The Irony of Justice
Gruadh recalls, “At the king's next judgment court, Bodhe accused Crinan of Atholl of plotting to abduct me to marry Crinan’s son Duncan, a young warrior, and of cruelly killing Fraquhar mac Bodhe…Denying all, Crinan claimed that Bodhe attacked his men without provocation, thereby inviting Farquhar’s death himself…Justice stumbled on barred ground that day, for my father paid as a prince, many cows each for Crinan’s deceased men, some to their families and some to the king.” Bodhe should have been compensated for he is the aggrieved person. The ironic verdict perpetuates partisanship instead of justice. Manifestly, the arrangement is biased and spares the individuals who are allied to the king even when they are the rogues.
The Irony of “Purest royal Blood”
Gruadh affirms, “My blood had even more merit once Bodhe had no other heir. Because I am descended in a direct line from Celtic kings, the purest royal blood courses through me and blushes my skin. I could prick a finger and it would be gold to some.” The declarations about blood imply that Gruadh is superior and her worth is high. However, she confirms the irony of her blood: "Little good did the blood of ancients do me. I was like a lark spiraling upward, unaware of the hawks above judging time and distance to the prize." Apparently, the metaphorical lark underlines the precariousness of her blood. She is exposed to abductions from entities who are drawn by the symbolic and genetic superiority of her blood. Accordingly, the blood does not definitely buffer her from peril.
