The Prize in the Game | Page 5

might happen already.
You know what ap Fathag said when I asked him whether I really

would marry Darag the way my mother wants?"
"Your mother might want it, but it will be up to Conary just as much,"
Conal said.
"I know," Emer said. "I don't want to. He's in love with Elenn."
"Marriage is nothing to do with love," Conal said.
"I know that, too," Emer said. "But anyway, when I asked your
grandfather, he said 'Often enough you do.' That's just so horrible. Even
if I don't, even if I manage to get out of it, often enough other ones of
me didn't, and have to marry him, ugh. I'd much rather not know that."
Inis was at the top gates, speaking to the guard, and they were almost
on him. Conal was intrigued enough to stop. "Ugh? You don't like
Darag?"
"He's horrible. I hate him," Emer said, in a whisper. Then she went on,
almost running to catch up with Inis. Conal followed more slowly,
trying to smooth out the frown that wanted to come down between his
eyes.

2. (Elenn)
Elenn smiled at Leary, but it wasn't any fun. He was too besotted, there
was no challenge there at all. He would have done anything for her, but
it didn't matter. Besides, he might be King Conary's nephew, but he
wasn't anybody really. Nobody thought he might be the next king of
anywhere. Dear Ferdia was almost sure to be the next king of Lagin. As
for Oriel, it was bound to be Darag or Conal. Her mother had told her
before she left home that it would almost certainly be Darag. That
didn't mean it wasn't worth being nice to Conal in case, Maga had
added. As if Elenn would ever be mean to people just because they
weren't important. That wasn't the same as not worth bothering with.
She smiled at Leary again, and looked up at him through her lashes. It
was amazing how easy it was.

Maga had told her a lot of things about how to act with men, but she
had never had a chance to try them out until she came to Ardmachan.
Back at Cruachan everyone knew her, and what's more, everyone had
seen Maga. Next to Maga, Elenn thought, she barely counted as prettier
than Emer. Away from Maga it was a completely different story.
Amagien ap Ross had written a poem saying she was one of the three
most beautiful women in the island of Tir Isarnagiri. That made her feel
quite shaken, and all excited deep inside, but she knew how to act.
Alone with Emer at night she had laughed and recited the poem over,
but in front of everyone she sat listening to it being sung as if it was
nothing unusual. But it was, it was very unusual for such a poem to be
written about a seventeen year old girl who was away from home for
the first time in her life and enjoying every minute of it.
It was strange that Amagien was Conal's father. It was hard to imagine
people more different. Amagien was so emotional, and Conal was so
driven. Conal was so handsome, too, like ap Fathag, even though ap
Fathag was so old. Amagien wasn't at all handsome. But he had good
manners, unlike his son. She could have liked Conal, except that he
didn't like her. He tried not to show it, but he didn't. He was too clever.
She thought maybe sometimes he could see what she was doing and
laughing at it, or sometimes disapproving of it. She'd have to try harder
with him, she could see that. He thought too much.
The one she really liked was Ferdia. He was the one she was going to
ask her mother if she could marry. Then Maga would fix it. Emer could
have Darag, if she wanted, Maga thought that was a good idea anyway.
Maga was good at that sort of thing. She liked Darag, but he scared her
sometimes. Darag was wild. He might be the strongest and the best
fighter, but Ferdia was taller and gentler. She had the feeling he would
have been kind to her even if she hadn't been beautiful. He was kind to
Emer. Darag and Conal had hardly noticed that Emer existed. In some
ways it was really nice that she was the important one, that nobody
cared about Emer here. But it was wrong even so. Elenn was so used to
being compared to her sister. And she had to share a room with her, she
had to hear Emer's views on everything. In front of everyone, Emer was
quiet, the way Maga had told them to be. But get her alone and she

wanted