Connachar with his band of kinsfolk went down to the green knoll
where Deirdre dwelt and he knocked at the door of the bothy. The
nurse replied, "No less than a king's command and a king's army
could put me out of my bothy to-night. And I should be obliged to
you, were you to tell who it is that wants me to open my bothy
door."

"It is I, Connachar, King of Ulster." When the poor woman heard who
was at the door, she rose with haste and let in the king and all
that could get in of his retinue.

When the king saw the woman that was before him that he had been in
quest of, he thought he never saw in the course of the day nor in
the dream of night a creature so fair as Deirdre and he gave his
full heart's weight of love to her. Deirdre was raised on the
topmost of the heroes' shoulders and she and her foster-mother were
brought to the Court of King Connachar of Ulster.

With the love that Connachar had for her, he wanted to marry Deirdre
right off there and then, will she nill she marry him. But she said
to him, "I would be obliged to you if you will give me the respite
of a year and a day." He said "I will grant you that, hard though it
is, if you will give me your unfailing promise that you will marry
me at the year's end." And she gave the promise. Connachar got for
her a woman-teacher and merry modest maidens fair that would lie
down and rise with her, that would play and speak with her. Deirdre
was clever in maidenly duties and wifely understanding, and
Connachar thought he never saw with bodily eye a creature that
pleased him more.