8: Blood in the Water

Chapter 8 of “A River Trembles”, book 2 in The Môrdreigiau Chronicles

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The story began in A Grail for Eidothea. You really need to catch up to make sense of A River Trembles. Go on, save this post and go have a binge read. You deserve it.

Llyr and Eidothea are put on trial for stealing the Greal, thanks to the conniving of Lord Tregallas, known as Cornelian ap Tregallas in the dreigiau môr city. Llyr’s about to make a confession.

Glancing at me, Llyr bowed. :I am not the monarch of the Chosen Court. My mother was mistaken. I apologise on behalf of all my family.: He spoke far plainer than I thought appropriate, given the formal situation.

I heard the relieved muttering from those gathered. I saw the Esteemed relax but Lady Angharad’s eyes narrowed. I dared not look at any in the Tregallas family to gauge their response to this news.

:The cases against Cornelian ap Tregallas and his family, against Llyr ap Peredur and Eidothea Grealseeker are dismissed. However,: the Esteemed continued, :I would see you and all your families tomorrow night for a gathering. It is time to put these enmities behind us and come together, united in finding the Greal. We are done here for today.:

He rose, descending a few rough steps before turning behind the throne and disappearing from sight, his sister rising and following him without a backward look.

The crowd dissipated. Cornelian ap Tregallas glared at me and stalked off, his family close behind.

I turned to Llyr. He glanced at the button that dangled from my necklace and looked away but not before I caught sight of his puzzled, hurt expression. His magical block could not conceal the emotions flitting across his handsome, fine features.

I attempted a conversation. :Your mother warned us, Llyr, but where is she?:

Llyr frowned. :I’m wondering the same thing.:

As if we had conjured her, Ceridwy burst into the hall and ran to us. She hugged Llyr, tears on her cheeks. :They took me to the dungeon once I warned you. I broke the rule forbidding private thoughts.: She sniffed. :No thought can escape there! What happened? You are not in chains?: She stared into her son’s face, patting his cheeks to reassure herself.

:All is reasonably well,: Llyr assured her. :We’ve been invited to the royal family’s hall tomorrow night.: His eyes flashed. :Although someone will answer for what they did to you. Come, let us go home. I will tell you everything.:

He directed a short bow at me and walked off with his family. I should have called him back, demanded to know when he intended to visit, to begin his lessons on the Chosen Court. But his angry expression silenced me, and so I allowed Grandmother to gather me up and take me to her home.

Rhiannon and I returned to our studies. Dreigiau môr history is thankfully interesting and Rhiannon knew to pepper dry facts with adventurous tales.

:Rhiannon, tell me about Emrys ap Cynfelyn and his sister? I should be prepared for tonight’s gathering.:

:First, you should call Emrys by his title, Esteemed.: She hooked a white-blond lock behind her ear. :What is your impression of them?:

:Lady Angharad has talons even in human form, or at least shows them. I do not know if they leave a mark—:

:Oh, they do,: murmured Rhiannon.

I looked at her quizzically but she did not add any clarification. :As for the Esteemed, at first I thought him a blustery, impatient man, but he struck me as a peacemaker by the end.:

:He has his moments,: Rhiannon acknowledged. :His bluster is all for his sister’s sake. She likes a firmer hand upon the populace. It does not mean there is no bite. He will fiercely defend what is his.:

My courage quailed. I hoped for a peacemaking caretaker king who would gladly surrender his crown. It seemed ever more unlikely.

:My advice,: Rhiannon continued, :is to be a walled fortress with Lady Angharad. Do not give her any hint of weakness and do not respond to her goading. For the Esteemed, allow him to know who you are as a person. Not your future role — oh and never speak of the Consort. She’s deceased and while nobody knows exactly how she died, they say he loved her deeply. He’s never bound himself to another since.:

:How could the cause not be known?:

:Her death made court and council an uncomfortable place to be for a while. There was an investigation but the conclusions reached were quite unsatisfactory.:

:Sounds like quite a story,: I prodded.

Rhiannon shook her head. :It needs an ending before I tell the story. She, the Queen, was my dearest friend.:

I felt her sorrow and respected it, covering her hand with mine. :I understand.:

She composed herself and began a lecture about hospitality, a deeply held value of the dreigiau môr and how it informed every interaction. :Even if your enemy comes to your door, you must invite them in and offer them food and drink.:

The Esteemed held his gathering that night for just such a purpose, a diplomatic hospitality where enmities might end.

Grandmother arranged delicate seed pearls into my hair, letting strands of them artfully trail down my back amidst my unbound hair. My curls flowed with the current and I liked how the braids gave just enough structure without being constrictive.

:Dreigiau môr can only present ourselves as we are, but we do have our jewels to adorn us.: She wore a rough cut emerald solitaire at the base of her throat.

Rhiannon joined us, a small harp hanging at her hip. The random braids in her white blond hair gave her a wild mystical air.

The Esteemed hosted his festivities in a smaller hall off the one I had been in yesterday. It seemed no less grand, the calcified stone coaxed into whorls of patterns across the ceiling and walls in a confection of pastels of tangerine and rose petal. Brightly lit orbs dangled from the ceiling in addition to their usual placement high on the wall.

We made our bows to he and Lady Angharad and moved off to the side, accepting glasses of refreshment.

I had not expected to see Emrys—the Esteemed—this close ever again. He cut a fine figure, broad shoulders easily bearing the weight of the golden torc about his neck.

His gaze flicked over me, registered recognition and … went very carefully blank.

:Rhiannon,: Lady Angharad deigned to notice me, disdain dripping from her thought, :I hear you are Eidothea ferch Berlewen’s tutor. Bardic studies not going well?:

I scowled.

Elin Grealseeker interjected, :Only the best for my granddaughter.:

:Of course,: Lady Angharad smoothed. :One can’t exactly ask the Chief Bard to stoop to such a task.:

More guests lined up behind us, so Elin Grealseeker let her have the point and led us into the royal hall.

The last time I’d seen the Esteemed this close was as witness to his wedding to Gorawyn. He had been so physically distant at her funeral, far away on the dais and alone in his grief. His heartbreak had radiated out to all present, augmenting our own sorrow, his inconsolable.

He had genuinely mourned her or had it been an act? Did he still think of her? Still miss her? Or had relief supplanted any feelings he had for her? I’d heard the rumours, everyone had. That the royal dragon dance had twisted into a murderous end. A disposal of a barren bride made to look like a shark attack.

Whatever her wounds, they remained hidden, wrapped in a fresh winding cloth before she had been laid to rest in the royal tomb, outside of the city.

Ceridwy and Llyr stood across the hall from us. I gazed at Llyr, who engaged in conversation with those around him. When the others laughed, his lips barely twitched.

Elin Grealseeker harrumphed. :I expected them to come and greet you, Eidothea.: Her thought dropped to a whisper, just for me. :He knows who you are.:

His slight hurt but I kept my composure, staring at him all the while. :I have not publicly claimed it yet. They will greet us eventually.: I hoped. Their actions reminded me too much of the villagers’ ostracism.

Kept busy by Elin introducing me, her granddaughter, to family and friends, I almost missed the Tregallas family’s entrance. Bold and flamboyant, they were bedecked in all sorts of jewels cunningly shaped into clothing. Cornelian ap Tregallas dazzled, whereas the caretaker king…

The Esteemed in his purple robes wore only the golden torc at the base of his neck and a golden ring on one finger. He needed no more to make his presence felt.

With all the guests assembled, he and Lady Angharad quitted their stations by the door and made a slow progression about the hall.

Tregallas received their attention first. I noticed flashes of fierceness sent in our direction in between their obsequious smiles and agreements with the royal siblings.

In the meantime, my grandmother introduced me to any who approached. She treated each with the same diffident warmth. All had already heard of my mother’s death, so I accepted their condolences as well as exchanging promises to improve our acquaintance. I sensed a busy number of days ahead. I longed for my solitary hours on the cliffs of home but buried that growing discomfort under polite smiles and polite conversations.

The royal siblings joined Ceridwy’s and Llyr’s circle and in time came to us, Ceridwy and Llyr following in their wake.

Lady Angharad accepted our murmured greetings. :We thought to reunite those who already have ties.: She gestured to Ceridwy and Llyr. :Ceridwy ferch Heddwch tells me you and Llyr have known each other since you were children?:

:Yes, that is so,: I affirmed, wondering where this was going.

:You two were the talk of the town a month ago. Acting all lovey-dovey on our streets. It saddened my heart to see you two parted and so I have brought him to you.:

Bowing my head in thanks, I snuck a glance at Llyr. His reddened cheeks clued embarrassment but I dared not surmise further.

:But indeed I wondered at all that gossip,: Lady Angharad continued, airily waving, :for Cornelian ap Tregallas tells me you’re head over heels for his youngest and that you’re even engaged!:

:She is goading you,: Rhiannon warned from behind me. Lady Angharad flicked her an annoyed look, sensing but not hearing what was said.

I glanced at the Esteemed Emrys ap Cynfelyn, but no aid came from that quarter. His expression held mild curiosity.

Meeting Lady Angharad’s concerned, yet mocking, gaze, I found my words. :Becoming engaged to Jasper Tregallas allowed us to work together while keeping his father off the scent.:

:Too bad that didn’t quite work,: Lady Angharad mused. :So no love there at all?:

My face turned red. I knew for heat flushed through my body.

:Does that mean your engagement with Llyr is off? Or was there ever any such thing?: She surveyed my blushes and Llyr’s glowering expression. :Good.:

At that, she sailed on to the next victim of her maliciousness.

The Esteemed remained. :My sister sniffed blood in the water and there’s no stopping her after that. You did well. I hope both families can work out these disagreements.:

:We’ll talk later.: Llyr stalked off, not even bowing in farewell to the Esteemed.

Ceridwy hurriedly bowed, and hissed at me, :See what you have done!: She followed her son.

Music began, a quintet of instrumentalists against the wall.

:A dance, Eidothea Pendyr?: The Esteemed extended his hand.

Rhiannon’s utter stillness warned me of some trap.

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