6: Thanks and Praises

Chapter 6 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.

Llyr deals with Eidothea’s confession of love for Jasper by completely blocking off their connection and letting her find her own way to Grandmother’s house. A wolfish Ladon Tregallas intercepts…

How did your family react to you being the prophet instead of the monarch?

As I entered our home, Mother and Ondine rose from their respective stone couches. :Sit,: Mother said. :You need to explain this foolishness of yours.:

Ondine added, :I know it had something to do with healing. Both of you were whole in body afterward, if not mind.: She leaned to one side, looking behind me. She gave me a curious frown.

:You used the Greal and that is why we took you to Maeve,: my mother continued. :That much I know. Now, explain.:

:I had to stop you.: My hands closed into fists at my side. Mother’s incessant politicking sickened me. I hated being the focus of her plots. What was worse, she didn’t know the truth about my role in the Chosen Court. :I had to stop you. You could not continue like that.:

:Like what? I banked on this city’s affection for our family and the good work we have done. I have been calling in favours ever since you brought Eidothea here. The coronation is meant to be public. What you did — There is no hiding the marks now.:

I ripped the seaweed from my arm. :This? This marks me as Prophet. You cannot continue with your king making. Not for me.:

:Prophet? Than who is king?: I waited for her to realise it. She leaned forward, almost leaping out of her seat. :Her? Where is she by the way?:

I steadied myself before I answered, not wanting to reveal my misery. :Outside. She will go to her grandmother’s.:

Ondine walked toward me. :You should have brought her in, brother. Her wound might be healed but she still needs care. The Greal is not that magical.: She stopped near me, examining my face. :Llyr, are you hurt?:

She knew me too well. I softened my tone. :I’m fine. Eidothea will need help finding her way. Caer Morgana is unfamiliar to her. Will you help her?: I kept my attention on Mother. From the corner of my eye, I saw Ondine slip out.

:You left her outside?: Mother took up the refrain. :You’ve been determined to have her stay with us. Why the change?:

I swallowed. I didn’t want to talk about it. :She should be with her family.: I swallowed. My duty as Prophet now lay in convincing Mother to support Eidothea.  :Eidothea is the Monarch. She and I have shared the same vision, one I’ve had since I was small. In my vision, I have seen her crowned, with me at her side.:

:It cannot be.: Mother sank down onto the couch.

:You saw the mark. I need your support, Mother, if we are to save the world from that dark end.:

:She isn’t even—:

:Mother!: I advanced, looming over her, fists clenched at my sides. :She has the mark and has been given the miracle of being fully dreigiau môr. How can you argue with that?:

:It is most irregular and that is what the Council and the Royal Family will set upon. It wasn’t going to be easy to make you king, Llyr. Now it is impossible. There hasn’t been a Chosen Court for hundreds of years.:

:You cannot argue with fate, Mother.: I murmured.

:Oh! You’re impossible, as always, Llyr. There must be another way! I will make it so.: She stood and stormed out.

:There is no other way!: I shouted after her. She shot a surprised glance over her shoulder but kept moving. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d raised my voice at her.

:Llyr?: Ondine thought at me. :She’s not here. I’m going to see if I can catch up with her.:

I murmured my acknowledgement. Alone in the room, my mask cracked. Eidothea, you have doused all my hopes. I didn’t dare think that to her.

I hurried to my bed chamber. I lay down on my bed, flinging an arm over my face to block out the world. What was I to do about Eidothea? My nightmares ceased because of her. I didn’t want to see her. But the world would end if I didn’t work with her. The idea of giving her time to recover felt like the same mistake in delaying my pursuit of her when I first brought her to Caer Morgana.

I groaned. I had promised Maeve I would teach Eidothea about the Chosen Court. Maybe in a day or two, I could face her when it didn’t hurt so much. Or next week. Next week sounded good.

Back at the main thoroughfare,  I ran for a block before I halted, my newly mended side cramping in protest. Clutching at it, I asked for directions to Elin Grealseeker’s home.

Still holding my side, I arrived at her doorstep. She opened the door before I even called out to her.

:I heard you wish for me for the last several minutes,: Elin remarked, surveying my disheveled form. :What happened to you?: She reached forward, twitching my robe closed. I had not even noticed. At least my seaweed sash had afforded me some modesty.

:In a moment.: I needed to regain my scattered thoughts, cleanse myself of Ladon’s seduction spell, and sit down. Not necessarily in that order.

Elin saw my distress and drew me into her home and to the nearest stone couch. :What happened?:

With a shaking hand, I patted my disordered hair. :Is there a way to counter a seduction spell?:

Grandmother frowned in confusion. :Who?: Her eyes widened. :Not Llyr.:

:No, not Llyr,: I agreed. I wondered why he hadn’t used the spell on me, given that he wanted my heart. Perhaps because he was a man of honour. :Ladon Tregallas.:

My grandmother’s eyebrows rose. :So the Tregallas family have finally answered to the Esteemed’s summons. It’s going to be an interesting few days.: She regarded my hands that trembled in my lap. :It is not seduction spell but a thrall spell. I’m not surprised they use it to seduce. It is a Tregallas specialty. I will teach you how to counter it, but its effectiveness depends on your magical ability. First, what exactly happened?:

I related to her all that had happened with Ladon.

Grandmother held out her hand, palm up. :You do not need the ring any more. The Greal has been found. It still has power so its best I take it. It will keep it—and you—safe.:

Fingering the ring’s outline through my robe, I hesitated. :It was my mother’s.:

:And belonged to generations of Grealseekers before her,: Elin gently reminded, her eyes kind.

Unclasping the necklace, I removed the ring, leaving Jasper’s button on the chain. I balled button and chain in one hand and gave her the ring, hoping she didn’t notice the keepsake.

:Why were you lingering outside Ceridwy’s house?:

A question I dreaded. To avoid answering it, I removed my seaweed sash.

My blazing iridescent Chosen mark distracted her. Her eyes widened. :That is not the mark of the prophet.:

:No, it is not.: Grandmother’s knowledge of the Chosen Court did not surprise me. :I am the monarch of the Chosen Court.:

:And you have bonded.:

:With Llyr, who is the prophet.: I shared his justifications for us bonding early. :He wanted speed my healing so we could travel to the deeps and meet Maeve. We cannot hide what we feel from each other. It’s like we share a heart.: Or did.

Grandmother’s eyes narrowed. :Feelings?:

:He loves me, or did,: I confessed. :In turn, I kept from him that I am betrothed to Jasper Tregallas.:

:What? A Tregallas? Are you mad, hwyres? Our family’s enemy?:

I stared down at my hands. :I thought he was different. He helped me find the Greal. We… we fell in love, or so I thought. Then he betrayed me. If I ever see him again, I will break the engagement.: I fingered his button through my robe. Would I? Even after his betrayal Above Sea, Jasper had somehow helped me again.

:As you should. I have no desire to meet with Cornelian ap Tregallas before the Esteemed metes out his punishment, but we shall rectify this issue soon enough.:

I knew I should feel relief but I wanted to do anything but see Ladon Tregallas or any of his family again.

Grandmother sat back, surveying me. :We must not waste time. Those who think they know anything about it consider you the prophet. You have a lot to learn, hwyres. I will send for a bard so your education can begin. Go rest until they arrive.:

My new tutor arrived the next morning. I entered the meeting room, the one where I first conversed with my grandmother. At the end of the table, with a small collection of musical instruments in front of her, sat a tall woman with long white-blond hair intricately braided around her scalp and down her shoulders. She wore robes of a salmon hue, almost skin coloured, With her plump curves and rounded belly, her attire looked almost indecent to my prudish eyes. I pinked, remembering Llyr’s remark about our robes being our skin.

A dark blond eyebrow arched over startlingly green eyes. :You must be Eidothea ferch Berlewen.:

I gave a short bow, reminding myself to remain open-minded. :I am. You are my tutor?:

:Rhiannon Grealseeker, bard. I believe I am a distant cousin. I would have followed your mother’s footsteps, but my gift sent me to another calling.: This is why Grandmother had said she could be trusted.

I nodded, not fully understanding what she meant. :Gift?:

:A memory that does not forget or fail. Ideal for bards.: She smiled. :Shall we see how well your memory does?:

She sang a song, listing all the rulers of the Chosen Court and the caretaker kings who came after them. I blinked at the dizzying array of names, feeling panic rise.

Rhiannon smiled and gestured I sit. :We’ll come back to that. How about something simpler? Have you noticed some people wear torcs?:

:Llyr does and Ceridwy.:

:Made of different metals. Ceridwy’s is silver as is her right as a councillor but she also has a second claim to it. She hand fasted with Peredur ap Idwal, who is a member of the royal family. Not a high ranking one, but they claim the silver torc also. As children of both royalty and councillor, Llyr and Ondine wear bronze torcs. Gold is reserved for the Esteemed. His siblings wear a braided torc of silver and gold.:

Her words washed over me. I fixed upon Llyr’s family. :They are royal?: I reviewed my behaviour. Had I been sufficiently respectful to Ceridwy?

:They haven’t associated with the royal family, which is quite an extensive clutch, since Peredur died.:

:Oh.: Sadness rose for Llyr’s and Ondine’s loss.

:It is ancient history and has no impact on the Chosen Court—yes, your grandmother told me—but I might tell it to you one day…:

:Come with me,: Grandmother said, a week or so after my arrival. :’Tis Cyntefin, summer’s beginning…:

I followed her. We entered a small room I had not seen before. I saw Rhiannon among the few household staff. A lamp illuminated the far wall, against which a heavy stone table stood. On the table, a weathered statue, so worn its feminine curves had almost vanished. In front of it stood a large basin made of amber glass.

Grandmother and I walked to the table. She gestured for me to stand to one side.

Next to the shallow glass basin stood a large jug. It looked too heavy to lift, but Grandmother managed it with ease.

She unstoppered the jug and poured out a stream of golden liquid. Heavier than water, it sank at once into the basin. Tiny bubbles escaped and drifted over the gathering.

:Sacred Lady,: Grandmother intoned. :You have blessed us with all we need. Thanks and praises for bringing to me my granddaughter and a new Chosen Court.:

:Thanks and praises!: exclaimed everyone, joy lit upon their faces.

:Thanks and praises,: I hastily muttered.

Each person reached up to the glowing bubble above their head, bringing it to their mouths and consuming it.

I did the same, not knowing the purpose of the ritual. The bubble burst upon my tongue with all the warmth and sweetness of honey. It burned as it reached the back of my throat and I rocked back on my heels, suddenly unbalanced by the liquid’s headiness.

:Thanks and praises, O Lady!: we murmured. We swayed, relishing the delicious taste and, I realised later, savouring the compassionate grace of the Lady.

To our surprise, the Esteemed delayed rendering judgement upon the Tregallas family. Grandmother drifted into the room where I studied with Rhiannon. Her hands played with the wide sleeves of her robe, twisting them as she paced. :Why has the Esteemed not called on the Tregallas family yet? So many came to their aid in the battle of Môr Hafren.: By this she meant my rescue. :Is the Esteemed afraid of losing his place?:

I frowned. :It is a lifetime position, once elected. Why would he worry?: Isolated, I had not heard rumours of revolution, and my grandmother surely would have shared such news, if for no other reason than part of my education.

:Indeed,: murmured Elin Grealseeker. :Have you heard from your Llyr?:

:He’s not my Llyr,: I grumbled, because I had not. :Might Rhiannon and I visit Maeve? Llyr was meant to share Maeve’s teachings but he has not as yet.: It had been a week.

:You cannot be seen. What if your bandages slip?: She gestured to the strips wrapped around my chest and shoulder.

:I am not one to stay indoors, or, idle. I do wish I could write.: I sent an apologetic glance to Rhiannon, who managed a thin smile in response.

:Your studies are impor—:

Ceridwy’s shout interrupted her. :Be ready! The Esteemed’s men are on their way! That damned Tregallas!:

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