by Mary Yarde
And now the brothers were sizing each other up, like two dogs ready to fight. Unsure what to do, Annis curtsied low.
Budic gave the woman by Alden’s side a passing glance. “They said you were dead. Suicide.”
“And yet you had a Mass read,” Alden stated.
“You are my brother.”
“How unfortunate that is for you,” Alden said.
Budic did nothing to dispute Alden’s claim. “Where is Merton?”
You bastard, Alden thought, recollecting his earlier conversation with Bastian. Budic cared not where Merton was. “I am not his keeper,” Alden replied, his voice tight.
“But he was staying with you,” Budic stated, his face going a blotchy shade of red. “He was with you when Wessex burnt your kingdom down. Is he dead?”
“He wasn’t three days ago, when last I saw him, but as to his whereabouts now, I have no idea.”
There was a small sob from a woman in the crowded hall and then a deadly silence.
“You have come for my troops?” Budic said, cutting to the point.
“Why else would I be here?”
“I thought maybe because you had nowhere else to go. If you want my troops then you should be on your knees.”
Alden knew he should be on his knees, he had planned to go down on his knees, but now he was here facing his brother, he found that he could not bring himself to do it. “The day I go down on my knees to you is the day hell will freeze over.”
“Maybe for you it already has,” Budic replied, taking a step closer. “Who’s the woman?”
“She is my wife.”
“Your wife? Well, well, you have been busy.”
“I want my father’s troops, Budic, to take back what is mine and then I will leave you in peace.”
“They are my troops now and they have been for a long time,” Budic reminded him.
Alden glared back. “You will not loan them to me. I am wasting my time. I don’t know why I even bothered to ask.”
“Wessex said you abducted his daughter and that he went to war to avenge her. Is this his daughter? Did you marry her and encourage his wrath?”
“I should have known. You would believe a butcher over your own —”
“Why would he lie?”
“Kin.” Alden finished his sentence. The accusation hung in the air. “He raped my kingdom, had me tied to a post and beat me, then promised me an execution. Annis helped me escape.”
“He wants her back.”
“He can want all he wants. He is not having her.”
“He asked if, for some unforeseen reason she was to appear here in my kingdom, would I be so kind as to send her back again. I agreed. I have no quarrel with Wessex,” Budic said.
“You have no quarrel?” Alden said in astonishment. “He slaughters my people and you have no quarrel? And as for sending my wife back to that monster you call her father…” Alden shook his head. “You do not have the authority. You would have to kill me before I let you come anywhere near her.”
“I will take what I want when it is in my kingdom.”
“You even try and I swear by God above you will be sorry.”
“Are you threatening me?”
“Take it how you want.”
Budic withdrew his sword.
“Alden.” An old man stepped out of the shadows and stood between the two of them. “That is enough. You come here seeking sanctuary, seeking help, and yet you cannot speak to the King with a civil tongue. You should be on your knees, boy, begging for his forgiveness.”
“You’re wasting your breath, John. Alden does not beg for anything. It was better when you were dead. I could think of you fondly then.”
“I do my best to think of you not at all.” Alden replied.
“Wessex has lied to you, my Lord. Lied to us all. I would believe Alden’s version of events over that of a man who is notoriously ambitious,” John said, addressing his King. “Whatever the two of you think of each other, I take it you both agree that Wessex is the one we should be concentrating on.” John was a wise man and a military genius in his time. He had originally come from the land of Gael, before he had come to serve the du Lac family, albeit a tad unwillingly to start with, in their grandfather’s time. He had become a loyal servant to their father and his position had changed from a captured slave to a trusted advisor. His hands were twisted now and he could no longer hold a sword, but his eyes were as intelligent and as bright as they always were.
Budic nodded his head slightly. “He will pay. In good time.”
“How much gold has he promised you for my kingdom?” Alden asked with a cold clarity as he began to understand the events that had unfolded.
“And what is that supposed to mean?” Budic’s voice boomed. “Are you saying I would sell your blood for money?”
“You would sell my soul for less.”
“Enough.” John raised his voice.
“Leave us.” Budic ordered and when nobody moved, he grabbed the man closest to him and pushed him towards the door. “Get out. I will speak to my brother alone.”
Alden focused on his brother as the hall emptied around them. He watched as Queen Anna got down from her throne. She stopped in front of her husband, placing her hand on his arm, and said something that Alden could not hear. Budic mumbled a tight-lipped reply. Anna turned away from her husband and walked towards Alden. Alden ignored her, too, but Annis saw the worry in the Queen’s eyes as she walked past them and out of the hall. Annis had not understood a single word of what her husband and the King had said, but she would have to have been deaf and blind to not know that something was amiss.
An incredibly attractive woman, with perhaps the saddest blue eyes Annis had ever seen, stood in front of Alden and spoke his name.
Alden focused on her. “My Lady.” He tilted his head in acknowledgement and then stared past her.
“Do not antagonise him, Alden. Anna gave birth to another stillborn child not two months past, a boy this time. He is feeling the loss.”
“I am sorry for that, for her.” He looked at her again.
“Befriend the Queen and she may help you.” She smiled sadly.
“I don’t have time, Amandine. My people are bleeding, now. I need that army, now.”
“Maybe it’s time to concentrate on your own life and that of your wife.” There was a warning in her voice and she looked at him as if willing him to read her mind. When he said nothing, she began to walk away.
So this was Amandine, Garren’s wife, the one Alden said he should have married. She was very beautiful, like a sculpture of a Roman goddess. Annis could not help comparing her plain self to such a deity.
“Amandine, take Annis with you. I don’t want her here to witness this.”
“Of course.”
Amandine turned her attention to the woman by Alden’s side and spoke in Latin. “I am Amandine du Lac — ” she paused and cleared her throat, and her face heated, for she had said the wrong name. She was no longer a du Lac.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Alden has spoken of you,” Annis answered back quickly, seeing the woman’s discomfort.
“Will you accompany me?”
Annis looked at Alden. She did not want to leave his side, for she feared he was in grave danger.
“Go with her. I’ll see you later.”
She looked at Amandine, who smiled an encouragement, then back to her husband. “I will see you later, won’t I?”
“Yes,” Alden answered, but he was looking at her, as if he was trying to memorise her face.
Budic had started to pace, like a caged animal, and with every step his anger grew.
Annis turned to follow Amandine, but Alden’s hand grabbed hers and he took her palm to his lips. “I love you,” he said as he closed her fingers over the kiss he had left on
her palm. “Now go.”
Amandine wrapped her arm around Annis’s shoulders and led her out of the room.
The door slammed shut behind Annis and Budic stopped pacing.
“Natanleod is taking an army against Wessex. With your support, we can rid Briton of this menace forever. Will you join us?” Alden said, holding his breath for Budic’s response.
“You want to fight on Natanleod’s side?” Budic asked with angry amazement. “The last time you met, he almost killed you and had you escorted from his lands in chains, if I remember rightly.”
“He gave us shelter and paid for our passage here. We overcame our differences.”
“I am surprised he did not run you through.”
“Perhaps you didn’t pay him enough.”
Budic narrowed his eyes and walked closer, stopping just far enough away in case Alden decided to withdraw his sword. “I do not agree with your marriage to Annis of Wessex.”
“I wasn’t too partial on your choice of bride either, and neither was father, but still you did it and he accepted it.”
“I cannot revoke your marriage, as much as I may like to. But if you saw in your heart to set her aside and send her home, then we could get your lands back through diplomatic means. As for sending my army over the water to help Natanleod, that I will not do. It is winter. I’ll not lose good men for a lost cause.”
“It isn’t a lost cause.”
“Natanleod won’t win,” Budic said.
“He would if he had your support.”
“He won’t win,” Budic said again.
“Because you will make sure of it,” Alden accused.
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t need to. What deal have you struck with that bastard? Was it your orders that made him march on me?”
“You keep deluding yourself, Alden, if it makes you happy. But know this: I had nothing to do with you losing your kingdom,” Budic stated.
“Then why did he invade?”
“Why are you asking me?” Budic responded. “I don’t know the man. I have never even met him.”
“But you talk. His ambassador is here at your court. You know his mind and if you do not you only need to ask.”
“Did I ask you about your court and who was in it, when you had one? Did I tell you how to rule your country?”
“You told me to marry Edmee. You told me it was a good political alliance. How much money did you get for that alliance again? I forget.”
“It was a good alliance. It wasn’t my fault if you could not make it work. And it wasn’t my fault she died.”
“I want the army, Budic. That is what I am here for. Let me have them and then I swear to you, we will never have to be in the same room as each other again.”
“I have already said no.”
“You cannot say no. This is not about our personal feelings for each other, this is about our people who are suffering.”
“My people are not suffering. It is yours that are suffering,” Budic pointed out.
“You deserve not this throne.” Alden raised his voice and then he took a deep breath, trying to control his rage. “Garren would not have — ”
“Garren is dead. He is dead, Alden,” Budic shouted. “As much as you hate that, it is the truth.”
“Convenient, wasn’t it? His death. Like mine would have been. Like Merton’s.”
“I never wished Merton harm.”
“But Garren and I — that is different, isn’t it?”
“Hear yourself speak, Alden. Hear what you are saying.” Budic chuckled without humour. “You have nowhere to go, do you? You have run out of options. You want sanctuary.”
“I want your army.”
“I am not going to give you that. I will give you sanctuary, if you want it. On one condition. No, make that two.”
“And what would these conditions be?” Alden asked, dreading the answer.
“Number one, you do not interfere in any way with my reign; and number two, your wife will have to go home to her father.”
“That is not a condition, that is blackmail and I will not agree to it.”
“You do not have a choice.”
“I have a choice, Budic. There are always choices.”
“Father was wrong when he said that because sometimes there isn’t,” Budic stated. “I don’t want you here. I don’t want your wife here. I mourned your death, Alden, I did. But with you dead we were at peace; for the first time in my life I felt peace. I am not Garren and I am sorry that I am not. He was always the favourite. You, father, Merton — all of you favoured him.” Budic let his resentment show. “You think he would have made a better king?”
“I don’t think,” Alden replied.
“He would not have given you troops to fight a Saxon army.”
“He would not have lost Cerniw,” Alden replied. “I know he wouldn’t have. But I did. I lost her and I want her back. I owe it to my people to get her back. I promised them. Help me.”
“No,” Budic stated and then he smiled gloatingly. “No, I will not.”
“Then there is nothing left for us to say. May God forgive you, for I will not. I cannot agree to your conditions, Annis and I will leave straight away. Rest assured, you will never have to look upon my face again.”
Before Alden had a chance to turn around and leave, Budic spoke. “No, I cannot let you do that either.”
Alden frowned as his brother sat back down on his throne. “I promised Cerdic that if his daughter should ever step foot in my kingdom then I would —”
Alden withdrew his sword. “You dare touch her and I swear I will —”
“Guards!” Budic yelled.
The hall door burst open, but there were too many of Budic’s soldiers for a fair fight, and Alden realised that this was what his brother had wanted from the start.
“You bastard,” Alden yelled, as two soldiers came either side of him. One disarmed him while the other grabbed his injured arm tightly, as if they knew what would hurt him the most. He gasped in pain. “You hurt my wife and I will kill you,” he yelled. “I will kill you,” he yelled. “I will kill you.”
Budic got up and walked towards him, stopping when he was standing in front of his brother. “You should have died when you had the chance. I will do with her what I will.” He then spat in Alden’s face and walked away, smiling triumphantly as Alden’s curses followed him out of the room.
18
“How are you feeling?”
Annis opened her eyes. Amandine smiled and placed a damp cloth over her brow.
“Your fever broke a couple of hours ago, although you still feel a little warm to me. The healer says you will make a full recovery in time. You were lucky.”
“How long have I been ill?” Annis’s voice was hoarse and she welcomed the cool cup of water that Amandine offered her.
“A few days. You have been very poorly.”
“Where is Alden?” Annis asked, for she could not remember seeing him after she left him in the hall. She remembered following Amandine as she led the way up a steep stone staircase and wondering why there were so many soldiers in the hallway. She was halfway up the stairs when she heard her husband yell. She had turned swiftly around and would have retraced her steps if it were not for a soldier wrapping his arms around her, restraining her. He had held her so tightly she couldn’t breathe. Her world went black and she could remember nothing after that.
“Alden is indisposed.”
“Indisposed?”
“Hmm,” Amandine said, as she placed the cloth back on Annis’s brow.
Annis reached up and pushed the cloth and Amandine’s hand away from her face. “I don’t understand. What is going on? Tell me. Please.”
“The healer said you should rest,” Amandine said as she placed the cloth bac
k into the bowl. Annis raised herself up on her elbows. By the gods, she felt weak, but her desire to know that her husband was safe gave her the determination to fight the weakness. “I want to see my husband,” she demanded.
“You cannot. I am sorry. Budic has decreed it so. Please, keep your voice down. If they hear you are awake then there will be hell to pay.”
“What is wrong with me?”
“Drink this,” Amandine said as she picked up a small wooden cup and sat down on the edge of the bed.
“What is it?” Annis asked, suddenly feeling fearful, for Amandine would not meet her eyes.
“Just something to help with the fever.”
“I don’t have a fever.” The room spun and she touched her head with her hands. “You have drugged me.” She threw the accusation at Amandine.
Amandine looked down at the cup. “Alden entrusted me to keep you safe and it was the only thing I could think to do. Budic has lost all reason. I’m sorry. I did it to protect you.”
The door opened and the Queen glided into the room. “Ah,” she said, her tone one of grave disappointment. “I must inform Budic.”
“Anna, please.” Amandine begged. “Give us some more time. Give Alden a chance to sort this out.”
“Alden can’t sort this out and I have given you time, Amandine, as much as I can, but he is growing suspicious. You cannot keep her asleep forever. He will make her sign it at some point.”
“Sign what? Would someone please tell me what is going on?”
“Alden refuses to revoke your handfast even though Budic demands it,” Anna stated matter-of-factly.
“Anna.” Amandine’s voice was soft, like a whispered warning.
“Why?...I don’t understand… am I that…unworthy?”
“You have no idea what you married into, do you?” The Queen sighed heavily and sat down on the bed. “Annis…There is no easy way to say this, so I shall just say it. Budic has had Alden arrested for treason.”