“We will watch for the slightest difference in the air and land,” Col promised. He smiled then, clapping a hand on Rowan’s shoulder. “Tonight’s meal and the music and the Celts dancing were quite good, my lord cousin.”
“Indeed,” Rowan murmured. Yes, good for the men and women who were under siege. But he could not forget watching Kyleigh, laughing in Padraic’s arms.
She was no traitor. He knew that.
“She is a beautiful woman,” Col said.
“Kyleigh? Yes,” Rowan agreed.
Col laughed. “Ah, not Kyleigh, though, yes, she is magic, in many ways. I refer to the lovely young widow. She is enamored of you, I believe.”
“She seeks safety,” Rowan murmured.
“We all seek sustenance—and the pleasures of life. A widow knows the pleasures well. We face death, Rowan. If the two of you were to enjoy private time, I do not believe the Christian God himself would disapprove a lack of wedding vows.”
“Col, my cousin, my regard for you is great. However, I would appreciate you not determining what I do with my nights.”
“Night, day—”
“Col!”
Col laughed again. “My lord, I shall say no more. Rather I shall take my rest and return to the sweet lady who warms my bed. Indeed, she has been sweet these days! But, of course, she like many a wife, can be fierce when she speaks her mind! Still, I would not have it any other way. However, you did leave the Lady Aileen in my care so you should know—we will not fault anyone if she slips away in wee hours of darkness.”
“Col—” Rowan began.
But Col was already gone.
Rowan stared out across the night. Perhaps Col was not wrong. Aileen was a lovely young woman; while she had spoken to him often about the need to rid the land of Brogan, she had touched him often, too, and he believed any advance on his part would be welcome.
Maybe that would turn his mind from Kyleigh.
And the way he felt when he watched her laughter as she danced about in Padraic’s arms.
Darkness. But the morning would come soon.
They were ready for the enemy to come at them again. But feeding hundreds for a lengthy time would be a challenge. If the night stayed quiet and the dawn was uneventful, they would keep a wary eye out and fish the river.
He spent his hours on the wall.
His time to rest came. He found himself looking at the tower where Col and his family had their home, where they watched over Aileen.
Perhaps...
But not with what was left of this night.
He went to the main tower and tread through the great hall to the stairs. At the landing, he paused, and he looked at Kyleigh’s door.
And he wondered if Padraic was in the room with her.
He turned and walked to his own room.
He had to rest; he could not let his mind plague him.
They were at war.
Chapter 8
Kyleigh had no concept of time; days and nights had fallen into one another. When she awoke, she remembered slowly where she was.
And then she started, almost screaming aloud.
Somehow, not doing so.
There was a man in her room. Or not a man. The image of a man in mist, one that was both darkness and light, somehow shimmering, somehow like a dark cloud.
The whole of the room seemed to be bathed in a strange, quiet light, making it neither night nor day.
He was tall, clad in a long dark cape, carrying a long staff with a dragon’s head.
He was old, with wild white hair, and a shaven face that was handsomely contoured but with deep grooves and wrinkles showing the passage of his time on earth.
Merlin?
She whispered the name softly.
“Magic,” he warned her sternly, “must not be abused!”
He spoke with the voice, of course, that had come to her before. The voice that sometimes seemed to radiate from the sword.
She sat straight in the bed, staring as time passed and she fought with herself to gain speech.
She shook her head. “I did not abuse it in any way! This man Brogan intends to kill everyone. I have only used it to stop his onslaught.”
“Ah, and to sneak out and watch the comings and goings of a friend! That is great strength, the cloak of invisibility. It can weaken a sorceress when the magic she holds is desperately needed.”
“I was afraid for him!” she whispered.
The figure shook his head. “The strength of good magic cannot be found in lies.”
“I did not lie to anyone!”
“Not speaking is often a lie.”
The figure, hands clasped behind his back, paced the small room thoughtfully. “Trust me. I leaned magic must be most carefully used. Especially when magic resides among others as well. At all times, you must take care. The craft should be practiced and tested!”
“I did not have much time to practice or test anything!” Kyleigh said.
He swung on her. “Watch your tongue before your elders. And take care. Be friends. But you must not come too close to the Celt, Padraic.”
She shook her head with a sinking feeling.
“He cannot be a traitor!”
“Did I say that he was a traitor?” the figure snapped.
“Then—”
“Take care.”
“Why?”
“Because he is your brother!”
“My brother? Oh, no, he cannot be! There was never rumor of Mordred having a second child.”
“Mordred? What is this talk of Mordred?”
Kyleigh shook her head, confused. “Alistair believes I am the child of Mordred, the infant he was rumored to have fathered before he died. Since I was brought to him so mysteriously in the night, I believe that—”
“Alistair! The best of men. And so mistaken!”
“Then—I must admit. I was in the lake. I held a fish, and then I held a sword. I believed perhaps, as horrible as Mordred had been, something of the honor within Arthur had been granted to me—”
“The Lady of the Lake did not give you the sword. You are not wielding Excalibur.”
“I thought at least if I was Mordred’s daughter, I was Arthur’s granddaughter—”
“You are not!”
“But I am not a Celt!”
“You are half Celt and half Briton,” he told her.
“Padraic’s father had an affair and it was with...Morgana?” she asked, feeling just as ill as when she had heard she might be Mordred’s child.”
“No, Padraic’s father never had an affair.”
“Then—”
“No adultery was committed, child. Padraic’s father had died when his mother fell in love, and yet could not keep the child, for her affair was secret, and I quickly saw the child was brought to a couple who would love and care for her. Alistair and Mary.”
“But she was—”
“Sorcery is an art that it learned but the seeds for the art lie within certain people and it runs in families. There has been sorcery in Padraic’s family for decades, perhaps hundreds of years. But I do not know if your power comes from the Celts—or from me.”
Kyleigh gasped and blinked. “You? But you are—”
“I am Merlin.”
She was stunned to silence. “I am your child—from an illicit affair with Padraic’s mother?”
Her words angered him. “You don’t understand, you foolish child! When the lives of others are at stake, when it would be dangerous for the truth to be known, it must be kept quiet. Serafina was the finest of women; Padraic was not a small child when his father died, but he was barely ten. The alliance of the Celts has grown with him, but before he came of age, Serafina was his guardian along with several of the elders and knights of the many tribes in the north. I would have gladly taken her as my wife. For the sake of the unity of her people and the future of her son, she refused. When her condition was apparent, she was spirited away on a trip of diplomacy. Rowan knows nothing of this, but
his father helped us and you were born in this fortress, in the room where Rowan sleeps now. She returned home after the birth with a continuance of the peace between Kenzie and their peoples. And you I spirited off to Alistair and Mary. I had believed them to be exceptional parents. Until now. You flout all you are meant to do. And you flirt recklessly with your own half-brother!”
“I have never flirted recklessly, sir, ever!” she said. “He has been a friend; I have felt a kinship with him and now I know why!” She pointed a finer at him, shaking, not knowing what she was feeling. “If you had but told me, if you had but told Alistair the truth—”
“No one must know the truth. Ever.”
“But—”
“No one. Do you understand me?”
She sighed.
He was her father? She was the child of the great Merlin?
The old man in black chastising her for what she had not known.
But as she stared at him angrily, relief flooded through her.
She was not related to the horrid Mordred!
“How will I hide such a truth from Padraic?” she wondered aloud.
“You will be his friend, no more.”
She glared at him angrily again.
“I have been nothing but a friend!” she said. “And you—where are you? They said that you were dead. You must be older than the earth that surrounds the fortress—”
“Watch your words with me, girl. I am your father.”
“A bit late to teach me right and wrong—”
“Alistair taught you right and wrong. Now is your time to learn from me.”
She shook her head. He was the great Merlin! Well, he had wronged her!
“The time to learn from you was before a fish turned into a sword in my hands. Before I clashed with warriors who knew how to fight. Before...”
“You are powerful,” he said, ignoring her words. “I did not learn to disappear at will until I was a good deal older. But of course, I supplied the sword with a great amount of magic. My magic. It is my magic that has saved your life at many a turn. But I may not always be about—”
“Where are you?” Kyleigh demanded. “Where have you been since...my birth?”
“I am in crystal,” he said. “Far away toward Tintagel, in a cave. I cannot break the crystal, but I can come to you as you see me thus. It is the strength of my mind that allows this.”
“I was almost accused of being a traitor to Kenzie,” she said softly.
“Because you must learn you do not fight alone,” he said.
“But they believe there is a traitor working against the fortress and all who have sheltered against the invading murderers here. You must find out who it is!”
“I can come to you; you are my daughter. I can use the strength of my magic to whisper into the sword, and therefore, to you. But I cannot break from the crystal. If there is a traitor, that traitor could be among the villagers, the Celts, or Rowan’s own people. You must discover the identity of the person, if such a person exists.”
“You do not believe there is such a person? Perhaps Brogan does travel with his own sorcerer or sorceress. I was able to use the strength of my mind and the sword to become invisible, and I am untrained. True or not, the rumor is Brogan has great magic at his side. Whoever this sorcerer or sorceress is, they might slip in easily among the men and women here.”
“Perhaps. But you can sense a presence. You can feel such a person, smell such a person. You must watch and warn Rowan he must take great care and not share his plans with all.”
“I do not believe he wants to hear much of what I have to say,” Kyleigh murmured.
“Because you have not recognized him as your leader.”
“He is not my leader! The fortress of Kenzie was a place where...where we could find protection, and yet that failed when the enemy arrived at the village. Alistair and the other elders are—”
“Rowan commands the defense here. He is the leader—no matter how foolishly you choose to see things. As I obeyed Uther and then Arthur, you must look to Rowan.”
“Oh? And if he wishes to bed another’s man wife as Uther did?” she challenged.
Merlin wagged a finger at her. “Do not make an old man’s mistakes. And yet that mistake did lead to the greatest king we have seen here.”
“So, lust created Camelot, and lust brought it down.”
Merlin angrily waved a hand in the air. “Impertinent!”
“I believe I think of myself as independent. And you cannot suddenly arrive in my chamber when I am a woman grown and tell me you are my father and I must respect you as such!”
“Now, child, I am your teacher, and you will respect me as such. I believe Alistair and Mary raised you to cherish life, your own life, and the lives of others. All are dependent here. Magic alone cannot defeat Brogan. The fortress is the stronghold against him. The knights are shields against the multitude he commands, for his men believe they will receive great land grants and riches, stolen from the people they murder. You will listen to me, and you will learn to keep council with Rowan. Lives—beyond your own and your childish pettiness—are at stake here. You will respect that!”
She bowed her head. For a moment she wondered, was she dreaming?
“I do respect life, Merlin. I have always respected life. But you could have helped me—”
“You are better that I did not help you!”
There was a knock on her door. The image of Merlin instantly vanished.
She thought it would be Padraic or Rowan. There was constant activity; they waited with the men on the walls, ever preparing for another attack. But while they waited, there was so much to do. Mouths to be fed. Helmets and armor, leather, and metal, to be repaired. Arrows to be crafted, spikes and spears to be honed. And there were chickens to be tended and cows to be milked.
When she opened the door, it was neither.
It was Aileen.
She forced a smile. The girl had nothing to her—she had been through unspeakable horrors, and she worried for the people all around her. It was not her fault she had been a lady, a daughter of knight, and the wife of a knight.
“Good morning,” Kyleigh said, forcing a smile.
Aileen smiled and laughed softly. “I do not believe it is still morning, but good afternoon. But of course, you are always working for the good of us all, and you need your rest.”
“I just awoke. I had no idea it was so late. I was thinking even as we wait for the enemy’s move, there is much to be done,” Kyleigh said.
“I was hoping to help you.”
“I am afraid I need a minute to dress, and I was about to go out and find where I might be useful, too. Have you been awake long?”
“I was speaking with Lord Rowan. I know that I...I know that I worry more than others. But I have seen what Brogan can do. I worry he will grow stronger and stronger while we do nothing. He will repair those catapults. And they are capable of much. We have the walls, but if Brogan’s catapults send enough power against the walls, not even Roman stone will stand.”
“I am sure Lord Rowan weighs his every move carefully,” Kyleigh said. “I am sorry; I will need time to dress. But if you wish to go on—”
“I will wait for you by the great hearth,” Aileen said, and hesitated. “You are loved by these people; sometimes I still feel as if I am not one of you.” She winced. “I made it here first; I ran while the villagers were battling so fiercely. I...”
“I will be quick. And I will find you by the great hearth,” Kyleigh said. “Aileen, Col seems like a kind man. You are comfortable—”
“Col is a fine man; his wife is kind. I am grateful to be comfortable as their guest in their tower rooms,” Aileen said.
“Good; I am glad they are kind to you. When I am dressed, we will find Alistair and Mary, and they will know where we can help.”
Aileen said softly, “Thank you,” and turned and left.
Kyleigh hurriedly washed and dressed.
She saw to
it her sword was secure beneath the pallet where she slept.
Then she hurried down to find Aileen who waited for her.
As usual, the courtyard was teeming with activity. Mary was adding roots to a large pot in an open, thatched-roof shelter. Knights and warriors sat about, working on their weaponry. She saw her cousin was busy rebandaging the wounded in another area. Alistair was with him.
“Come, we will ask Mary first,” Kyleigh said, and yet as she took Aileen’s arm, she saw archers were practicing, and younger men and women were taking instruction from the young redhaired woman Kayleigh had talked with in the great hall, Caitlin. Rowan was there, too. The lesson seemed to be a fun one, with Rowan and Caitlin laughing, and challenging one another for the others, talking about technique, arguing playfully, and then agreeing.
Kyleigh felt a stab of jealousy again but refused to accept it or show it.
“Ah, that I could shoot an arrow so!” Aileen said.
Kyleigh wondered if she was feeling the same streak of envy that assailed her. Caitlin was honored and respected among her people. She was talented. And she had been kind and nice, Kyleigh thought, and again, she should not envy her so.
She could never have Rowan herself. She was a farmer’s daughter—
She was Merlin’s daughter.
But no one must ever know.
“Are you talented with arrows?” Aileen asked her.
Kyleigh smiled. “No. I am afraid I never trained with weaponry.”
“But you are so adept with your sword!”
“Desperation,” Kyleigh told her. “Come—”
But Aileen did not hear her. She was headed toward the group across the courtyard who were gathered around the targets that had been set for the archery practice.
Rowan saw her coming and smiled and beckoned to her.
Kyleigh watched as Rowan helped her hold a bow, standing behind her, his arms around her, as he showed her how to set her arrow.
She watched no more but turned and hurried over to where Mary worked.
“Kyleigh, child!” Mary said, pleased to see her and walking around the pot to enfold her gently for a moment. “The days have become so frightening; I am always so pleased to see you now. We worry for our lives; and to think that before, I fretted about such things as your lack of interest in marriage, if our fish would be plentiful and our crops rich.”
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