Strongbow Read Free Page B

battles. One of the men who fought on the side of O’Connor, against Father, was Tiernan O’Rourke, the King of Brefni. O’Rourke killed most of the cattle in Leinster and burned the houses. He even burned Father’s home here at Ferns. O’Connor and O’Rourke wanted to make Father feel so small and helpless that he’d never even try to be king.’
    No wonder Father looked so sad sometimes, and sat staring into space with his chin on his fist. ‘How did he ever win over them?’ I wanted to know.
    Urla’s eyes danced. I never knew anyone who enjoyed telling awful things as much as Urla did. ‘About three years later, when O’Connor and O’Rourke were fighting in some other part of Ireland, Father took revenge.
    ‘Father’s aunt had been Abbess of Kildare, but O’Connor had made one of his own kinswomen abbess instead. So when his enemies were busy elsewhere, Father raised an army and broke into the abbey. He looted it, and he hurt the abbess very badly. That was his wicked deed.’
    ‘He’d never!’ I cried.
    ‘Ah but he did. I swear it. Then he made a woman of his own clan abbess. People were afraid of him after that. O’Connor and O’Rourke left him alone to be King of Leinster. But they never stopped trying to make trouble for him. Particularly O’Rourke, who hated him.
    ‘Then Father struck a terrible blow against O’Rourke. A few years before you were born, Aoife, Father stole O’Rourke’s wife.’
    Now I was sure she was lying. ‘How could you say such thingsabout Father?’ I shouted at Urla. ‘You’re an awful person and I’m glad Father gave me the pony instead of you, because I know he can’t love you at all!’ I whirled away from her and ran before she could hit me.
    I ran straight into the arms of my half-brother, Donal Mac Murrough Kavanaugh. ‘Here, what’s this about?’ he wanted to know.
    Sobbing with anger, I told him. He listened to me with a grave expression on his face. ‘Urla told you the truth,’ he said at last. ‘Father did indeed steal O’Rourke’s wife. At least, he took her away from Brefni. I was here when he brought her to Ferns.’
    ‘You were?’
    ‘I was indeed. He rode through the gates with her slung across his horse, and his men-at-arms following them, laughing and winking at one another. As she came into the courtyard the woman pretended to scream, so people would believe she had been taken against her will. But she didn’t scream very loudly and no one believed her. She and Father were too friendly. He gave her one of the best chambers and kept her here for a year or two, in great comfort.’
    ‘What did his wives say about it?’ I wanted to know.
    ‘They didn’t like it very much, nor did they like the woman, who was called Dervorgilla. But Father never offered to marry her, so they put up with her. Most of the Leinster folk approved of what Father had done. O’Rourke had insulted him, so he had returned the insult in full measure. And he never even paid O’Rourke an honour price for his stolen wife, which Father should have done under the law. It was a mighty insult to the King of Brefni and we thought he deserved it.
    ‘Of course, it made O’Rourke hate Father more than ever. But Father was never afraid of him. When Turlough O’Connor died, an Ulster king called Mac Loughlin won the high kingship and Father made friends with him. So now he has as an ally the most powerful king in Ireland, and he’s safe from O’Rourke.’
    ‘What happened to Dervorgilla?’ I wanted to know, relieved tohear that Father was safe.
    Donal laughed. ‘Oh, after a time she and Father fell out and she went away. I think she went into a convent somewhere.’
    Poor Dervorgilla, I thought. And then I forgot about her, which was a mistake.
    Because Dervorgilla was not forgotten in Ireland.
    By stealing her, Father had made O’Rourke hate him more than ever. Hate him enough to destroy him utterly, to become a deadly foe who would never rest until he saw my