Child of the Phoenix

by Barbara Erskine

  Eleyne jumped to her feet. ‘How dare you! How dare she! What do you mean? There is nothing wrong with my husband! Nothing! He is strong and well. He is completely recovered.’

  ‘I’m sorry, my lady.’ Luned looked frightened by the unexpected burst of temper. ‘I didn’t mean to make you cross. And nor did Rhonwen. She only wanted to please you.’

  ‘Well, she hasn’t.’ Eleyne walked over to the fire and stared down at the smouldering log. The room was cold and damp. ‘And I wanted her here. I wanted to talk to her. I need her.’ For a moment she was a lonely child again.

  It was dark outside and the wind was howling across the moors when John came at last to bed after spending some hours closeted with his chamberlain and the steward of the manor, arguing over the accounts of the previous year’s harvest. Climbing into bed beside Eleyne he reached out, as he so often did, to stroke her hair and touch her shoulder as though to reassure himself that she was really there. Then, as he so often did, he turned wearily away and fell into an exhausted sleep, leaving her staring into the darkness.

  VII

  CHESTER CASTLE April 1233

  The Welshman pulled his rough sheepskin cloak around him and peered furtively over his shoulder. It was some time since he had passed the coin to the servant and asked for the Lady Rhonwen. Behind him the sun had set into a bank of crimson cloud and the cold wind was rising, blowing steadily from the north. With the earl and countess away, the castle was strangely empty. The garrison remained; the administrative officers were still there, but the rest of the great household had moved on to progress around Lord Chester’s vast estates.

  It was nearly dark before she came, muffled as he was against the cold. They stood in the shelter of the stable block and talked for a few minutes in hurried Welsh. A letter passed between them, then some coins, and the Welshman faded back into the night. At first light, when the gates opened, he would be gone on the journey back to Degannwy.

  Rhonwen tucked the letter into her bodice and retraced her steps back to the women’s bower. There were fewer ladies there now; those who served the aged dowager and the chatelaine and two young women near to giving birth, that was all. It was comparatively easy to find a secluded corner and settle with her flickering candle to read the letter which Gruffydd had written to Eleyne.

  Cautiously worded though it was, it was clear in its message. Gruffydd had had meetings with his father and at long last Llywelyn was talking of allowing his eldest son his freedom once again. There had even been a vague promise that Gruffydd would be given the Lleyn Peninsula and that he would be allowed to work again with Dafydd if he would recognise Dafydd as his father’s heir.

  Rhonwen dropped the letter on to her lap and gazed unseeing at the heavy wooden shutter which had been pulled across the window. If only he had the sense to agree; to bide his time. She sighed and pulled from her gown her other letter. There had been two that day, both addressed to Eleyne. This one had been carried by a messenger in the livery of the Prince of Aberffraw. He had been reluctant to give it up to her; he had been paid and well paid to put his letter into the hands of the Countess of Chester and no other, but in the end he had relented. Did not everyone know that the Lady Rhonwen was the countess’s nurse, her friend, her confidante? She could be trusted to pass on the letter the quickest way possible.

  Reading it again now, Rhonwen frowned. Einion’s hand had grown feeble; his writing shook and strayed across the roughly scraped parchment, but the urgency was clear. He wanted Eleyne to return to Mô n.

  Rhonwen frowned again. Eleyne had summoned her to her chamber once when the earl had ridden out for the day. They had hugged one another as they had when Eleyne was a child.

  ‘I am his wife now, Rhonwen,’ Eleyne had whispered, her eyes shining, ‘really his wife.’ She caught Rhonwen’s hands. ‘Oh Rhonwen, I love him so much. Give me time. Please. He will grow to like you. I know he will.’ Rhonwen had suppressed the agonising pang of jealousy which Eleyne’s words had caused her, melting before the excited pleading eyes, and she had not, as she had never, been able to deny Eleyne what she wanted.

  ‘I’ll wait, cariad,’ she had said, hiding her sadness. ‘I’ll keep out of his way, and wait.’ Nevertheless she had been hurt by Eleyne’s attitude in those last few weeks before they left on their progress around the country. It was as if Eleyne had forgotten her existence. But Rhonwen had watched and waited and kept out of the earl’s way as she had promised. And when the time came for the household to leave Chester she had shaken her head and pleaded exhaustion and told Luned to wait on Eleyne with extra care.

  She looked down at Einion’s letter again: it must be important. Einion would never summon Eleyne back unless he felt it was vital; Einion, to whom she had entrusted Eleyne as she would have trusted herself; a man she respected and honoured more even than she honoured the prince. To disobey him would be to disobey the wishes of the gods; to obey him would be to reclaim Eleyne from her husband; to travel with her once more to Gwynedd; to go home.

  She walked slowly across the room, her skirts catching in the dried, dusty herbs strewn upon the ground, her eyes shining. These two letters gave her the power to summon Eleyne back, to bring her home. She stood for a long time before the fire, unaware of the eyes of the other women looking up from their spinning and sewing and watching her warily. Her temper had grown uncertain in the weeks since her return from Gwynedd, her arrogance more defensive. Her beautiful face was drawn now and thin, her eyes haunted, and she seemed unaware of the women around her.

  What would Eleyne want her to do? Would she want to go back to Gwynedd and the convoluted politics of her brothers’ quarrels, and to Einion, or would she want to remain with her husband, a countess touring her estates? She pictured Eleyne’s face yet again: the shining eyes, the knowledge of something which Rhonwen would never know, and she heard again her voice: Oh Rhonwen, I love him so much, and she knew what she must do.

  Slowly and deliberately she dropped the two letters on to the fire and watched them shrivel and blacken in the heart of the flames.

  VIII

  PENMON, ANGLESEY April

  In his lonely hermit’s cell Einion sat staring deep into the flames, feeling the ice-cold draughts playing across his shoulders and down his spine. The pain in his bones distracted him from his meditation and he could think of nothing now but the cold wind which howled across the island and whipped the strait into white-topped breakers.

  Leaning forward he reached for a log to throw on to the fire. He had seen the messenger in the flames that morning; seen him hand the letter to Rhonwen and he had smiled, reassured. Rhonwen would understand the urgency. She would see that Eleyne came back. Only a few more days and she would come; only a few more days …

  He frowned. Suddenly, it hurt to breathe. The hut was full of smoke. The sound of the wind had risen to a scream. He stared at the fire, his hand pressed against his chest, trying to see. He was struggling to rise to his feet when the pain hit him: a grip like an iron bar across his heart, crushing him, blinding him with agony. He heard himself cry out loud, expelling his last breath as his lungs ceased to function; the deep blackness was enfolding him, numbing his mind as one last certainty flashed through it. Eleyne was not going to come after all. He would not, as he had always known in his heart he would not, see her again. Rhonwen had betrayed her gods. She had thrown the letter on the fire – he saw her do it in one flash of blinding clarity – and because of her Eleyne must face the future without his warnings.

  As the blackness became total and the howl of the wind filled his ears, he staggered a few steps into the darkness and pitched full-length across the fire.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  I

  YORKSHIRE April 1233

  ‘The Queen of Scots is with child!’

  The messenger took a certain malicious joy in relaying the message to the stunned household of the Earl of Chester. ‘It is his grace’s command that all his subjects share in his joy and give thanks that h
is prayers have been answered at last. Your aunt, my lady,’ he went on, turning to Eleyne whose face had drained of colour, ‘sends you her especial greetings and hopes that you and your husband will travel north soon to visit her and the king.’

  ‘You told me I should be king one day!’ John rounded on Eleyne as soon as they were alone. ‘Holy Virgin, and I believed you! How could you tell me such lies?’

  ‘They weren’t lies,’ Eleyne cried, ‘I told you what was told to me.’ He was standing in the centre of the room, his hands clasped tightly, his knuckles white, visibly trying to control himself. ‘This means nothing.’ She ran to him and put her hands over his. ‘A baby not yet born –? So much could happen. Your succession might not be for many years – King Alexander is not an old man – ’

  She had meant it as a reassurance, but his face darkened. ‘He is only eight years older than I. Eight years, Eleyne!’ John smiled at her sadly. ‘And he is a robust man, whereas I …’ He left the sentence unfinished.

  ‘You are well now and stronger than you have ever been,’ she said firmly. ‘Besides, he is far more likely to die in battle before you, being a king! He has often led his men against the rebels in his kingdom, you told me so yourself.’

  ‘And I? If I should lead my men to battle, how do you think I’d fare, sweetheart?’ The humour returned to his eyes.

  ‘Your men would follow you to the ends of the earth.’ She was trying to keep the impatience out of her voice. ‘And you know it. Though I pray to the Blessed Virgin that your cousin leaves you a peaceful inheritance when the time comes. And now, you must send a letter congratulating him on his news and telling him that we shall visit him as soon as it is possible. I want to see this country where I shall be spending so much of my life with its king.’ Reaching up, she kissed him on the lips, and his face showed that the despair had left his eyes. Seconds later his arms were around her and his mouth came down hungrily on hers.

  ‘You have seen it again? Seen it in the fire?’ he asked. ‘You know what will happen, don’t you?’ He had forgotten that he had forbidden her to look into the fire; told her to close her eyes and pray if she feared the visions were close. The touch of her lips had awakened him. She could see the excitement in his eyes. Reaching up, he began to unfasten her mantle. ‘Tell me, Eleyne. Tell me what you saw.’ In his hurry he had torn the neck of her gown. Bending, he kissed her breasts. Her excitement rose with his, and she wanted to reassure him, to tell him what he so badly needed to hear, but she couldn’t. About the Sight she couldn’t lie.

  ‘I’ve seen nothing, my love, nothing,’ she breathed. ‘We must wait.’ She was naked now, her gown and kirtle around her knees, cradling his head to her breast as he caught hungrily at the nipple with his teeth. The pain sent the excitement knifing through her belly, and she found she was pulling at his hair, willing him to throw her down and mount her, there on the floor. But already his ardour was cooling; he glanced ruefully at the beauty of her pale body and reached for her gown. ‘Someone might come in – ’

  ‘Then bar the door, my lord.’ She smiled at him, her hunger in her eyes. ‘Quickly – ’

  She pulled the cover from the bed and throwing it down on the floor before the fire, she knelt on it and began with shaking hands to unbraid her hair.

  ‘Eleyne –’ His voice was husky.

  ‘Bar the door, my lord.’ She heard the imperious tone in her voice with faint surprise and expected him to frown, but he obeyed her at once. Her fingers still busy with her hair, she knelt upright on the rug, conscious that her breasts beckoned him, conscious as he fumbled with the buckle of his girdle that this time he could not resist her.

  When he had finished she lay a long time on her back, gazing at the vaulted stone arch of the ceiling. The sunlight slanted through the mullioned windows, striking the warm colours of the embroidered hangings on the wall, animating them into strange and wonderful life. She felt the chill of sweat drying on her skin. His, not hers: as always, her excitement had died and she was left cradling his head in her arms, her body tight with longing, unslaked and lonely.

  Below them the manor house was quiet. Everyone was out about their chores, even the women taking advantage of the cold spring sunshine to gain a respite from the badly ventilated hall. In the lord’s solar the only sound was the sighing of the ashes as they cooled.

  II

  ROXBURGH CASTLE, SCOTLAND May 1233

  ‘Sire, you must speak to the queen.’ The distraught official was hovering behind Alexander as he paced the great hall. ‘She is pleading for you, sire.’

  ‘No!’ Through clenched teeth Alexander repeated the word for the tenth time. ‘No! No! No! I do not wish to see her.’

  ‘But she blames herself, sire – ’

  ‘With good reason!’ The king swung to face him. ‘She was warned to rest. All the signs told her to rest. It was written in the stars themselves!’ He flung his hand towards the distant roof of the hall. ‘But she took no notice! She knew best! She had to ride with her hawk and now she’s lost the bairn. Oh yes, I blame her. And I do not wish to see her. Now get out of my sight!’

  The man bowed unhappily and scurried towards the door at the west end of the hall, his face a picture of disapproval. Outside a cluster of women waited in agitation. One look was enough to tell them the king’s response and dejectedly they hurried away.

  The queen’s rooms were full of the sound of her sobbing. It was three days since her miscarriage, but still she could not stop crying. She had not eaten or slept and cried constantly for her husband.

  ‘Hush, madam, please.’ The distraught lady at the bedside dabbed at her face with a cloth wrung out in rose water. ‘You’ll harm yourself. There will be other babies, you’ll see.’

  Joanna spotted the women clustered by the door. She pulled herself up on the pillows, her face swollen and blotchy with tears. ‘Where is he? Is he coming?’

  The Princess Margaret, the king’s youngest sister, came forward. She shrugged and shook her head. ‘Soon, my dear, soon. Alexander doesn’t wish to tire you …’

  ‘That’s because he blames me. He does, doesn’t he? It’s my fault! He knows it’s my fault!’ Her voice rose in a wail. ‘If I hadn’t gone riding; if I had stayed at home and rested …’

  ‘Hush, hush.’ Margaret took her hand and stroked it unhappily. ‘Don’t upset yourself so much. Rest now.’

  ‘No! I must see him, I must!’ Joanna’s voice rose in a hysterical scream. Pushing back the sheets, she threw her thin legs over the edge of the bed and staggered to her feet.

  ‘Your grace, please! Please, come back to bed –’ Her ladies clustered around her, frantically trying to push her back.

  ‘Where is he? Where is the king?’ Tears were streaming down her face.

  ‘Joanna, I don’t know where he is – please, please calm yourself –’ Margaret caught her arm. ‘You’ll do no good by trying to find him. He’ll come to you when he’s ready.’

  ‘But he won’t, he won’t.’ She pushed at the other woman so violently that Margaret staggered backwards as Joanna ran for the door, her long bed gown trailing behind her, her feet bare.

  No one else tried to stop her but her ladies followed her down the long winding staircase as fast as they could. Instinctively, she knew where to find him. In the royal stables, waiting impatiently whilst his grooms threw saddle and bridle on his great stallion. There was a goblet of wine in his hand. He had been drinking heavily all morning, but he was far from drunk when he saw his wife running barefoot towards him across the high cobbles, her hair flying, her face streaked with tears.

  The sight of her sliced through his anger and disappointment with ice-cold shock; for the first time he thought of her misery and pain.

  He threw down the goblet, splashing the cobbles with the blood-red wine, and strode towards her. ‘Joanna! Joanna, lass.’ He scooped her up in his arms and buried his face in her hair. ‘It doesn’t matter, lass. There will be others. You’ll see, there will be others.�
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  Sobbing, she clung to him. ‘I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. It was all my fault …’

  ‘No, no, it was God’s will.’ He was carrying her back towards the door, neither of them seeing the men and women around them. He carried her inside and up the stairs, soothing her as if she were a small child who had had a nightmare, and gently he put her down on the bed. Then he sat beside her and took her hand. ‘All I want now is for you to get better quickly. Then,’ he smiled, ‘we’ll try again. Now, you must rest. I’ll call the physician to give you something to help you sleep.’ He pulled the covers over her tenderly and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. As he walked from the room his face was bleak.

  Impassively his clerk took down the letter to the Earl of Chester informing him of the Queen of Scots’s miscarriage and commanding him to come to Scotland. It was time the heir presumptive to the throne became better acquainted with his future kingdom.

  III

  CHESTER CASTLE May 1233

  Rhonwen woke with a start and peered around in terror. The chamber outside the bed curtains was completely dark. The fire had died. She could hear nothing at all, but she was shaking and could feel the perspiration cold on her body. The covers of her bed were tangled. She lay still, rigid with fear. A gentle snore came from the fireside where two of the serving girls lay, curled up on pallets, huddled into tight cold humps beneath their rugs. Across the room her companions were invisible behind the curtains of their bed. The room was full of people, and yet it was totally silent. She thought about the rush lights in their box near the pricket and the flint and tinder near it, but she couldn’t move.

  ‘Einion?’ She breathed the name into the silence.

  He knew. He knew she had burned his letter and he was displeased. More than displeased: she could feel his anger whipping around her in the dark. She clutched a pillow in front of her, her eyes wide, huddling back into the wall, feeling the stone against her shoulder blades beneath the heavy embroidered hangings.