by D. E. Morris
“Adventures is putting it kindly,” Lilia moaned.
“I am glad to see all three of you back safe and sound.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
Cavalon and Killian had been circling the room, only big enough to fit two or three carriages in side by side, but with enough hanging tapestries for anyone to hide behind. They nodded silently to one another, satisfied that the room was secure, before joining the rest of the group. “Niam and Cailin are giving the chapel another once over, too. Don't say anything just yet.”
“What the heck happened when we were gone?” Connor muttered
Elas gave the younger man a humorless smirk. “Way too much.”
“Indeed.” Badru echoed.
Wessely pushed the door to the chapel back. He watched the way Niam mirrored Cailin's meticulous ways of searching every nook and cranny, learning from her even in such a charged situation. With a frown, he turned to Jaryn and Ashlynn, motioning them over with a slight incline of his head. “I may be overstepping my bounds,” he told them in a quiet voice, “but I cannot keep silent for much longer.” His head swiveled back out toward the pair. All three watched Cailin limping; it needn't be said where Wessely's concern lay.
“She won't rest, Papa,” Ashlynn nearly whispered. “I have all but ordered her before.”
“Then perhaps it is time to order.” He scowled and paused, taking a breath to calm himself. “As soon as this woman is caught, Cailin needs to be still. She is only making her injuries worse by pushing herself. Do what you have to do to keep her off of her feet for a while, but please...”
Jaryn nodded in understanding. “We will. You have my word.”
“Jaryn.”
He looked at his wife with raised brows. “Your father's right. If we don't make her stop, she's going to push herself to the breaking point, and then what? Then nobody's going to like the end result. Best make her angry with us for a little while then let her do irreversible damage that sends her into early retirement.”
Niam and Cailin met in the middle of the sanctuary, then made for the open oratory door. “We're clear,” Cailin promised. She let Niam enter before her, then shut the door behind herself to secure them all inside.
“I have the child!” Kenayde burst as soon as the door was closed. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hands, eyes wide. “Forgive me. Is it safe to speak now?”
“Whether it is or not, it's too late now,” Cavalon rumbled. “You have the kid? How did you get her?”
“What child?” Rowan asked.
Elas slipped a protective arm around his wife's waist. “We saw the mother in the hall this morning – we've already spoken to the guards about it – she had the girl with her and the child wouldn't stop crying.”
“I offered to take her,” Kenayde continued. “The woman was so harried, it seemed the natural thing to do. I thought, she must have been so distressed over her husband and her other children, she shouldn't have to worry about the baby as well. So Elas and I took her for a while.” A smile lit Kenayde's face as she looked up at Elas. “She was precious and perfect. We fed her and played with her. She was no trouble at all. When the alarm sounded and we were kept in our rooms, we had no idea as to what was happening until just before Killian came in with armor for us. We heard they were looking for the woman, but not the baby.”
Jaryn looked from his sister-in-law to his Captain of Guard. “Where is the child now?”
“With the chief physician in seclusion.”
“We weren't hiding her on purpose,” Elas promised.
Connor shook his head and scratched one of his eyebrows. “Can someone please explain what is going on here now?”
They took turns, those who had been at Altaine, filling the traveling trio in on everything they had missed. Lilia paled at the mention of the family being strung up and Rowan's anger set the torches to blaze higher. Killian explained that it was unlikely that the woman could have left the castle, promising that she would be caught sooner or later with the careful way the grounds were being searched. It would just take time and patience.
Soon it came to the other three to relay what had befallen them during their time in Cieria. Connor started off by speaking briefly on their visits to the lesser kingdoms and his explanation for staying away from the capital. When it came to the night they met Rhiamon, none of them were quick to tell the tale. Rowan's contributions were full of venom, while Lilia's were laced with fear. What Connor recalled was more confused than anything else. The group was told of the old gatekeeper, and Lilia spoke of what she'd learned from the man at the shop, the Keeper who knew Killian, divulging things she had yet to even tell Connor and Rowan.
When all of the tales had been told, the room was silent and heavy as everyone tried to sort out all of the things they had learned. “She sang of a purge,” Lilia whispered tremulously into the quiet. She lifted fear-filled eyes to Ashlynn, wrapping her arms around herself. “'And now the time has come at last to purge the land with blood and bones.' That is what she sang.”
“This woman,” Niam said, standing next to Rowan with arms crossed thoughtfully, “this is the same one who led you up the mountain path? The one dressed in undyed linen?”
“Yes. All the women were dressed that way.”
A line formed between Niam's brows and his eyes turned to Jaryn and Ashlynn. “The little girl who bumped into Lady Mairead at the games wore a shift of undyed linen.”
“Are you certain?” Ashlynn asked.
“Positive,” Killian supplied with a supportive nod to Niam. “I questioned her shortly after the explosion and Niam was there with me. It was a detail she mentioned that I found odd myself.”
Niam looked at Lilia and Connor. “Did you see any flowers there? Little purple ones?”
The two traded glances and shook their heads, but it was Lilia who said, “No, but as we said, Connor and I were so distracted by everything while we were there, we very well could have slept on a bed of them and not ever known it.”
Turning back to Killian, something in Niam's expression made the older man's jaw work beneath his beard. Niam's slanted eyes narrowed and his lips tightened as whatever silent conversation the two of them had made both of them tense.
“What is it?” Lilia demanded, slowly putting the pieces together. “Do you think Rhiamon or one of her girls is responsible for the explosion? Do you think they hurt Mairead?”
“There's only one way to find out,” Niam seethed.
Cavalon made a fist so tight that his knuckles cracked. “A song about a purge, same clothes, trying to keep the girls there...I've heard all I need. When do we leave?”
“I'm going with you,” Elas enthused, his friendship with Mairead also making him protective of her.
Badru lifted his hands with a slow shake of his head, trying to calm the room as several people began speaking at once. “Everyone, please. There is a great deal to consider before we jump into action, especially when much of the information you are basing your judgments off of is circumstantial. Many of the southern Celtique people still worship the old gods and practice the old religions. This does not make them inherently evil or bad simply because they believe differently than we do. Undyed linen is common in any land, especially among the poorer peoples.”
“Much of it can be excused or explained away,” Cailin agreed with a lifted chin, “but you cannot dismiss the words of the song Lilia heard. You and Cavalon have lived a great deal longer than any of us have. In what other manner has a purge ever been spoken of like this that does not include Gaels?”
The weathered older man shook his head, reluctant. “None that did not include genocide of some sort.”
“So even if Rhiamon and her people weren't speaking about the Gaels or the dragons, the fact that she was enthusiastically singing about a purge does not bode well for us.” Cailin's fingers curls into fists at her sides and she glared at Badru. “Given that she had no qualms in cutting a man's tongue from his mouth for harbori
ng a Gael, I think it is a pretty safe assumption that the purge she sings of and the one we all fear are one and the same.”
“We cannot take action against her people without conclusive evidence,” Badru argued, standing his ground.
Cailin's eyes widened. “What other evidence do you need?”
Beside her, Wessely placed a hand on her arm. She turned to look up at him with a jerk of her head, as though she didn't understand who was touching her. Her features softened only a hint upon realizing who it was. No one in the room missed it.
“Badru is right,” Wessely told her evenly. Though he did not remove his hand, he spoke to her with authority, the way a king spoke to one of his subjects when they thought they knew better. “If we go in there with nothing but accusations based off of suspicions, no matter how good those suspicions are, if we have no clear and damning proof to support us, all we will be doing is setting the stage for a battle that could lead to something far greater than we are prepared to face right now.”
Cailin worked hard not to scowl up at him and to keep the venom from her voice. “I am tired of waiting around for the next victim to fall. There has to be something we can do now.”
“There is.”
His hand slid down her arm as though to take her fingers, but he broke contact when Ashlynn asked, “What are you thinking, Papa?”
The older king took a slow, thoughtful breath in and ran a hand over his face. He looked around the room, a frown creasing his lips upon seeing everyone watching him with expectation. “You will not like my answer, but...” He trailed off with a sigh. “Cavalon is not wrong to suggest going back there, though to send an army of muscle and teeth is perhaps not the best tactic. Given Rhiamon's affinity for pretty girls, a demurer approach may be safer.” Rowan bristled, making Wessely shake his head. “I would not ask you to return, Rowan, but Lilia...Rhiamon has already taken quite a liking to you, it seems.”
“Absolutely not,” Connor asserted He took a step forward and swept an arm in front of Lilia as though he could stop her from leaving at that very moment. “She's not going back there.”
“Stop it,” Lilia muttered as she pushed his arm away, her cheeks reddening. “I can make my own decisions.” She looked down and wrung her hands together. Her tongue swept over her lips. When she lifted her head, she looked directly at Ashlynn. “If you want me to go back, I will.”
“Lilia,” Connor objected, but she paid him no attention.
Ashlynn fixed her lady with a serious gaze. “You don't have to if you don't want to. This was never meant to be part of your duties.”
With a small, nervous laugh, Lilia glanced around the room. “I think we're all doing things that were never meant to be part of our duties. People I care about are in danger, people who have put their own lives on the line to protect me and keep me safe in the past. I think it's time I return the favor.”
Holding her hands out, she took Lilia's fingers in her own and gave them a firm squeeze. “Thank you, my dear friend.”
“There is little I would not do for my queen. You know that.”
“How can we help you feel safe in this?” Jaryn asked.
Lilia breathed in deeply. “Don't send me back there alone. That's all I ask.” Voices spoke up all around her, making her smile and look around, taken off guard by the show of support. “Thank you, all of you. Really. But I already have someone in mind. I think Mairead should come with me. She may be able to recognize the little girl if she is one of Rhiamon's people and, as King Wessely pointed out, the woman has a thing for pretty girls. Mairead is both pretty and damaged, something Rhiamon will latch onto right away. Plus, out of everyone I know, Mairead has the best head on her shoulders. She'd never fall under any sort of charm that this woman tried to put her under.”
“I don't know if that's a good idea,” Niam objected. Faces turned in his direction and he shifted on his feet. Sparing him from having to explain his opinion, Ashlynn nodded her agreement.
“After all Mairead has been though, I could never ask this of her as well.”
Lilia gave her half of a sad smile. “She still feels like she failed you that day the carriage was attacked. Don't tell me it's ridiculous and for heaven's sake, don't tell her that...it's how she feels. Ashlynn, she would give her life for you if you asked it of her.”
“That is what I am afraid of.”
“Let her do this if she agrees to it. Give her a purpose, a way to feel as though she is of more use than dressing you and brushing your hair each morning. She was brought here to be your double and since she can no longer do that, she's lost a little bit of herself.”
“If I may,” Badru interjected, “I would like to go as well.” He glanced at Connor with barely concealed amusement. “I can only assume the young prince will be accompanying the young ladies-”
“Of course I will!”
“-and it would do well to have someone along with some experience and age, I think.”
“Oh, I think so as well,” Jaryn enthused. “Very much so.”
“Two Gaels are always better than one anyhow,” the older man added. “We will wait until Cirilla is caught and then, if Lady Mairead is willing to come with us, we will set out at once.”
Killian glanced at Niam, reading his reserved scowl for something no one else seemed to understand, but spoke to the room. “Let us pray we find her soon.”
“Yeah,” Cavalon growled. “I'm starting to get irritated.”
Chapter Sixteen
By late evening the castle and its inhabitants had been cleared. No one had seen the woman and not a trace of her had been found inside Altaine or anywhere on the grounds. People were allowed to roam free once again, though it seemed with great caution. Everyone conversed and looked at one another with an air of reservation, as though no one was certain as to who could be trusted and who could not. Even courtiers who had known each other for years looked at their friends twice. If Cirilla's goal was to water the seed of fear and uncertainty that had already been planted, it looked like she'd fulfilled her task.
Connor, Niam, and Killian stood together in the foyer off to the side, watching people as they came and went. As soon as the kitchens had been cleared, a feast was prepared as though it could make up for the time everyone had been made to feel like they were being held hostage. When Jaryn and Ashlynn were in the room, everyone smiled and laughed as though they hadn't a care, but as soon as the royal couple looked in another direction, the real feelings of doubt, anger, and fear were shown.
“So, what now?” Connor asked, watching a young woman and an older man stroll together across the foyer. “We just go about life here as usual as though nothing happened?”
“Is that not how it is at court?” said Killian. “We present one face to the world while wearing another entirely in private. We make our guests feel as safe and secure as possible while doing our duty. As you are leaving soon, it falls to Niam, Cailin and I to protect everyone.”
Connor eyed the silent Niam. “Yeah, well...I'm sure you'll do your best without me.”
Niam let go of a quiet sigh and looked at Killian. “I'm going to go make my rounds.”
With a nod of dismissal, Killian watched him walk away. “What's his deal?” Connor asked.
“His deal?”
“I mean his story. Jaryn didn't even know the guy until a few days before the games ended. All of a sudden he's part of the inner circle, training with you and Cai, nosing around my sister-”
“He is not nosing around Rowan.”
“I don't like it.”
Killian inclined his head and began walking in the opposite direction in which Niam had left. “He has a mutual friend with Cavalon, which lends a great deal to his credibility. He is also someone who has searched for purpose and a place his entire life, looking for validity from a man who always denied him of it. The high king saw something in him, sees potential, and Niam wants to please him. Is he seeking favor? Certainly, but whereas most do it to prove to others the
y are worth something, Niam is doing it to prove it to himself. His father never told him how valued he was and so he seeks that confirmation from his king. Surely you can understand that.”
Connor fell silent, brooding over Killian's words. He could understand all too well. His father has never been an overly affectionate man toward him. His sisters were the light of Donnchadh's life, but the baby of the brood, his one and only son, was somehow not what he had been hoping for or expecting, and had never been given as much love or attention. Still, Connor couldn't bring himself to soften to Niam and huffed as he walked away.
~*~*~*~
Mairead splayed her hands on the skirt of her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles she'd created as she clenched the fabric in her tight grip. She was intentional with her breath and closed her eyes, trying to block out everything, every word that kept flitting through her mind but the ones on which she wanted to focus. “When I am afraid,” she whispered, “I will put my trust in You.”
She didn't have to go. It was the first thing Lilia and Ashlynn told her before any other information was given. Then she was told about the woman, the village, everything Lilia had seen and heard, and how she was going back and wanted Mairead to go with her. She didn't have to go. She lost count of how many times those few words were said during the course of the conversation, but it hardly mattered. It was clear she needed to. This woman and her people were a threat to Gaels, and even if Mairead hadn't been one herself, many people she cared for were. If she could help them, she would. Maybe it was just the thing she needed to get herself back to normal again, to shock her system out of this unnatural fear of practically everything.
“When I am afraid,” she repeated, opening her eyes, “I will put my trust in You.” She lifted her hands, fingers extended, and watched them shake.
A knock on her door made her jump and clutch at the skirt she'd worked so hard to straighten. “Who is it?” Her voice sounded much too high. Clearing her throat, she stood and asked again. It was a surprise to hear Niam's voice answer. Her anxiety ebbed as she crossed the room to open the door but seeing the worry on his face made her pulse quicken once more. “Niam? What is it?”