Page 72 of The Shadow Path
Duncan said, “And Cian was raised as Aine’s heir until the queen fell in love with Lir.”
“The sea god?” Carys asked. “So Aine married Lir after being Elatha’s lover?”
“Aine never married either of them,” Lachlan said. “The old gods never stay in one place long enough to rule anything. They keep to their own faithful, and they honestly don’t have followers here the way they used to. When was the last time you saw fires lit for Lugh at daybreak or grain offerings to Cernunnos?”
Duncan said, “Most humans in the Shadowlands know that magic exists, but they’re also modern people. They honor the Tamis because it’s tradition, but they don’t think much of the old gods anymore. That’s why their power has waned.”
“Other than a few cults like Epona or Sulis, they’re not really worshipped anymore.”
“Followers like Epona’s daughters.” Carys looked at Laura. “We think my mother’s Shadowkin might have belonged to Epona’s cult.” Or actually her mother. But Carys wasn’t saying that out loud yet.
“So Aine falls in love with Lir,” Duncan continued, “and from all accounts, Lir loves Aine equally. Dru is Lir’s son, and he immediately became his mother’s favorite.”
“Ah.” Laura nodded. “Suddenly it’s not so clear who will become the next fae ruler.”
Duncan pointed at her. “Exactly.”
Carys stood and put her rosemary into Laura’s basket. “Where does Naida come into all this?”
Duncan continued with the story. “Aine becomes tired of the throne, and according to fae stories, she goes to the sea to live with Lir, leaving her sons to rule the fae of Éire and Briton. The dark fae will remain the keepers of the fae gates while the light fae remain in power in Temris, ruling the courts, the wild fae and interacting with the other races.”
Lachlan took up the narrative. “The two brothers agree that since Cian is the eldest, he will marry Orla, officially uniting the fae and the Éiren royal houses.”
Duncan said, “And Cian will pluck the finest soul placed at the gate to be Orla’s daughter, and eventually that daughter would become Dru’s wife.”
“Oh, that is so messed up,” Carys muttered. “Can you imagine picking your own sister-in-law and raising her as your daughter before you hand her over to your brother?”
“Who you don’t really like much,” Duncan added.
Laura asked, “And Dru was okay with this?”
“Dru isn’t ambitious,” Duncan said.
“It sounds like it was a compromise,” Carys said. “One they could both live with.”
“Exactly.” Duncan looked directly at Lachlan. “Most political marriages are.”
Lachlan ignored his brother’s pointed look. “And remember, fae don’t have morals the way humans do.”
“That is very clear,” Laura whispered.
“Orla is well over a hundred years old,” Lachlan said. “Her Brightkin is long dead, but she still looks like a thirty-year-old woman. But sheismortal. Eventually Orla will die, but as long as Dru married her daughter, her line would continue.”
“Which daughter?” Carys asked. One of Orla’s daughters was married to King Dafydd. “I mean, Eamer looks good for her age, but she’s definitely older than thirty.”
“Finola is Orla’s eldest daughter. She’s the heir to the throne, and she’s the one Dru was supposed to marry,” Duncan said. “Except…”
“Naida.” Lachlan shrugged.
“Dru was supposed to marry Finola, but he fell in love with Naida?” Laura shook her head. “So messy. Can you imagine if they made this into a reality show, Carys?The Unreal Housewives of the Light Fae Court?”
“Naida is ellyllon.” Lachlan got the discussion back on track. “They’re elder fae. Not a touch of Fomorian blood. They’re respected but seen as weaker. The high fae would never accept a prince marrying an ellyllon and messing up Cian and Orla’s carefully built power structure.”
“So instead of marrying Finola for political reasons,” Duncan said, “Dru left. He told his brother to fuck off and left for the Brightlands.”
“And Naida didn’t go with him?” Laura asked.
Lachlan shook his head. “Naida will never live in the Brightlands. Her people are doubly sensitive to iron. She’d wither and die there.”
