“They didn’t come,” Niamh whispered sadly. “I thought for sure my family would come.”

Lorcan embraced his queen gently, wrapping his arms around her slender shoulders.

“There must be a good reason. Perhaps we haven’t seen them. Come, let’s look.”

Lorcan hailed his General.

“Can you find out if Lord Tigherneach has arrived?”

For Niamh, seconds seemed like minutes, and minutes seemed like hours. She began to pace slowly back and forth. Her ...