A Daring Enterprise

Chapter 9 of "A Sword for Wellington", Book Three of The Môrdreigiau Chronicles

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The story began in A Grail for Eidothea and continued with A River Trembles. Now the Chosen Court seeks another Arthurian treasure. New here? Save this post and have a binge read. You deserve it.

Eidothea’s father didn’t approve of his daughter’s hoydenish behaviour. Research began on where they might find Arthur’s sword. A home is mentioned as a possibility and Mr. Pendyr thought he might know the occupant. The remainder of her Chosen Court returned to the house. Eidothea apologised for not shielding her emotions.

“We have our first possible clue.” I inspected the tunnel’s rough-hewn walls while Llyr dressed. “There’s a cult who worships the Lady in Caldicot. They are waiting for something to happen. Perhaps they wait for a sword.”

“Rather than have it in their possession? You told me the story about the Lady of the Lake. In my dream, the sword went from hand to hand.”

“Father is writing to them. He’s somewhat acquainted with the family.”

Llyr sensed my awkwardness and touched my elbow. I glanced to see him dressed. We headed deeper into the tunnel. “Is it far inland?”

“I looked it up on a map. Caldicot is pretty close to the mouth of the Severn, where it empties into Môr Hafren. We should all be able to make that trip inland.”

Llyr nodded. “What if our search takes us further inland? Only you and Jasper will be able to complete the journey.”

“And Father,” I added. I split my attention between Llyr and the tunnel’s shallow steps. “This society’s mores require a chaperone for unmarried women.”

“Even so…” He did not need to tell me his concern, or of his jealousy. I felt it through our bond.

“I won’t be on my own,” I murmured.

We entered the study. Varying levels of enthusiasm greeted us. Llyr sat next to me on the sofa. At Jasper’s sudden start and frown, he quirked an amused eyebrow. Their gazes held before Jasper nodded and resumed his reading.

“We should return to Caer Morgana,” I decided, tiring of watching Father and Jasper flip through books. “Cychwr will visit once a month for any news about this Caldicot family.”

“Not you?” Father voiced it but I also felt a strong pang from Jasper.

“I will, if I can. I have my duties and there will be much to prepare before we can go find the sword.” I rose. “Will you look for further clues in the meantime?”

Father rose and clasped my hands in his. “As best as one can short of traveling to the universities.”

Jasper stared out the window, but I caught a tremor of something from him. Curiosity, trepidation?

“Jasper—” There seemed no point in sticking with formalities now that our feelings had been laid bare. “You are not to go anywhere on your own. I do not know exactly what you are thinking but whatever it is, it can keep until my return.”

He turned to face the room, his eyes alight. I felt a jolt of familiarity in my gut. Jasper had sniffed out an adventure. “My father’s library. When I added my notes to Father’s archives, I do recall an index entry already existed for the house as well as for Excalibur.”

“Caledfwlch,” Llyr corrected.

Cychwr leaned forward. “How fast could we pull those volumes?”

Jasper shrugged. “The greal has always been the focus, but that is not how he and my grandfather and his grandfather made their fortune. Amulets, artefacts, objets d’art were all of interest. Every mention of an object was indexed. If I can access that… There’s an index, then a concise summary with any relevant maps or sketches, and finally the original notebooks. I still have mine.” He patted his coat picket. “Other agents and seekers will still possess theirs. That’s why there are the summaries, to account for the data out in the field.”

I huffed, crossing my arms. “You would receive another beating for trying to enter. You can finally walk again.”

“So we are looking for pages in several journals?” Father mused. “It would take you months, surely. Your own notes are more travel log than research.”

Jasper nodded. “Scanning them will take a while. None of us write in our notebooks in a linear fashion in order to slow the path of any trying to follow.”

Llyr straightened. “How long will it take?”

Jasper shrugged. “Hard to say.”

Llyr turned to me. “We have Cychwr and the guards. We could make a reconnaissance of the place and—”

I held up my hand. “We do not know if Lord Tregallas or his son live. What if that’s where they are hiding? With their human servants and agents…” I shook my head. “No, it’s too dangerous. Jasper, Father, you may cast as wide a net as possible, but not that library.”

“But!—” Llyr grabbed my hand.

I cut off Llyr’s protest, surprised that he seemed in favour of something Jasper wanted. Then I remembered that before I had found him on the beach, he had been quite the adventurous draig môr. He and Jasper were similar in that regard. I too, could not resist such a daring enterprise. “In a month, when we all return, with more dreigiau môr, then we will take on the Tregallas estate. If they are there, they need to be brought to justice. If they are not, the guards can protect us while we search.”

“Eidothea, you’re the monarch. You can’t take that risk,” Ondine started.

“You are all indispensable. We will have the royal guards.” My gaze met Jasper’s. I had caught the whiff of adventure. I felt just like that night in the tunnels beneath Bath. I knew Jasper felt my excitement and I sought to dampen it.

I crossed to Jasper and rested my hand on his shoulder. “Promise me you will not approach the estate in my absence.”

He hesitated, his ire and frustration prickling my heart.

“Promise me, Jasper. You are the first Fisher King since King Arthur. I do not wish to lose you before we have even begun.” Contrary to my stern words, I sent all my concern for him through our bond, feeding from the memory of the time I believed him dead.

He staggered back a step. From Llyr’s groan, I realised I had sent more than mere concern.

“I promise to wait for you to return.” Jasper covered my hand with his. With his other hand, he clasped my waist and pulled me closer.

Wide-eyed I stared at him, my heart suddenly beating fast. His gaze dropped to my mouth and lingered.

Father coughed. “You will take the Greal with you when you go?”

Jasper released me.

Father pulled the chalice from under his desk. Llyr held out his hands for it. He handed it to him.

I returned to Caer Morgana to solve the issue of who would become regent in my absence. With Ceridwy installed as regent, I let Emrys and Rhiannon know of my probable prolonged absence from Caer Morgana before my steward broadcasted the official announcement.

:This is why you wanted to speak with me,: Emrys grumbled.

I confirmed it. :I realised it was unfair of me to insist because—: I broke off, clamping down on the end of my thought before Emrys realised I knew their secret.

:Because—?: Emrys sounded tense.

I sighed, relenting. :I know, Emrys. I know about you, Rhiannon, and the child you are expecting. It was unfair of me to ask you to juggle fatherhood and your former role while I’m gone.:

Emrys returned my sigh with one of his own. :I’ll keep an eye on Ceridwy. You’ll send reports back, yes? Just so we know you live.:

I promised him I would but warned him they would likely be infrequent.

Surprisingly, the Council received the news with something like enthusiasm. It shouldn’t have surprised me given both Ceridwy’s popularity and that they got to resume more of the caer administration.

In February, I returned to my father’s house. I entered my father’s study to find Jasper leaning over the table, making marks on a large sheet of paper held down by various glass paperweights and small books. Father sat by the window, engrossed in a book.

“We have made plans,” Jasper said, gesturing to the paper before him. “From memory, I have laid out my father’s library, so we may swiftly take what we need.”

“I have been to the house.” Father gave up any pretence of reading and confronted me with those words.

My alarm reached my fellow Court members. They came crowding in behind me. Cychwr trailed them, munching on a slice of pie, looking a little bemused.

“I thought I told you not to act.” I directed this to Jasper.

He straightened, his calm gaze the opposite of my emotional burst. “We have been preparing. There has been no response from Craiglyn House.”

“I am my own man,” Father put in, tucking away his spectacles. “Surely I could pretend to enquire after my own daughter? They are not at home.”

The village believed that I stayed in Bath. The Tregallas family of course knew the truth. My eyes narrowed. “They could still be within.”

Father shook his head. “The footman said that Lady Tregallas left a couple of weeks ago. I think he was grateful I had taken in Mr. Tregallas.”

Jasper tapped on the building plans before him. “We have an empty house—”

“Except for servants,” I interrupted.

“And a plan for going in and taking what we need. And a bit more besides.”

“A bit more?” I raised my brows.

“To throw my family off our trail once they return. Come and see.” He gestured again to the paper. “With your royal guards, we shall work quickly.”

Jasper laid out his plan, finishing with. “We cannot hie off to Craiglyn House and find it a dead end. We need to gather as much information as possible first.”

:Eidothea…: Even if we didn’t have the bond, all of Llyr’s worry and concern came along with his thought. :This could be a trap.:

I brushed away the idea. :Why would they even suspect us to come near the house at all? The Greal is found and one or both of the Tregallas men are likely dead.:

We left for the Tregallas home during the dying glow of twilight. The moon waxed near full, hanging low above the hills.

Not a single lamp glowed within the house, rendering it a looming dark shape against the faint moonlight.

Llyr, his bronze torc glinting, showed me how to kindle my bioluminescence when in human form. It stroked our hands and face, giving us enough light to see by. Jasper and Father each held a shuttered lantern.

“You look like a glow worm,” Jasper whispered to me. He reached for my gold torc, which I suspected shone like Llyr’s. Instead, he extended the crook of his elbow for me to tuck my hand in. I accepted his invitation, knowing I’d help with his balance with all the small pebbles in the drive, packed tight though they were.

His hand covered mine. “Beautiful,” he murmured, close to my ear. His warm hand gave me a small thrill.

Llyr took my other hand, his presence a comfort.

I inhaled the night air, tightening my grip on both of them.

Jasper led us to a side door meant for servants. Finding it unlatched, we slipped inside.

Reflections from our bioluminescence and lanterns bounced off the varnished oak paneling and marbled floors. We walked in single file, our footsteps silenced by the thick carpet runner.

We reached the small library, I followed Jasper inside, remembering the last time I had followed him here, afraid he’d divine what had then been a secret, my ability to assume dreigiau môr form.

The last to enter closed the door behind him. Each of us carried a rucksack and a basket or bag. We would take as much as we could carry.

Jasper limped through the library, dodging a globe and a small table to reach the far wall, lined with books. He pressed against the carved shelf. The column of shelves swung inward.

I followed, everyone close behind me. Llyr pulled on my arm, putting me behind him.

The hidden door opened into a stairwell that curled up to the next floor. A post, thick as a tree trunk, anchored the stairs. Twining dragons lay carved into the wood. The walls had been plastered white once, now rendered grimy with age. No servants came here.

We ascended. Stepping out of the narrow stairwell, I blinked at the sudden light. Bookshelves filled the walls from floor to ceiling. Other shelves stood in the room’s centre. The library lacked windows. These had to be the bricked in windows seen from outside. Everyone would have assumed they had been removed because of Parliament’s window tax.

As Jasper lit the nearest lantern and through out the room more lamps stuttered into life. The room glowed.

I allowed my bioluminescent light to fade and just… stared.

Gilt blanketed the edges of the ceiling. In the centre a mosaic depicted the caer’s stone circle as seen from the position of lying on the central altar stone. A cup, the Greal, hung suspended in the image, just out of reach. The gold trailed down from the ceiling, vining along the carved bookshelves.

On looking closer, I realised the carvings portrayed dreigiau môr hunting, seeking, reaching with their claws.

Every shelf overflowed with books.

Jasper crossed to a section that contained only thin ledger books. A low wide card catalog cabinet topped with fine red leather did double duty as a table. He consulted the catalog, pulled the first summary ledger from the shelf, and we set to work.

Those of us who could read—Father, Cychwr and I—paired with those who could not. Llyr called an extra guard to assist us for he refused to leave my side, even to ferry a filled rucksack back to the stairwell.

Ondine helped as well, but she drifted away from the orchestrated burglary to browse the shelves.

“That’s it for the Caledfwlch references,” Jasper announced. “There are other notes on the thirteen treasures of Britain. Shall we make a start on those?”

I gave my assent. We had to keep the Tregallases guessing should they discover our theft.

Desire, not mine, spiked through me. I faintly heard Ondine moan. Her longing overwhelmed me, fired all my senses. My knees weakening, I stumbled, my back hitting the shelves as Llyr embraced me, trying to break my fall.

His mouth found mine, hot and hungry, answering the longing that was not mine and yet was.

:Cychwr,: I managed to think. :Ondine.:

:I hear her.: I heard Cychwr move away. :She should only make those sounds for me.:

Llyr’s kiss was just like his first, all-consuming, dissolving us into one. I struggled to string together the words for the shielding spell, losing the thread again and again. Llyr pressed his body against mine.

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