Keepers of the Moon

Chapter 10. Mo Bhean (3)

‘Was she poisoned?’ King Domhnall’s words sounded harshly in the eerie silence that hung in the room. He now came closer and sat down on the large chair next to the desk. He looked suddenly very old, with his eyes sunken deeply into his face and his ashy hair uncombed. He was wearing a simple green jumper with thick woollen trousers. I knew he was the King because I’d seen him the night before, but he didn’t look like one now. He just looked like a tired broken man. I softened up a bit to him, he had had a really bad night. Something had happened between him and King Einar, so much was clear from his angry rant and he just didn’t know what to do with all his feelings. His erratic behaviour was not aimed at Mo Bhean it was just his helplessness personified. I looked at his greying beard and aging face. He had pale blue-grey eyes that told much of his story. There was pain and loss hidden in them. The pain of losing his wife and then his daughter. And that last was caused by Einar, my hatred for him flared up. With this came also the doubt whether I should keep seeing Hlér. Even though he seemed innocent he was still the son of the enemy. The enemy that hurt Mo Bhean. Even though he would return home soon, it felt like betraying the people that took me in if I did meet up with him.

‘I doubt it,’ Sir Macintosh shot a glance toward me, his expression unreadable.

Suddenly Ben came storming in, his face twisted into fear and tears glistening in his eyes. He looked at Mo Bhean and sat down in front of her. He laid his hands on her knees and looked up toward her face, but she didn’t respond. She didn’t even notice him. It was heart wrenching to see the look of pain on his face.

‘Mum, can you hear me?’ Mum? Did he just call her his mother? That didn’t make any sense, he was way older than she was.

‘Mum, can you tell me what happened. You were dancing last night, I saw you. Do you remember?’ Still no reaction and Ben suddenly burst out in tears.

‘Did she say anything to you?’ Sir Macintosh’s voice was small, he too was fighting his emotions. I just shook my head and made some room for Ben so he could sit next to her. He needed it more than I did. Now I was standing a little lost in the middle of Mo Bhean’s room, invading in a very private moment.

‘Do you remember who she was dancing with?’ Ben shook his head between sobs, he was now holding one of Mo Bhean’s hands in his own, while stroking her fingers.

‘To be honest, I don’t remember much of last night… I shouldn’t have…’ His voice trailed off and he started sobbing again.

‘Ben, this is not your fault. If Saoirse didn’t see it coming, no one could.’ He just nodded, but still blamed himself. A little uncomfortable I averted my eyes and started looking at the papers still scattered on her desks. Most of them were written notes or official papers regarding political matters. Then my eyes caught a drawing halfway hidden underneath a book. I pulled it out and gasped.

‘What is it?’ King Domhnall looked at me, his expression unreadable.

I looked again at the drawing and the likeness was uncanny. It was a drawing of Tane, the young man who had shadowed Hlér. He was wearing his hair in a messy bun and he had the same dark eyes and the same smirk. Though unlike Tane the drawing radiated kindness.

Ben took the drawing from my hands and also gasped.

‘He was with King Einar at the party!’ He showed the rest of the people in the room the drawing.

‘You mean she met this guy, came home and drew a perfect picture of him?’ Kind Domhnall looked astonished. I didn’t blame him, why would she do that? It didn’t make any sense.

‘No, this is an old drawing, I saw her working on it about a month ago,’ said Sir Macintosh slowly, the tension in his shoulders grew. Mo Bhean’s eyes were now fixated on the piece of paper in Ben’s hands, she was still shaking but she pushed out a single word.

‘Manaia.’ Her voice was raspy and the hairs on my back were standing straight up. She sounded so weak and full of pain everybody fell silent. I could only hear the fearful heartbeats around me. Ben just stood there shocked, while Domhnall looked lost.

‘Manaia? What does that mean?’ Sir Macintosh looked at Ben, who shook his head. He had no idea. Then Saoirse doubled over and started seizing. Sean sprang up and laid her down on the bed. Ben ran out of the room with large and heavy steps.

‘Saoirse!’

With a soft hand King Domhnall escorted me out of the room.

‘We don’t need to see this.’

‘Is she going to be alright?’

He shook his head. ‘I don’t know.’

Then Ben came speeding past us, with a nurse and a stretcher on his heels.

I knew for sure that Tane had something to do with everything that had happened to her. My feelings about him hadn’t been wrong.