Part 4 (1/2)

”Father, it was Enda brought me back to you, and before all the princes and n.o.bles of Erin I am willing to be his bride.”

And she buried her head upon the king's breast, and as he stroked her silken hair falling to her feet, the bards struck their golden harps, but the sound of the joyous music could hardly drown the murmurs of the jealous n.o.bles.

When the music ceased the king beckoned Enda to him, and was about to place his hand in Mave's when a Druid, whose white beard almost touched the ground, and who had been a favorite of the dead stepmother, and hated Mave for her sake, stepped forward and said:

”O king of Erin, never yet has the daughter of a king been freely given in marriage to any save a battle champion; and that stripling there has never struck his spear against a warrior's s.h.i.+eld.”

A murmur of approbation rose from the jealous princes, and Congal, the bravest of them all, stepped out from the ranks, and said:

”The Druid speaks the truth, O king! That stripling has never faced a battle champion yet, and, speaking for all the n.o.bles of your land, I challenge him to fight any one of us; and as he is young and unused to arms, we are willing that the youngest and least experienced amongst us should be set against him.”

When Congal had spoken, the n.o.bles, in approval of his words, struck their s.h.i.+elds with their swords, and the brazen sound ascended to the skies.

The face of the princess, blus.h.i.+ng a moment before like a rose, became as white as a lily; but the color returned to her cheeks when she heard Enda's voice ringing loud and clear.

”It is true, O king!” said he, ”that I have never used my spear in battle yet. The Prince Congal has challenged me to meet the youngest and least experienced of the chiefs of Erin. I have risked my life already for your daughter's sake. I would face death a thousand times for the chance of winning her for my bride; but I would scorn to claim her hand if I dared not meet the boldest battle champion of the n.o.bles of Erin, and here before you, O king, and bards, Druids, and n.o.bles, and chiefs of Erin, and here, in the presence of the Lady Mave, I challenge the boldest of them all.”

The king's eyes flashed with joy as he listened to the brave words of Enda.

”It is well,” said the king; ”the contest shall take place to-morrow on the lawn outside our palace gates; but before our a.s.sembly dissolves I call on you, n.o.bles and chiefs of Erin, to name your boldest champion.”

Loud cries of ”Congal! Congal!” answered the king's speech.

”Are you willing, Congal?” asked the king.

”Willing, O king!” answered Congal.

”It is well,” said the king. ”We shall all meet again to-night in our banquet-hall.”

And the king, with the Princess Mave on his arm, attended by his bards and Druids, entered the palace, and the chiefs and n.o.bles went their several ways.

At the feast that night the princess sat beside the king, and Enda beside the princess, and the bards and Druids, n.o.bles and chiefs, took their places in due order. And the bards sang songs of love and battle, and never merrier hours were spent than those which pa.s.sed away that night in the banquet-hall of Erin's king.

When the feast was over Enda retired to his apartment to spend the night dreaming of the Princess Mave, and Congal went to his quarters; but not to sleep or dream, for the Druid who had provoked the contest came to him bringing his golden wand, and all night long the Druid was weaving spells to charm the s.h.i.+eld and spear and helmet of Congal, to make them invulnerable in the battle of the morrow.

But while Enda lay dreaming of the Princess Mave, the little fairy woman who gave him the water-dress, and crystal helmet, and s.h.i.+ning spear on the banks of the Boyne, slid into his room, and she placed beside his couch a silver helmet and a silver s.h.i.+eld. And she rubbed the helmet, and the s.h.i.+eld, and the blue blade and haft of his spear with the juice of the red rowan berries, and she let a drop fall upon his face and hands, and then she slid out as silently as she came.

When the morning broke, Enda sprang from his couch, and he could hardly believe his eyes when he saw the silver s.h.i.+eld and helmet. At the sight of them he longed for the hour of battle, and he watched with eager gaze the sun climbing the sky; and, after hours of suspense, he heard the trumpet's sound and the clangor of the hollow s.h.i.+elds, struck by the hard-pointed spears.

Putting on the helmet, and fastening the s.h.i.+eld upon his left arm, and taking the spear in his right hand, he stepped out bravely to the fight.

The edge of the lawn before the palace gates was ringed by the princes, n.o.bles, and chiefs of Erin. And the palace walls were thronged by all the beauties of the Court and all the n.o.ble ladies of the land. And on his throne, surrounded by his Druids, his brehons, and his bards, was the king of Erin, and at his feet sat the lovely Lady Mave.

As Enda stepped out upon the lawn, he saw Congal advancing from the ranks of the n.o.bles, and the two champions approached each other until they met right in front of the throne.

Then both turned towards the throne, and bowed to the king and the Princess Mave; and then facing each other again, they retired a s.p.a.ce, and when their spears were poised, ready for battle, the king gave the signal, which was answered by the clang of stricken s.h.i.+elds, and Congal and Enda launched their gleaming spears. They flashed like lightning in the sunlit air, and in a second Congal's had broken against Enda's s.h.i.+eld; but Enda's, piercing Congal's helmet, hurled him senseless on the plain.

The n.o.bles and chiefs could hardly realize that in that single second their boldest champion was overthrown; but when they saw him stretched motionless on the gra.s.sy sward, from out their ranks six warriors advanced to where the chieftain lay, and sadly they bore him away upon their battle-s.h.i.+elds, and Enda remained victor upon the field.

And then the king's voice rang out clear as the sound of a trumpet in the still morning: