Chapter 5 #2
The two king's men leaned against a wall, watching the people of Glengary with narrowed eyes. They were not actually doing anything; obviously, they had been sent here to observe, not to act. But it was clear from the way that they were speaking that they were not happy about what they saw.
Breana touched Eoin's arm, and they moved together behind the wall of a little building. She knew that it would be safer to move on past, but she needed to hear what these men had to say. Eoin gave her a look but didn't object.
"They werenae like this when I was here a year ago," the other soldier commented. "They were as beaten down and subservient as anyone else in these villages. We'll need tae let his majesty ken that some of his subjects are gettin' unruly."
The first man grunted. "Aye. He willnae be happy. Especially when he hears why they say they're actin' this way. Surely, they must ken that the whole thing is a falsehood."
"Aye," grumbled the second. "All this talk of the dead prince returnin' is inspirin' these people. Givin' them a dangerous hope. But they willnae be so happy when the king turns his wrath upon them and reminds them of their place."
Both men laughed, and Breana felt a strange surge of both hope and fear.
Could it really be that just the news of the rebellion had been what bolstered this whole village so much?
But if it was, did that mean that they were responsible if the village was in danger?
It was such a complicated mix of emotions, and she didn't know what to do with it.
Her fingers itched for her bow. She wondered what it would be like to shoot these men—perhaps not to kill them, but to disable them, maybe even take them prisoner, before they could harm anyone here.
There was no evidence that they would do anything to harm the villagers, but it seemed dangerous to take that chance.
Eoin touched her arm and shook his head, the message clear. He knew what she was thinking, and it wasn't worth it. Besides, she realized with a sigh, there was no guarantee that her arrow would go anywhere near them even if she did fire. She still had a long way to go.
One of the king's men laughed darkly. It was clear from their voices that both men were already quite drunk. "Perhaps he'll send that brute of a son of his here soon enough. The lad is a killer through and through. I have nae doubt he could end this place single-handed."
The other snorted. "Ye shouldnae speak such a way of our prince," he said. "Though he's grown tae be quite the executioner indeed. Did ye hear what he did tae him?"
"Merciless and brutal, right there in the throne room, from what I heard," the other guard replied with a cruel laugh. "Och, how I wish I'd been there tae see it instead of on duty out in this pointless village with these useless people."
"So what do ye think will happen tae his clan? What about those daughters of his?" the first man said, and he had a suggestive tone to his voice. "I heard they've left one of the lassies in charge. All alone without a man… perhaps the king will send us along tae keep her company."
The two men laughed darkly and started moving. Eoin pulled Breana back slightly against the wall, and they remained hidden in place until the two men passed—directly into the tavern that Eoin and Breana had been heading toward.
Breana immediately stepped out from behind the wall, striding straight forward toward the entrance of the tavern. Eoin's hand wrapped around her arm, pulling her back with urgency.
"What are ye doin'?" he demanded. "We cannae go in there now. There will be rooms elsewhere in the village, or else we can just find somewhere tae camp out in the forest."
"Ye're the one who insisted I needed the heat and warmth of a bed," Breana retorted.
She looked pointedly around them, indicating how people had turned to stare, and Eoin immediately loosened his grip.
"And we must follow them inside. We cannae act like we didnae hear anythin'.
If the False King has ordered an execution important enough that his son was the one tae carry it out, then it may have been someone important.
It may even have been one of our allies. "
"Breana, this isnae why we're here," Eoin told her, though it was clear from his expression and tone that he was torn.
She knew that if he were by himself, he would have already headed into the tavern, paying no heed to the danger.
He was trying to protect her, and she adored him for it, but she also felt impatient.
"Did ye ken who those men were? I didnae. They were clearly low-rankin' amongst the False King's men. There's nae way they'll recognize either one of us on sight. We'd be lettin' the rebellion down if we didnae find out all the information we can, and ye know it."
Eoin sighed, obviously frustrated, but then nodded.
"Ye're right," he muttered, obviously not happy about it.
"But even if we willnae be recognized, we cannae simply stroll in there.
An armed man and a lovely single woman like ye wanderin' intae a tavern late at night when the king's men are waitin' inside… "
Breana thought of Maeve teasing her lightly just before they had left and blushed, but swallowed down her embarrassment and met his eyes with determination.
"Who says," she said, "That I'm a single woman?"