Page 36 of Queen of the Hollow Hills (Eagles and Crows #3)

CHAPTER 35

T he news I had been waiting for came within days…both the good and the bad.

A messenger arrived from Gaul. The Romans were preparing to launch.

“Not without difficulty,” the man told us. “There was a mutiny. We did not hear the details, but many men refused to sail. There were signs, they believed, from the gods, warning them away.”

“What signs?” Corva asked.

“The wind howled and whispered, the ground shook, and the trees seemed to move.”

I looked at Corva. “The druids?”

“Perhaps,” she mused.

“The Roman general, Aulus Plautius, executed the mutinous soldiers and shamed the army for their superstitious ways. They will launch within days, my queen,” the messenger told me.

“What news of their landing? Where will they put in?”

“General Plautius has had advanced teams scoping out the best spot to land. The Romans have even sailed as far north as Northern Iceni lands. But your silver bought us a look of at the general’s map. They plan to land at the mouth of the Thames.”

I crossed the room and stood before a map of the island. In my mind’s eye, I could see the Romans preparing in Gaul. They would sail east, across the rough waters, to the river. “So, they seek to push through Cantiaci lands to retake Verica’s seat,” I said as I considered. “King Anarevitos will never give them passage,” I said, referring to the warlike Cantiaci king. “He will fight.”

“Then he will die,” the messenger said. “The Romans come with war machines. Elephants. And more forces than I have ever seen. Queen Cartimandua…I cannot express to you the sheer size of the army,” the messenger told me.

I laced my fingers behind my back, my eyes on the map. “I understand.”

“Ancient Aedd Mawr’s banner flies amongst the Romans as well. The Trinovantes have come to retake their lands.”

Or so the Romans want them to believe.

“Thank you for making the arduous journey to keep me abreast. Take your rest,” I told the man.

Corva gestured for the messenger to depart. “I will find you later,” she told him.

“Priestess,” he said. Bowing to both of us, he departed.

“I want to know about this Roman general, Aulus Plautius. We must learn all we can.”

“Agreed,” Corva said, then joined me in examining the map. “The Romans will take the fight to the Catuvellauni.”

“Yes, but that is merely the opening act. It is what comes after that concerns us.”

“You’re right.”

“I will go fetch—” Corva was saying when a horn sounded at the lower gate.

And then another.

And another.

Corva and I looked at one another and then turned and hurried from the room, making our way to the courtyard.

We arrived there in time to find Ben, son of Chieftain Brennan of Mydils. He was covered in mud from head to toe, and his horse was panting. He leaped from his horse and hurried to me.

Conall joined us.

“My queen,” Ben said, bowing. “I’ve come with words from the chieftains. King Aengus is dead. The Setantii armies are defeated. We have won the battle, my queen.”

“And Lady Ystradwel? Lord Gregor?”

“Lord Gregor was killed in the fighting. But Chieftain Venutiux has taken the lady prisoner. They are on their way here.”

As I stood there, I felt my heart harden. “Good.”

“King Eddin and Queen Mael Muire accompany the army. They will be here soon.”

“Thank you, Ben. Please, go inside and take your rest.”

“I’ll make ready for the others,” Conall told me, then paused. “Queen Cartimandua, Ystradwel… What will you do?”

“I gave Ystradwel my trust once. I will not make the same mistake again. She will serve as a reminder to those who would betray me.”

Conall glanced at Corva, the pair sharing a look, then nodded. “My queen,” he replied, then hurried off.

“I will see to our crows,” Corva told me.

I went to the fort wall and climbed the ramparts. Looking down over the city, I willed my heart to be silent. Cormag was gone. I set my hand on my stomach, gently clutching the fabric of my gown. My children were gone. But the Brigantes remained, and right now, a force of thousands was washing onto our shores far to the south. Pretty liars that they were, the Romans would talk with adders’ tongues. They would lie, and many would be deceived.

Not me.

My fingers gently touched my chest where the Cailleach had given me a heart of stone. My mind replayed the exchange below the fort. It didn’t matter what game the Cailleach was playing. In the end, I was queen. My people were all I had left. And I would die to protect them.

It was dark when the warriors were spotted beyond the walls of Rigodonum. Mounting Branagán, I rode to the city gates to greet them. Along with me came a mob of people.

The chieftains rode at the head of the war band, Eddin and Mael Muire with them. Eddin looked war-weary. Mael Muire’s face betrayed nothing, but in her eyes, I saw deep sorrow.

But amongst them, there was one smiling face. Venu rode forward, a lead in his hand. At the end of it, with a rope tied around her neck, was Ystradwel.

When she saw me, her eyes grew wide.

“Queen Cartimandua,” Venu said in a loud voice. “Good people of Rigodonum. Tonight, I offer our queen a gift. Once a friend and companion to our queen, Lady Ystradwel—or shall we call her Queen Ystradwel of the now-defeated Northern Cornovii—betrayed our queen and her people. Leading the Setantii into open rebellion, aligning with rebels, and provoking war, the lady has shown her true heart—one of a deceiver, a manipulator, and one who has made false oaths. May the gods show her no mercy, nor should our queen.”

I stared at Ystradwel. She was bloodied and weary, a raw ring around her neck where the rope had rubbed. But my heart was not moved. My husband was a stiff corpse lying in the belly of my fort. That was her doing. And now, she would pay the price.

Venutiux dismounted. Yanking Ystradwel’s rope, he pulled her forward.

“Do you have anything to say to our queen?”

After a moment, Ystradwel lifted her gaze and looked at me. The person who met my gaze was one I had seen many times throughout my life. She was the frowning princess who dogged my steps, chastised my behavior, and found fault in every move I made. She was that girl, but something more, something darker. Ystradwel was a liar.

“Only that I die tonight, not as her handmaiden or chieftain, but Queen of the Setantii! I will die as I was always mean to live!” Ystradwel shouted, standing with her chin tipped up defiantly, her posture regal and erect.

That brought jeers and cries of fury from the crowd.

I stared at her for a moment, then smiled. “What Setantii?” I asked. “Your seat is burned to ash. Your warriors are defeated. Had you chosen peace, the Setantii would have lived and prospered. But your pride has cost your people everything, handmaiden . Now, there are no Setantii. No Setantii villages. No Setantii stronghold. The ancient fort of your father’s is ash and embers. Never again will the teal selkie banner fly—because of you . You are the death of your people. The Setantii are done. Dust. Very soon, your people’s name will be forgotten, and there will only be Brigantes.”

Ystradwel stared daggers at me. When she moved to speak again, I gestured to Venu.

“Take her to the gate. She will dangle there like a funerary wreath in honor of King Consort Cormag. And there she will remain until the crows pick her bones clean, until the summer sun bleaches them, until winter makes them fade, and forevermore until nature itself reclaims them. You wished to escape Rigodonum, Ystradwel. Now, you will become part of the fort for all eternity, unburied, unburned, unblessed, disgraced in death as you have disgraced yourself in life.”

At that, the crowd cheered.

Ystradwel’s expression faltered momentarily, realizing the terrible fate that awaited her. While it was common for rulers to give an enemy a proper burial, Ystradwel would receive no such favor from me. She would face a traitor’s death, cursing her in a manner that would prevent her entry to the Otherworld.

Tugging her rope, Venutiux led Ystradwel to the gate. She pulled and yanked on the binds, but it was useless.

As she passed me, she turned and glared at me. “You think you have rooted out those who plot against you? You are wrong, Cartimandua. And I shall die happily knowing a dagger remains at your back!”

“Do not speak to her, you wretch,” Venutiux said, yanking on her ropes once more.

At that, Ystradwel merely laughed.

Dismounting, Mael Muire and Eddin joined me. We watched as Venu led Ystradwel toward the gate. As they went, the people of Rigodonum cried out.

“Whore!”

“Betrayer!”

“Murderer!”

They pelted her with rocks, rotten fruit, and dung. Ystradwel pulled back on her binding but to no avail.

I flicked my gaze briefly at Eddin. His expression was stony, but I saw a hint of something else—worry, perhaps—buried in his expression. Was he moved by Ystradwel’s words? I was a queen. There would always be a knife at my back. That could not be helped. But more, I knew Ystradwel had wanted to shake me. She had not succeeded.

We watched as they led Ystradwel to the gate. They forced her up the steps of the rampart to the edge. There, the guards affixed her rope to a high beam, then held her steady.

Conall turned to me and nodded.

“Ystradwel, I charge you with conspiracy and rebellion, resulting in the death of King Consort Cormag. May all the gods turn their backs on you. May the Otherworld bar your entry. May you live trapped on this earthly plane forever, your bones unhallowed, a lost spirit, unloved and unremembered.” I signaled to the men.

They pushed Ystradwel from the gate. She swung for a moment, her feet twitching as she struggled. But then, the weight of her body pulled her down. With one last spasm, she struggled for breath—for life—and then was still.

The crowd cheered. Ystradwel swung, eyes open, frozen in the grimace of death above the gates of Rigodonum.

“Still, it does not feel like enough. My hands are wet with blood. Setantii lands are burning. Their leader is left for the crows, and still, it does not feel like enough,” Mael Muire said.

“She will remain trapped here in spirit, doomed for all eternity,” Eddin told her.

“And yet, it will never be enough,” Mael Muire replied.

I took Mael Muire’s hand and squeezed it. “You are right. It will never be enough.”

Keeping with Votadini traditions, a pyre was erected for Cormag not far from the gates of the city. With him, additional pyres were readied for Damhan, Brodi, and those Votadini warriors who had fallen.

M?d and Mael Muire spoke in low tones before the rites. My heart had softened toward the priestess. She had warned me, and I had not listened. It was not M?d who was to blame for what had happened to my girls. But it hardly mattered anymore. The life that I had built was in ruin. My daughters were gone. My husband was gone. The life that I had dreamed of was gone.

I looked over my shoulder.

In the far distance, I could see Ystradwel hanging from the gate of Rigodonum. Her terrible end was a punishment for her betrayal, but also a reminder to me… Trust no one.

Mael Muire nodded to M?d, then left the priestess, rejoining me.

M?d turned her gaze to me, meeting my eye.

I gave her a small, grateful smile, which she returned in kind.

M?d stood at Cormag’s feet, two priestesses beside her, both of whom held flickering torches.

“Brigantes,” M?d called in a loud voice. “We have defeated our enemies and brought our land to peace again. This time, may the peace last. Beltane is upon us. Our world begins anew but changed. Brigantes, in the Crow Prince we found a friend and leader. Our queen found a husband and father to her children. We found a man in Cormag of the Votadini we all came to love and respect. Through bitter betrayal, he is lost to us. We mourn your passing, Cormag of the Votadini, and honor your sacrifice. Because of your efforts, the Brigantes are at peace once more. But we feel your absence. We feel the absence of our king consort, husband, son, friend, leader. We mourn you and your companions, but a life beyond this one waits for you. And one day, we will see you again. We send you now, Cormag, to the ancestors. We send you alongside Damhan of the Votadini, a friend in life and a companion in death, who died defending our people. We send you alongside Brodi of the Votadini, ever your friend. Brodi, we honor your sacrifice. May your ancestors await you in the Otherworld. Go now, King Consort Cormag, to your daughters, father, and ancestors, knowing that one day, we will all be reunited again.”

M?d gestured to Mael Muire and me.

We stepped forward, taking the torches from the priestesses.

Turning, I went to the side of Cormag’s pyre, looking at my husband one last time.

A soft breeze ruffled his hair, and I remembered the first time I saw him, the enigmatic bastard prince who had become my husband.

I love you.

Kiss our daughters for me.

I looked up at Mael Muire, who nodded.

In tandem, we lit Cormag’s pyre.

Turning, we then lit Brodi’s and Damhan’s fires.

Handing off the torches, we stepped back and watched as the flames took them.

Corva stood beside me, her face frozen as she watched the fire burn.

Tears slipped down Mael Muire’s cheeks as she mourned in silence.

Behind me, I felt the presence of Venu, Eddin, Aedan, Fabius, and the others, but I did not look back. I fixed my gaze on my husband as the flames slowly took him.

We stood there for the longest time when Corva swayed beside me.

I reached out for her arm, steadying her.

“Corva?” I whispered.

“The eagle has launched,” she whispered. “A thousand ships full of metal and men make way for Britannia…all with murder in their hearts.”

I turned back to the fire. The logs under what was left of Cormag shifted, sending embers into the air, as if Cormag himself had lifted from his fiery grave to better see what the priestess spoke of.

I watched as the flames spiraled into the night sky, a torrent of orange embers that burned as they danced, then burned out, becoming nothing but darkness.

That night, a feast was held in the town and in the great hall of Rigodonum to honor the dead. From the city below my fort, I heard music and laughter. It drifted upward to the fort and in through my window.

I had gone to change, my heart unable to stand the smell of smoke that clung to my gown. But afterward, I found myself reluctant to join the others below. I heard their laughter and knew they toasted my husband, remembering his quiet ways. And yet, I could not join them. I stood at the window, little Ofilla sleeping in my arms. I patted the cat gently, my mind replaying all those happy moments I had shared in that bedchamber with my husband.

I don’t want it to be over.

It can’t be over.

After a long time had passed, there was a knock on the door.

“Cartimandua?” a voice called.

Recognizing the sound of Venu’s voice, I opened the door, signaling to my guard to let him in.

When Ofilla spotted him, she hissed and jumped down, disappearing under the bed.

“Carti,” Venu said gently, giving me a soft smile. “The others are below. I hope I am not intruding, I just hated to think of you alone here.”

“I… I just cannot seem to make my feet move.”

Venu nodded. “Yes. I remember the feeling well. That’s why I came. I have some Roman wine,” he said, lifting a decanter. “I can leave it and go. Or, I can stay if you like. We don’t have to talk. I understand. I just… I didn’t want you to be alone.”

I gestured to the table on the other side of the room, where some glasses were sitting.

Venu went to the table and poured two glasses, handing one to me.

We sat.

In truth, I was grateful for his presence. Having him there reminded me that I had lived once before Cormag. One day, too far from now to imagine, I could live again. Changed. Never whole. But it would not hurt as much…eventually. But at that moment, I didn’t mind the hurt. It reminded me of how much I had loved Cormag.

We sat in silence, drinking the wine.

Eventually, I felt it go to my head. The room began to spin, and I saw weird shapes in the corners of the room… No, not shapes. The little people of the hollow hills were there. Watching.

“They have come to mourn with us,” I said, gesturing to one corner of the room, realizing my voice was slurring.

“Who?” Venu asked.

“In the shadows,” I said, pointing. “You see their eyes? Everywhere in this fort, they lurk in the shadows, watching.”

Venu looked from the dark corner to me.

I lifted the bottle to pour once more but discovered it was empty. When I went to set it back down, it slipped from my fingers and rolled sideways. Venu caught it before it fell from the table. Setting the bottle upright, he then came for me.

“Let me help you to bed.”

“All right,” I said tiredly.

Venu bent, helping me from my seat. I felt like I could barely walk. When I leaned against him, I caught his familiar scents of soap and honey. The smells transported me to another moment when he was my love. That time, too, was now lost to me.

I moaned a little.

“It’s all right, Carti. I’ve got you,” Venu whispered.

“No. You have Alys,” I replied as Venu helped me to bed.

Venu did not reply. Helping me lie down and removing my slippers, he covered me. “Sleep, Cartimandua. Sleep. We will be here when our queen is ready. But for now, mourn and know you are loved,” he said, bending to kiss my head, then turned and left the room.

I listened as the door clicked closed.

The moment he was gone, I dissolved into tears.