“Connla, my boy,” boomed Conn, clapping his son on the
shoulder as he clamored down next to him. Connla’s eyes remained fixed out the
pub’s dingy window where the sea broke rhythmically upon the rocky shore. “What
say you today, son?” Conn continued hopefully. “Will you us for the hunt?”
“Not today,
father,” Connla said, still facing the window.
“Connla,
you cannot remain idle in this pub forever,” Conn began, his frustration
building. “You are the son of king! You must participate in the hunt, practice
for war, lead your people!”
“I know,” Connla said, his heart heavy.
“Aye,” his
father mumbled, seeing that his son had not yet recovered, “a few more days’
rest then, I suppose. Rid yourself of the memory of that treasonous wench.”
Connla
tightened his fist in instinctual anger, but simply nodded his head as his
father rose from the table.
“I’ll see
you when we’re back from the hunt,” Conn said. “Then you’ll put this whole mess
behind you and resume your duties.” He left Connla staring out to sea.
“What says
the boy?” asked Maccus, Conn’s trusted advisor, as Conn emerged from the
tavern.
“He will
not join us,” Conn grunted. “I am beginning to believe that our plan has done
more harm than good.”
“Do not lose
faith so quickly,” Maccus said. “He will forget the maiden. His loyalty lies
with you alone now.”
Conn was
silent for a moment, looking out upon his men as they prepared for the hunt.
When the future of his people had been threatened by his son’s blooming romance,
Conn had felt his actions justified. Now, his son’s despair filled him with
guilt. “God forgive us,” he muttered.
Connla stepped out of the tavern into the afternoon
sunshine. The fresh air was a welcome change from the musty closeness of the
pub. His father would be deep into the hunt by now. The very thought of the
activity used to fill Connla with excitement. Now, he had no interest.
Ever since
he had awoken from his injury, all his thoughts centered on Anwynn. In truth,
that had been the case ever since he met her in the forest months before. It
had happened on pure chance. He had diverted from the hunting group to eat his
lunch alone by a stream…
Connla listened to the peaceful sounds of the forest with
closed eyes, resting against a mossy tree. He dozed off for a moment and was
startled awake by a splash. Instinctually, he jumped to his feet and raised his
bow towards the noise, but was greeted by a most unexpected sight. A beautiful
young woman with light, flowing hair stared back at him, her eyes wide and
frightened.
After a
moment of shock, Connla lowered his weapon.
“My
apologies, my lady,” he said, stepping towards her.
“No, I’m
sorry to have disturbed you,” she said, relaxing slightly. He extended his hand
to her. As soon as her hand touched his, he felt a jolt of electricity. They
locked eyes.
“What is
your name?” he asked quietly, struck by the familiarity he felt with this
stranger.
“Anwynn,” she
replied, equally surprised.
“I’m
Connla,” he said. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it gently, making
her blush.
“Connla!”
his father’s voice boomed in the distance.
His heart
fell. “I should go,” he said disappointedly. “Will you meet me here tomorrow?”
He could
not explain it, but he felt that he must see her again. She smiled shyly and
nodded, clearly feeling the same. Relieved and excited, he parted from her.
When they
met again, the feelings only grew. Each day, Connla disappeared into the forest
under the guise of hunting practice. He and Anwynn spent hours together. By the
time they figured out the truth, it was too late. They were in love.
Although he
hid it from his father, his thoughts were with Anwynn always. Even his dreams
centered on her. Yet Connla
knew his father would never allow them to marry. As Connla had discovered to
his dismay, Anwynn was the daughter of his father’s rival, the king from a
neighboring province. As much as Connla loved his father and understood his own
responsibilities as heir, he could not endure a life without Anwynn.
They
decided to run away together. On the day they planned to leave, Connla went to
meet her in the forest again. Yet he awoke in his bed, surrounded by his father
and their men, with a throbbing head. He listened numbly as his father
explained that Anwynn had betrayed him, attacked him in the woods meaning to
bring him to her father as a captor.
“So lucky
that Maccus and I were concerned and followed you,” Conn said.
Now, Connla found himself back at that very spot in the
forest. He still could not believe that Anwynn had deceived him. Everything
between them, though it came on quickly, felt so real. He sat and rested his
head on the same mossy tree, closing his eyes.
“Connla,” a
familiar voice said quietly. His eyes flung open. Anwynn stood before him with
tears in her eyes. Despite everything, he rushed towards her, enfolding her in
his arms.
“It isn’t
true, is it?” he asked. “It wasn’t you.”
“No,” she
said desperately. “I would never. It was…” she trailed off.
“My
father,” Connla finished, confirming his reluctant suspicion.
She nodded
apologetically.
“Well, he
isn’t here to stop us now,” Connla said, taking her hand. “Let us start our
life together.”
With that,
they hurried to the shore and boarded a large vessel. Hand in hand, they
disappeared into the fog.
Author’s Note: This
story is based on Connla and the Fairy
Maiden. In the original story, Connla is the son of Conn, a king. He meets
a fairy maiden who tries to entice him to go with her to the Plain of Pleasure,
where they would never die. Only Connla could see the maiden, though his father
and the others could hear her. Fearing the influence of the unseen maiden, Conn
enlists the help of his Druid. The Druid makes the maiden disappear, but she
throws Connla an apple before she vanishes. Afterwards, Connla would only eat
the apple and it would grow back each time he did. After a month, the maiden returns and tempts
Connla again. He struggles to decide if he should go with her because he loves
his father and their people. In the end, he leaves with the maiden on a ship to
the mystical land.
I again
really struggled with the word count here and had to do a lot of editing things
down. I would have liked to give more resolution to Connla and his father. I
also would have liked to add more about Connla and Anwynn’s relationship. I
took out the fairy element of this story and tried to make it more realistic
while still leaving a little mystical element with their inexplicable,
whirlwind romance.
Bibliography: Connla and the Fairy Maiden from Celtic Fairy Tales by Joseph Jacobs, illustrated by John D. Batten (1892)
Image Information: Irish coastline from pixabay
