Courting the Kings was a virtual representation of one of Eivor Varinsdottir's genetic memories, relived by Layla Hassan through the Portable Animus HR-8.5.
Description[]
Eivor met with Flann Sinna at Clogher to discuss constituting his rule over the Northern Uí Néill.
Dialogue[]
Eivor arrived in Clogher and walked into the war tent, where Flann and Ciara ingen Medba were talking.
- Flann: God has heard my prayers.
- Eivor: You flatter me, lord, but what's wrong? Where's Bárid?
- Ciara: He's not returned, nor the two messengers sent after him.
- Flann: This cannot be simple misfortune. It hints at some dark design.
- Eivor: Let me go after him, lord. If he lives, I will find him.
- Flann: Even with your cunning and guile, you would not go unchallenged. Not without a Kings' Pass, and few Vikings have those.
- Ciara: I'd wager a few from Donegal do.
- Eivor: Donegal? A Norse settlement?
- Ciara: A port, on the western shore. A fair bit of their trade finds it way to Aileach, so someone there is bound to have a pass.
- Eivor: Is this port well-guarded?
- Ciara: It's crawling with Norsemen grown lazy on success. They'd not expect someone to go Viking on them.
- Eivor: Good. I'll go to Donegal now and get one of these passes ... with your leave, lord.
- Flann: If it means fewer lives lost, you have my blessing.
Eivor asks Flann to travel and find out about Bárid's welfare
Eivor left the meeting and headed for Donegal to find a Kings' Pass. Eivor traveled and arrived at Donegal.
- Eivor: If there are any Kings' Passes to be had, I may well find one here.
Eivor looked around and saw a Norse soldier was carrying one. Eivor stole the pass and left the settlement.
- Eivor: This should get me through Aileach's gates.
With a Kings' Pass, Eivor traveled and arrived at Aileach.
- Eivor: An impressive fortress. One cannot help but wonder what's within. Now to see how they treat someone with a Kings' Pass.
Eivor went inside the fortress and came to a guarded house.
- Irish Soldier 1: What business have you here?
- Eivor: The business of kings. Here is my pass.
- Irish Soldier 1: Go on, then.
Eivor enters Niall and Domnall's throne room
Eivor entered the house and walked into the throne room where the joint kings of Aileach sat as a drunken Bárid lay sleeping nearby.
- King Niall: Who are you to come before the Kings of Aileach unannounced?
Bárid was snoring and then suddenly woke up.
- Bárid: Fergal?
Bárid looked at Eivor.
- Bárid: You're not Fergal. I don't know you.
- Eivor: I am ... Sturm of Donegal. Who is Fergal?
Eivor talking to Kings Niall and Domnall
- King Domnall: The King of Dublin speaks of a cousin who advised us for a time.
- King Niall: A glorified goat herder who should have taken our advice. So, Sturm, what brings a Viking from Donegal here?
- Eivor: You tell me. I came at your invitation.
- King Domnall: There is some mistake. I sent no such message.
- King Niall: It wasn't me. It could've been you-know-who. But he hates Vikings.
- King Domnall: Forgive my brother's bluntness. We will get to the root of this, I assure you. Can I offer you a drink?
- Bárid: Yes! More drink! I haven't seen the bottom of my cup since I got here. If I wasn't a trusting man, I'd say they're trying to keep me drunk.
- Eivor: No drink for me. I'll return when you have finished your ... kings' business.
- Bárid: If it's not drink you're wanting, you should take a tour of the ringfort. It's ... it's renowned throughout all the land.
- King Domnall: As we've told you several times, King Bárid, the Ringfort of Aileach is not open to guests.
- King Niall: In fact, you could even say that it's closed for a select few.
- Bárid: Ah... so, you're keeping prisoners there?
Domnall became angry with Niall while Bárid laughed.
- Bárid: O have a drink, you two! Do ya think I haven't taken a few hostages myself?
- Eivor: I'll seek out a place to rest until you remember why I was summoned here.
- King Domnall: Of course, of course, your pass will grant you free run of this place.
- Bárid: If you see Fergal, say hello for me!
- King Niall: For the last time, Bárid, the ringfort is off limits!
Eivor leaving to investigate the ringfort
After she left, Eivor understood Bárid's charade.
- Eivor: If I read Bárid right, freeing Fergal could be the key to liberating Aileach. And to do that, I need to get inside that fort.
Eivor headed to the ringfort.
- Eivor: My pass won't get me into that ringfort. I'll need to find another way.
Eivor sleuthed her way into the ringfort and found the prisoner underneath. However, Eivor needed a key and she saw that it was on a soldier. After obtaining the key, Eivor released prisoners one at a time.
- Irish Soldier 2: Hey! You're Eivor, right? You serve King Bárid. We were meant to check on the king and report back, but soldiers grabbed us and threw us in here.
- Eivor: I'll let you out. Return to King Flann, if you can.
Eivor released the last set of prisoners in another cage.
- Eivor: Is there someone here named Fergal?
- Fergal: I am he. Who wants to know, Viking?
- Bárid: I serve Bárid mac Ímair and King Flann Sinna. They offer you freedom.
With the freed prisoners, Eivor secured the prison by killing all the guards. Next, Eivor and the prisoners killed the rest of Aileach's soldiers. After conquering the stronghold, Eivor entered back into the kings' house, where Bárid had disarmed the kings.
Bárid holds the Kings of Aileach hostage
- Bárid: Join us, cousin! We've been having a grand old time, the kings and I.
- King Domnall: It's the abbot who've turned this place into a prison. He's taking hostages from all the families. To control all of Ireland!
- King Niall: Shut your gab, Domnall! Eogan will kill you if you talk too much.
- King Domnall: And Flann will kill us if we don't.
- King Niall: It's like Domnall said, it was Eogan! He told us to delay whoever came until...
- Bárid: Until what?
- King Domnall: Until the abbot can move his forces in.
- Eivor: How many men? How many?
- King Domnall: We don't know, no one does. He has some companies at Armagh, more men than he lets on. That's all I know!
- Bárid: Left to my cousin, you'd both be puddles of blood and gut, but King Flann might spare your heads.
Bárid stood up to face the kings.
- Bárid: You'll be treated as hostages, not prisoners, until your king decides what to do with you. Now, think on your sins.
Bárid and Eivor walked aside to talk.
Bárid privately confers with Eivor
- Bárid: It'll be easier in the end to let them keep their crowns, but they don't need to know that yet.
- Eivor: Flann must learn of this trap.
- Bárid: I've already sent messengers to pull his army back. I wasn't going to sit on my arse, waiting for you.
- Eivor: I'm impressed.
- Bárid: Don't be. It took days of drinking that swill before Niall finally grew bored and careless.
- Eivor: You've outdone yourself. I'll be sure to let the king know who the real hero was today.
- Bárid: Thanks to you, cousin. Make sure that message reached Flann and I'll join you all later. May Sol and Mani guide ye!
Eivor left as Bárid stayed to finish up with the captured kings.
Outcome[]
Eivor took over Aileach and found out about Abbot Eogan's pending betrayal from the Kings of Aileach.
Gallery[]
