In the Arms of a King (My Warrior Lover) by Daniella Divine Page A

the consequences. 
    Eithne took one of the horses that were grouped at the edge of the clearing and led it towards the main path that led out of Camlan. There was supposed to be a sentry posted there, but he must have gone to take a leak in the woods, because there was no-one on watch. That made her exit easy. Eithne led the horse out of sight before climbing up and galloping away. The route that Sabina and Blaine had taken to find the village was the shortest one, but it was too narrow and overgrown to be suitable for horses. So the path that Eithne took was a longer one, but the horse was fast enough to cover the ground quickly.  Within an hour or two, she was in the settlement that had grown up around the Roman fort, tying her horse up at the inn, and letting it drink from the water trough.
    The innkeeper was at the door of his tavern, washing away the vomit that one of his patrons had left on his doorstep the night before. He frowned when he saw Eithne. One glance at her clothing told him she was one of the wild Scots.
    ‘We don’t want any trouble around here,’ he said. ‘We are trying to lead a peaceful life. Nobody wants your sort coming round stirring things up.’
    ‘You judge me very hastily,’ Eithne replied. ‘Why should you assume I am here to cause you problems?’
    ‘I’ve been here a long time. I know trouble when I see it. And those damned Romans are stirred up enough already at the moment.’
    ‘Stirred up? How do you mean?’
    The innkeeper gave her a condescending look. ‘Haven’t you heard? The Commander’s daughter is missing. Been gone since yesterday morning. They’re going crazy up at the fort, sending out search parties all over the place. I’ve even heard they have been torturing locals to force information out of them. It’s a bad business…no sense coming here to make things worse.’
    Eithne walked away from the inn, deep in thought. So she was right. The bitch was no ordinary Roman – she was the Commander’s daughter. And her disappearance was turning the whole fort upside down.
    Interesting.
    This situation definitely had potential. But how to handle it? That was the question. Eithne deliberated for a moment, and decided that the only way to deal with this was head on. There was a risk that her plans could backfire and she could find herself in Roman custody. But if she got this right, she could ensure that events played out to her advantage. Blaine would get his come-uppance for abandoning her like an unwanted toy, and Talorc would be brought down with him. Better still, that bitch Sabina would be back in Roman hands and out of her hair. And then she, Eithne, would be perfectly positioned to become the leader of her people.
    Eithne, Queen of Scots.
    It had a nice ring to it.
    Eithne walked quickly through the town and up the ramparts towards the fort. As she approached the gate, the sentry on duty stepped forward and pulled his sword. Eithne stopped directly in front of him.
    ‘I want to speak to the Commander. I have urgent business.’
    The sentry was clearly taken aback to be addressed in Latin by a Pictish woman. He peered at her closely.
    ‘Who the hell are you?’
    ‘Never mind who I am. I have news of the whereabouts of the Commander’s daughter. I need to speak to him immediately.’
    ‘Why should I take the word of some damned Barbarian woman?’
    ‘Because if the Commander finds out that I have information about his daughter, but you refused me entry…well, I wouldn’t want to think about the consequences for you. You would be lucky to escape with your life.’
    The sentry thought for a moment, the sense of the comments clearly sinking in.
    ‘OK. You wait here.’
    Eithne waited patiently at the gate. It was a long time since she had last stood on this ground. Many years had passed since she had left here as a girl. Many things had changed. The fortifications had been extended, the town had grown considerably. But the fort she had known of old was still