The Young Adults of Muckross Hall

Chapter 1 de Clare/O’Flattery/Donnely/Flahey/Evan

Upon arriving at the revamped monastery the young adults would call home, the groans and whispers could be heard over the horse’s hooves. Immediate dissatisfaction was displayed over the small size of the accommodations. There were many buildings, Kilarney Hall being the residence of the Leinster young adults, which included two more from the village of Connaught. Henry and Thora were nobles sent by their families to complete the required time at Muckcross Abbey before they would marry and merge the two Noble families of Connaught. Henry was a large guy who was rather obtuse and overconfident. And even though they were betrothed, Thora was completely uninterested in Henry and made it well known.

There were eight young adults and Kilarney Hall had two wings, each with two levels with an eating area adjoining the two sides. When they all gathered at the front of the hall they met Brother Kerry coming out to greet them. He welcomed them, assigned them to their chambers and explained their daily activities.

Cole was sure he would be receiving his own private chamber considering his father owned most of Leinster, but as it turned out the only one to have his own would be Prince Gilbert de Clare since he was the only royal heir in the group. When Gilbert heard this he was not pleased. He would much rather have shared with the other boys, and from the scouring looks on their faces they weren’t at all happy either.

Edward had a look of disgust that added to his bitterness toward Gilbert. He had found out before they left that Gilbert and Coblaith had been betrothed. Coblaith had been the object of his affection ever since he had arrived in Leinster. His father had almost guaranteed him that he would eventually be given her hand as soon as he spoke with Lord O’Flattery, but Gilbert’s coming to Leinster brought the plan to a halt.

While everyone stood outside listening to Brother Kerry, Almaith stood very close to Patrick. She was completely aware that she was not dressed as nice as the other girls. She also noticed out of the corner of her eye Cole O’Flattery standing just a few feet away. She felt her face burn instantly when he realized that she was staring at him and she quickly looked away, feeling his stare the remaining minutes that they were there.

Brother Kerry was explaining the chores that needed to be done daily by everyone to help with the upkeep. He asked for volunteers as he explained the tasks involved in tending the vegetable garden, grape vines and the fruit orchard. Within a second Gilbert and Patrick volunteered.

Coblaith simply rolled her eyes at the thought of her future husband, heir to the throne of Leinster, wanting to deal with the dirt and bugs. Gilbert could see the disappointment on her face and was slightly embarrassed. When Brother Kerry asked for a volunteer to help with the cooking, Almaith quickly offered her services. She was a wonderful cook and knew that it would be much better than working in the fields.

After the rest of the chores were handed out, the group went inside to see where they would be living for the next year or so. When they found their chambers a few were certainly disappointed. The large sleeping chambers were cold and sparsely furnished. They each had a feather bed and a small chest to hold their belongings. Edward, Cole, Patrick, and Henry would share one chamber and the three girls, Coblaith, Alamaith and Thora were in the other.

Gilbert’s chamber was large, it had a fireplace and everything he could want or need. He was quite displeased about the arrangement and as he sat alone on his bed he could hear the other boys next door complaining loudly. This was not how he imagined it would be and felt quite lonely, not at all how he thought a prince would ever feel.