"Colum, you can' be sure me Mother and Father will approve of this," said Katie in a hushed whisper as Colum led her down a dark underground corridor.

"Calm down, Katie Carroll, it'll all be fine," Colum told her, his grip tight on her hand. The corridor was dark and musty, and every twenty feet or so was a lit torch to light the path. Hurried footsteps and hushed voices were suddenly heard around a corner, and Colum and Katie froze in their tracks. "Cac…" Suddenly, Katie and Colum were face-to-face with Fiona O'Rourke and Finnick Hyland, another peasant in the kingdom of Breifne. The light that radiated from the flame of the nearest torch bounced off of Fiona's dark O'Rourke hair, and her innocent blue eyes met Katie's green ones.

"I shan't breathe a word if ye don' breathe a sound," said Fiona to Katie, who nodded.

"Aye, ye have me word as an O'Reilly," Katie whispered. Fiona nodded to her, and she and Finnick were on their way. Colum and Katie exchanged a look before heading on their way. Within a matter of ten minutes, Colum had led Katie into a room that was lit by many candles. Looking up, Katie saw what looked like two friars and two nuns in prayer. Colum cleared his throat, and all four turned around.

"Colum, me boy!" exclaimed one of them, standing and walking over to the couple.

"Good morrow, Father!" Colum replied, bowing to him.

"Good morrow, Father," Katie repeated, curtsying to him.

"Aye, this be yer lass, Colum? My, my, what a pretty maiden be she," said the friar.

"We expected ye to arrive anon," said the other friar, whom Katie recognized as Friar Patrick. "Good morrow, Katie Carroll."

"Good morrow, Father," Katie responded, again curtsying. The other friar, Friar Gerald, turned to the two nuns standing behind him.

"Sisters Grainne and Neala, we shall return to prayer shortly," he said to them. The two sisters nodded and made their way towards the exit. The younger nun, Sister Neala, stopped and took Katie's hands in hers.

"May God shine his light forever through your sweet, kindly soul," said she, and she kissed them before following Sister Grainne out of the room. Katie nodded her thanks, as well as an expression of confusion, as Sister Neala left the room, and then turned back to Friar Gerald and Friar Patrick.

"Come, come," said Friar Patrick, and Colum and Katie made their way to a small altar, where many burning candles now sat. "Kneel." Katie and Colum did as they were told and bowed their heads, folding their hands into prayer. Friar Gerald came over with a bowl of ashes, dipped his thumb in them, and rubbed a small dark cross on each of their foreheads. Friar Patrick opened his Bible, and began the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony…"

…

Quietly and carefully, Katie snuck through the halls, every so often motioning Colum to follow her. She crept with a light step, knowing that, late at night, her mother was usually awake.

"Katie," Colum whispered quietly, only to have Katie hiss at him to hush. Colum remained silent until they made it to Katie's bedchamber undetected. Colum leaned against the door and let out a sigh of relief. "Ye know, we could have simply gone to the East Wing."

"Yer tellin' me this now?" Katie asked. "Now… as you will…"

"Only on yer plea, me dear Katie Carroll," Colum told her, taking her hands in his and kissing them.

"Aye," Katie whispered quietly, not meeting his eyes. It was quite obvious that she was nervous, and Colum gently placed a hand on her cheek.

"Be worried not, me dear Celtic maiden. I shan't harm you in any way," he muttered quietly. Katie met his eyes, and gently, Colum leaned into her face and lightly pressed his lips to hers. He lifted her, and carried her to Katie's large four-poster bed.

"What if we are caught? We cannot be caught… We cannot, Colum…" Katie said to him, but Colum pressed a finger to her lips and hushed her.

"Shhh… Pray pardon me, me dear Katie, yer prating," Colum told her. Katie blushed slightly and decided not to speak anymore, as she might delay their evening together even more. Very gently, Colum took Katie in his arms and kissed her, and as the night went on, Katie's worries were reduced to nothing.

…

The following morning, Corianne was visiting with her young son, Edward. Onora and Lady O'Reilly were already out in the garden fussing over him when Katie, in pain from the previous evening, came out to join them.

"Katie, me darlin' deirfiúr, how be you?" asked Corianne, standing and going to greet Katie. Katie winced slightly, and Corianne's smile fell. "Katie, dearest, what be wrong?"

"It be a certain time fer me," Katie lied. Corianne nodded her understanding.

"Aye… it be a painful time," said Corianne. "How now, Katie Carroll?"

"Aye, I be fine," said Katie, taking her seat on the bench. "How now be young Edward?"

"He be wonderful!" exclaimed Corianne, taking the seat next to her sister. "I could not ask fer a better child."

"I be glad to hear," said Katie. "Tell me, how is it like…" Just as Katie began to ask her question, an arrow narrowly missed her and Corianne's heads and stuck itself into the wooden door. Katie stood, all pain in her gone, to investigate. "It be an O'Rourke arrow…" It was, indeed, an O'Rourke arrow. The arrow's feathers were blue and the O'Rourke crest was carved into it. Lady O'Reilly, holding on tightly to young Edward, Corianne and Onora stood in shock.