Chapter 18: Enemy

Siannon thought if she really were a ghost, then haunting castles was the most boring existence imaginable. She couldn’t talk to anyone, couldn’t sample the delicious food from the castle’s chef, and most of all, couldn’t talk to Dylan, even though it would have been the most confusing conversation they ever had.

All she could do was watch, and like most wakes and funerals, it was boredom interrupted with sadness and joy as the life of the departed was remembered with tears and laughter. It made her wish she could have known her mother-in-law with the same longing she felt toward her own lost mother.

Like all royal funerals, it was filled with pomp and majesty, the eulogy delivered by King Malcolm, the officiant the Bishop of Canterbury, who traveled from England to pay their respects. When it was over, the family greeted dozens of well-wishers. Watching them made Siannon feel as exhausted as they looked when it was over.

She followed the princes to their quarters. While Quinn lay on his bed undisturbed, Kane waited for Dylan to enter and tripped him, pushing him to the floor. Dylan sprung up and charged Kane, tackling him to the ground. They scuffled until their father entered, shouting for the brothers to stop.

The fight took Siannon back to when she had first met this malicious Kane. He had been her beloved brother-in-law for so many years; she had almost forgotten that he had been Dylan’s most despised enemy in their youth.