Warfare of The Heart

"I am afraid," Nolee admitted. "What if he does have other heirs?"

"What difference would it make?" Sheamus said, shrugging his shoulders. "He can't take away the throne you'll have beside me."

"Because it would mean my father did not cherish my mother," Nolee replied.

Sheamus nodded slowly, frowning. "Right..."

Before he could say anything else, Evan suddenly spoke. "Um, m'lady, would you like some help serving that?" He asked, gesturing to the stew she was making.

Nolee smiled, "I do not need help but if you wish to help me Evan you can."

Evan smiled back at Nolee and nodded before going to collect the bowls, bringing them over to her.

Sheamus sighed as he ran his hand through his hair, watching them quietly.

Carter sat next to Sheamus, "You truly love my sister Celt?"

Nolee smiled as she worked with him, "So are you sure you want to do this? There are quite a few bowls to be made."

Sheamus nodded, not taking his eyes off Nolee. "Yes, I do."

"I'm sure," Evan said, nodding. "I don't mind."

"How long now?" Carter asked, "How long have you loved her?"


Nolee smiled, "I think you and I are going to be good friends."

"I...don't know," Sheamus said nervously. "I didn't really count the days."

"What?" Evan said, looking confused. "Why would you say that?"

"How did she come to know you?" Carter asked, sitting by the fire so that Sheamus didn't feel intimidated.

"Well you seem like a very nice fellow," Nolee frowned, "I'm sorry if I said that you and I were going to be friends and that embarassed you..."

"Uh...it's a long story." Sheamus replied, not sure if he should tell Carter. "I guess through a misunderstanding. She...she helped me though I guess."

"Oh, no; you didn't embarass me." Evan said. "I just- well you're to be the queen, I've never been friends with anyone like that..."

"You treat her right, correct?" Carter asked, "Not like I have seen other Celtic men treat their lovers."

"Before I was queen I was a simpleton," Nolee smiled kindly.

"Of course I do," Sheamus answered. "I'd say those kind of people don't really love the person if they do that..."

"You were?" Evan asked, looking surprised. "How does that work?"

"You'd be right," Carter replied, "however I know the rights of a person don't always hold up when the rights of a culture are involved."

"Well I was a prisoner wasn't I?" Nolee asked.

Sheamus frowned and nodded. "I know, some people just don't care..."

"Well I guess so...at least for a short time you were," Evan said quietly. "But before that though it still would have been very different."

"Well I'm sorry that I couldn't see that you were a kind man to her and she fell in love with you because of it," Carter replied.

"I was a warrior, same as you," Nolee shrugged.

"It's fine," Sheamus said, shrugging his shoulders. "Yeh didn't even really get to see us together..."

"You were?" Evan asked curiously, raising an eyebrow.

"I judged before I knew," replied Carter, "I'm very sorry that I did that."

Nolee nodded, "I was."

"At least yeh came to your senses before... Well you know what almost happened." Sheamus said, looking down at the ground.

"Is that common?" Evan asked.

Carter frowned, "I was standing by what I was taught. We were taught to hate and fear the Celts. I have heard stories of what you have done to the women of my fathers villages. Well...maybe not you but Celts as a peoples..."

"Not really," Nolee chuckled, "nothing about my upbringing was really common."

"I understand that, most of us are taught to hate others like that..." Sheamus said softly. "We aren't all the same though, we have ...disagreements against even the other Celts."

"It doesn't sound like it either." Evan chuckled. "It sounds like it would have been more interesting though."

"You have fought with your men?" Carter asked, "When?"


"You must have lived an interesting life as well," Nolee smiled.

"Not my men exactly, just Celts from other towns...and other Irishmen." Sheamus said. "We...don't always get along with the other half."

Evan shrugged his shoulders. "No, not really."

"Really?" Carter asked, "I suppose that's normal. Not all of us Germans get along. And it's very rare that anyone gets along with us."

Nolee smiled, "Come, help me feed the men."