2: Lonely in Your Nightmare

Chapter 2 of "A River Trembles"

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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.

In the summer of 1814, Jasper thinks Llyr has come to kill him in revenge. We go back to the end of April 1814. We discover that Eidothea is not, in fact, dead, but badly wounded. Jasper’s betrayal cuts deep. The Greal is not lost either. We find out that Llyr and Cychwr came to her rescue but there was a bloody battle in the process.

Llyr frowned, gesturing to Ondine to stop sharing her memories of the stream of wounded. :You and I were fortunate to escape. Many came to our aid — and many assisted the Tregallas family. I had no idea, nor had my mother, that he’d gained such influence and support.:

:Is there war? Rebellion?: I asked, feeling faint. The battlefield had not yet come to Britain, but seeing disabled veterans begging on the street corners in Bath had brought it closer to home.

Llyr shook his head. :Not yet. The Esteemed has called the senior Tregallas to give an accounting of his actions.:

:Esteemed?:

:The caretaker monarch. The title has been that way since the first person stepped into the gap left by the last Chosen Court.:

Puzzled, I frowned. :Why do we call him that and not His Majesty?:

:That title is reserved for the Chosen Court’s monarch.:

I nodded my understanding, my eyes narrowing. :To bring Tregallas to Caer Morgana seems dangerous.: I did not put it past him to make an opportunity out of this summons.

Cychwr nodded. :He will challenge the monarchy. The Chosen Court must gather and soon.:

:He knows?: I sent to Llyr, sending him a wide-eyed look.

:He knows everything,: Llyr replied with a smile. :I trust him with my life. And yours.:

:What is the next step?: I asked, including Cychwr and Ondine in my thought.

Ondine put in, :You need to recover first.:

:Maeve says the Court needs to be gathered and bound together in a magical vow,: Llyr responded, ignoring his sister. :Our number is not yet complete. There could be five of us, or six.:

:We have three,: I blurted and grimaced. How could Jasper be a part of the Chosen Court? He’d betrayed me.

Llyr leaned forward, staring with consternation. :A third? You found one? Who? A shore-dwelling draig môr?:

I raised trembling hands to hold off his questions. :Do not ask me yet. I must consult with Maeve first. Perhaps I am mistaken. It may have been an unprovoked vision and nothing to do with being part of the Court:

I noticed a mumble of unheard thoughts, soon stilled. The sight of my own hands, still shaking, unnerved me. I was so unprepared, so unworthy of this role that had been thrust upon me. :Of course, you know more about the Chosen Court than I, Llyr, but I would rather ask Maeve myself.:

Llyr fell to his knees in front of me, gathering my trembling hands in his. :Who was it? A Tregallas? Someone else? Did something else bad happen on your travels?:

I saw only him, Cychwr and Ondine fading into the background. He was the one I needed to convince that it had nothing to do with the Chosen Court. But how, when I couldn’t convince myself of that? I uttered a despairing guttural laugh. :Do not ask me. Not until I speak with Maeve. I can scarcely bear the thought of it and I will not burden you when you cannot help.:

Llyr rose and sat next to me, enveloping me in a hug. :You are safe here.: Ondine and Cychwr added their assurances to his.

Leaning against Llyr, I said, :Ondine, when can I travel to Maeve?:

She frowned. :With that wound, I would advise against any travel, and certainly not to the deeps. Maybe Llyr can relay the message for you?:

Staring at the stone floor, I shook my head. I had misplaced my trust, and my heart, in Jasper Tregallas and I was too ashamed to admit it aloud.

:We don’t have much time. There is much disturbance with the Greal’s return. We should both take advantage of it and be wary of it.: Llyr stroked my hair. Panic rose in my throat, despite his soothing touch. To only me, he whispered, :I will find a way.:

Llyr rose. :Come everyone. Eidothea needs to rest.:

Ondine leapt to her feet and dashed to Cychwr’s side, helping him rise. :I was just going to suggest that.: Her vivacity faded, transforming into a fresh intensity upon her patient. She kept a hand upon Cychwr’s shoulder. Ondine’s assistance surprised me for Cychwr had made it to my room alone. Perhaps the visit had also wearied him.

I slid beneath the coverlet, hiding my head. Maybe the world would forget me for a while. I did not even know if Jasper lived. There were plenty of sea stories of sudden, turbulent waters dragging a ship down to the depths. A dreigiau môr battle or duel? Mother had not spoken of violence in Caer Morgana.

Ceridwy and my grandmother Elen Grealseeker entered. I struggled to sit up.

:I’m sorry, Eidothea, but your grandmother needs to speak with you now.: Ceridwy ferch Heddwch did not look at all apologetic, taking a seat near the door. Her action made it plain she did not consider my conversation with grandmother to be private.

Grandmother honoured that. She perched on the edge of my bed and included Ceridwy in her thought. :Hwyres, if you are well enough, I would like you to return with me to my home.:

:Unfortunately, Grandmother, Ondine says I cannot yet travel: From the corner of my eye, I saw Ceridwy smirk.

:We Grealseekers know you have succeeded where others have failed even though it has since slipped your grasp. If you give me the ring, I can seek it in Môr Hafren.:

I shuddered at the thought of my grandmother unnecessarily facing vicious dreigiau môr on her own. :I have the Greal with me.: I pushed back the coverlet to reveal it nestled near my pillow.

:But I heard you wail that it was lost!: Her eyes narrowed.

:I was tricked,: I told her, ignoring the angry curl of her lip. :We needed to buy some time for me to heal.:

:Dreigiau môr are out there looking for it now, risking their lives. Just to buy you some healing time?: Elin Grealseeker reached for the Greal.

I forestalled her with a hand. :No, Grandmother. You know what I must do next.:

She let her hands settle in her lap, though she leaned toward the Greal. :Your vision. The Chosen Court. You think you can prevent that horror by working in a vacuum?: She glanced at Ceridwy, who stiffened. Her next thought was for me alone. :There are many agendas at stake here. Do not be led because you lack familiarity with all the players, all the history.:

:Then ally yourself to us, Grandmother.: I included Ceridwy in the conversation. :Llyr will be king of the Chosen Court. To go against his family will weaken our chances of success.:

:Hwyres, that boy is at his mother’s beck and call—:

Ceridwy snorted. :I wish! Have you forgotten, Elin Grealseeker, the number of times Llyr left Caer Morgana for extended periods? I should be the one concerned about the undue influence of your family, of one member in particular.: Her unkind glare encompassed the both of us. :He never would have been hurt if he had refused to answer her call.:

I had no answer for that.

Grandmother gave me her attention. :Hwyres, dear, you must be careful. Too much is at stake. One wrong move, and the entire Court will fracture. Your vision will come to pass, no matter how much you wish it otherwise.:

I swallowed a surge of panic. :I will not forbid your advice, Grandmother, but as prophet, I only share what I see. I cannot be biased by any agenda. My Grealseeker role is now complete. The Greal has come home.:

With a little difficulty, Elin Grealseeker rose. :I wish you health, mi hwyres. You will find your way, as your mother did, and as I have done, but you have the Grealseekers at your back, as long so you listen to our advice.:

She stalked from the room, Ceridwy following.

The latter soon returned, having escorted my grandmother from her home. She stood in the doorway. :You will do as you are told. I will use your influence upon my son, or you will feel my wrath.:

I did not doubt that Ceridwy would be a formidable enemy. :I have no more control over Llyr than you do. He is the one that links us together. I will do my best for him, and I hope you will too.:

Ceridwy’s cheeks suffused with red. :Of course. He is my son and he will be my king.: She glared at me. :You should rest if you wish to see Maeve any time soon.: She closed the door behind her.

I wondered how she knew about my wish to visit Maeve. Ondine, innocently? Llyr, looking for a solution?

I woke much later to someone sliding under the coverlet. :Eidothea,: Llyr murmured, nestling close. He kissed my forehead.

:Llyr.: Glad of the dark, I held myself still, not refusing his gentle attentions. I did not deserve it, yet part of me yearned for his touch.

:You need to know. I’ve been keeping a secret from you.: Llyr regarded me, biting his lower lip.

Steeling myself against hurt, I nodded. :Go on.:

:There is a way to heal you so you can travel to Maeve, but…: Llyr gathered my hands in his. :There is something I know about you, and about myself. I confirmed it with Maeve.:

Now I was curious. What could he know about me that I did not already know? Puzzled, I waited him out.

:You recall that the prophet is the one that finds the Chosen Court, starting with the ruler.:

I realised that he would walk me through his logic, his process of discovering this new thing about me. :The king, yes. That’s you. I found you on the beach. First, as a child, and then as an adult.:

Llyr grimaced. :I found you on the beach. I saw you before you saw me.:

I reeled. If he found me first… :But the vision—:

:I’ve had that nightmare since I was small. No draig môr dares to leave Caer Morgana until some time in their teens, if at all. I was what, maybe four winters old when I found you?:

:Four years old. I am the same age,: I corrected. I stared at him. :You have been seeing that vision since then?:

:And trying to make sense of it ever since. Then you touched my birthmark and saw it too.:

:You are the prophet.: My head spun. :Why did you not contradict me then? Or when we were with Maeve?:

:I knew the vision meant we had a common destiny, but it wasn’t until I saw your birthmark that I began to think we had it wrong.:

:When did you—: I resisted the urge to scan my body for the mark, but still glanced down at myself.

:On our way to see Maeve.: The words flooded from him. :I don’t know why I hadn’t noticed it before, perhaps because I was too busy teaching you how to swim like a draig môr and then your robe concealed your mark. I didn’t want to say anything until I knew. When I saw her alone, after that, she confirmed my suspicions.:

He’d refused to take me on that visit. :And you kept it from me? That you are the prophet?: My heart lurched. I had answered the call to the role of prophet willingly, urgently, and now that was no longer in my future. :What role do I play? Or have I already completed my part with finding the Greal? Is that why you said nothing?:

He squeezed my hands. :You were overwhelmed with the newness of being draig môr. Besides, none of it mattered if you could not retrieve the Greal.:

:Llyr? Tell me. Am I a part of this Chosen Court?: My eyes narrowed. :Does Cychwr already know?:

He nodded.

:You told him first?:

:We’re friends and I …I was practicing what to say to you. As for what part you will play…: His gaze dropped to our joined hands. :It’s perhaps best if I show you.: He released me and helped me sit up. I ignored the burning in my wounded side.

From the low bedside table, he picked up the Greal. A viscous silvery liquid filled it.

:Mercury?: I took the proffered vessel.

:Magic,: Llyr corrected. :Maeve said the Greal possesses healing qualities but only at certain times. Durning the formation of the Chosen Court is one of those few times.:

:I have so much to learn.: I sighed, my gills around my neck fluttering. :What does this have to do with my part in all this? Why will you not tell me?:

He shook his head. :Too hard and you wouldn’t believe it unless you saw for yourself. Drink half of it.:

I obeyed. The liquid slid like fast melting ice down my throat. Llyr murmured something, in a language strangely familiar, yet beyond my knowledge.

My eyes widened. The old song of longing that my Mother taught me. The words had the same lilt. The ice spread through my body, scalding at the place of my wound, numbing my limbs

:Llyr!: I gasped, unable to move a muscle. What had he done to me? First he lied, then kept a secret from me and now he captured me in some sort of spell? :Llyr!: I sent a panicked call to Ondine.

:All will be well,: Llyr soothed. He took the Greal from my frozen hands and gulped the remainder. He lowered me to lie flat, curling next to me, repeating his incantation. :Eidothea, I love you. I can’t lose you.:

It could not be poison if he drank it too. Could it? I stared at him, my last functioning thought a wish that I had not read Shakespeare.

The door flew open. Through heavy eyelids I saw Ceridwy. :By the Lady! Llyr! No! What have you done?: She ran forward, shouting for Ondine. :You should have trusted me!:

I sank into oblivion.

Did anyone see that coming? That Eidothea is not the prophet but just the Grealseeker? Although Llyr hinted at something else before he poisoned them both. OK, I do know what happens next but I’m keeping it spoiler-free and I’m curious as to where you think this is headed. Other thoughts about today’s instalment? Comments? Share below or join the Chat!

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