Page 13 of Queen of the Hollow Hills (Eagles and Crows #3)

CHAPTER 12

I n the end, the day passed without consequence. No Corva. No Cormag. Only Fabius and his antics. Because my only interest seemed to be in food, today my lessons involved a lecture on Roman dining.

“The rich will eat while reclining,” Fabius said, leaning across his chair, “since the meals will take hours. Often, the dinners are arranged so that there are large couches for people to eat and relax. But do not be fooled. A banquet is to show off your wealth and taste, and to make political connections. There is an expected decorum,” he told me, then coached me through a typical Roman meal service, which typically had three courses, including some delights he’d had my cooks prepare to re-create the adventure. “Most large Roman banquets will occur on high holidays, like your Yule.”

“With or without the assassination attempts?” I asked, snacking on some spiced bread Fabius had the kitchens make.

“Often with, and if not, one is planned during the event,” Fabius replied.

I chuckled.

“But make no mistake, if you are invited to dine with Romans, they will watch your every move—to judge your refinement, wealth, and intelligence. If they see you as a barbarian, which is how most Romans see this island, they will treat you as such. But they have never met someone like Queen Cartimandua. Did such a refined lady as you really order her enemies' heads to be posted on poles?”

“Less refined than an assassination attempt, but still equally effective.”

Fabius shuddered. “And yet you eat so daintily,” he said, gesturing to the small bites of bread I chose with my fingertips as he coached me.

“As long as I remember not to slurp my soup nor mistake the rosewater on the table as a drink when it’s intended for finger washing.”

Fabius laughed. “Exactly. And at all times, be witty. Always.”

I grinned. “Even when plotting an assassination?”

“Especially when plotting an assassination.”

After overeating with Fabius, banqueting like a Roman, I fell asleep early that night. When I woke the next morning, I felt the chill from the stone floor and walls. Slipping from my bed, I shivered as I pulled on my robe, pausing when a terrible twinge ripped across my lower back. The pain made me gasp. Pausing until the pain passed, I fastened my robe closed, then went to the window, opening the casement to look outside, discovering the world was covered in white.

It looked like the first snow of the season, covering everything in a blanket of white. The first spring flowers I had seen in the fields beyond the fort were now hidden.

Cormag…

I could only hope he had reached Isurium Brigantum before the snow had come.

But commotion in the square below took my attention from thoughts of my husband. A trumpet sounded, and a moment later, riders came through the gate of the old fort. From my vantage point, I could not see who had come clearly, but I saw a green banner with a purple thistle emblazoned thereon.

“Eddin,” I whispered, excitement sweeping through me.

Hurrying back to my bed, I pulled on a pair of Cormag’s boots and went to the door, only to stop short. Was I going to greet the king of the Dardani in a robe and oversized boots? Instead, I flung open the door and yelled, “Hilda!”

“Prin—Queen Cartimandua. I’m coming. I was already coming,” the maid said, turning the corner. “By the twin goddesses, you must tell me when you expect guests, my queen. We’ve let you sleep the whole morning, and I have nothing set out to wear.”

“I was not expecting anyone,” I replied, feeling my back twinge again. I winced.

“What was that?” Hilda asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

“Nothing. Now, let’s be quick about it.”

Hilda hurried inside and then went to my wardrobe, pulling out a dark blue dress trimmed with stars and moons. She quickly helped me remove my robe and nightdress and slip into the gown.

“My queen?” Kamden called, knocking on the door. “You have a visitor. King Eddin has come.”

“Prepare rooms for him and his men and see the king to the dining hall. I will meet him shortly. See that he and his men are fed.”

“Of course, my queen.”

Hilda helped me work the gown over my belly as I ignored my increasingly achy back. She then aided me in brushing out my long locks. When we went to put slippers on my feet, however, nothing fit.

“The king consort’s boots will have to do,” Hilda said. “Don’t expect you’ll be doing any dancing anyway.”

“Certainly not,” I replied, taking Hilda’s outstretched hands as she helped me up. When she did so, she eyed me closely. “I say, those babes look lower than they did yesterday, my queen. Are you feeling all right?”

“My back is aching, my feet hurt, and I feel like these children could drop from between my legs at any moment from the pressure, but aside from that?”

“Your waters?”

“Hilda, there is no sign of an impending arrival.”

The maid frowned. “All the same, let me send for Onnen.”

“But Onnen said?—”

“We all know what Onnen said, my queen. You’ve been telling us for days on end, but I’ve been eyeing pregnant women for as long as I can remember—including when you were in the womb—and I say we send for Onnen, just in case.”

“Very well.”

With that, we made our way downstairs, Hilda insisting on helping me, and Fergus bounding along as we went to the dining room. From within, I heard the sound of Eddin’s laughter, which brought a smile to my face.

The doors opened to reveal Eddin and his men sitting, Conall, and a few other household staff members.

Eddin paused when he saw me, taking in my round shape, then grinned and rose. “Cartimandua,” he said, slipping away from the table to join me.

“Eddin,” I said with a grateful smile, feeling unexpected tears welling in my eyes. By the twin goddesses, what was that? “I am so glad to see you.”

Eddin gave me a confused look, then embraced me lightly. I could feel he was careful not to put pressure on my belly. “Carti…how beautiful you look.”

“Round. You mean round.”

“I mean beautiful,” he said, then stepped back to look at me. He nodded. “Beautiful. Like Brigantia herself.”

I smiled at him, dashing the tears from my cheeks in confusion. “Are you well? Is all well? You traveled so far to?—”

“I have not seen you since you left my fort. It has been many months. And when I got your message…” He smiled softly at me. “I just wanted to see you in the flesh.”

“Well, there is a lot of that these days.”

Eddin laughed. “Come. Let’s get you off your feet.”

I joined the others then, Hilda hurriedly rushing off behind me.

The kitchen staff worked busily bringing us food while Eddin and his men joked and laughed about getting caught in the snow last night with no tent.

“I dreamed all night that moths were fluttering against my face, only to wake to find my beard covered in snow,” Eddin said, stroking his neatly trimmed red beard. “We left before dawn. Our horses were less happy than ourselves, but the promise of your hearth kept us warm.”

“Well, I am glad to have you here now,” I said, reaching for his hand and squeezing it lightly. Holding his gaze, I smiled warmly at him until that profound something within us both looked out.

Coughing lightly, Eddin looked away, patting my hand. “And where is the king consort? I have a new horse. I wanted to hear what Cormag thought of the beast.”

“Away for a few days playing in the muck with Aedan. He will return soon.”

“Best be sooner than later from the looks of it, Queen Cartimandua,” one of Eddin’s chieftains told me.

“So everyone keeps telling me, but the priestess Onnen assures me I have until the next moon.”

“Babes have a mind of their own. And as I understand it, it is the sun and moon you carry, Queen Cartimandua,” the chieftain replied.

“That is how it feels,” I said, setting my hand on my stomach, feeling more than aware of the pressure on my groin. Was it worse than yesterday? Why did it feel worse?

With a yawn, Fabius entered the hall, looking about with curiosity. When he spied Eddin and me, he smiled.

I waved for him to join us.

“Eddin, may I introduce Fabius Tiberius, my tutor? Fabius, this is King Eddin of the Dardani.”

“Oh,” Fabius said, a smile warming his features. “Great king,” he said and bowed deeply. “It is an honor to meet you.”

Eddin eyed Fabius curiously. “Roman?”

“I am from the turquoise isle of Capri, great king. An actor by trade, a humble tutor by fate, and a friend to Queen Cartimandua by fortune. My queen, I must prepare some great entertainment for your guests. You did not tell me you would have visitors, you rascal.”

“I didn’t know.”

“Well, I must get to it at once. After morning meal, of course.”

“Of course,” I replied knowingly.

Fabius grinned at me, then went to the end of the table beside Brodi. He began loading up his plate while chattering away, making the Votadini warrior roll his eyes.

Eddin raised an eyebrow at me.

I merely winked at him in reply.

The conversation turned back to the Dardani, who talked of the ride through the mountains and their sighting of a massive stag not far from the borderlands with the Brigantes.

“He was a colossal beast,” Eddin told me. “With horns as wide as three men. I have never seen such a creature in all my life.”

“A king stag,” Brodi said, pausing to set down his mug. “He has awakened from his slumber and now seeks his bride.”

“Not unlike our king,” one of Eddin’s men said with a laugh. “We will have you married this year, King Eddin.”

The others chuckled, but Eddin gave a dismissive wave, not meeting my gaze. “I have no such interest.”

“You may not, but you best beware. As we speak, many mothers’ fingertips grow bloody, embroidering pretty gowns for their daughters to wear to the Beltane fires in the hopes of catching a king,” one of the men called.

Eddin chuckled. “I am sorry to disappoint them.”

“Will you leave us with no heir, King Eddin?” one man joked.

Eddin merely winked at him and then picked up his tankard.

“Queen Cartimandua will have no such questions in her tribe. Two at once. That is well-thought,” one Dardani man said.

“Tell that to my aching back,” I replied with a grin, my eyes drifting down the table to Fabius, who was looking from Eddin to me with a curious expression on his face. When he met my gaze, he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, then turned back to his meal.

Ignoring his look, I turned back to my plate.

We spent the afternoon together, eating, drinking, and feeling merry. After a time, the others excused themselves to visit the vendors in Rigodonum or take their rest, Fabius going to make ready for the night’s entertainment, leaving Eddin and me alone once more. We moved off to my workroom.

As we went, I found I was moving slowly, my groin and back aching.

“Are you well, Carti?” Eddin asked, looking at me worriedly as I pressed my fists into my back.

“Well, enough. My maid assures me it's normal for everything to hurt.”

Eddin frowned worriedly. “I have not seen Corva today.”

“She went to Mydils, but is quite delayed.”

We entered the workroom, Eddin pausing at the door to wave to a footman. “Have someone bring the queen honeyed herbs to drink.”

“Yes, King Eddin,” the boy said, then hurried off.

Eddin closed the door behind him. “I was sorry to hear of the passing of Ulixes. He was always kind to me, even as a boy.”

“Yes, we all mourned him. The young man he trained is doing well, but it is not the same.”

Eddin helped me sit and then moved a stool so I could put up my feet. He then took a seat beside me. Once more, we found ourselves in the same spots where Eddin had first professed his undying love for me, and I…I had chosen to smother what I felt rather than letting it overwhelm me. How different things were now.

Eddin gestured to my cheek. “What happened there?”

“At the Yule celebration. An attempt on my life.”

“Carti!”

“An archer whose arrow found Cormag, who put himself between danger and me.”

“Is he all right?”

I nodded.

“Who was the assailant?”

“We don’t know. He was dead when Corva found him, his throat slit.”

“Parisii?”

“He had a pocket full of Parisii coins and a fighting man signet ring.”

Eddin scowled. “That is too easy.”

“Yes. We thought the same.”

“Then…who? Carvetti?”

“We do not have an answer, so I have not dared to hazard a guess.”

“But what do you think?”

“I think I have more than one enemy, and someone hates me enough to want me dead.”

“Don’t feel alone. We have heard whispers that some Carvetti would see me dead.”

“Then we are equally hated. How wonderful. I have very little use for Carvetti rumors. If you discover any substance to them, I will dispatch those who whisper.”

“Men grow bored in the winter and plot revenge, but when it is time to plow and plant, all is forgotten. Although, I do not think Venu will ever truly forgive or forget.”

“It is not his place to forgive. It is yours—if you have the heart for it.”

“Oh, he will never forgive me, nor I, him. It was you that I was speaking of. He will never forgive you.”

“Forgive me?”

Eddin nodded.

“Venu is alive and rules his people because of my grace,” I said, confused.

“As chieftain.”

“Yes. As chieftain. Better than a corpse, which was the alternative.”

“You still think too well of him, Cartimandua.”

“Perhaps.”

A boy returned a moment later with a tray on which he’d set pitchers of honeyed herbs for me and one full of ale for Eddin. Eddin poured me a steaming mug, then poured an ale for himself. Sighing contentedly, he eased back into his seat once more.

“Ah, I forgot,” Eddin said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a parcel and handed it to me. “I was passing through a market on my way here and spotted these. I remembered us eating them as children and that you loved them.”

I opened the parcel and looked inside. “Walnuts?”

Eddin nodded. “Shelled and roasted. I could smell them in the wind. There were more, but I lacked self-restraint. I hope you can forgive me.”

I chuckled. “You don’t know what a treasure these are. I have hunted all winter.”

Eddin smiled. “Then I am glad I brought them,” he said, leaning back again. “I am content behind the walls of my fort, but if there is anywhere else in this world that has ever felt like home, it is here in Rigodonum.”

“I would be glad to see you here more often,” I said, inhaling the scent of the walnuts. Aye, may Brigantia be thanked. Not waiting, I began eating them at once, savoring the elusive flavor.

“I would be glad to be here more often. I hoped to have you and Cormag at Barrow, but I suspect you will soon have your hands full.”

“More than.”

Eddin eyed me carefully. “Has Onnen arranged help for you, Carti? You are surrounded by plenty of blades here, but aside from your maid and Corva, you have no women. Seeing someone here to help you with the little ones would be good. A nursemaid or wet nurse. It will be a lot for one person—and a queen at that.”

I leaned forward and took his hand. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For caring. And for the walnuts.”

Eddin smiled at me, studying my face. He reached out and touched the small silver scar on my cheek. “Like a shooting star.”

When he met my gaze, I saw all at once that nothing had changed. He loved me as much now as he had the last time we had been in this room.

Eddin pulled back then rose, going to the map of the Brigantes lands on the wall.

“You forgot, I have my Roman,” I told Eddin.

“That is an interesting addition to your court.”

“I do not like being ignorant of Roman ways. He is helping…with flair.”

“Can he be trusted, Cartimandua?”

“There is a price on his head. Being here keeps him safe. So, yes.”

Eddin nodded slowly, his eyes on the map. After a long pause, he said, “I have felt ill at ease all winter. I am no priest or druid, but I feel…something. Do you feel it too?”

I nodded. “Yes. That is why I have employed Fabius.”

“The warning from the Cailleach.”

“And more. I cannot see its shape, but I do feel it.”

Setting my drink and the walnuts aside, I rose and went to his side, gesturing to the map. “To the west, the Cornovii engage in civil war, King Ord and King Aengus vying for power. To my south, the Coritani seek a hand for Princess Melusine and, with it, an alliance. The Parisii prince grows sicker, having not risen from his bed all winter. The Northern Iceni brothers bicker with one another as the ancient king of the Greater Iceni grows increasingly frailer. The Catuvellauni have spent the winter whispering, their smithies burning bright as the sun as they plot the next stage of their war,” I said, gesturing to the map. “They have already begun to call in their retainers and will continue their push south and east.”

Eddin turned to me. “How do you know this?”

I smiled softly but didn’t answer.

Eddin’s gaze narrowed, and then he gave me a slick smile. “Do you have someone in my fort watching me, Queen Cartimandua?”

“Of course. I have watched you the closest, but only to ensure you eat and sleep properly. My spies are under the strictest orders to chide you mercilessly if you do not.”

“Carti,” Eddin said with a chuckle, then turned back to the map again. He shook his head. “The Catuvellauni are far to our south, but their actions… Verica and Aedd Mawr have fled south to Rome. Would the Romans even care about two deposed Celtic kings?”

“When Caesar was here, he declared many of the southern tribes were client kings of Rome. Regnenses, Cantiaci, Belgae, Iceni… So many of them swore to pay tax and tithe to Rome. I am very certain Rome has not forgotten.”

“That was so long ago.”

“An empire does not forget.” I exhaled deeply, but then a sharp pain pierced my back once more, rippling across my whole lower back and making my groin ache. This time, I called out against my will. “Aye, gods,” I said, grabbing Eddin’s arm.

And then, I felt it. Wetness crept down my leg.

“Carti?”

“Oh no,” I whispered, my eyes going wide. “Eddin…” I said with a gasp, my hand going to my groin. Sure enough, my waters dampened my gown.

Eddin took in the situation at once. “Hold on to me,” he said, taking my arm. “We must get you upstairs to your bedchamber. Boy!” he called.

My servant stuck his head inside. “King Eddin?”

“Queen Cartimandua is in labor. Fetch your housecarl.”

The young man stared at me a moment, then turned and ran.

“It seems I have arrived just in time,” Eddin said with a smile. “I will be the first to welcome the future kings or queens of the Brigantes.”

“Eddin,” I said, gripping him as the pain wracked me once more.

“Don’t worry, Carti. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.”