He cleared his throat again. His voice grew to a mere whisper. “Once, your Grace. Once, long, long ago, my dear lover. A piece of my heart died with him on the battlefield.”
Still on her knees, she hugged him tight. At first, he resisted with a stiff back, but soon he melted into her hug. They drew comfort from each other.
Clíodhna drew back and sniffed. “If I must punish the rebellious Fae, let us do so in the kindest way we can. For the sake of those we miss. They surely lost loved ones in the battle, and we might divide families with this edict.”
Grimnaugh’s brow furrowed in puzzlement. “But if you do that, other Queens may see you as weak.”
“Then we must disabuse them of that notice. How often do the Queens visit each other?”
“Visit? The Queens? They don’t, your Grace.”
“What? Queen Áine never visited other Queens? They never came to this court? She sent Adhna as emissary in the past.”
“Never, ever! Not that any Fae in living memory can recall.”
“Perhaps we should change that.”
Grimnaugh’s eyes grew wide. “But any Queen visiting would be at a horrible disadvantage, and in terrible danger! Your power base would surround her, leaving her vulnerable to attack! None would take such a chance.”
“Even if I did so first?”
Grimnaugh wrung his hands. “I beg you not to do this!”
“If Bodach thinks he can control my actions when I’m the Queen, he has made a dire mistake. I will not sit idle and let him manipulate me because he holds power over my people and my children. If I can make allies with other Queens, the power structure will shift. I must try.”
Grimnaugh’s face had turned pale green and his spots had faded almost to invisibility. “What do you mean to ask the Queens for?”
“Safe passage for me and my blood family in any of their lands. And I shall grant the same to them.”
“But how can you guarantee Bodach and his loyal Fae won’t attack them?”
“If he does, then I will no longer be Queen. I’m the only one he can control in that position, otherwise he wouldn’t place me here. Therefore, it’s in his best interest to keep me in place.”
Grimnaugh’s gaze darted around. “I don’t like it, my Queen. I don’t like it. Too much can go wrong. I don’t like it one bit!”
“Grimnaugh, you’ve been my dear friend and invaluable help. But I never asked you to like it. Do you think it will work?”
He stared off into the distance, blinking a few times. “The logic is sound, my Queen. It fits into how things work in Faerie.”
Clíodhna stood, dusting her hands together in a gesture of final decision. “Excellent. Now, let’s make some plans.”
Still nervous, Grimnaugh asked, “What plans?”
“Since Adhna hasn’t returned from his last mission for the old Queen, we must find another emissary to put things in place. Someone we trust above all pettiness.” She lifted one eyebrow and frowned at Grimnaugh. “As much as I value you by my side, only once choice remains.”
He glanced around behind him three times before placing a tentative hand on his chest. “Your Grace, you can’t mean me! I’m no diplomat. Indeed, I possess no rank to be an emissary. I wouldn’t even know what to say!”
“I have faith you’ll know exactly what to say. You’ve been an acting Seneschal for me since I got here. You understand court etiquette inside and out. Above all else, you are unthreatening and humble. What more could I need in an emissary? Except two of you, so I could keep you by my side.” She grinned at that last, hoping to break the tension.
Grimnaugh let out a deep sigh. “Very well, your Grace. I cannot say no, though I will ask Cerul to take my place by your side. Will you agree to that? Wait, Cerul could go! She is much more regal and acceptable as an emissary!”
“Which is why she cannot go. I need someone who will be unnoticed by Bodach and his agents. You will be perfect.”
His last suggestion rejected, he hung his head. “Yes, your Grace. I will leave after your next court, when you discipline the rebels. I should be by your side in case you have questions on that decision.”
Clíodhna placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “As always, I will welcome your help, my friend.”
* * *
As she sat on the throne, Clíodhna tried to hide her trembling hands by clasping them in her lap. She’d never sat in judgment on someone before, other than her own misbehaving children. How did she think she possessed authority and power to punish thousands of Fae? Powerful beings in their own right, a people who had lived in the marshes and wild places of Faerie and the mortal world far longer than she’d been alive? And yet here she sat, waiting for the perpetrators to march in under guard to answer for their ill deeds.
Their ill deeds. They rebelled against a Queen who had made unreasonable decisions. That Queen died in the battle. This made Clíodhna herself Queen. In reality, she should thank these rebels, these insurgents whose refusal to accept oppression had vaulted her to power. That presumed she craved that power and responsibility, however.
Yet, if she did that, she would send the message to the entire realm of Faerie they had acted under her direction, under her orders, despite the untruth of this assumption.
Clíodhna didn’t want to be sitting on this throne at this moment.
As they waited for the prisoners, Bodach arrived. Clíodhna relished his absence so much, she never inquired where he disappeared to, but when he sat on the throne this time, he took her hand. She tried to pull it away, but he held it fast.
She kept her face neutral as she hissed, “Let go of my hand, Bodach.”
He replied with a sweet tone, almost sing-song. “We must appear to be in accord for this decision, my Queen. Any hint we aren’t a united front would damage your strength and reputation.”
She glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes, and he grinned back, as if they were lovers sharing a joke. He patted their clasped hands with his other one. “When we finish with this duty, I will show you the rest of the Queen’s duties to her Consort.”
Clíodhna put as much strength in her voice as she could muster. “You will do no such thing.”
His voice remained sweet. “Do you forget, my Queen, I know where your children live in the mortal realm? I can go to them and do what I like. They hold no magical protections, and you are trapped in this realm as the Queen.”
Clíodhna must remember to ask Adhna about that. She had the previous géis about only returning once. Did that still hold true with her new power?
Bodach trailed a finger up her arm in a caress. Her skin tingled, the sensation moving down her body, warming her desire. She clamped her jaw to quench her reaction to his sexual magic, but it still thrummed through her.
The first Fae stood tall, taller than any she’d seen. He stood higher than a mature oak tree, and he resembled one. He walked with long, lumbering strides, his bark creaking as he drew closer. Clíodhna wondered how much power those branch-like arms held, and if he bore any relation to Bodach with his bark-like skin.
When the Fae stopped, his guard had to hurry to catch up. They glared up at their prisoner, but he paid them no mind. His huge, yellow eyes blinked twice and then bowed to her, almost touching the ground with his uppermost branches. When he straightened, he spoke in a rasping voice. “Greetings to you, Queen Clíodhna. I am pleased to vow my loyalty to you, with that of my people. We are of the Wannaig of the Bog-Oak People. I command some wild Fae.”
“Greetings to you, Wannaig of the Bog-Oak People.”
Further conversation halted while the guards led the other leader in. She came less willingly.
Her screeches resounded down the hall, echoing off the walls in painful repetition. Clíodhna clenched her teeth, wanting to cover her ears but not daring. Her keening ululated now, up and down along the discordant scale.
Bodach turned to her with a whisper. “She proved a formidable foe. You must punish her with harsh det
ermination or she will fight against you as she did with your predecessor.”
Two guards struggled with a dark mass, pulling her forward with great effort. The prisoner raked at their eyes with sharp claws, but they pulled back in time to avoid injury. They both wore thick leather armor that covered their arms and legs, with leather helmets. They must have dealt with this prisoner for some time to have taken such precautions.
A stench preceded her, the stink of rotten vegetation and swamp gas. Her skin oozed black and green, leaving a trail of slime behind her. She cackled once and then screamed again, the sound cutting to Clíodhna’s mind.
A third guard stood at attention. “Sanna the Swamp Hag, your Grace. She commands the marsh Fae.”
Though she wanted to recoil from the foul creature, Clíodhna gestured to the second prisoner. “Greetings to you, Sanna the Swamp Hag.”
Beside her, Bodach let out a derisive bark of laughter. Clíodhna glared at him.
Instead of the polite greeting Wannaig offered, Sanna let out a new ululation and spat in Clíodhna’s direction. Several guards snapped to attention and pulled their swords out, but Clíodhna waved them down. “Her disdain for me is understandable, guards. Do not react without my orders.”
Sanna’s eyes widened and she sat on the floor, her cry dying a horrible death. She shot an unreadable look to her fellow prisoner.
Clíodhna stood. “I called you both here to answer for your crimes against Queen Áine. I judge you both guilty of rebellion, but I would allow you to say something on your behalf, should you wish.”
Sanna hissed, while Wannaig bowed his head once with solemn dignity.
Bodach opened his mouth, but Clíodhna spoke first. “Very well. As leaders of this rebellion, I hereby sentence you to banishment from Faerie. You are to dwell in the mortal world for seven of their cycle of seasons. Upon your return, I shall require a renewal of your vow of loyalty.”
Her Consort yanked on her arm. “My Queen! Your punishment is much too lenient! They’ll only foment rebellion again with their followers, many of whom reside in the mortal realm! Execution is the only answer here.”
Clíodhna turned to him and in a clear voice, said, “Bodach, you will be silent unless I request your counsel.”
Bodach’s eyes grew wide. He still held her hand and this time, he tried to withdraw it, but she kept it tight. He settled back into his throne with a sulky expression.
Wannaig’s voice remained calm. “Your judgment is fair, my Queen. I give you my vow now, should you wish to accept it.”
Sanna wasn’t as accommodating. She raised one shaggy eyebrow. “Where must we go in the mortal world? Can we choose our home?”
“You may choose the area in which you wish to dwell. I have no preference or command. However, your behavior will be monitored. If you are acting against my interests, I will discover this perfidy.”
With a wave of her hand, Sanna dismissed that concern. “I’ve done my protest. Now I want to be by myself for a while.” She turned to glare at her captors. “Take me to a passage now.”
The guards glanced at Clíodhna for approval and she gave it for both of them. “Seven cycles of the season. I will send an emissary to inform you when you can return.”
When they’d left the hall, Bodach snatched his hand from hers. “You are a fool!”
“You will address me as your Queen or your Grace, as you prefer, Consort. Now leave. I have other matters to attend.”
Bodach growled and for a moment, Clíodhna thought he would attack her. He took a step forward and five guards stepped forward, each one stamping the butt of their spear on the floor in a precisely timed beat. The bark-skinned Fae glanced at the attending guards and growled again, stomping off in a huff.
Grimnaugh whispered, “That went better than I’d expected, your Grace.”
“They only wanted their concerns addressed. Their concerns died with the prior Queen. As the new Queen, they have no quarrel with me.”
Grimnaugh frowned, scratching behind his ear. “It didn’t hurt that you’ve befriended much of their people. In a way, they fought for you.”
Clíodhna swiveled to face him, anger hard in the grim line of her lips. “Never say that again, Grimnaugh, not even jest.”
His eyes grew wide. “Yes, my Queen.”
Chapter Eleven
When Grimnaugh returned from his first diplomatic mission, he came with dragging feet and a forlorn expression. His clothing looked ripped and dirty and his head bowed. Clíodhna didn’t need to ask if he’d had success. The answer was clear in every line of his body.
Thankful the court cleared as the courtiers all took their rest, she led him to her antechamber to give his report. Bodach had gone off to who knew where, and Clíodhna relished the respite.
The chamber, while much smaller than the throne room, remained large enough to hold twenty people. Rose vines covered the walls on a delicate lattice.
Clíodhna sat on the cushioned couch and gestured for him to sit in the visitor’s chair. “Am I to conclude that Queen Aoibheall has no wish to take part in an alliance?”
He closed his weary eyes. “You could come to that conclusion. I arrived at her court and met first with her Seneschal, then her Consort, and finally approached her at court. She gave no hint of her thoughts in her expression during my entire presentation. When I finished, she let the silence build until it grew almost painful.”
Clíodhna considered such a technique a powerful tool and stored it for future reference.
“When she spoke, she used a single word. ‘No.’ Then she lifted her hands and brought them down, as if throwing something. As soon as her arms went up, I turned and ran. I’d heard of her preferred rejection in the past and had no intention of becoming a victim.”
A servant brought in a platter of fruit. She refrained from a response until he had left. She picked up a sweet, purple fruit and bit into it, after offering Grimnaugh the same. He took one but simply held it.
After she wiped the juice from her cheek, she asked, “Her preferred rejection?”
“She blasted me with a ball of fire! I only missed getting roasted by running back and forth rather than in a straight line. I barely escaped and my clothing got singed.” He held up a battered tunic with unmistakable burn marks down one side.
Clíodhna stood, anger prickling her skin. The sky darkened, despite its lack of clouds. “She attacked you? She attacked my emissary?”
Grimnaugh’s gaze flicked to the sky in panic. “My Queen! Please, don’t react so. This is a mild rebuke for your request. Queen Aoibheall is well known for her temper. It isn’t worth reacting to.”
She crossed her arms, and fixed him with a gimlet glare. “Not worth reacting to.”
“Indeed, my Queen. I suggest we try the next Queen’s realm. Grian might be more interested.”
“Wasn’t she my predecessor’s sister? I would think that would pre-dispose her against me.”
Grimnaugh managed a mischievous grin. “The two did not communicate on friendly terms.”
“Hmm. Very well, Grian’s realm shall be your next destination. Tell me what you know of her.”
“Grian was Áine’s sister. She is the pale, dim, winter sun to Áine’s full, bright, summer sun. As the realm is always somewhat light here, and you have Cerul who can summon a facsimile of the sun itself, she rules the short days of the colder seasons in the mortal realm. Her realm is darker, gloomier, and many of her creatures boast darker hearts.”
“Queen Grian sounds like a delightful friend.”
He let out a bark of laughter, taking another of the offered fruits. Grimnaugh peeled one with thicker skin and chewed the flesh before speaking. “You may jest, but she may have use of you.”
Clíodhna didn’t care for the sound of that. “What use?”
“She has, in the past, expressed a love of the ocean.”
“And what is that to me?”
His face broke into a grin. “You hold power over the sea.”
Grimnaugh rolled his eyes, taking another bite of his fruit. “From where do you believe you call your storms from?”
“Adhna said I had air magic. He taught me earth magic, but I had the natural call for air.”
“You command water magic. The storms come from the sea, not from the air. The wind, yes, that comes from the air. A powerful queen can call upon multiple sources of power, but from what I’ve seen, you are an ocean Queen.”
Clíodhna blinked a few times, looking into the middle distance. “I grew up near the ocean, far to the southwest corner of the island. We lived on the beach, and I loved swimming with the dolphins.”
“Yes, exactly that. You will again, I’m sure. There is where your true powers lie.”
“What would Grian want of my power over the ocean, then?”
“That is what I mean to find out on my mission.”
“Did you hear anything of Adhna during your visits?”
Grimnaugh fiddled with his fingers. “I still can’t find out where Áine sent him on that last mission, nor have I heard of him since. He must be somewhere in the mortal world. Maybe he’s taking some time to look after your children?”
That idea warmed Clíodhna’s heart. “Perhaps so. I hope he is well. I hope they are well.”
* * *
Queen Grian agreed to be part of a very loose alliance, but none of the others. Grimnaugh felt certain she only did so out of a strange animosity for her sister, and the resultant good will toward her usurper. No matter that Clíodhna hadn’t intended to usurp Áine, only that it happened, at Bodach’s design.
Grian didn’t want a visit from Clíodhna, though, according to Grimnaugh. She would agree to pledge safety for Clíodhna and her family, in exchange for the same, without such physical meetings. When Grimnaugh reported on his last mission, Clíodhna expressed concern about the stricture. They once again sat in her antechamber, long after the court cleared.
Age of Druids: Druid's Brooch Series: #9 Page 24