Read Online Yseult: A Tale of Love in the Age of King Arthur by Ruth Nestvold - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ruth Nestvold
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the insides of her thighs through her riding breeches. Yseult was nearly as eager as her mare, longing for the stretch of fine muscles, the exhilaration of competition.
She maneuvered Duchann Bhan between Aidenn's black and Gamal's gray. Next to Aidenn, Lugaid sat his fine roan with confidence bordering on arrogance.
"One last wild ride before you take the bit between your teeth yourself, eh, Aidenn?" the king's son joked. Lugaid had been married two years already.
Aidenn chuckled, his gaze drifting to where Brangwyn stood in the crowd next to her father and mother. Lugaid's gaze followed his, greedy in a way that took Yseult by surprise. Until this moment, she'd been unaware of his desire for her cousin.
Finally, the horses all stood behind the starting line drawn in the dirt of the racetrack. The signal was given, and they were off.
Yseult and Lugaid quickly drew away from the rest, the white and the roan well-matched. She leaned low over the neck of her mare, the wind in her hair and the sun on her back as they headed for the first turn. The crowd standing on the sidelines shouted out names of rival tribes, turning their neck-and-neck race into something more than just one of the many competitions of the Lugnasad festivities: it was the daughter of the queen against the son of the king, south against north. Instead of being content to cheer the leaders themselves, she heard calls of "Tuatha Dé!" and "Laigin!" and "Mumu!" pitted against cheers for "Midhe!" and "Ulaid!" and "Ui Neill!"
Coming around the first bend, she and Lugaid were still leading, although Aidenn's black mare was gaining on them. The sun was in their faces, the din from the crowd was deafening, and the beat of Duchann Bhan's hooves was accompanied by an angry chorus of tribal names.
As they neared the final bend, a fight broke out on the sidelines, and Lugaid's roan gelding shied, causing Yseult's mount to falter. Aidenn saw his chance, and his black surged past them. Lugaid recovered control of his mount first, pushing the roan to catch up with the new leader. Duchann Bhan fell in beside Gamal's gray, fighting for third place now instead of first.
Yseult urged her mare forward, trailing Aidenn and Lugaid by a length, while the two warriors fought for the lead. But Aidenn's black managed to stay ahead, Lugaid's roan just behind. Suddenly the dust around her seemed to shimmer, and Lugaid was no longer on his roan's back, but gripping the reins of his war chariot.
And bouncing from the side of the chariot was young Aidenn's head, tied by the braids of his dark hair.
Her concentration on the race shattered, and Gamal pulled ahead, shooting a gloating look back at her. But all she cared about now was getting to the finish line without letting anyone see her confusion. The Fianna were mostly of the Laigin, and if war broke out, Aidenn and Lugaid would be enemies. She could only hope her vision was no more than a waking nightmare. Her gift was not that of knowing, it was that of calling; she did not see the future the way Brigid and her mother did.
Or so she hoped.
From the victory yells around her, it was obvious Aidenn had managed to maintain his lead and come in first. Yseult slowed Duchann Bhan to a walk, trying to compose herself before she returned to congratulate him. Two of Lóegaire's warriors were leading off the troublemakers who had started the fight, a member of the northern Ui Neill loyal to Lóegaire and a warrior of the Laigin. It was going to be difficult this year maintaining the peace between the tribes during the festivities for Lugh.
It was also going to be difficult to shield her thoughts for the rest of the week. Her vision would not be a good image to take with her to a marriage.
* * * *
"You will not stay for the Oenach?" Brigid asked Queen Yseult. They were strolling side by side through the fields outside of the rath in the direction of the clearing where the circular marriage stone stood. The marriage day had arrived
She maneuvered Duchann Bhan between Aidenn's black and Gamal's gray. Next to Aidenn, Lugaid sat his fine roan with confidence bordering on arrogance.
"One last wild ride before you take the bit between your teeth yourself, eh, Aidenn?" the king's son joked. Lugaid had been married two years already.
Aidenn chuckled, his gaze drifting to where Brangwyn stood in the crowd next to her father and mother. Lugaid's gaze followed his, greedy in a way that took Yseult by surprise. Until this moment, she'd been unaware of his desire for her cousin.
Finally, the horses all stood behind the starting line drawn in the dirt of the racetrack. The signal was given, and they were off.
Yseult and Lugaid quickly drew away from the rest, the white and the roan well-matched. She leaned low over the neck of her mare, the wind in her hair and the sun on her back as they headed for the first turn. The crowd standing on the sidelines shouted out names of rival tribes, turning their neck-and-neck race into something more than just one of the many competitions of the Lugnasad festivities: it was the daughter of the queen against the son of the king, south against north. Instead of being content to cheer the leaders themselves, she heard calls of "Tuatha Dé!" and "Laigin!" and "Mumu!" pitted against cheers for "Midhe!" and "Ulaid!" and "Ui Neill!"
Coming around the first bend, she and Lugaid were still leading, although Aidenn's black mare was gaining on them. The sun was in their faces, the din from the crowd was deafening, and the beat of Duchann Bhan's hooves was accompanied by an angry chorus of tribal names.
As they neared the final bend, a fight broke out on the sidelines, and Lugaid's roan gelding shied, causing Yseult's mount to falter. Aidenn saw his chance, and his black surged past them. Lugaid recovered control of his mount first, pushing the roan to catch up with the new leader. Duchann Bhan fell in beside Gamal's gray, fighting for third place now instead of first.
Yseult urged her mare forward, trailing Aidenn and Lugaid by a length, while the two warriors fought for the lead. But Aidenn's black managed to stay ahead, Lugaid's roan just behind. Suddenly the dust around her seemed to shimmer, and Lugaid was no longer on his roan's back, but gripping the reins of his war chariot.
And bouncing from the side of the chariot was young Aidenn's head, tied by the braids of his dark hair.
Her concentration on the race shattered, and Gamal pulled ahead, shooting a gloating look back at her. But all she cared about now was getting to the finish line without letting anyone see her confusion. The Fianna were mostly of the Laigin, and if war broke out, Aidenn and Lugaid would be enemies. She could only hope her vision was no more than a waking nightmare. Her gift was not that of knowing, it was that of calling; she did not see the future the way Brigid and her mother did.
Or so she hoped.
From the victory yells around her, it was obvious Aidenn had managed to maintain his lead and come in first. Yseult slowed Duchann Bhan to a walk, trying to compose herself before she returned to congratulate him. Two of Lóegaire's warriors were leading off the troublemakers who had started the fight, a member of the northern Ui Neill loyal to Lóegaire and a warrior of the Laigin. It was going to be difficult this year maintaining the peace between the tribes during the festivities for Lugh.
It was also going to be difficult to shield her thoughts for the rest of the week. Her vision would not be a good image to take with her to a marriage.
* * * *
"You will not stay for the Oenach?" Brigid asked Queen Yseult. They were strolling side by side through the fields outside of the rath in the direction of the clearing where the circular marriage stone stood. The marriage day had arrived
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