" I must speak to you."

The king turned around and looked at the tearful face of his young wife.

" What's wrong?"

She bowed her head and looked to the ground.

" I do not enjoy telling you this, as I know how it will reflect on your honour... But it is about your son."

" What about him?"

" He... He keeps pursuing me, with increasing persistence."

" Don't talk like that about Máel. He is an honourable young man. He would never do such a thing."

" Today he even sent Congal to take me to him by force, but I resisted him."

" You're lying! I don't want to hear you talk about him in such a way, vile woman."

" But it's true. Look!"

She pulled back her hair and revealed the stripe left by Congal's whip.

" I can't believe it."

" I'll prove it to you. Tonight, at the fireplace his words will betray him. You do know about Aife's Cows? He wanted me to meet him there."

" We'll see..."

--

The cold wind made the doors ramble in their hinges, but inside the hall the flames spread their warm yellow glow. Máel and Congal were sitting near the fire, with the hunting dogs at their feet. Máel had given them to Congal in return for the trouble he had taken to bring his rejection across. The warrior gently stroked their fur and smiled.

" There she comes", he said and he nodded to the door of the women's quarters.

" I wonder if she dares to play."

" Probably not. She'll embarrass herself even more. How could she reply without giving everything away?"

She walked to the king and gestured at the two young men. He nodded silently and looked on how she went towards them.

" It's cold against the whirlwind", Máel said, " For someone herding Aife's Cows."

She nodded and gave him a cold glance.

" It's cold against the whirlwind, for someone herding Aife's cows. And it's vain herding without cows..."

She lowered her voice and leant towards him.

" Without someone to love."

" So it is true!", the king cried.

" Aedan! Come over here!"

The fearsome champion of the clan obeyed immediately.

" Put them to the spear."

Before he could react, Aedan's spear pierced Máel's chest. Blood flowed over his clothes and he fell from his chair. Lying on the floor he saw Congal fall too and as he looked up at the king, he saw the fury on his face.

" How dared you pursue my wife?", he yelled.

" Pursue her? It is she who pursued me! So I say, as certain as I'm dying."

And while the king knew it was the truth, all that had been drawn to the scene by the noise had heard it too.

" Máel, what have we done? Máel?"

" The king had Máel killed for no reason!", the people shouted," Murderer! Kin slayer!"

Several shafts were flung at Aedan who collapsed next to his two victims. The king in his turn staggered back and drew his sword. He tried to defend himself as well as he could, but stumbled over the benches and fell.

Echaid's daughter stared at the bodies.

" Oh Máel, now you are naught but a cold corpse in the corner of the hall. What have we gained? What have we done?"

" Let's ride to Dunseverick and avenge Máel on Echaid and his clan!", someone cried, " It's all his daughter's fault."

And she knew it was true. She had brought death and destruction upon both Leinster and Dunseverick. She walked over to the bodies of Máel and Congal, sang an elegy to the men that had fallen because of her and then cast herself upon her dagger...

And that was the tragic story of Máel Fothartaig, son of the king of Leinster, and of the daughter of Echaid.