‘She told me a story everyone else has forgotten. A strange bit of lore, to do with Dreamer’s Pool.’

Flidais shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. ‘That place! I don’t even want to think about it.’

‘You might need to, my lady.’ I tried for a kindly tone. ‘Because the story I heard was that if a woman wants to be sure of conceiving a boy, she should lie with her lover at Dreamer’s Pool under a full moon. The crone said folk knew about it in Holly’s day, and so many of the local women put it into practice that it could be hard to find a private spot in the wood, especially on the full moon nights of summer. But Holly’s dead and gone. She’s forgotten by most folk in these parts, and it seems this wisdom died with her.’ Flidais was staring at me, utterly silent. One thing was plain: this had caught her attention completely. ‘Of course,’ I added, not wishing to seem too enthusiastic, ‘this is hardly the best time of year for it. If you wanted to try, it would be wiser to wait until spring.’

‘Sounds like an old wives’ tale,’ said Mhairi. ‘Are you sure you’re not making this up, Mistress Blackthorn?’

‘Why would she do that?’ Flidais, at least, was captured by the idea. And Flidais was the one who mattered. ‘Mistress Blackthorn, do you mean it has to be by night? In the dark? What if it’s cloudy and the moon can’t be seen? What if it’s raining?’

‘I would take it to mean you should do it at a time when the moon can be seen in the night sky, my lady. Clouds – I do not think they would make a difference, provided the position of the veiled moon could be judged. As for rain, I have been in Dreamer’s Wood in wet weather. The trees provide quite good shelter, even at this time of year. You would certainly need to wear a woollen cloak and take a warm blanket to lie on.’

‘I cannot believe you’re considering this, my lady,’ Mhairi said. ‘What if you catch your death of cold, just before the hand-fasting?’

‘It’s not up to you to decide!’ Flidais snapped. She must be strung tight indeed to lose her temper with her trusted maidservant. What had these two been before the transformation – fellow servants or close friends? Mhairi could not be ignorant of the full truth, surely. She must be Ciar’s accomplice in the deception.

‘Of course,’ I went on, ‘if you delayed this until after you returned from the hand-fasting, it would spare you from having to lie with the prince again for a little longer. I do not imagine Prince Oran is in such a rush to father a son that you need do this now, before you leave for Cahercorcan. The weather is indeed inclement.’