Their adventure started happily enough. The sun shone brightly, the horses were fresh, and Lorcan and Niamh were enjoying each other’s company with cheerful conversation. Fergal balanced easily on the Queen’s arm as she rode. As the remaining two villages were not far away, the king and queen took a small company, including Boru and Aengus, with them.

The first village was deep within the oldest part of the forest, with roads wound around trees, and small but elegant homes were ...