Free The Unexpected Ally by Sarah Woodbury Page A

clear to Gareth, unless it was
simply that Ireland was a quagmire of shifting political alliances.
Despite what Hywel said about needing allies should things go awry
in Gwynedd, beyond what was strictly necessary, he should not allow
himself to become involved in what went on there. Ruling a kingdom
adjacent to England was bad enough without being caught in the
middle among warring Irish clans and Danes.
    As had been the case for King Owain, the
unexpected death of Diarmait’s older brother had raised Diarmait,
the second son, to the throne. Unlike King Owain, however, Leinster
was subject to a greater lord, Tairrdelbach, the King of Connaught
and the high king of Ireland, who did not approve of Diarmait’s
ascension and who’d sent his armies rampaging through Leinster
rather than accept it. Hywel believed Tairrdelbach feared Diarmait
and saw him as a rival for the high kingship. Which he probably
was.
    Further complicating matters for Gwynedd’s
loyalties, both Tairrdelbach and Diarmait believed themselves to be
the rightful rulers of Dublin and its Danish citizens. Ottar had
gone on bended knee to Diarmait and paid tribute for his kingship.
Once Brodar and Godfrid overthrew Ottar, as they planned to, they
would have to bow to Leinster as well.
    “Who are you to King Diarmait, really, such
that he trusts you so completely?” Gareth said.
    “I am his sister’s son,
which could be a reason not to trust me, I admit,” Conall laughed under his
breath, “but I saved his life once. For all that King Diarmait is—”
here Conall paused, searching for the right word, “—thought to be
cold, even heartless at times in his dealings with his people, he
sees through his own eyes and makes his own judgments.”
    “Any man who does so deserves respect.”
Gareth canted his head. “I didn’t know you were a nobleman. I
apologize for my familiarity.”
    Conall made a dismissive gesture. “You
earned your knighthood on the field of battle. There is no
difference between us.” He glanced at Gareth. “I am fortunate that
Diarmait trusts me enough to give me freedom of action few kings
allow. It is something like the freedom you have, it seems, and you
are not noble.”
    “Thank goodness!” Gareth laughed.
    Conall nodded. “Even better to be trusted
for the man you are. In my experience, it is a rare man who values
his own conscience above his lord’s.”
    Gareth tsked through his teeth. “It isn’t
like that.”
    “Actually, I think it is.”
    Gareth hadn’t told Conall anything of his
wanderings as a younger man, and he wondered where he had heard of
them. Evan, perhaps, who was known for having a too loose tongue
where Gareth was concerned. Regardless, Gareth made no reply
because they had arrived at the barn. As arranged in advance, not
only was the monk who’d found Erik’s body waiting for them, but two
young soldiers as well—and very welcome ones at that. Llelo and
Dai, Gareth’s adopted sons, grinned at him as he dismounted, and
then Dai broke ranks and wrapped his arms around his father’s
waist.
    Gareth rocked backwards as
he took Dai’s weight and let out a whuf of air. “Easy now.” He patted
Dai’s back and distanced himself somewhat gingerly.
    “Sorry!” Dai looked his father up and down,
glaring at him. “I heard you were injured in Shrewsbury. You should
have brought us with you.”
    “Maybe I should have, but you were needed at
Mold, and I didn’t anticipate trouble.”
    “You should know by now, Father, that if you
don’t find trouble, it finds you,” Llelo said.
    Gareth smiled as he reached out his good arm
to pull Llelo into a hug as well. “I’ve missed you both.”
    The boys had been ten and almost twelve when
Gareth and Gwen had encountered them stranded in England. Three
years on, they were learning to be soldiers under the tutelage of
Cynan, Hywel’s younger brother, who oversaw these lands from
Denbigh. Both had grown a foot since they’d come to him. At nearly
fifteen,