“Ellen knew exactly what she was doing,” Patrick replied coldly.
“Horse shit,” Tor spat back. “No woman ever knows what they are doing as far as you are concerned and you know it.” He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. “Why choose one of our own?”
“I wanted her.” He spoke so quietly Tor almost didn’t hear him.
“You wanted her.” Tor laughed dryly. “That makes everything alright then does it?” He sat down and ran his hand through his hair. “When will you ever learn? You cannot keep using women like this. Sometimes there are consequences.”
Patrick’s temper flared. “Consequences. How dare you speak to me about consequences. I have had to live with the consequences of scorning a woman for a long time and will continue having to deal with it long after you are dead. I think I am more of an expert than you.”
“Yet you continue to think through your trousers instead of using your head,” Tor countered. “What if Ellen refuses to stay with us?”
“Ellen is fine.” He made it sound as though he didn’t care.
Tor’s anger returned. “You had better pray that she is because if she is not, you are going to give her whatever she wants to make her fine.” He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
“It sounds to me like you should be thanking your lucky stars that Ellen was the one that walked out, not you.” Modo commented, smiling. “Unless, of course, you want to get married.”
“Married!” Patrick could hardly say the word. “They would not do that to me, would they?” The look he received from both Seth and Modo suggested they thought it was a strong possibility.
——————————-∞——————————-
While everyone had been celebrating the wedding, Bellak had sneaked out of the great hall and headed to the library. He was still there when Liselle entered the following afternoon, head down on a book, snoring loudly.
“Any luck?” she asked loudly, startling him awake.
“No,” he grumbled. “I have been looking all night and have found absolutely no reference to Zeneth anywhere, let alone his grave. I am beginning to think he does not exist.”
“Maybe you are right.” Bellak looked at her quizzically. “You are looking through the histories, maybe you should try folklore.”
Unconvinced, Bellak continued to look through the history books while Liselle hunted for the mythology section. She eventually found it in the far corner of the library. It contained only two books. Taking them to a nearby sofa, she sat down, curled her legs under her and began to read.
A short time later, Torrick arrived, bringing refreshments. Placing a plate of food and a jug of ale on the table in front of Bellak, he headed toward his wife. She was so engrossed in her book that she did not know her husband was there until he kissed her on the cheek, making her swear loudly. Apologising profusely, she took the proffered tray out of his hands and invited him to join her. Having already eaten, he declined her offer but promised to return later to drag her to the dining room for dinner. She smiled at him affectionately then continued reading; book in one hand, bread in the other. He left the room completely unobserved.
Liselle was half way through the second book when she jumped to her feet and rushed over to Bellak, calling his name excitedly.
“I have found him,” she declared, thrusting the book toward the wizard. He quickly scanned the page until his eyes fell on the word he was looking for; Zeneth. He read the passage in full.
Zeneth: Legendary hero of the battle of Billand. Rumoured to be the offspring of a mortal woman and an ancient god, he saved the Miands from being massacred by demons while giving up his own life to save his people. He was buried in a cave near the battleground. Some legends say he is in an eternal sleep, caused by the screams of the dying demons, and can only be woken by a scream of pain.
Bellak stared at Liselle. “Good girl. I have seen mention of Billand and Miands in one of these books in front of me. Start looking.”
Liselle knew better than to expect any word of thanks. She obediently picked up a book and set about her task. They were still searching when Torrick returned, announcing that dinner was served. Liselle immediately dropped the book she was browsing and allowed herself to be escorted from the room.
“You need to eat,” she called from the doorway, noticing that Bellak had not moved. Reluctantly he laid aside the volume he had been perusing, carefully marking his page and followed them to the dining room.
They were the last to arrive. Allias instructed the servants to start serving the food as they took their seats. The entire royal family were present, along with Yeland. Another tradition. Selene looked tired, leaving Sam to wonder if she had managed to get any sleep since leaving the party. The seating arrangements indicated hostilities, though the conversation remained polite throughout the meal. Ellen sat with Tor and Dal, next to Yeland, with Patrick placed as far away from them as was possible. Grimmel placed himself alongside him, while River opted to join the other side of the table. Sam, though not actually avoiding Brin, made sure she was sitting close to him, with Ban separating them, so that she did not have to look at him. If anyone noticed her glancing in his direction whenever he leaned forward, or Ban leaned back, they did not comment.
The food was good and plentiful and the wine flowed. As everyone started to relax, conversation turned to the previous evening and Tallon and Selene were filled in on some of the things they missed. Dal’s face turned bright red when Seth regaled everyone with the tale of the lad’s exploits with the Duke’s daughter, embellishing the story here and there to make it even more entertaining. Patrick chose to remain quiet while Ria talked about the conversations she had overheard, mostly from married women discussing what they would like to do with him if they got him alone. Sam watched Ellen closely, but she showed no reaction to the topic of conversation, other than a slight, knowing smile.
River asked Hetta about one of the young Lords she had spent a lot of her time dancing with, throwing furtive glances toward Grimmel, who pointedly refused to meet her eye. It was obvious that she had no real interest in the young man and was just trying to wind the dwarf up, but he refused to rise to the bait.
“Hawk certainly knows how to move around the floor,” Ria commented, looking directly at Brin as she spoke. As usual, no emotion crossed his face, his body remaining relaxed.
“He certainly has some unexpected talents.” Sam inwardly grimaced as she realised that could be taken in entirely the wrong context. One look at Ria showed that at least one person was taking it exactly the way she had not intended. She braved a look at Brin, but his eyes, staring directly back at her, told her nothing.
Despite having stayed in bed so late, everyone was feeling tired so they all retired to bed early. Patrick hung back a little, then walked up to Ellen.
“We need to talk.” He grabbed her arm and guided her out of earshot.
“No, we do not,” she told him calmly. “We had sex. Good sex. Great sex. We should do it again sometime. But that is all it was. Please do not make it a big deal.”
Patrick breathed a sigh of relief, releasing her. “In that case, please can you talk to Tor for me; he wants to kill me right now.”
“He does? That is sweet of him. Of course I will talk to him.” She kissed Patrick on the cheek then walked away.
As he watched her gently swaying hips, his mind flooded with memories of their night of passion. “Ellen.” She stopped and looked around at him. “It really was good.” She gave him a shy smile before heading off to find Tor.
——————————-∞——————————-
As soon as Ria entered the bedroom, closely followed by Sam, she burst out laughing. “That was brilliant,” she gasped. “How ever did you keep a straight face while saying that?”
“I didn’t realise what I was saying at the time.” She groaned. “Oh god. I am such an idiot.”
Seeing that Sam was in obvious distres
s, the smile dropped from Ria’s face. She sat beside her on the bed and put her arm around her. “Stop worrying. If you are that concerned, go and see him.”
“I can’t do that.” River walked in at that moment.
“What can you not do?” she asked
“I was just telling her that she should go and speak to Brin.”
“She is right. She should not do that. It would be improper.”
Their conversation was cut short by a knocking on the window. Sam opened it and Hawk slipped inside. “My apologies ladies, but I need to speak to Sam alone.”
Sam brushed aside his request. “Feel free to speak in front of them. They gave me the third degree this morning so they know what you have been up to.”
Hawk did not look pleased, but continued anyway. “I had a visit from your elf last night. He was waiting for me when I returned to my coffin.”
“He is not my elf.” Sam was not sure if she was more worried or excited.
“Yet,” she heard Ria whisper.
“He casually informed me that if I betrayed you in any way he would kill me.”
“He actually said he would kill you?” Ria asked, shocked. “He is either very brave or very stupid.”
“Those were not his exact words, but his meaning was clear.”
“Shit shit shit,” Sam swore. “I knew this was a stupid idea. I’ve got to go and explain.” She headed toward the door, but Ria grabbed her by the arm and swung her onto one of the beds.
“Not a good idea.”
“You were all for me going to see him a few minutes ago,” Sam protested.
“Things have changed. Firstly you need to calm down. You will end up saying a lot more than you should the state you are in.” Sam grudgingly conceded the point. “Secondly, this is actually good news.”
“It is?” River, Sam and Hawk all asked simultaneously.
“Of course,” Ria said, nodding her head as she spoke. “He reacted. And rather dramatically by the sound of things. He sees Hawk as competition, which is what you were trying to achieve. There is one downside though.” They looked at her expectantly. “Hawk has to be on his guard.” She turned to address him directly. “Make sure you do not do anything that makes it look like you are betraying Sam.”
Hawk smiled. “That will not be a problem. I will just keep behaving the way I have been.”
Ria put her head slightly to one side, thinking. “That should be alright. Sam, your next move is to treat him as just a friend. Pretend you are still deciding whether you want to be involved or not.”
“How on Earth am I supposed to do that when Brin thinks I was a lot more than friendly with him last night?”
“Suspects, not thinks,” Ria countered. “There is a big difference. Besides, it is possible to spend the night with a man and remain just friends. Ask Ellen.”
“Ask Ellen what?” a voice said behind them.
“Perfect timing,” Ria said, beaming at the newly arrived Ellen. “Sam can fill you in on her situation and you can fill us all in on the latest developments between you and Patrick.”
“I’m not sure either of us should be taking relationship advice from someone who never practices what she preaches.” Sam’s stubborn streak was setting in. “Have you ever actually been involved with a man?”
“Of course I have,” Ria replied, not in the least put off by the insulting comment. “And I will be again when I meet the right man, but right now let us get back to you.”
“How did I let myself get into this?” Sam moaned. Hawk made his excuses and left. This was one conversation he did not wish to hear. The ladies discussed men and how to handle them well into the night, before tiredness overcame them and they went to sleep. There was still no sign of Liselle.
——————————-∞——————————-
Liselle and Bellak returned to the library as soon as the meal was over. They found the references that Bellak had seen previously, but they contained no clues to a destination. There was an official account of the battle of Billand and it was, indeed, won by the Miands, but there was no mention of demons being involved or of the legendary Zeneth. Giving up, they returned the books to the correct shelves and turned to geography. If the battle of Billand really took place, it had to have happened somewhere.
It was two days later that they found the answer, though in an unexpected way. During breakfast Tor asked how the research was going and Bellak filled them all in on their discoveries to date.
“Well at least we know where the idea for the clue came from,” Seth observed. “Whoever wrote it must have read the same book you did.”
“Or had heard of the legend from another source,” Tor corrected him.
“Did you say Billand?” Allias asked, a curious look on his face. Bellak nodded. “Then I think you had better come with me.” Bellak and Liselle rose and followed Allias out of the room. He took them to the other end of the palace and down a poorly lit corridor. Near the end, he opened a door to his left and went inside; Bellak and Liselle followed. They found themselves in a large, well lit room. Comfortable chairs were spread, almost haphazardly, throughout and portraits lined the walls. No other furnishings were present.
“This is officially known as the reading room,” Allias informed them. “Though popular in my father’s time, it is rarely used now.” He gestured toward the paintings. “These are some of my ancestors. There is one I think you will want to see.” He wandered over to the nearest, reading the inscription before moving on to the next. Liselle and Bellak just stared around them in wonder. The pictures were magnificent works of art, the colours bright and clear, the frames ornately carved.
“Over here,” Allias called out, beckoning them over to where he was standing, half way down one wall. He was inspecting the portrait of a stern looking man, with a sharp, pointed black beard and long black hair, tied at the nape of his neck. “Let me introduce you to my great uncle Philliat, many times removed of course.” Bellak looked at the painting, a bored expression on his face. “According to the inscription,” Allias continued, “he was the last Duke of Billand.”
Allias suddenly had Bellak’s attention. He peered closely, but was unable to read the lettering on the painting. “What is his full name, and are there any dates mentioned?”
Allias read the inscription aloud and Bellak instantly headed toward the door, dragging Liselle with him. “Thank you,” he called, without looking back. “I know just which book to look him up in.”
Less than an hour later, Bellak had found what he was looking for. The large volume on the table in front of him was open at the page dedicated to Philliat, Duke of Billand. It named times and places of major events, including the locations of not only Billand itself, but also Duke Philliat’s final resting place.
“Where are the Handon hills?” Liselle asked.
“It is a range of hills about three days ride from here, near the border. You probably know them as Sutton hills.”
They raced off to find Tor and give him the good news. If everyone could be found quickly, they could be on their way within the hour. Tor, however, had other ideas. “We leave in the morning,” he said. Bellak started to argue, but Tor stopped him. “I said, in the morning. Now go and let everyone you can find know that I want them packed and ready to leave straight after breakfast.
Liselle and Bellak headed off to see who was about. Tor could still hear Bellak’s grumbling long after he was out of his sight. Tor went in search of Allias, both to thank his host and to inform him of their imminent departure. He found him in his study, reading a history book.
“I never took you for a scholar.”
“I am not,” Allias replied, signalling to a nearby chair. “Wine?” Tor accepted the offered seat, nodding his affirmative. “Seeing all the family portraits today made me realise how little I really know about my family,” he continued, handing Tor a glass. “I decided to read up on them.”
“Have fun. Personally I know as much about my fa
mily as I wish to.” He took a long drink from his glass. “Bellak found what he was looking for, thanks to you. We will head off in the morning.” He explained where their next destination was and how Bellak had found it.
“We shall see you all again in a couple of weeks then, when you are back to use my library again. Though next time, is there any chance of you giving me some notice before you arrive? If Mrs Hubert has to house you all without warning again she said she will walk out on me.”
Chapter 30
The next morning was clear and sunny. The wagon was loaded with supplies and personal belongings and horses were being removed from the stables. The chief cook had done them proud; there was enough food to last a week, maybe two, so hunger was certainly not going to be a problem. Mrs Hubert had promised to have rooms prepared for them in a week’s time. They pointed out that they may not be returning, but she just snorted and said she would see them all again soon.
Yeland had also chosen that morning to depart. Affairs of state in his homeland could not wait and he felt a pressing need to find his younger son. He had not been heard from since before the first wedding and Yeland had decided he had sulked long enough. A search party would be sent out and the young Prince would return to the palace, even if the King had to physically drag him there himself.
Tallon and Selene would remain in Amenia until after the baby was born. They then planned to alternate between the two countries, spending a year in each, though there would be numerous short family visits.
As they headed out of the city gates, Sam looked back longingly. She had enjoyed both her stays in Vada and she hoped to return one day; preferably one day soon. They travelled all day and as they made camp late in the afternoon, Sam was hit with a feeling of déjà vu; everyone had fallen into their standard routine. They all seemed at ease; the sense of urgency that they usually felt while travelling had not yet set in.
Later that evening, Seth was preparing the fresh rabbits that had been included in their supplies while Tor set about making a roasting spit. Both were within hearing distance as Patrick approached Ellen, who was placing stones around the fire pit.
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