Authors: Janelle Taylor
“Tell me when I return from Lord Orin’s. What of Sir Kelton? Have you devised a plan to get rid of him too? This time I want a simple accident, one that cannot be questioned.”
“I know how to do it, Your Highness, but not who to carry it off. What about your son? Will he join you and help you?”
“I do not wish to involve Moran yet. Find another.”
“I have no excuse to visit Sir Kelton’s, but you do. You are most convincing, my beautiful queen-to-be.”
Isobail grinned. “It will be done before I visit Lord Orin.” Isobail’s gaze hardened when she added, “Find a way to frighten Leitis into taking our dead servant’s place.”
“I have already decided how to do so, but I will require your assistance.” He related his “spell” to her and her laughter filled the room.
“I am tired now, Earnon. And I am most pleased with you. Forgive my hasty scolding and fatigue. I shall
have Ceit relax me with a rubbing while Guinn soothes my mind with sweet music.”
Earnon nodded and left, not fooled by Isobail’s last words. To make certain Kyra was not mistaken, he would observe this matter himself. If Ceit left the two alone, he would know it was safe to spend a short time with his love.
Giselde was disturbed by the information Gavin had shared with her since his arrival an hour ago. Alysa had promised her that she would not take this deadly matter into her hands, but she was doing just that, and coaxing others to do so. Gavin had related the events taking place at the castle between Alysa, Baltair, and Leitis. Giselde was concerned as to why Alysa was not giving the herb blend to Alric, and why her granddaughter had not come to see her lately. The old woman’s head was spinning with questions which caused her to hesitate because she did not want to endanger the life of King Briac’s son, and she was worried over how much Thisbe knew and why the girl had revealed so much to Gavin. Their relationship confused and alarmed her. She could not understand why her binding spells refused to work on him. Surely it had nothing to do with the amulet she had given to him.
Gavin continued, “I explained to Thisbe why your granddaughter should stop interfering in these deadly events and why I could not help them escape. Thisbe promised she would convince Princess Alysa to do nothing more while I nosed around and came up with a plan. I do not know about your granddaughter, but my Thisbe is a clever girl. She is braver and smarter than
any woman I have met. She said her father taught her how to fight with many weapons, and I have witnessed some of her special skills. If I truly were an adventuring warrior, she would be the perfect mate to ride at my side.” Gavin’s expression softened noticeably as he spoke of the girl. “I did not want her involved in this work, but she is, so I asked her to keep her eyes and ears open at the castle and to tell me what goes on there. She agreed. I told her I would do the same.”
Giselde observed the handsome prince and listened closely to his tone of voice. “It is dangerous to include Thisbe or anyone else in on our plans,” she replied. “The more people involved, the greater our risk of discovery.”
“I know you are right, Giselde, but Thisbe and Alysa appear stubborn, and determined. If I refused to help them, they would work on their own. By pretending to be working with them, I can keep an eye on them and hopefully keep them safe. Besides, they might pick up some valuable clues for us. We are to meet again Friday, after Isobail leaves the castle for Sir Kelton’s.”
“I wish you two would not see each other. I fear you are falling in love with her. This should not be so, Prince of Cumbria. Have you forgotten that such a match is impossible? Have you learned nothing of illfated love from my family’s troubles? What about Squire Teague?”
At her warnings, Gavin winced as if in physical pain. “I did not mean to start anything with Thisbe, or with any woman here. It just happened, Giselde. I could not help myself, nor could she. Thisbe cannot be in love with Squire Teague, for she loves me. It must be fate, as we keep being thrown together and cannot resist each other. I must seek a way to have her. She is so beautiful and unique. When she looks at me with those entrancing blue eyes…”
Blue eyes?
Giselde’s keen mind echoed. Thisbe did
not have blue eyes, nor was she “beautiful and unique,” “braver and smarter than any woman,” or overly “clever.” Thisbe’s eyes were nearly the same color as her hair: dark brown. She was a sweet and gentle girl, not a trained fighter who would make the “perfect mate” for a man such as Gavin. Giselde asked, “Tell me more about Thisbe. I have not seen her for years. I suppose she has changed much. How did you meet? When?”
She observed Gavin as he modestly skimmed over his entanglement with the alleged Thisbe, for the woman he spoke of could not be Piaras’s daughter. Giselde’s heart beat erratically as she grasped the identity of the girl involved and the depth of the unspoken details, for she perceived an undeniable aura of intimacy. Clearly Gavin and Alysa were bewitched, as she had meant them to be irresistibly bonded; and Giselde remembered how wild and marvelous love could be.
Yet Giselde knew something was amiss, and she searched herself for answers. If she asked too many questions, Gavin could become suspicious of the girl, and she did not want to expose Alysa until she learned the meaning of this ruse. She worried over Alysa’s reason for playing Thisbe to a handsome stranger, fearing her granddaughter’s motive could be good or bad. If Alysa was trying to discover who Gavin was and why he was here, it could ruin everything. Too, it could place Alysa in grave peril. It had been rash and selfish, as Trosdan warned, for her to bind them together at this dangerous time! Perhaps she should confess the truth to Gavin and Alysa. Nay, it was too late to break the spell. “You are certain you can trust her?” she asked.
Gavin nodded. “Yet sometimes I feel as if she is holding something back. It probably has to do with Teague. She expected to marry him and have everything she desires, but she met me and I ensnared her. He will become a knight and lord, but supposedly I am only a
traveling adventurer, a warrior for hire, a single man for life. I saw them riding together one day, but they appeared to be only friends.”
“Thisbe was out riding?” Giselde asked as casually as she could.
“On a large dun with black tail and mane,” he answered, recalling that sight, missing Giselde’s reaction. “Your granddaughter must be a kind mistress, for she lets Thisbe come and go as she pleases. They must be good friends to confide in each other. When this matter ends, I will be eager to meet Princess Alysa.”
Giselde knew that no one rode Calliope except Alysa, and so now had no doubt that Gavin’s “Thisbe” was her granddaughter. What was Alysa up to with this pretense? she wondered.
A series of heavy knocks interrupted their conversation. Giselde had bolted the door to prevent anyone from walking in on them and exposing their connection. Still, she was alarmed at the intrusion. She asked who was there and was relieved to hear the response, “Piaras.”
Giselde gestured to Gavin to go out the back door, as she did not want Gavin and Thisbe’s father to meet and talk today. She straightened the concealing tapestry, but left the door ajar so Gavin could overhear Piaras’s words.
The aging knight told her about Lord Fergus’s visit to the castle, about Isobail’s return and behavior, and about Alric’s relapse. “I have never seen the prince act that way before. He tore into the sheriff like Trahern was food and he was starving. He was mean to Isobail before the others, and they did not like it because she has them charmed. Isobail has a tongue as smooth as a new blade, and she cuts things up as she wants them.”
Piaras revealed what Sir Beag had told him about the episodes at Daron’s castle. “Beag said he was ordered to remain at the castle during the hunt, then ordered
back here after the trouble. He thinks she does not want him in that area for some reason. Sir Calum is in charge now, and he left his squire here. Very strange, Giselde; it’s as though the princess was afraid he or Squire Teague might see or hear something. Isobail is talking about knighting most of the oldest squires, to give us more fighters, but I think she is up to no good. ‘Course, Thisbe will be happy for Teague. Never seen two people more in love.”
Giselde quickly turned his attention away from Thisbe and Teague. “Tell me about Alric’s illness,” she urged.
“Came on him all of a sudden while they were drinking and talking.”
“Perhaps it was bad food or wine. Did anyone else become ill?”
“Only His Highness. Everyone was eating and drinking from the same jug and platter. I watched everybody closely. Nobody was near enough to fool with his servings, if that is what you were thinking.”
Giselde knew that Piaras’s conclusion could not be true, though she did not tell him so. He then spoke about Baltair and Alysa, but she learned nothing new. She cautioned Piaras not to confide in Baltair or Alysa, thinking to avoid a slip of the tongue that might somehow endanger either one. “Be careful when you meet with Baltair,” she said. “Isobail has spies everywhere. No help will be coming, Piaras. By now Isobail and Trahern have had those messengers to the King slain. But do not worry; I will locate someone trustworthy to carry the message to King Bardwyn.”
“I should hurry back before I am missed. Isobail is leaving for Sir Kelton’s in two days, then she is heading for Lord Orin’s. If you have somebody who can trail her, it would be a good idea.”
“I have the perfect man,” Giselde replied, “and you shall meet him soon.”
Following Piaras’s departure, Gavin entered the hut once more. Looking grim, he remarked, “Thisbe does not favor her father at all, and he does not know her in the least. But just as you found a way to have Rurik, I will find a way to have Piaras’s daughter.”
“And will you suffer more or less than I have over the years?” she challenged. Giselde’s mind was so engulfed by fears and clouded by plans that had been building for years, that she believed the safest path to walk at this” time was a separate one. To slow the pace of Gavin’s untimely romance, she reasoned, “What of Thisbe? Have you considered her feelings? Do you realize how difficult a marriage between a prince, a future king, and a simple servant can be, if it is allowed? Many will be against her, and will turn against you for straying from your duty and rank. Can you hide her away as your secret whore? Or give up your kingdom to marry her?
“Before it is too late, Hawk of Cumbria, remember your responsibilities. What if you two are seen together? What if Isobail suspects she is spying for us? What if they use her to lead them to us? Each of you is a threat to the other. Discourage your love affair at least for now, Prince Gavin, at least for now, I beg you.”
It was after midnight, and Leitis was dazed by the potion Earnon had slipped into her goblet of warm milk at bedtime. The alchemist had no trouble getting past the flimsy lock on the head servant’s door. He approached her bed and placed several more drops on her lips. The tingling sensation caused Leitis to lick them and slip deeper into a susceptible condition.
Earnon spoke compellingly to the woman in the hypnotic state. “Each day you will season Prince Alric’s midday meal and his evening wine with a few grains from this pouch. You will tell no one of this task, and you will never fail to perform it. You will keep these
herbs hidden, and you will not recall using them. If you try to remember my orders or try to disobey them, visions of the Evil One devouring you will torment you until you obey.”
This was one power he was positive he possessed: the power to hypnotize certain people. Leitis’s mind was vulnerable; he would he able to control her easily. “Now tell me what you know about Alric’s illness and about Isobail’s plans,” he ordered.
Leitis revealed what little she knew about those matters. Earnon silently pondered the information and decided not to relate it to Isobail. He reasoned that Alysa was no real threat and could do little, if anything, to thwart their plans, especially with no one to help her or believe her. Once she was deluded by Leitis about Alric’s food, she would cease her interfering actions. But Earnon also did not want to expose Alysa, because he knew that Isobail would deal harshly with her, which could endanger their plans. He had learned that spite was Isobail’s worst flaw, one to be controlled. More importantly, he sensed a powerful force around Alysa, one he did not want to challenge.
As if this were actually a magical enchantment, Earnon stated softly, “Let no force break this spell unless you hear these words spoken: Non Rae.”
Gavin finished his talk with his men. Everyone had returned to camp safely and given his report. The superficial evidence was mounting against Isobail, but he needed hard facts before taking action. One did not attack a ruler without it. Along his journey he had left two men camped halfway to King Bardwyn’s castle, just inside the Cambrian border. He ordered Keegan to deliver their current findings to those men, one of whom would pass it on to Bardwyn.
“Return as quickly as possible, Keegan. I will need
you soon. As for the rest of us, it is time for us to make our presence known.” Gavin glanced around the circle of close friends, all dressed alike to signal they were a unit and to prevent them from being mistaken for the bands raiding the countryside. He had been charting the brigands’ attacks to see if there was any pattern, but did not have enough information to expose one yet. “All we can do is try to make contact by foiling their raids. We play carefree adventurers for a while, men seeking to earn a little money and glory, and to find a little fun. If we come across them, remember we can be bought for the right price. We must convince them we are restless, hungry, and greedy.”
Weylin, Gavin’s best friend, remarked, “This will be a hard task when we are accustomed’ to fighting for good and right. What if we are tested? How far do we go with this pretense?”
“We do whatever is necessary, except slaying innocents. If we have to steal, we shall return the goods later after dark. This land is not the only one at stake; our known world is in trouble. I have seen this woman at work; she is more dangerous than most enemies we have battled. Do not allow yourselves to be fooled by her. She is beautiful, but she is deadly and cruel and evil. She has spies and allies everywhere. Trust no one except the men in this circle and Giselde.”
“Why would King Bardwyn heed the old woman’s words?” Lann asked.
Giselde had confided the reasons to him, but he had promised not to repeat them to anyone. Gavin hated to think of any ruler being as flawed as Alric Malvern. Bardwyn must know his son well to have accepted the old woman’s charges against him. It must have pained the king badly, he thought. “There are good reasons, Lann, but I was told them in confidence,” he replied honestly, and his men trusted him and accepted that answer.
Gavin smiled at each one in turn: Keegan, Lann, Dal, Bevan, Weylin, and Tragan. He had ridden with these men countless times as they defended Cumbria’s borders against foreign bandits. They had helped settle clan disputes in Albany. They had captured common thieves and Viking spies. They had laughed together, talked and joked, sang and danced, lived and almost died together. Each would give up his life for one or all of this group. No matter what confronted them, no one would turn against the others. And no man could be forced to betray the others, even if it cost him his life.