Read Caledonia Fae 05 - Elder Druid for Free Online Page B

glanced at Munro, her eyes losing focus slightly as they did when she was communicating telepathically.
    Munro turned to Tràth and took Maiya out of his arms. “I was thinking of heading over to the library. Care to join me?”
    Eilidh touched his arm. “Surely you aren’t thinking of taking Maiya to the library.”
    “Why not?” He gave Maiya a dopey look. “You want to come with Daddy, don’t you? Can you say Daddy? Da-da?”
    “Daddy?” Tràth glanced toward Eilidh and Griogair.
    “Don’t ask,” Eilidh told him. “It’s a human expression.” She turned to Munro, who continued babbling to the child. “I’ve sent for a nurse. It might be more comfortable for Tràth if the nurses take her while you two chat. Besides, I don’t think the Keepers are accustomed to infants. Her presence might disrupt their work.”
    Two nurses stepped into Griogair’s study as Munro bounced the giggling Maiya in his arms. “All right,” he said. “Maiya, you want to go play without Daddy at our Hall for a bit?”
    The tiny princess’ lower lip trembled as he handed her to the female nurse. The woman at least had the good sense to whisk the child away before Munro could change his mind.
    “Well,” Munro said, looking out the archway at the retreating figures. “I suppose she’ll be all right.” The whole thing confused Tràth. How could Munro believe the child would be better off with him, an obvious novice with children, to someone who had been raising children for hundreds of years? Wasn’t he worried she would form an unnatural attachment to her parents?
    “Yes, I’d love to join you,” Tràth said, seizing the opportunity to get away from the Caledonian Hall.
    Eilidh spoke up. “I hope you will spend a few days at the Hall,” she said. “We plan to remain at least until the Feast of Dilum. We would so enjoy some time with you.”
    “Thank you,” he said. “I have no immediate plans. I will stay for a few days, at least.” Between the packing and travelling, it had taken half a day to get to the Halls of Mist. He was in no hurry to reverse the journey so soon.
    After saying a quick goodbye to his father and Queen Eilidh, Tràth followed Munro to the main floor and into the Caledonian courtyard. When they arrived, the druid turned to him. “Look, we don’t need to go to the library. I made the excuse to get you out of there, if you wanted. I told Eilidh this whole thing with you and the Zalian princess was a bad idea.”
    “Did you?” Tràth asked, surprised to find an ally in Munro. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been. After all, the dinner request was about politics, a game Munro played by instinct rather than practice or guile.
    “Sure,” Munro said. “Yeah, it would help the Druid Hall to have a diplomatic tie to Zalia. If you had a friendly relationship with their princess, she would likely be more open, because of your bond with Douglas. And I know Caledonia is interested in negotiating favourable terms with them on trading for gold and rare metals. Then there’s the Keepers, who have no representatives in Zalia. They’d like nothing better than to add to their stores of knowledge and be allowed to search for significant runestones.”
    Tràth chuckled. “This is you describing why it’s a bad idea for me to meet with the princess?”
    Munro expression turned serious. “None of that means anything if doing so would make you unhappy. I can tell by looking at you that you’re not content.”
    “What of my duty?” Tràth asked, curious about the reversal of the argument.
    Munro shrugged. “We druids are used working hard to gain a queen’s confidence. Besides, we’ve finished our Mistgate, so we have options. If Queen Naima is as close to death as they say, things will soon change in Zalia no matter who the princess selects as her mate. The keepers will likely find her more amenable than her mother, regardless of your choice.”
    “And Caledonia?”
    “So Eilidh pays a little more for