7: For Ring and Country

Chapter 7 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, save this post and go have a binge read. You deserve it.

Llyr puts off facing Eidothea for another day. Eidothea makes it safely to Grandmother’s house and her training begins. It’s interrupted by a warning call. The Esteemed (the current caretaker king) has sent guards to arrest them!

:Kind of her to send us warning,: my grandmother mused, checking that my bandages remained snug against my blazing blue mark. :The last time I spoke to Ceridwy, it seemed she stood against us.:

In disappointing Llyr had I lost his family’s support? He had yet to visit me. :Perhaps we share an enmity with the Tregallas family?:

A short time later, the Esteemed’s guards called for me from outside Grandmother’s house.

As I stepped out of the house, my grandmother patted my arm in encouragement. :I will follow.: She retreated to the doorway.

Four guards waited for me. Each draig môr carried a spear. One gestured that I stand in the midst of them.

On my first visit to Caer Morgana, Llyr’s tour only briefly included the Royal Quarter, which also housed the Council Chambers. Passing through a gate, I discerned no difference between the buildings that lay within the Royal Quarter to those without, being made of the same calcified material. The path we took cut straight through the circular laneways that made up the suburb. We passed through the centre, a park where the concentric circles took the form of garden beds and narrower paths. Just beyond the park, a hall towered over the two and three-storey structures by several storeys. Behind it loomed the palace.

The hall stood out. It seemed much older than any other building, being made of fossilised wood instead of the typical calcified sand. The guards led me to the enormous hall and we entered, passing through large, dragon-sized doors, big enough to permit the enormous Maeve entry, and into the hall itself. Large enough to hold several Maeves, the hall’s ceilings soared high overhead, great ribs rising and intersecting to support the roof. Human-sized doorways ran along both sides of the hall. At the far end of the hall stood a small gathering of dreigiau môr in their human forms.

Above them, on a dais built of calcified material accreted over time, sat the Esteemed on a throne of many antlered, living, coral. Their tiny fronds wafted in the room’s gentle currents.

The small crowd parted as the guards and I approached, giving us a clear path to the front.

While I could, I focused on the Esteemed and his sister. Emrys ap Cynfelyn, brother to the Lady Angharad I had met in the spring house on my first visit to the caer. She sat at his feet, her svelte form curled, her heels tucked beneath her thighs. A thin gold coronet capped her long dark hair, braided in some intricate way, yet falling free in others. A torc, made of braided silver and gold, graced her neck. She gave the impression of a delicate flower, but I had already tasted a hint of her steel.

The Esteemed seemed milder in comparison, as handsome as his sister. His black hair looked long enough to sit upon and shone like a silk sheet. A gold torc rested around his neck and across his clavicles, digging into his flesh. His gold coronet, larger than his sister’s, seemed ancient. He wore robes of imperial purple. I did not know if this was a condition of being chosen or if the family had bred for the colour, for Lady Angharad’s lavender robes tended toward the blue spectrum.

A guard nudged me in the back with the blunt of his spear. :Bow.:

I did so, bowing low and deep as Rhiannon and Elin had taught me. :Esteemed,: I murmured.

Straightening, I saw Llyr to my left. He attempted a smile but it failed. To my right stood the three Tregallas family members: Lord and Lady Tregallas with their son Ladon. The latter winked at me before resuming the impassive expression of his parents.

Indeed, everyone in the room seemed intent on not showing any expression at all.

:Llyr,: I thought just to him. :Are you well?:

Llyr did not respond. The Esteemed blasted, :There is no private communication in the hall while I sit in judgement! Speak to all, or remain silent.:

I bowed again. :Forgive me, Esteemed, I was unaware.: Neither my grandmother or Rhiannon had mentioned this in my education, but I had only just begun my studies. Or perhaps it had been too obvious for them to include.

:How are you to answer the charges brought against you?: The Esteemed demanded.

My gaze shot up to his. :What charges?:

Lady Angharad smiled and purred, :Plotting to steal the Greal for your own benefit and to the detriment of all Caer Morgana.: Her smile chilled me.

My eyebrows rose. :My assignment was to find the Greal and return it to Caer Morgana.:

:Even if it had already been found?: Lady Angharad uncurled and leaned forward.

I shot a glance at Llyr. What was going on here? I looked for Ceridwy in the crowd. How had she allowed this to get so out of hand? I answered, :I found it. Who claims otherwise?:

:You have been accused of stealing it,: the Esteemed informed me, his voice gentle. I’m sure all saw my confusion. Llyr refused to look in my direction but his hands flexed at his side.  :With the assistance of the half-human son of Cornelian ap Tregallas, you stole it from Ladon ap Cornelian.:

Jasper.  I could not breathe, reliving that last embrace on the boat.

:You do not deny it?: prodded Lady Angharad.

Somehow I clawed my way out of the horrible memory and found my wits. :If Jasper Tregallas colluded with anybody, it was with his father. I was about to return here with the Greal I found when Jasper stabbed me. I nearly died.:

:You look well enough now,: Lord—no, Cornelian ap Tregallas muttered. He glared at Ladon, who raised his hands in half-hearted defence.

:Indeed, if Llyr had not come to my aid, all would have been lost.: What would have happened if I had died that night? Would Llyr find a new monarch, or would the vision torture him until the next Chosen Court came into being?

The Esteemed’s eyes narrowed. :All was lost.:

:Other dreigiau môr pursued Eidothea and I,: Llyr spoke up, distracting the Esteemed from my faux pas. :Whoever gave those orders is the one at fault here, not myself or Eidothea.:

:Who do you accuse?: drawled Lady Angharad.

Llyr and I exchanged glances. With a slight shake of the head, we each asked the other for silence. We knew Cornelian ap Tregallas to be the instigator, but we had no direct evidence beside his sons’ presence.

I had to say something. :It was Jasper Tregallas who stabbed me and Ladon Tregallas who pursued me. Did they work independently, or did someone order them?:

:My son did nothing more than to call to his friends for aid.: Cornelian ap Tregallas seemed unfazed by my attempted accusation.

:Because he sought to steal the Greal from me,: I insisted. :Ask him where and how he found it. I doubt he could come up with a compelling tale.:

Cornelian ap Tregallas grinned. :You’d be surprised.:

:Enough!: the Esteemed called from his seat. He sat back, regarding us. :It appears that without other witnesses to the contrary, nobody can say who stole what from whom. And what does it matter? The Greal is lost.:

:It matters to me.: Cornelian stepped toward the dais and fell to his knees. :Esteemed, my honour has been bruised and battered by the accusations spread by these two and their families.:

:Esteemed!: I knelt. :I have done nothing wrong and have also been accused. Is my honour not worth as much?: I sensed Llyr’s startle.

Emrys ap Cynfeln’s lips twitched. :Is your honour worth your life? In the old stories, such requests resulted in duels. You would not last a minute against Cornelian ap Tregallas.:

The blood drained from my face. :For-forgive me, Esteemed. I am new to this country and have been studying the stories and the histories during my convalescence. I was not aware of this custom.: I prayed he would waive this demand. Not because I couldn’t fight but I feared that Llyr would step forward as my champion.

:Too many have been hurt already by what seems to be a sizeable misunderstanding for more lives to be lost,: the Esteemed mused.

I opened my mouth to protest, even though we thought and did not speak. I pressed my lips together and looked at the ground.

:It has been our deepest desire to recover the Greal and two great families have sought it over the generations,” the Esteemed continued. :Let us admit that both of you failed. At least, the Greal is within our borders once more. It will be found.:

Rising, Cornelian ap Tregallas bowed deeply. :Esteemed, you speak truth. Llyr and Eidothea should have swum proudly by my son’s side, returning the Greal to its home.:

I uttered an incoherent protest.

:Just so.: The Esteemed nodded. :Ladon would have swum by their side as well, were it not for this competitive misunderstanding.:

:This young woman has the means to find it and has yet to leave the caer to do so.: Cornelian ap Tregallas took a step toward me, and then another. I stood, backing off a step. :If this is not malice …: He shook his head. He turned to the dais. :Her motivation is of no consequence. She is bandaged so one must assume she is injured. Perhaps her injuries prevent her from traveling. Yet she is in possession of the Grealseeker ring. She wears it around her neck.:

Cornelian leapt forward, grasping at my robe’s opening and pulling out the necklace. Dangling from the end was Jasper’s button. Cornelian dropped it like it burned him and staggered back. He wiped at his mouth, his gaze speculative.

:Where is the ring?: the Esteemed asked. His words sounded casual but they held an icy edge.

:I returned it to my grandmother, Elin Grealseeker,: I folded my arms over my gaping robe. :All you had to do was ask for it. Not drag me here like a criminal.:

:This was just until you were well enough to search? As the one who follows in Berlewen’s footsteps?: the Esteemed prodded.

I hesitated. Should I lie to buy more time? Would it damage the trust I needed to build with Emrys ap Cynfelyn? But if I spoke the truth …

Llyr stepped forward. :Esteemed, there is another matter I wish to speak of.:

The Esteemed glared, his grey eyes flashing. :If it is to apologise for the ridiculous rumours your mother has spread, I will hear it here for all to witness.:

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