Nynia was the only person who had ever really accepted him.
He would not fail her by marrying someone else while she had to go back to the misery of her life.
He refused to grow old without her.
"I know you don't understand and I know I should just go and marry theGaul 's daughter, but I can't."
He looked at his aunt, hoping someone would understand his plight. "I love Nynia. I don't want to live without her."
"You are young and foolish," his uncle said. "Just like your mother, you let your heart rule you. If you fail to do this, you will never live down your mother's shame. You will be seen as nothing more than a ridiculed whoreson. Now get back in that hall and marry Deirdre. Now!"
"Nae," he said firmly.
"So help me, Speirr, fail to do this and I will see you banished for it.
"
"Then banish me.
"
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com)
"Nae," his aunt said, intruding on their argument.
She held that distant, faraway look that she got whenever she saw through the natural world into a higher level. "The gods are at work here, Idiag. Look into his eyes. Nynia is his soulmate. They are meant to be together."
His uncle cursed. "This would have been a great alliance for our clan," he muttered bitterly. "It would have ensured peace between our peoples and guaranteed that no one would have contested Speirr as my heir. But I won't argue with the will of the gods."
He patted Speirr on the arm. "Go, Speirr. Go claim your Nynia while I try and salvage what I can from this meeting and hopefully avert a war."
Speirr blinked in disbelief. It was the first time in his life that his uncle had ever been kind or merciful toward him. "Do you mean it?"
He narrowed his eyes at him. "Lad, you'd best be off before common sense returns to me."
Speirr shouted as he raced for his horse. Then he ran back and hugged his aunt, then his uncle. "Thank you. Thank you both."
As fast as he could, he ran to his horse and jumped up onto the back of it. He set his heels into its flanks and headed toward their own lands.
Speirr tore through the forest at a dead run. His black stallion flew through the tangled underbrush and weeds, kicking up dirt in their wake. The sunlight drifted through the trees, dappling his armor as he urged the horse faster.
He had to reach his Nynia…
Nynia sighed as her mother handed her the tattered old basket that held ten nasty-smelling fish. "Must I deliver this?" she asked her mother, her voice pleading for clemency.
"Your brother is off on an errand and they be wanting it. Now go, child. I'll brook no more arguments from you."
Nynia clenched her teeth as she took the basket. How she hated this. She would rather be beaten than travel to the smith's home where Eala would no doubt be waiting to take her delivery. Her own age, Eala was the smith's daughter but she acted as if she were descended from a line as noble as Speirr's.
The girl took great pleasure in humiliating her.
And today, Nynia was in no mood for it. Not while her heart was so sore from its loss.
By now her Speirr would be married to another. He would be lost to her forever.
Blinking back tears, she left the tiny hut she shared with her mother, father, and brother, and headed for the nicer side of the village where the rest of the people resided, upwind from the fishmonger, tanner, and butcher.
"Oh, Speirr," she whispered as she wiped away her tears. How could she make it through a single day without him? All her life she'd had him to see her through the misery of her work. She'd always looked forward to their meetings. Looked forward to sharing laughter and fun with him down by the loch.
Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer (http://www.novapdf.com) Now those days were gone forever.
When he returned, it would be with a new wife.
One day, his queen would bear his children…
Pain assailed her even more. Nynia walked aimlessly through the village, her thoughts on the only man she would ever love and on the fact that she would never bear his children. Never be able to hold him again.
She drew near the smith's cottage and saw Eala wasn't alone today. She stood with a small group of friends, talking. She recognized three of the boys, and the girls would have been her friends, too, had she, as they so often reminded her, not smelled of fish.
"Oh bother," Eala said disgustedly. "It's the fish girl with her fetid stench. Quick, everyone, hold your breath or you'll turn blue.
"
Nynia lifted her chin. They couldn't hurt her with their words. Not today. She was hurt enough.
She shoved the basket into Eala's hands.
Eala shrieked. "You're vile, Nynia!" she shouted, dropping the basket and dancing away from it. "No man will ever want so smelly a woman. Will he, Dearg?
"
Dearg turned a speculative eye on Nynia. "I don't know. From what we saw her giving to Speirr the other day, I'd be willing to hold my nose.