‘Can we send a message south to wherever the travelling folk are likely to be now, letting them know they’re invited to the festivities? And yes, Eochu, I will most certainly consider the purchase of some horses, though you’d best take a look at what they have first and advise me.’

Eochu gave a nod, pleased to be asked.

‘We’ll get word to them one way or another,’ Niall said. ‘When they come is up to them, of course. The travellers keep their own time.’

The travellers were horse-traders, musicians, makers of fine craftwork, storytellers. In the summers they camped in the south while their young horses fattened and grew strong. They’d head for the horse fairs in autumn, and most years they’d come far enough north to spend time at Winterfalls. My stable owed its best horseflesh to the travelling folk. Though, of course, Eochu’s eye for a fine breeding animal also played its part.

‘My lord,’ said my head cook, Brid, ‘how is Lady Flidais? We’re very much hoping she’ll be well enough to come out for her meals soon, and perhaps make herself known to us in the kitchens. I want to be sure everything we provide for the visitors is to her taste.’

‘Thank you for the good wishes, Brid. My lady is improving, yes.’ Flidais’s responsibilities as my wife would include dealing with Brid and her helpers on matters of cookery and kitchen supplies. Brid would be wanting to get some idea of my lady’s tastes and her manner of dealing with the household folk, since Winterfalls had been managing itself capably without a mistress since before my father became king. I hesitated. ‘I had thought perhaps to delay the betrothal by a few days in view of her current indisposition. But I will not make that decision until tomorrow morning. We should be ready for everything to go ahead as planned. I know I can rely on you all.’

The letter to my mother lay on my writing table all day. I did not change the wording, and I did not despatch it. There was no further sign of Flidais. I told myself that since Aunt Sochla had not yet arrived to carry out the duties of chaperone, it was more seemly that my lady remained closeted away, uncomfortable though her absence made me.

With Donagan by my side I spent the rest of the day inspecting everything: the kitchen, the sleeping quarters we had arranged for our visitors and for their army of serving people, the stables where extra stalls had been prepared for the influx of additional mounts. I met the young men from the district who had come in to work as assistant grooms or gardeners, and the young women who would be helping out in the kitchen or around the house.