FATE/CURADH BEAG
"Little Champion"
Chapter 24: Fergus and Conall's Return
At the same time Connla spoke with Mini Cu and Morrigan, Naoise and Deirdre were resting in another room. Once the excitement of the moment passed over, that was when the young woman started to realize how unusually fatigued she was. Naoise couldn't blame her; being freed of Conchobhar's control, then traveling the distance between Leabharcham's cottage and Emain Macha, combing the town in search of Naoise, and suddenly witnessing Fir and Fial's deaths certainly would cause a great deal of strain for her.
Naoise helped her lie down in bed first before getting undressed to join her side. However, Deirdre appeared despondent as she stared at the ceiling with a vapid gaze. He immediately knew something was wrong and asked, "What is the matter, love?"
"Naoise… I don't truly understand why I feel this way," she murmured. "Perhaps it's the shock of watching the twins throw themselves into that fissure."
"Yes, that is understandable. That's nothing no one should ever have to witness."
"But I don't think it's just that. I just cannot explain it, but… I'm feeling a much greater deal of fatigue than usual."
"You must be more exhausted than you realize, and only now is it catching up."
"Maybe," she replied, then turned her eyes toward him. "We did agree to accompany Connla on her journey to stop the blights, but I'm not so certain if I can keep going on."
"That is worrying. After all, there is just one more to deal with."
"Perhaps I should just bear with it so I don't slow the rest of you down."
Naoise shook his head in refusal. "I won't let you do that. What would happen if you collapsed during a critical time? I couldn't forgive myself if I wasn't able to protect you a second time. That's the one thing I'm most afraid of in all this world – enduring a repeat of my failure to keep you safe from a villain's ambitions."
"Maybe I should remain in Emain Macha? Or even stay at Leabharcham's cottage until you return?"
"I can't leave you alone like that. You had the children before, but it'd be inexcusable for a prophesized beauty such as yourself to be left on her own. I cannot cease my imaginings of you being stolen away by some new ruffian who wants to own you for himself."
"Yet, I don't wish to hold you back from helping the others," Deirdre said in a forlorn voice. "Ah… Perhaps this is the source of my melancholy. I truly cannot decide what to do."
Naoise leaned in and stared directly into his wife's eyes as he assured, "Then I will make the choice, and inform everyone of it."
"Will you? Pray tell, what is it you have decided to do?"
"As far as I am concerned, it is an easy solution."
Back in the inn's living room, Connla started to feel unwell the moment she heard about what happened to the Cloak of Mists. An awful migraine caused her to lose her sense of balance, and she thought she was going to be physically ill. Mini Cu told Morrigan to hold off on explaining the details until the child warrior was feeling better. Connla didn't want to think about the mission for now, so she tucked herself back beneath the covers and closed her eyes to get some sleep.
Mini Cu and Morrigan sat upon the table near the fireplace. They kept their idle chatter as quiet as possible while they played several games of fidchell to pass the time. About an hour after Connla fell asleep, that was when Naoise gently opened the door and stepped through as silently as he could.
"Oh… Is she asleep?" he asked the others.
"The kid's gonna be out of it for a couple of days. She's got some mana intoxication, so she can't move around too much," Mini Cu explained.
"I see. As long as she can recover, then it is a relief for me."
"What about you and Deirdre? You guys were right next to the crevice when I threw Gae Bolg into it."
"Actually, that's what I wanted to discuss," Naoise said as he pulled up a chair and sat at the table. "I'm all right, but Deirdre does not seem like she can continue traveling with us. I absolutely refuse to leave her side, but I'd feel similarly guilty for not being able to help Connla when she needs all the assistance she can get."
"I get it. So you're torn between your wife and your friends."
"Yes. Ultimately, I have decided to bring Deirdre back to Leabharcham's house so we can get away from all of this activity. I just want to know if you guys have enough manpower on hand to contend with the final blight."
"Oh ho ho ho. That won't be a problem, my good sir," Morrigan chuckled while moving her game piece on the board. "While I was giving my report to Fergus, I suggested that he come here to find out what happened with the brouhaha involving Gae Bolg. There's no way he'd ignore any sort of trouble his foster son was causing, plus he wants to assess the damage to Emain Macha and find out the reason behind it."
"Fergus? As in the former king of Ulster before Conchobhar ousted him? The man who wields the Spiral Rainbow Sword Caladbolg?"
"The very same."
"Then that is most reassuring!" Naoise remarked, his dour mood obviously improving. "Lord Fergus is said to have the strength and courage of a hundred men! Few are able to withstand his ground-breaking sword as well!"
"It's not just Fergus who's coming. One of the other Champions – Conall Cernach, wielder of Curaidin Catutchenn – will be accompanying him."
"Well, now. I cannot say I have met this Conall fellow, but I have heard of how that sword won him the championship in his tournament battle against Cu Roi mac Daire. Deirdre will be delighted to hear that such heroes will be happy to take my stead in your journey."
Mini Cu didn't seem as enthusiastic as he grumbled, "Hey, Morrigan. Fergus, I can understand. But did you have to drag Conall into this as well?"
"Why, whatever is the problem, Cu?" she wondered. "The more firepower we have, the better, right?"
"Don't you think that's a bit overkill, having both Caladbolg and Curaidin Catutchenn on hand? Is Manannan's Parted Mists really that big of a problem to resolve?"
"Let me be perfectly frank with you - it's no joking matter when a god has one of his treasures stolen from him. Think of someone being as irresponsible with the Cloak of Mists as you have been with Dagda's Cauldron."
"…"
"Furthermore, you have to remember who exactly lives in Manannan's realm with him. Do you really want humans being spirited away by such troublemakers?"
"… Ugh. Damn it. Why are you always so goddamn good at making a valid point?"
"Because I know when I'm right."
Naoise interrupted them by uttering, "Um, I don't want to be a third wheel in this important conversation, so may I assume that everything will be fine with you all from here on out?"
"Yeah, everything's cool," Mini Cu said. "Morrigan and I will watch over Connla. Once Fergus and Conall get here, we should be set. I'll explain everything to the kid so she understands. I'm sure she won't object, and she would feel bad if Deirdre strained herself on her account."
"Very well. Then I suppose this is where we part company. Give my regards to the others, will you?"
With that, Naoise got up and left to return to his room.
A full 24 hours after Fergus had heard the news of what happened in Emain Macha, he and Conall were astride their galloping horses heading northward to the town. Although both men were excited to see how Connla was doing, there were a lot more things on their minds. Neither of them spoke about it during the trip, but they shared an equally uneasy feeling in the pits of their stomachs as they passed through the Ulster-Leinster border. Their apprehension only grew when they finally reached Emain Macha's hilly outskirts, where an envoy who represented the mayor awaited their arrival.
"Are you sure this is going to be okay? We're taking a huge risk with coming to Ulster when Medb must be on full alert," Conall asked. "After all, she doesn't know that you, me and Connla are still alive."
Fergus assured him, "I've already taken precautionary measures. The mayor's a good friend of mine, and while he cannot directly support my cause, he is sympathetic towards it. We'll be meeting in a location that only the two of us know about. In the meantime, I want you to rendezvous with Connla's group and learn what happened from her. We'll meet back here at this time tomorrow."
"Got it."
They split ways, with Conall heading further into town on his own while Fergus followed the representative to a remote hill situated a few kilometers away from the town. Atop one of the smaller grassy mounds was a stone-clad house that one might call a shabby home in the normal world, but was seen as a decent mansion in this world. Fergus met with the mayor Cormac and, after exchanging some pleasantries, ventured downstairs to the cellar where some barrels of wine were stored. Cormac pushed a button in the wall disguised as a stone, clicking something loose inside one of the gigantic barrels that rested on its side. The container was actually empty, disguising another basement door inside the ground that the two men climbed down. Eventually, they reached a single room with nothing more than a candle atop a wooden table, two chairs, and a simple bed. The musty smell of stale air was overpowering, but it was the safest place for them to talk politics without much risk of Medb's supporters finding them.
Cormac lit the candle, then sat at the table and murmured, "I still can't believe that you successfully fooled that queen into believing you are deceased. I was dismayed when I heard the news of you and your team perishing during an excursion in Scotland. I am truly relieved to know that is not the case."
"It's more like I'm exploiting her hubris for my own ends," Fergus said, resting his chin atop his interlocked fingers. "She had no issue with trying to sacrifice me and my friends so that the Isles could be parted while we kept Cuchulainn busy. She has no right to complain when I 'come back from the dead to haunt her', so to speak."
"About that," Cormac replied, "are you certain that your preparations are thorough enough? I have heard the most fearsome rumors of Medb's strength and cruelty, and they only seem to be escalating in these recent days."
"What has she been up to?"
"The rate of crime in Galway has been getting significantly worse, which is making it harder to keep criminals imprisoned when there is little room to keep them in. Furthermore, the druids have been complaining of an increasing demand in… 'certain goods'."
"Certain goods? What would the druids want that cannot be provided in the markets already?"
"Well… mainly harvested organs for their medicinal brews…"
Fergus clenched his teeth and gasped, "She wouldn't-!"
"I'm afraid it's only hearsay on my part, but some good friends of mine have mentioned that their adult sons were imprisoned in Galway for causing trouble, and have not heard even a word from them since. There is some growing hysteria amongst them that the prisoners are being killed off and sold in the dark market for druids' supplies."
"That's absurd! It's illegal to extract parts from anything other than hunted monsters, and even then they have to go through the required channels!"
Cormac wiped his sweating brow and admitted, "I'm afraid I have little proof of such claims, but I can show you the missive that Medb sent to me several hours ago."
"A missive? What does it say?"
The mayor rolled open a parchment he had carried with him, then said in a shaky voice, "I'll just read the part that matters to you. Ahem… 'In response to the destruction of Emain Macha's famous horse race track, and of the reconstruction efforts, it has been decided that Galway will not send additional workers to aid with the work. Due to concerns over cost-cutting measures and a growing need to provide entertainment to the distressed masses as soon as possible, our construction workers will be tasked with erecting a newer, more modernized race track within Galway's city walls to fulfill the demand.'"
Fergus scowled and uttered, "Preposterous! She intends to exploit this crisis to redirect Emain Macha's biggest revenue producer over to Galway!?"
"Ahh… What am I to do, Fergus? I have not spoken of this missive to anyone yet," Cormac shuddered and clenched his head. "The people are already in shock from this unexpected attack, and hearing this news will only serve to crush their morale even further! I've had many grieving families come to me in search for counsel over their loved ones' suicides! The stadium was Emain Macha's only hope for surviving in this era of death and chaos, and now Medb has the audacity to steal that away from us when we need it the most!? Is there no such thing as the lowest of the low that petty woman won't sink to!?"
"Calm yourself, my friend," Fergus retorted, trying to remain firm and resolute so that his friend would stop panicking. "To lose yourself to the crisis only gives her another foothold to step upon you and your citizens. You mustn't allow her domineering ways to get the better of you."
"But, what should I tell everyone!? I may very well incite a bloodthirsty riot if I tell them they cannot rebuild the race track!"
"Then take this as an order from your king – cast that missive into the fire and announce your plans for Emain Macha's revitalization project."
Cormac was both stunned and impressed with Fergus' bold conviction. He then asked, "Wouldn't that be seen as betrayal to Medb? Her orders also state that my best workers should be sent to Galway to help her men."
"It will not be long before my forces are ready to strike. She'll have a lot more to worry about than punishing you for insubordination."
"Hmm… To be honest, I'm not so sure if I believe your liberation army will be enough, given how deadly Galway's Red Branch Braves and the queen's most die-hard loyalists are. Yet, I cannot help but place every ounce of my faith in you."
"As you should. While I was King of Connacht, I had spoken to many leaders throughout Ireland. While those closest to Medb obviously sing their praises for their queen, those who live in more remote areas such as yourself have grown tired of her flagrant hoarding of all of this beautiful nation's bounty. They express frustration at her sitting atop the lap of luxury, while thousands die either from starvation or suicide. Not to mention that she is doing absolutely nothing about the expanding drought and the island's rapid erosion around the coastlines. The tension is increasing at a dreadfully exponential rate, and if I do nothing to direct the flames of rebellion against her, an even bloodier civil war than what we experienced before Dublin's Fall will erupt."
Cormac shook his head, then murmured, "In other words, society as it is can no longer sustain itself like this."
"No. If humanity is to survive, a most sweeping and rapid change must happen. Those who cling to wealth and power must be eliminated, so that those who wish to offer solutions for stabilizing Ireland's future will be welcomed. My war is not just an insurrection – it is the symbol of the change that everyone wants. They all wish to be free of Medb's whims, and I will make that dream come true."
The mayor shook his head in dismay, then moaned, "How truly dreadful this world has become. Not even ten years have passed since the warring over water sources ceased, and already there is a desire to shed further blood."
Fergus patted his friend's back and said, "I don't want this any more than you do, but I swear to you that this is for a good cause. Ireland's wealth must be shared if we are to live long and prosper. Besides, a real feast shouldn't just be enjoyed by one person – it's far better to have a party with as many guests as possible! Heh hah hah hah hah!"
Meanwhile, Conall found the address for the inn that Connla was staying at and entered. The owner acknowledged him and guided him to the living room where the girl was sleeping. The swordsman entered and kneeled over her to see if she was awake.
"Hmm… she's out cold," he whispered to himself.
"Yup, she's sick as a dog," he suddenly heard an unusual male voice coming from behind him. "Give her a couple of days and she'll be fine."
Conall turned around to see who was talking to him, but he didn't spot anyone at first. He darted his eyes around the room, wondering if someone was pulling some kind of prank on him.
"Hey, dumbass. Over here," Mini Cu called from the table near the fireplace, where he and Morrigan were playing their game of fidchell.
Conall had to take a moment to process what the hell he was looking at. No doubt about it, there was a plush miniature of Cuchulainn and a sentient raven casually enjoying a board game. He had no idea if he should be angry or stupefied, so he just stood there rooted to the spot in abject silence.
"Hey. Are you listening?" the doll grumbled.
"Oh ho ho ho," Morrigan guffawed, covering her beak with her wing. "As amusing as this is, I suggest we give him a moment. He's not accustomed to being surrounded by supernatural entities."
"That's not what I'm worried about. He could very well-"
"Cuchulainn!?" Conall suddenly screeched.
"… lose his shit."
"What is the meaning of this!?" the swordsman raged and grabbed Mini Cu by the head, picking him up so they were at eye level. "Why are you lurking around in Ireland looking so… so… ridiculous!? And you're travelling with Connla!? Do you have any idea of the trouble you've caused for all of us!? Yet you still have the gall to traipse around like you own the damn place! I have half a mind to cast you into the fire right this instant!"
"Whoa there," Mini Cu tried to calm his foster brother. "There's a bit of a story to it, but I can't explain anything if you're ranting and raving at top volume like this."
"What sort of absurd reason could there be for Ireland's greatest foe to be wandering around in enemy territory!?"
"A good one. If you'd just stop screaming and settle down for five minutes, I could tell you."
"As if I could! I can barely fathom being in the same room as you for even five seconds!"
"Good to see you're still the hard-headed moron I once grew up with."
"Keep talking big, chump! We'll see if you keep that attitude up after a nice roasting in the fire pit!"
Morrigan blurted, "Gentlemen, this is neither the time nor place for having a heated argument. Pardon the pun, of course."
"Why not?" Conall glared at her.
She simply pointed her wing to the sofa. The others glanced over when they noticed the blankets shuffling, and a terribly disheveled Connla slowly sat up. Still appearing half-asleep, she rubbed her eyes and moaned, "Hmm? Why is everyone shouting all of a sudden?"
"Uh oh," Conall realized his mistake, then brusquely tossed Mini Cu aside, pulled up a chair next to her and assured, "Did we wake you up? It was my fault, so I'm sorry."
"Conall… Why are you here?"
"Morrigan wanted me and Fergus to come help you with figuring out how to resolve the final blight."
"Uncle Fergus is here too?"
"Yeah. Apparently you're going to need a stronger team to deal with this one."
"Haah…" Connla sighed, already exhausted from just thinking about these new developments.
"What happened to you? Your skin is very pale."
She pressed her hands against her stomach and moaned, "Uuuh… I'm sorry, but… I don't feel so well…"
"Is it nausea?"
"Yeah…"
Conall remained by her side as she vomited into a waste basket for a couple of minutes. Once she was well enough, he gently laid her back down, placed a cool cloth on her forehead, and said, "Just take it easy, okay? I promise I won't raise my voice again."
"Mm."
Once he was confident that Connla was comfortable, Conall faced toward the table and said to the others, "Looks like she's been through quite the ordeal. Is she going to be well enough to accompany us?"
"It'll pass before you know it," Mini Cu told him. "She'll be much better by this time tomorrow."
"If you say so."
"More importantly, we need to talk about why I've been possessing this doll to be with the kid. To make a long story short, she told me that the two of you plus Fergus are faking your deaths to fool Medb. I've been acting as a guide for her during her mission, but my ultimate objective is to meet with Fergus without attracting Medb's notice. I figured that this was the best opportunity and method to accomplish it."
"You want to see Fergus? What for?" Conall wondered.
"To negotiate an alliance."
The swordsman's eyes widened slightly, and he uttered, "You're kidding…"
"Am I?" Mini Cu flashed a fanged grin. "Even a lummox like you could figure it out. The one thing we got going for all of us is our collective hatred of Medb's selfishness. My existence revolves entirely around destroying her, and Fergus wants to fill the power vacuum that her death will ultimately cause."
"Don't joke with me. Why should I believe that you aren't after Ireland's throne yourself?"
"Sure, I could just merge our two countries into one under my rule. But to be honest with you, it's already enough of a pain in the ass to function as Scotland's king to begin with. Having to micromanage two countries' worth of citizens would just piss me off to no end."
Morrigan added, "You should know more than anyone what your brother thinks about royal status and decorations."
"Well…" Conall stammered, but remembered perfectly well how Cuchulainn never cared for anything beyond finding his next good fight.
Mini Cu said, "So, I'm going to negotiate with Fergus. As long as he gives me the right to destroy Medb, he gets to keep Ireland for himself."
"I don't know… It just seems too convenient – almost like there's a sting to it somewhere. I'm sure none of Fergus' top aides will readily agree to such terms."
"Hmph. Guess my word isn't going to be enough. I doubt anyone will believe me if I said I already demonstrated my good faith by destroying the Curse of Macha."
Conall became surprised as he asked, "So that's the reason you threw Gae Bolg into this city?"
"It was mostly to help Connla with her job, but I can also use it as a bargaining chip."
"Is that curse really gone? Can our men actually fight at full strength without worrying about being struck with false birthing pains?"
Morrigan nodded. "It certainly is. You have the God of Destruction to thank for that. Ironic, wouldn't you say?"
"…"
"Hey, I can see steam coming out of your head there. Looks like you're thinking a little too hard, mate," Mini Cu joked.
"Shut up," Conall bitterly snapped.
"Why don't you leave the hard stuff to Fergus and me, and concentrate on protecting Connla? Swinging your sword around is what you're good at, not worrying about the fate of entire countries."
"Hmph. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but you don't have to rub it in so much."
"Heh heh heh. Well, all kidding aside, once this whole business with Manannan gets resolved, things are going to get real busy around here. Let's enjoy the time off while we can."
"I guess so."
"On that note, why not play some fidchell with me like we used to in the old days?"
Conall didn't seem entirely comfortable with the idea. Granted, the situation was completely different compared to when he last encountered Cuchulainn in Glasgow. It still didn't make it any easier for him to just drop his guard and relax around the deadliest opponent he had ever faced in his life, regardless of how silly he appeared now. Even if Conall forced himself to remain cordial around his foster brother, he proverbially kept one hand on his sword hilt in case this was some sort of trickery being played on him. As he warily sat down at the table to accept Mini Cu's challenge, there was only one thing that Conall could think of:
This is going to be the longest 48 hours of my life, isn't it?
Just as Mini Cu said, it would take two full days for Connla to regain her strength. Fergus remained hidden within the mayor's residence so he wouldn't alarm the populace and cause word of his presence to reach Galway. While things had become quiet in Emain Macha, another form of drama was unfolding in Cork, Munster's capital city.
In the city's center square, a decent crowd gathered to witness the arrest of a very important figure. This wasn't just any ordinary arrest though – Lugaid was also present to show everyone the evidence that he and his soldiers found while investigating the nobleman's home.
"Behold, my citizens!" Lugaid shouted, showing anyone who was nearest to him the coin that bore the O'Cleirigh family crest. "This was found on the corpse of the assassin who attempted to take my life but a fortnight ago! Fortunately, my good friend Ferdiad and I were able to dispatch of that villain before he could cause irreparable harm to Munster's fragile government, all at the whims of the O'Cleirigh patriarch!"
"What nonsense is this!?" Keegan O'Cleirigh screamed. His wrists were being bound with rope as he shouted his objections. "I never hired anyone to take out the crown prince! The mere thought is inconceivable!"
"Then how do you explain the presence of this coin, good sir?" Lugaid retorted, practically shoving it into the old merchant's face. "My sources tell me that you distribute these frequently to your workers so that the authenticity of your goods can be validated all across Ireland! The result of my investigation has shown me that this mark also serves a much more sinister purpose – to brand this mark upon the vagabonds who have been employed under you, effectively forcing them to be loyal to your family business, regardless if they wish to or not! If they go against your wishes, they will be seen as a traitor to your cause and put out of commission!
"What is that, if not a criminal empire seeking to sink its foul roots into Munster's fertile soil!? Nay, even calling this 'criminal' would be giving this man's villainy too much credit! It is a cult of personality, centered around one man's desire to wrest Munster's very future into his own hands! Luckily for you, my fair people, his excessive hubris and greed have caused him to slip up, thus exposing him for the emperor without clothes that he is!"
"Lies! Lies, all of them! Do not believe a word this idiot prince has to say!" Keegan raged. "I am being framed for such nonsense! I am the victim here!"
"Pah! Nothing more than the language of narcissists! Close your ears to his pontificating and see the evidence for yourselves in a court of law! I have gathered many witnesses who state that their loved ones died brutal deaths because they outlived their usefulness for this petty man! They were promised good pay for their work, yet were mercilessly executed to avoid having to shell even a single bronze coin for such honest employment! Is that not the trend the nobles have fallen into these days, my people? Is it not common for them to bilk on paying their workers the fair share they deserve? That they treat the poor and downtrodden as nothing more than free labor?"
Several men and woman started murmuring to themselves in agreement, especially those of the more impoverished parts of the city. Lugaid knew this whole thing was a setup, but it was rapidly gaining momentum due to how the nobles had mistreated their commoner brethren for so many years.
"I do no such things to my employees!" Keegan kept shouting as he was being taken to the castle prison. "They are fed and paid, as they should be! I am not running some secret organization behind the scenes, and I sure as hell have no motive for wanting you assassinated!"
"Although motive is indeed an important element of crime," Lugaid said, "it is but secondary to ponder one's reasons when the courts ultimately make their rulings based on hard evidence and credible testimony. Worry not, my citizens! Once Keegan O'Cleirigh's shameful practices have been put on full display for all to see, it will be but a matter of time before the rest of his wealthy co-conspirators fall with him!
"However, as the future King of Munster, I also have an obligation to be as fair and impartial in this investigation as possible, even if it had been my very life that had been targeted. To those co-conspirators who wish to lessen their sentences, I implore you to turn yourselves in and provide assistance for the Crown! Not only will the information you provide be treated with utmost value, you will also be stabilizing Munster's future by siding with your king! You do not have long to decide – if you do not, those caught within the net of this despicable crime will be subject to the fullest extent of the law, without favor or prejudice! The crime of attempted assassination on Munster's king will not go unpunished, for to try and murder the king is tantamount to murdering the people as well!"
Lugaid turned on his heel, then declared in a cold tone, "That is all."
As he followed his guardsmen back toward the castle, a satisfied smile crept on his lips as he heard the raucous cheering of the crowd behind him. He certainly did put on a good performance, although he was fortunate enough to have some solid facts on his side for him to work with. It was no secret that the O'Cleirighs were one of the most powerful merchant families, and thus their high status corrupted them into monopolizing many of Munster's necessary goods like food, territory, and most especially water. The witnesses he spoke to over the last few days all shared the same frustrations toward the O'Cleirighs and their fellow conspirators.
It was incredibly convenient to Lugaid, but that was all it truly amounted to. Just as he had planned with Ferdiad, there was no actual assassination attempt – just the evidence of one that had been foiled. But the people weren't so concerned with the political drama that went on behind the castle walls as they were with having policies introduced that could improve their daily lives. Convincing them of Keegan's guilt in this imaginary crime was so easy for Lugaid, it almost frightened him at how simple-minded the townsfolk were.
Alas, he needed to keep his negative opinions of the citizenry to himself if he wanted to appeal to them. Fortunately for Lugaid, Cu Roi had given him plenty of training on how to deliver impactful speeches, even if they were peppered with half-truths. It certainly served him well here, and Ferdiad let him know it by clapping a few times in applause as they met up with each other back in the castle.
"That was splendid, my friend," Ferdiad remarked. "Your father's guidance is starting to bear fruit."
"Hmph," Lugaid smirked as he brushed his bangs aside. "Staying calm isn't exactly my forte, but draining the swamp of its monsters is more than enough incentive for me to keep my cool. If only I could do the same with ousting Medb through political means like that, things would be so much better for Munster."
Ferdiad's smile dissipated when he heard the prince's opinion of Connacht's queen. It wasn't that he was upset with his friend. On the contrary, he fully agreed with him. Ferdiad's conundrum was more personal rather than political – he had been struggling for the last while about whether or not to tell him the full truth. After seeing how well the investigation into the O'Cleirigh family's corruption was turning out, Ferdiad was seeing fewer and fewer reasons why he should remain silent.
"… Lugaid," the orange-haired fellow finally murmured.
"Yeah?"
"Do you have a moment? I wish to speak with you in private."
"Hm?" Lugaid noticed how unusually serious his ally was, and raised an eyebrow as he replied, "You mean, right now?"
"If you're busy at the moment, I could come another time. I just feel it's of the utmost importance, at least from a personal standpoint."
"Well… Since you're the one who gave me such good advice, I don't see any reason to not hear you out. If anything, it's a king's duty to listen to his people's concerns."
"Thanks. I want to discuss this where no one can possibly listen in on us."
"Father showed me a well-hidden spot we can use. Follow me."
Lugaid guided Ferdiad through to the study, where rows upon rows of books and sealed scrolls lined the shelves along the grand walls. He tipped the top of a generic-looking encyclopedia, which turned out to be a switch that caused something in the walk-in fireplace to click. One of the side walls popped open like a door, allowing them to slip through and shut it behind them so as not to leave a trace of themselves behind. They circled down a spiraling stone staircase, with the pungent musk of stone and earth nearly overpowering their noses. This secret passage had obviously not seen use for years, but it had been designed as an emergency escape for the royal family ages ago. At the bottom of the stairwell was a long tunnel that would eventually lead to the abandoned fields of Munster's heartland, but the two men saw no need to go any further than at the base of the stairs.
"All right, we're here," Lugaid said. "You better make this worth the while, or else I'll have to kill you to keep the existence of this path confidential."
"Ah ha ha ha. No need to be so uppity, good sir," Ferdiad chuckled, as if finding his friend's threat almost charming. "I'm sure the suspense is getting on your nerves, so I'll just get straight to the point."
He then coughed to himself, leaned his back against the wall, and finally spoke:
"… Fergus is still alive."
