22: For Tomorrow We Rise

Chapter 22 of "A River Trembles", Book Two of 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.

Eidothea gets a new vision when she touches Jasper’s Chosen Mark, that ends with swords at each other throats. Eidothea denies he’s part of the Chosen Court, but he sees through that. In front of her father, she breaks their engagement. Again. Meanwhile, Emrys shows Rhiannon the beach where he and Gorawyn first met. (There is a story in the Red Book of Rhiannon about this.) Rhiannon is convinced the summer solstice night had been a big mistake.

A Little Bit More

One evening, not long after my visit home, Rhiannon left to attend a bardic meeting. I curled up by the large windows, watching the night sea flicker beyond the domes that protected Caer Morgana. Again and again, I had mulled over Jasper’s confession, his words, and the new vision that came from touching his Chosen Mark. Was it possible he was somehow the opposite of Chosen? Marked as some sort of prime adversary?

When would I stop mooning over Jasper Tregallas? Disgusted with myself, I checked in with my grandmother, who had long forgiven me for getting us arrested. We talked briefly as she seemed to be in the midst of some sort of social gathering. Her vague description of the party made me wonder at her agenda at attending, but I also knew she worked alongside Llyr and Ceridwy in bringing the Chosen Court into favour.

I tried reaching Llyr, but did not get a response.

I called upon Ondine next. :Have you or Llyr heard from Maeve?: I asked.

:Mmm? Let me step to another room.: Her distracted reply suggested she attended the same social affair as Grandmother. :Llyr hasn’t mentioned it. She’s a little too far away for us to call to her.:

I had discovered that already. :I might go and visit her tomorrow. I thought she would have arrived here by now.:

:I’ll tell Llyr. You shouldn’t go alone.:

I heard her concern. :I am not sure I can leave yet. The schedule looks light, but that usually means a quiz from the Esteemed.:

A brief pause and then, :You are well?:

:Yes, fortunately Lady Angharad’s glare is not actually deadly.:

Ondine laughed. :Be careful—Oh, Mother is coming. Let me know if you go? I’ll tell Llyr.:

I uncurled from my position by the window. I’d delayed in asking Ondine how Llyr fared and had missed my chance to ask. I crossed the floor and exited my suite. I stared at the doors opposite. In the months I had been here, I had never traversed the hallway at night.

I hovered. If I waited, I’d face a week’s worth of meetings before gaining a free day to travel. If I made a quick request now, maybe I could avert that.

I stepped across the short expanse of the broad hallway and tapped on Emrys’ door.

No answer. I waited a few breaths before I turned away. His door opened. I spun back to face him. The Esteemed’s robe looked hastily belted. The neck of his robe sagged open.

:Did I wake you?:

He shook his head. His forearm rested on the door’s edge. :Is something wrong?:

I dismissed the sudden temptation to flirt. Besides, several things were wrong. Llyr had stopped coming to the palace and his lack of communication both infuriated and saddened me. Jasper’s betrayal that might have been a misguided attempt to save me disturbed me. Instead, I bowed my head. :I have come to ask for a holiday tomorrow. The schedule is light—:

His brows lowered. :Kings and queens don’t get holidays.:

I raised a quizzical eyebrow. :So those ventures to swim in the ocean, the hours in your gardens—:

:Are snatched hours.: The Esteemed glowered. :You’ve just returned from visiting your father. It’s too soon.:

:And I returned as I have promised. You know what I learned there. I wish to see Maeve, seek her advice, and it’s not a journey one makes hastily.: Even dreigiau môr needed time to adjust to the Deeps.

His right hand came to rest on my shoulder. :You cannot go alone. You’re unfamiliar with these waters. I’m too busy to take you tomorrow. Another day.:

He released me, retreating into his room.

:When?: I braced my arm against the door, preventing its closure. :Emrys, you cannot keep me here like this. There are things to discuss with Llyr, to plan for the Chosen Court—:

:Then go discuss them. I heard he hasn’t been by since the solstice.:

:What have you heard?: I followed him into his suite. I glanced at the furnishings arranged like a sitting room. Beyond the sofas, the double doors to the next room stood wide open. I caught sight of the edge of a bed, the rumpled covers.

I retreated toward the hallway. :Forgive me, I should not have entered uninvited.:

Emrys watched my startled reaction. His grey eyes darkened, smouldering. I suddenly felt like a very small fish. :Eidothea, I know Rhiannon has taught you our ways. It is for the woman to make the first move by coming to the man’s bed.:

:This—this was not my intention.: My gills pulsed rapidly. I squared my shoulders. :You know how distracted Jasper has made me. I need answers. This can no longer wait.: I spun and dashed from his room.

Slamming shut my bedroom suite door behind me, I leaned against it.

I hugged myself. I did not know how much longer I could bear the uncertainty of not knowing where Jasper fitted into my life. Or if he even should.

:Eidothea,: Emrys thought touched my mind. :Don’t leave the palace tomorrow. I’ll arrange something, make sure the way is safe. Give me a couple of days.:

I sank to the floor, resting crossed arms on my knees. A couple of days was not unreasonable and yet—

:Eidothea.:

:I heard you. Leave me be.:

I had exhausted all polite avenues of speaking with those who had worked and lived in the palace when Gorawyn died. Leaving the last interview, I recounted it to myself, sealing it into my memory. I crossed one hall then another, returning to the chambers I shared with Eidothea.

She hadn’t queried about my late hours, too wrapped up in the revelations her trip home had provided. I knew this because every now and then she would voice her vague concerns: whether Jasper would heal or if he would always be her enemy.

Lady Angharad stopped my progress. Like her brother, she stood half a head shorter than I. :A moment of your time, bard.:

I steeled myself and allowed her to lead me into a salon.

She arranged the skirts of her robe on the chair around her. I noticed she took the chair normally reserved for the Esteemed, but deciding against making that observation aloud.

She fixed me with a cold glare. :Do sit and tell me why you haven’t come to me.:

:My lady?: I sat, smoothing my features into an attentive mask.

:The Consort Gorawyn. I hear you’ve been asking around about her. Why didn’t you come to me? I know more than most.:

Did she know about my investigation? I glanced at my fingers and willed them to unclench. :I didn’t wish to bother you with my reminisces.:

She twisted a ring on her finger, a considered move, not stemming from anxiety. :It’s not your reminisces you’ve been sharing, but retrieving others.:

:She was my friend. I would like to write a song about her.:

Lady Angharad lifted her chin, taking advantage of the fact that we were seated to look down her nose at me. :Emrys doesn’t like to hear her name spoken.:

I grimaced. :You’re correct. I would not dare sing it without his permission. Maybe it will be sung by the next generation. The great tragic love of Emrys and Gorawyn.:

Lady Angharad snorted, bubbles rising from her nose. :I took Gorawyn under my wing when she arrived. Oh, not at first, but when the honeymoon was over, she needed someone to guide her.:

:I’m glad she had someone to help her. I never expected she’d choose the palace life and I was of no help.:

She waved a hand dismissively. :It was the least I could do.:

:Then you can put paid to the rumours?: I hazarded, holding my breath. :The ones behind her death?:

:I adjudicated upon the manner of her death. Sharks, tragically.: Her smile suggested anything but tragedy. Her gaze narrowed. :Shall I show you the marks on her body?:

I recoiled, but remembered my need for justice. :Show me.:

Gorawyn’s body had spent a few days in the sea before she was found. Her skin flaked, encouraged by the tiny bites of fish. Her eyes were milky white, her dark hair floating in an aura around her head.

An eel curled out of her open mouth, from between her perfect teeth and slid away. I retched.

:I’ve barely started.: Lady Angharad’s remembered gaze traveled down her body. An enormous triangular chunk had been taken from her side, her flesh both torn and serrated. I covered my mouth and sobbed.

:I showed my brother and he had to agree with my conclusion.:

No wonder Emrys had been beside himself with grief after seeing her life gone, her beauty ruined like that. :I understand,: I managed to think. :Let me see all of her again, so I can write this ending well.:

Lady Angharad focused. She replayed seeing her face, traveling down her body. Her gaze darted to her hands and feet, frozen in a clawed rictus as they must have been in her draig môr form.

I let out a long breath. :Thank you, my lady. That can’t have been easy for you.:

She shrugged, her eyes shining, lips turned upwards in a smile. It can’t have been my imagination that she enjoyed my pain, relished remembering Gorawyn’s end.

:Did she say anything to you about leaving the palace or the caer that day?:

Lady Angharad looked at her nails. :Not to me. It was so strange nobody saw her leave. That was one part of her death I could never solve. Those guarding the gates were punished for it.:

I nodded and rose. Not one of those guards remained alive. :I thank you for sharing this with me. Perhaps we shall speak of happier times with her on another day? I need to shake off this melancholy.:

She waved a dismissal, smiling. :Of course. It’s an occupational hazard with bards, is it not?:

I agreed, gritting my teeth, and made my escape.

I should have gone to Maeve the moment I returned from my father’s. If we had stopped there on the way instead of returning straight to Caer Morgana… But I had never traveled at night and darkness had descended by the time we reached the palace.

It might be disobedient, or even foolish, but I could not wait any longer. I left the palace in the early hours. By this point, I knew my way around the Royal Quarter and out of it. As I walked through the caer, I told Ondine and Grandmother of my plans, waking both of them. Emrys could find out later.

With my jewellery piece in place to hide my shining Chosen mark, I made my way without interruption or even the slightest swell of the gossip current for few frequented the dark and quiet streets at that early hour.

But not deserted. Cychwr waited for me at the gate. At the sight of him, I knew Llyr had refused to join me. I sighed, my heart lightening. I did not want to drag Llyr through the mess surrounding Jasper. Much better to present it to him once I had more information…or had more insight into my heart regarding him.

I did not ask and Cychwr did not supply an excuse. We passed through the gate’s chambers, transforming into our dragon forms. The jewellery piece pinched at my change in size. We paused long enough for Cychwr to adjust the chain’s girth and still keep the jewellery in place.

We began our journey to Maeve’s abode in silence. I refused to ask about Llyr. After a time, I asked instead if Cychwr’s healing was complete. Scars riddled his body. His damaged arm, now healed, was a slightly lighter shade of blue.

As we swam, I examined his dragon body. If he had a Chosen mark, I could not see it.

My observations did not go unnoticed. :Llyr couldn’t find anything either.:

:Were you hoping…?:

Cychwr bobbed his head, his long whiskers undulating with the movement. :Who wouldn’t? But I will still serve the Court. I don’t need a mark for that.:

I smiled, hoping he did not see my bared fangs as a threat. He did not seem so. :Your counsel will always be welcome. Has a date been set for the Great Examination yet?:

:Not yet. Llyr wants to wait for Maeve.:

I nodded, feeling the ocean water flow over my forehead and ruffling my whiskers. :Maeve may have some advice as to timing. The stories tell of the Court bonding at one of the major festivals.:

:I hope the date will be set soon. The coastal dreigiau môr will want to be there.:

We descended into the Deeps, finally reaching Maeve’s bubble. No light shone within. We had only our bioluminescence and the lanterns we carried.

:Has she left already?: Cychwr asked. :The place should still be lit.:

:Did we pass her on our way?: I rotated onto my back to look back the way we came. :The ocean is so big. How would we find her?:

:Let’s check first. Perhaps the light spell just needs renewing.:

We passed through the bubble’s membrane, remaining in dragon form. As we spoke the lighting spells, a few lights flickered and remained lit, but many stayed dark.

I saw her before we reached the cave. Her immense body lay long and still, curving away from us around a large boulder. The rest of her lay within her cave.

Cychwr and I burst forward with the same speed. Maeve’s bioluminescence had gone out, leaving only pale grey scales, which shimmered with an opaque whiteness.

I rounded the large boulder, kicking off its surface with my stubby legs to reach Maeve faster. My head spun a bit from either the depth or the speed at which I unwisely used at such deep fathoms.

Maeve’s head was missing.

0…0 What the— Poor Maeve! Thoughts about today’s instalment? Comments? Share below or join the Chat!

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