of men who believe women are too weak and too emotional to think for ourselves. They call those of us who show undeniable strength seductive manipulators instead of leaders.You prove them right.You, who were born a privileged princess, who only had to observe our father to learn the path to being a great queen, chose manipulation and lies and senseless violence instead. You disgust me.” She turned to Tabiti. “Which members of the Shadow Guard have experience with longboats?”

“Astrid and Bjorn are from the Northlands,” Tabiti said. “They came to Dunscáith in a longboat. I believe there are several more, mostly from Éire, who are also experienced sailors.”

“Have Astrid choose a team. They will take one of Aife’s dragon longboats and return her to Lethra to face whatever justice her country chooses for her. Leave the rest of her longboats for the Dùn Dòbhrain merchants, but destroy the dragon figureheads first. I never want to see that vile sigil again.”

“No! Don’t send me back!” Aife cried. “Just give me one horse and some supplies. I’ll leave here and go south, never to return.”

“South? You mean the territory of Tribe Catuvellauni? The very tribe you bribed to bring you my head in exchange formy castle? Aife, I realize your mother poisoned your mind to believe untruths about me, but something a daughter of Ardgeimm should have been smart enough to understand is that I am not easily duped.” Scáthach shook her head. “You will return to Lethra. The people you wanted so desperately to rule will decide your fate.” The Queen of Shadow looked from her sister to Aillis. “Do you have anything to add?”

“Will your guard tell Lethra of her atrocities here? That she killed the lord and lady of the fort and all of their sons, imprisoned us, and abused our people?” As Aillis spoke, she glared at Aife.

“My guard will report all of her crimes,” said Scáthach.

Aillis nodded. “Then I am satisfied. Queen Scáthach, please know that you and your guard are welcome to rest here for as long as you’d like. My home is yours.”

“Thank you, but except for the warriors who will escort Aife back to Lethra, we will return now if you have no more need of us.”

Aillis smiled and bowed her head. “I will always have need of the council of a great queen.”

Scáthach returned her smile. “Then know I am but a day’s ride away and you are always welcome in Dunscáith.”

“People of the fort!” Aillis called. “Help the Shadow Guard load one of the longboats with supplies. I’m sure they are eager to rid themselves of Aife and return to their home at Dunscáith.” Tabiti began collecting the members of the Shadow Guard who were sailors as the crowd dispersed.

“I’ll lock Aife upstairs until it’s time for her to leave,” said Uathach.

“Thank you,” Scáthach told her daughter. Her gaze turned to Aife. “I wish things could have been different. I never meant for there to be strife between us.”

“You didn’t mean for there to be anything between us.” Aife’s despair was gone. The hardness had returned to her eyes. “You believed you were always so much better than me that I didn’t even deserve your notice.”

Scáthach sighed out a long breath. “You are wrong. Think rationally, Aife. The last time I saw you, I was a child of five years old. You were just a babe. These assumptions you have about me, about my mother, are based only on your mother’s jealousy. I wish you hadn’t allowed her to poison your life. Goodbye, sister.”

She started forward, meaning to leave Aife there, but Cuchulainn was climbing the stone stairs to them. Scáthach halted, not sure what he was going to do. Uathach paused and glanced questioningly at her mother. Scáthach nodded once. Cuchulainn deserved the right to confront Aife.

He stood before Aife and studied her silently. “You’re so small. You seemed so much more last night.”