"It was no' just Bronwen, it was dai-dein as well,"
Isabeau said defensively. "And that at least worked out for the best."
"Whatever do ye mean?" Meghan asked, but just then Iseult came in the door, her arm linked with the
Fire-maker's. Following them, arm in arm, were Ishbel and Khan'gharad.
Meghan's mouth dropped open in astonishment. "By Ea's green blood! It's Khan'gharad," she cried.
"How ... ? Where . . . ?"
Isabeau tensed. Despite all her attempts to explain and justify Meghan's actions on the Day of Betrayal,
Khan'gharad persisted in thinking the worst of the old sorceress.
"She never approved of me and tried many times to separate Ishbel and me," he had said angrily. "She
wanted Ishbel all to herself—she was a jealous, possessive auld woman who could no' bear that Ishbel
loved me best. She tried to kill me on purpose that day so she could have Ishbel all to herself—she saw
the opportunity and seized it."
"Meghan is no' like that, truly," Isabeau had protested.
Even Ishbel spoke up on Meghan's behalf, saying, "She was truly sorry, my love. It was that blaygird
Ensor-cellor she was trying to kill, no' ye."
Khan'gharad had remained unconvinced, and so Isabeau was dreading this meeting between her father
and her beloved guardian.
Meghan's face lit up, however, and she limped hastily across the room, her hand held out. "The
queen-dragon spoke truly. Ye were alive! Och, Khan'gharad, can ye ever forgive me? I did no' mean for
ye to fall into the chasm too. I was angry and I opened the earth too wide. The edge just crumbled
beneath your feet and pitched ye in. I swear, on Ea's blessed name, that I never meant to harm ye.
Where have ye been all these long years? Come, I can see there are many tales to be told. Will ye no' sit
with us and tell us?"
Khan'gharad was stiff and proud but he acknowledged her apology with a curt nod and allowed Dillon to
pull up a chair for him, Ishbel and the Firemaker and to pour them some wine.
The interrupted formalities resumed then, the Mac-Brann signing after the MacAhern, followed by the
Nic-Thanach and the newly restored NicAislin. Isabeau gave Meghan and the royal couple a very quick
account of her years at the Cursed Towers and explained how Khan'-gharad had been ensorcelled by
Maya.
Lachlan then pleased her greatly by leaping to his feet and saying, "We have a new addition to our
signatures which I have only just learnt about. My wife Iseult Nic-Faghan was going to sign on behalf o'

her clan, but we are glad indeed to be able to welcome her long-lost father, Khan'gharad MacFaghan,
Prionnsa o' Tirlethan, the direct descendant o' Faodhagan the Red!"
A murmur of surprise arose and Khan'gharad bowed, his face quirking into an unaccustomed smile. He
was passed the quill and ink, and he signed with a clumsy hand, still unused to having fingers again.
Once all the prionnsachan had signed, the representatives of the various faery races came forward to
make their mark. The Firemaker signed on behalf of the Khan'-cohbans, the Stargazer on behalf of the
Celestines, and Brun on behalf of the cluricauns. Elala dipped her tiny hands in the ink and pressed them
on the paper; the oldest of the tree-changers made a twiglike inscription, and the seelie drew his own
simple rune. Asrohc was brought a barrel of ink in which to dip her claw, signing her name in a strange,