The Hibernian Runaway

Chapter 2

 After they studied each other, they focused on the task at hand. Nial took one of Jonathan's arms and helped Lilly drag the unconscious body out of the tavern. They made their way over to the stocky work horse and threw Jonathan over the saddle. Nial ran around to the back of the tavern and came back with a mule. He mounted it and followed Lilly to the farm. They had been riding for a couple of minutes when the silence became unbearably awkward.

"You good at your job?" Lilly asked, hoping to strike up a conversation with the uncomfortable boy.

 "Yeah, pretty much. I clean the tankards and sometimes do refills. I just want to get out of there and do more than watch people get drunk." He said.

 They continued to talk throughout the ride, their mounts keeping a steady plodding pace. About half way to the farm, Jonathan woke up, this time sober. He groaned and they pulled their mounts to a stop. Quickly, Jonathan slid off the horse and ran to the side of the road and threw up. After a while, the sounds of retching stopped and he sat there, breathing heavily. Lilly slid out of the saddle, motioning for Nial to the same.

 Slowly, Lilly approached Jonathan.

 "You okay?" she asked.

 "No. How many drinks did Christopher give me?" He asked.

 "About five." Nial answered for her, "After you started your fifth he left with the two bags of wool you had along with you."

 Jonathan groaned, "I was supposed to sell them for money, not drinks."

 "I know, but you can tell Baron. Might get money back." Lilly suggested, trying to cheer Jonathan up.

 "Yeah I guess. I'll tell dad the truth and see if I can see the Baron about this problem." Jonathan said unhappily.

 "We’ll see Baron tomorrow. Let’s go home first."Lilly said, hoping to get home before his mother started to worry.

 "Yeah, you guys should get going. I'll follow you home." Nial said.

 Lilly swung up into the saddle and Nial helped Jonathan up behind her. Once Nial mounted his mule, Lilly tried to go at a fast trot. After a few steps, Jonathan groaned and almost threw up over the side of horse.

 "Can we go a little slower? All this lurching and swaying is making me nauseous." Jonathan complained.

 Lilly and Nial slowed their mounts to a walk. She was fuming inside because it would be dark in an hour and at their pace would get them to the farm a little after sundown. By then, it would be too late for Nial to go home alone, so he would have to stay the night. Hopefully, Joseph wouldn't be so mad with the loss of his profit, that he wouldn't turn Nial away.

 The horse and the mule continued to plod on, keeping a steady pace. Jonathan eventually nodded off and began to snore. The two animals and the three humans continued to walk to the farm after sun down. They finally reached the farm house well into the evening. They woke up Jonathan and dismounted. Lilly and Nial supported Jonathan and led him to the farm house. Meredith and Joseph came out and helped them get Jonathan into a bed. He wasn't drunk, but still delirious. Meredith had tears in her eyes as she saw her son in his state. Joseph said that Nial could stay the night and leave the next morning.

 Lilly and Nial walked out to their mounts and led them to the barn. As Lilly was replacing the bridle on the stable wall, Nial was rubbing the mule down with the hay that carpeted the floor. She filled a bucket of water and patted the horse as it drank. Lilly looked up when she heard Nial curse. Nial rummaged in his pockets feverishly. He finally found what he was looking for and moved it to a pocket on the inside of his jacket.

 "Is important?" Lilly asked.

 "Yeah, it's important for me." Nial answered.

 Lilly nodded and started to rub the horse down with a handful of hay, purposefully letting the silence stretch longer than it needed.

 "Can you keep a secret?" Nial asked.

 Lilly nodded, thinking of the major secret she was hiding from everyone.

 "I once took my grandmother's necklace out of the box my mother hid it in. It was a fine piece, so my mother punished me when she found out. Ever since then I became fascinated with the idea of working with jewelry. I began to sketch ideas for pieces. This notebook holds all of my sketches." Nial said showing a small leather-bound book, wrapped in a thick piece of vellum.

 "Good dream." Lilly said. "Can you keep secret?"

 "I guess." Nial said.

 "Can't tell anyone." Lilly warned.

 "I swear that I won't tell anyone your secret, if it means that much to you." Nial answered.

 Lilly took a deep breath. What she was attempting was ludicrous. If the wrong people heard what she was about to tell Nial, it would surely mean her death.

 "My name is Lilly O'Carrick. I'm Princess of Clonmel, next in line for the throne after my father, King Sean of Clonmel." Lilly said, not bothering to drawl her words or hiding her accent.

 Nial stared open mouthed at Lilly. "You're the Princess? Why are you in Araluen, if you are Hibernian?" He asked.

 "My mother died when I was five, so my father remarried. My step-mother had a son, but it isn't my father’s son. He doesn't know that, but the boy's father, Gregory McKennel, does." Lilly continued.

 "Does that affect the boy's claim to the throne?" Nial asked.

 "Queen Josephine could be executed for having an affair, and since the boy doesn't have any relation to the King, he can't ever rule Clonmel. I overheard Josephine talking to Gregory on how she planned to take 'the King of fools' off the throne and have her son rule. I was discovered by a guard and that's when I realized that some of the guards were in on the secret. I realized that I needed to get out of Hibernia and my life, and my father's, depended on it. I tried to bring him with me, but at the stables we were confronted and my father held them off and told me to run." Lilly explained.

 "Oh my God. But why didn't you go straight to King Duncan?" Nial asked.

 "Believe me I tried, but my step-mother sent the guards after me. I’ve only been in Araluen for about a month. The guards beat me to Duncan. She told him that I was a mere maid that killed a guard. He agreed to have an eye out for me, so I can't approach him without getting thrown into a dungeon." Lilly answered miserably.

 "Do you have a-a…” Nial stuttered, not able to get the word out.

 “A signet ring?" I suggested.

 “Yeah.” Nial said, "That should grant you immediate entry to King Duncan's chambers."

 "I have a signet ring I keep on my necklace, but my step-mother told King Duncan that I stole it. I would have to prove that I am indeed the Princess. That would require my father, which is impossible.” Lilly replied.

 Nial sat, thinking. "You could go to Baron Arald and show him the signet necklace. You could get a hearing, and maybe house arrest, just enough time to prove your innocence."

 "Yeah, I could do that; get the Baron on my side." Lilly said, contemplating Nial's idea. “But I don’t exactly want to be arrested.”

 "I guess we could go to the Baron in the morning. I'll go and support your claim." Nial said.

 Lilly nodded and said, "Fine let's go and get some sleep."

They left the barn and walked to the farm house. Joseph had set out a cot for Nial, with some extra blankets. Lilly climbed onto her own cot and listened to the breathing of the other people in the room. Soon, she drifted off into sleep, hoping that the next day would go easier than what Nial expected.