Page 110 of Bride of Fire
Morgan probably knew that as well. “So ye approved o’ this? Ye approved o’ your kin consortin’ with the lass?”
“Consortin’?” Bethac scoffed. “I don’t know what ye’re talkin’ about. The lass was only doin’ me a kindness, trainin’ my William so he’d not be killed in battle.”
“Battle?” William yelped. “Is there to be battle?”
“Nay!” Morgan ground out in exasperation. “There will be no battle.”
“But therecouldbe,” Bethac argued. “And ye can’t deny his marksmanship has improved. Hasn’t it, lad?”
“Och, aye,” William said with a proud grin.
“He hasn’t missed the target once,” Feiyan said. “And he shot two bull’s-eyes.”
“The lass is remarkable, m’laird,” Bethac gushed, “as skilfull as Flidhais.”
Jenefer lifted her chin a notch. It wasn’t the first time she’d been compared to the goddess of the hunt.
“Flidhais? Is that so?” Morgan asked, arching a sardonic brow. “So ye think I should put her in charge o’ my army now?”
“Och, nay, o’ course not,” Bethac said, wrinkling her nose. “Just the archers.”
Morgan pressed at his throbbing temple.
Jenefer bit her lip. Here was a tempting idea. If Morgan put her in charge of the archers, she’d get to keep her weapon.
“I’ll do it,” she blurted out.
“What?” he scoffed.
“I’ll train your archers.”
“Ye’ll do no such thing.”
“Why not?”
“Aye,” said Bethac. “Why not?”
He glanced up at the maidservant. Jenefer knew he didn’t wish to reveal the truth to her. That the warrior maids were not in fact guests, but prisoners. Not innocents to be protected, but foes to be feared.
“I can train them myself,” Morgan said.
“Do you doubt my skills?” Jenefer said in bold challenge.
“Do ye doubt mine?”
She gave him a grim smile. She’d never seen him draw a bow. But she was confident she could outshoot any man.
“I’ll make you a wager,” she offered. “Three shots. Whoever wins gets command of the archers.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
“A contest of arms!” Feiyan cheered from above.
“You can even fetch your own longbow to make it a fair match,” Jenefer said. “I’ll wait.”
“I’m not goin’ to shoot against ye,” he told her.
“Why not? Are you afraid you’ll lose?”
