Gormlaith The Illustrious and Beautiful Princess,”

In the great hall of the Uí Feilan a meeting was taking place.

Murchad Mac Finn, chief of the Uí Feilan, had long fought against the Vikings of Dublin.

Here, where he had his Rath at Naas he was in easy reach of them and they raided into his territory.

Murchad was a powerful chief, a vassal of an even bigger host, the Uí Dunlainge.

The Vikings had built a wooden palisade at Dublin and an inner fort on a mound. They had created a port.

But it was becoming clear that for now at least they had no strong aim of expanding into land conquest. They wanted to trade. Their ships went all over the known world from the Baltic, Norway, Orkney and Shetland, Iceland, Spain and the Mediterranean. And Dublin had become a wealthy city.

And Murchad had other enemies to north and south, rival chiefs who looked for weakness. This boil on his north eastern flank was a constant distraction.

In a recent skirmish men had been lost on both sides. It was time to parley.

Before Murchad sat Olafr, king of Dublin. The torches lit up his blond hair, braided and tied back. His light beard had tinges of red. His mailed coat glimmered as he moved.

Olafr had proposed a treaty to Murchad. Free trade with the Irish, for no expansion and no raiding into Ireland.

Knowing Murchad wanted this treaty badly, Olafr was trying to secure as good a deal as he could get. Free trade was extremely valuable, or its confirmation. Both had seen the benefits of the fort. The Irish got foreign metalwork, cloth, wine and a place to sell their captives from warfare with other clans.

The Vikings got food from the Irish; meat and wool, timber and above all a trading port to earn silver and gold.

Olafr had been at the Rath of Naas for two days already. He had spied amongst those who served the nobles, a young woman, Gormlaith; of medium build, and slender, auburn hair, worn long, round shaped blue green eyes, set in an oval face with high cheekbones. And pale skin.

Undoubtedly of noble birth. She spoke a little Norse slipping from one to the other with ease.

When negotiations seemed stalled, Brian had said to Olafr.

“I have offered no interference, free trade with the mainland Irish. I have offered an exchange of prisoners and yet you hesitate. What will it take for you to make a peace?”

Olafr spoke,

“There is one thing which will make the peace,

You have a daughter, Gormlaith by name.”

Murchad studied Olafr then said,

“Gormlaith, Gormlaith. A fair flower indeed. But she is of our faith whereas you follow Odin.”

“All my life I have been learning. I could learn this new thing.”

Murchad was silent for a moment. Perhaps this would be good, perhaps the pagans would mellow with Christianity. So far it had only had a marginal effect on his own people who continued to feud. Yet a marriage would bind Olafr to him. Only yesterday Murchad’s adviser Domnall had said “The Vikings are few and they lack women. It is through Irish women we can conquer them.”

“Very well,” said Murchad, standing up, “if this is the last obstacle, it shall be; you will have Gormlaith.” And he held out his hand and clasped that of Olafr.

Gormlaith sat in the womens’ hall, braiding her hair. Maeve her servant girl came in and whispered,

“Mistress prepare yourself for your father King Murchad has given you to King Olafr as part of the treaty.

“What!” said Gormlaith, springing up, her blue green eyes flashing.

“I am a woman of the royal household, daughter of the kings of Leinster. Of the ancient Irish nobility. I hold the bloodline of Finn McCool. He cannot do this.”

“But he has mistress. I am to prepare you.”

“But I will not be his first wife,” shouted Gormlaith, “he already has Dunlaith, and children by her.” She paused for a moment.

“I must go to my father now.”

“You cannot mistress, he is still in counsel with Olafr - you will be

Impressum

Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG

Texte: alastair macleod
Bildmaterialien: alastair macleod: Irish princess - purchased from dreamstime royalty free photos.
Lektorat: alastair macleod
Übersetzung: cover typeset in effloresce.
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 26.07.2015
ISBN: 978-3-7396-0718-4

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Widmung:
To the women of Ireland who have had to put up with much. And acknowledgements to Julia and Charlie McCarthy and their assistant for help with the Irish.