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Duv Laca had a young attendant, who was her foster-sister as well as her servant, and on the day that she got married to Mongan, her attendant was married to mac an Da'v, who was servant and foster-brother to Mongan.
"Done," roared Mongan, and the two kings shook hands on the bargain. Mongan then called some of his own people, and before any more words could be said and before any alteration could be made, he set his men behind the cows and marched home with them to Ulster. Duv Laca wanted to know where the cows came from, and Mongan told her that the King of Leinster had given them to him.
Although she questioned and cross-questioned Cairide', her story-teller, she could discover nothing about a lady who had been known as the Black Duck. But one night when Mongan seemed to speak with Duv Laca he mentioned her father as Fiachna Duv mac Demain, and the story-teller said that king had been dead for a vast number of years.
"Queer indeed," said Mongan, "but what is it that you do want?" "Duv Laca, of course," said the King of Leinster. "Do you mean," said Mongan, "that you would exchange this herd of fifty pure white cows having red ears " "And their fifty calves," said the King of Leinster "For Duv Laca, or for any woman in the world?" "I would," cried the King of Leinster, and he thumped his knee as he said it.
He was so confounded with joy also that his words got mixed up with his teeth, and Duv Laca did not know exactly what it was he was trying to say, and he did not seem to know himself. But at last he did say something intelligible, and this is what he said. "I am a very happy man," said he. "And I," said Duv Laca, "am the happiest woman in the world."
And when he said that his spirits revived, and he called for mac an Da'v. "You know, my friend," said Mongan, "that I can't get Duv Laca back unless the King of Leinster asks me to take her back, for a bargain is a bargain." "That will happen when pigs fly," said mac an Da'v, "and," said he, "I did not make any bargain with any king that is in the world."
Duv Laca then went to the window. "Who is that king?" she asked. And her husband replied to her then. "That is the King of Leinster," said he mournfully. "Well," said Duv Laca surprised, "is he not welcome?" "He is welcome indeed," said Mongan lamentably. "Let us go out and welcome him properly," Duv Laca suggested.
"Duv Laca says that you are to come at once, for the King of Leinster is journeying around his territory, and Kevin Cochlach, the charioteer, is making bitter love to her and wants her to run away with him."
Therefore she was perplexed, and became filled with a very rage of curiosity. Among the names which her husband mentioned there was one which, because of the frequency with which it appeared, and because of the tone of anguish and love and longing in which it was uttered, she thought of oftener than the others: this name was Duv Laca.
Then Mongan opened his eyes and he saw Duv Laca, and he made a great bound to her and took her in his arms, and mac an Da'v made a savage and vicious and terrible jump at the attendant, and took her in his arms, and bit her ear and kissed her neck and wept down into her back. "Go away," said the girl, "unhand me, villain," said she.
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