Page 17 of Queen of the Hollow Hills (Eagles and Crows #3)

CHAPTER 16

T hat night, I prepared to feast with Cormag, Eddin, Lord Gregor, and their men in the great dining hall. As Hilda helped me make ready, Greer put the girls to sleep. Greer’s daughter, a smiling, blonde-haired lass, played with blocks on the floor of my bedchamber while Greer worked.

“She is the pleasantest baby I have ever seen,” Hilda told Greer as Hilda helped me redress in a red gown.

“More pleasant that I was?” I teased.

“You gave us no rest. Poor Morfudd was always beside herself.”

“I’m sure she was,” I said, rolling my eyes.

Hilda merely harrumphed.

“Heather is like her father,” Greer said, smiling at her daughter as she lay a sleeping Regan down by her sister. “He was a good-natured soul.”

I felt a twinge of guilt at the thought the man had died in my war, leaving the pair behind. “I am glad you are both here,” I told the Greer, who gave me a soft smile in return.

“Done,” Hilda declared, setting my diadem on my head.

“Well, now, let me see what trouble is afoot. Call if you need me,” I told Greer.

She nodded to me. “My queen.”

Earlier that night, I had apprised Eddin and Cormag about our visitor.

“I do not remember this man,” Cormag had said with a frown. “He was not there when we fought the Carvetti.”

“No. He was not,” I replied.

“And yet he is close to Ystradwel now?” Eddin asked with a frown. “I remember him only a little. What little I do recall, I always thought him a slick creature.”

“Do you fear Ystradwel’s rule is in danger?” Cormag asked.

“I don’t know this man nor his motivations. He claims Ystradwel trusts him and that he is friendly with so-called King Aengus. As for the rest… His manner and dress indicate he has great wealth, which he has kept to himself.”

“Yet his rumors about the Cornovii are true,” Cormag said.

I nodded. My spies had learned as much as Lord Gregor had shared. The true king of the Cornovii was being drawn into the wars of the south, led by the Catuvellauni.

“And thus, Cam’s noose around the Brigantes’ neck tightens,” I said with a frown.

“He will ask you to support King Aengus?” Eddin asked.

“In a way, he already has. I have made clear to him that I will not be drawn into the Cornovii’s civil war, no matter what Cam’s promises.”

“And here I thought it would be my northern Brigantes neighbor keeping me awake at night,” Eddin said, “and not the fair maiden to my south.”

“And is there news from your north?” I asked.

Eddin frowned. “Nothing, thus far, just many snarling retainers who do not like that we are Dardani once more.”

“Any news of the Carvetti chieftain himself?” I asked.

“It has been quiet this winter. My men have jested that…” Eddin paused and then looked from Cormag to me. “I should not say.”

“Say it,” I coaxed.

“It is unseemly.”

I laughed. “Now I want to hear all the more.”

Eddin chuckled lightly. “They say that Lady Alys escaped the winter without child, whereas the Brigantes managed two. There have been some bawdy comparisons about…virility.”

Cormag huffed.

I rolled my eyes but said nothing. I would not be so petty as to feel smug over my blessings from Brigantia when none had been granted to Alys and Venu. My spy at Alys’s side suggested that it was a tense marriage. The couple spent little time together. It came as no surprise to me that Alys was not with child. Her maid said Alys spent all winter planning a visit to her parents and had often suggested she would not return to the Carvetti seat.

“Virility or not, all that matters is if the Carvetti stay in line,” I finally replied. Although my heart pitied my old friend.

The great hall was full of life and light. Musicians played, and a feast had been prepared. My voracious hunger had not left me with the arrival of the little ones. If anything, even with Greer’s help, I was constantly trying to keep pace with my girls’ hunger.

Lord Gregor seemed surprised to find Eddin in attendance. He took advantage of the situation by speaking with him throughout the dinner. At some point, I realized that Gregor knew the elder King Eddin and was reminiscing with Eddin about Eddin’s late father. With his easy manner, Eddin turned the conversation and managed to get the lord talking about his trade with éire and his connections to the druids on Mona.

Swallowing my smirk, I turned to Cormag, who was looking at me with a light smile on his features.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Only that you are beautiful,” he said, then kissed my hand.

“While I appreciate the compliment, that is not the entire truth.”

“I see both your lovely face and the mind behind your sparkling eyes, which is hard at work. That pairing is your true beauty.”

I winked at him.

The night passed pleasantly enough, with Lord Gregor trading a few brief compliments about the bounty of the table and warmth of my hearth.

“I will be sorry to leave you in the morning,” he told me. “But I must report to Lady Ystradwel that you received her gifts. She was anxious to be the last of your chieftains to congratulate you. She worried it would look…well…” he said, then waved his hand in way of explanation.

“We know Ystradwel’s heart. She need not worry.”

“Yes. I am sure you’re right,” the man said with a smile, but I could not help but notice how the corners of his eyes crinkled.

What game was he playing at? Something told me I should have the kitchen poison his meal and be done with him. I hoped my sour mood was only a reflection of the fact that my breasts were aching and I was tired. And yet… I did not trust Lord Gregor. He would need to be watched.

A short time later, I bid Lord Gregor good night, then went to Eddin.

“I will retire now and check on the girls,” I told him.

“I am afraid I must make my plans to depart soon as well. I am for Mydils in the morning.”

“Mydils?”

Eddin nodded. “There is a shipmaker in Mydils who is Dardani. I find my ports stripped by Carvetti ambition. If I hope to revitalize my lands, I must rebuild my trading fleets and make for Wales and éire, as Lord Gregor has done.”

“That certainly explains the number of silver buckles on his tunic.”

“He was eager to tell me about his good fortune. I am not the ruler of the Brigantes, but if I were, I would certainly like to look at what that wealth has bought and learn who may have bought him .”

“My thoughts exactly. You will say goodbye before you go.”

“Of course. I must be sure to say farewell to the princesses,” he replied, “and to their mother,” he added softly. He turned then and called to Cormag, crossing the room to speak to my husband.

I watched as the pair talked. It warmed my heart to see them as friends. I wanted Eddin to be happy. Perhaps he could find a woman to love and have his own family. But even as I thought it, an ember of jealousy flickered to life in me. I worked quickly to squash it.

Fabius joined me. He sipped his ale and then said, “It must be hard for King Eddin.”

“What must be hard?”

“Seeing the woman he loves married to another. It is also hard for you, but you love your husband and are a loyal woman. Alas, great queen, fate does not always make things easy. Don’t I know it?”

I turned and looked at Fabius. “Are you astute, or am I so obvious?”

“It is my keen perception only, of course,” Fabius said. “Speaking of, you should probably have that smirking lord whatever murdered.”

“I thought so as well.”

“Good,” Fabius replied, then looked into his mug. “Which this ale is not . Really, Queen Cartimandua, you must buy some proper wine. Let me go and flirt with Elspeth. Maybe she’ll sneak me something better.”

“Leave my kitchen maids alone.”

“She started it,” Fabius told me with a wink, then departed.

Catching Cormag’s eye, I gestured to him that I would retire upstairs.

My husband nodded to me.

Turning, I made my way back to our bedchamber.

When I arrived, I found Greer sitting on the floor with her daughter, the pair passing wooden blocks between them. In the bassinet by my bed, Regan and Aelith slept.

“My queen,” Greer said, moving to rise, but I gestured for her to stay where she was.

I nodded and then joined the pair. “What game are we playing, Heather?” I asked the little girl.

Giving me a grin, her tiny teeth shining like small pearls, she handed a block to me, and then another, and another, and another, watching in delight as I stacked them as high as I could only to watch them tumble. The child laughed, collected the blocks and handed them to me again. Over and over, we built the towers, only for them to fall when they reached too high.

Like empires that reach too far, collapsing in on themselves.

“You see the problem here?” I asked Heather. “If you only grow your fort tall without having a secure foundation, then your tower will never last,” I said, setting a block foundation before building upward.

“A lesson in queenship?” Greer asked.

I gave her a wink.

Heather smiled and clapped for me.

“But, remember, with maneuvering,” I said, pulling out the block from the base until the tower wobbled, “even the mightiest can fall.” Pulling the last block, the tower tipped then toppled, making Heather laugh.

Eddin, dressed for travel, found me before riding out the following day.

“Will you not return to Rigodonum before you return?”

Eddin shook his head. “I’m afraid not. If all goes well, I will sail home. And if not, I fear that if I return here, I will not be able to leave the clutches of these beauties. Will I, Aelith?” he said, scrunching up his face at my daughter, who flailed one arm and looked at Eddin with her eyes wide. “Pretty girl, be kind to your mother while I am gone,” Eddin said, kissing the child on the head and gently setting her down again. “And you, Queen Regan,” he added, stroking Regan’s dark hair.

Eddin sighed heavily and then turned back to me. “I am sorry to leave you all,” he told me, a flicker of emotion crossing his features.

“And I am sorry to see you go,” I replied, swallowing the lump in my throat.

He took my hand. “I can, however, live without seeing you in that much pain ever again. I didn’t know I could pray so fervently. My father’s druids would have been impressed.”

“Thank you for being here for me, Eddin. I don’t know how I would have managed it without you.”

Eddin squeezed my hand.

The door to the bedchamber opened, revealing Cormag, Brodi, and Damhan.

“Ah, Eddin, I hoped I had not missed you,” Cormag said, entering.

Eddin placed a kiss on my hand, then let me go. He turned and smiled at Cormag. “I came to say goodbye to the Brigantes princesses.”

“My sun and moon,” Cormag said, joining us, smiling down on our children. “And my stars,” he added, touching my back and giving me a soft smile.

Eddin smiled softly. “Let me go now before I change my mind.”

“I will see you out,” Cormag told Eddin, then turned to me. “Unless you need me.”

“They are finally at rest. I think I will take some as well.”

Cormag nodded, then turned to Eddin. “We will miss you, King Eddin,” he told him as the two men departed, the Votadini following behind him.

As Eddin passed through the doorway, he looked back at me one last time and gave me a soft smile, then closed the door behind him.

I sat down on my bed, looking at my sweet daughters. With a sigh, I pulled out the leather pouch Kamden had brought me earlier and began reading the notes from my little crows.

The news from beyond my borders told of strife, illness, and games of shifting powers. The king of the Greater Iceni’s health was failing. The brother of the king of the Northern Iceni was plotting secretly against his kin. The Catuvellauni had lied, bribed, or bullied allegiance out of the western tribes. And to my north, Queen Moirin of the Damnonii had survived an assassination attempt, leaving her to execute an entire chieftain’s family—the queen, apparently, had about as much patience with rebellion as I did. The news from the Crow People was that of peace and calm. I had not told Cormag I had people watching his mother, but Corva had suggested it all the same, and I was not sorry. Mael Muire was one thing, but she had enemies amongst her own people. Now that the princesses had been born… Cormag was Mael Muire’s only heir. Those ambitious Votadini would not want to be ruled by my daughters.

I sighed, then lay back, rubbing my temples. My head had started aching as I considered the weight of dealing with not just with my own tribe but the Votadini’s future. I needed to do everything I could to protect Regan’s and Aelith’s claims. I needed to take the girls to Din Eydin when they were old enough. The Votadini needed to see Cormag’s daughters.

But even as I thought about everything I needed to attend to, my mind began slipping toward dreams. As my spirit fluttered away to that liminal space, it was not my family I thought of. It was—to both my comfort and my shame—Eddin.