The Dark Age (17 page)

‘Thee needs to be more of an ideal, to which others can aspire,' Taliesin replied, seeing her point.

‘Aye. People have to believe they can achieve all that I have
and more
, through their own desire and willpower. Not by worshipping me! That be where the human race keeps failing. People keep turning to all
these religions, when all they really need, be to love, know and believe in themselves.'

Taliesin raised his eyebrows. ‘I agree, in principle. But these art a simple people, Tory. Myths and legends be how they learn the ethics and beliefs that thou dost hold so dear. I shall give thee some material to read on the subject, thou shalt be surprised at how much of it thee will agree with,' the Merlin told her.

‘That be not my only beef with thee, High Merlin. I have a list.'

‘Thou art already beginning to sound like a Queen.' He folded his arms and leant against the sea-wall.

‘Thee must know I have the situation with Calin under control.'

Taliesin nodded to confirm this.

‘So why art thou punishing him when thee said thyself that he could not help but feel as he dost?'

Taliesin rubbed his forehead, frustrated at having to explain his actions, which were in the best interest of all involved. ‘I know it doth not appear so at present, but I assure thee that this will be for the best. Can thou not trust me as thou hast so many times before?'

‘Look, Taliesin, thee could be the devil himself for all I know. Why should I believe one word of what thou hast told me?'

Taliesin found Tory attractive when she was riled up. ‘My dear lady, Brockwell nominated his own punishment.'

‘No!'

‘Yes,' Maelgwn finally spoke up. ‘He declined to be my champion and my first man at the inauguration and the wedding.'

‘This be all my fault.' Tory was unnerved by the revelation. ‘Maelgwn, please, let me talk to him, this be so ludicrous, he did not do anything.'

‘Tory, thou art exhausted, could we not discuss this on the morrow? Thee will surely have more patience by then.' Saying this, Maelgwn dared to sweep her up into his arms and take her to the bed himself.

Tory hated herself for not being able to resist his bidding. ‘Thee should talk. When was the last time thee slept?'

‘If my brain was still working, I could tell thee.' He carried her into the caphouse and collapsed onto the bed with her.

As they lay there a moment, their minds awhirl in the silence, another question that had been plaguing Tory suddenly sprang to mind. ‘What be this inauguration all about?'

Maelgwn kissed her to avoid another inquiry. ‘Tomorrow,' he vowed as he rose to leave. ‘I shall see thee at sunrise as usual.' He closed the door and joined Taliesin outside.

Tory gazed around the caphouse, realising that all her belongings that Taliesin had acquired for her had been placed in her room.

‘Excellent.' Tory picked up a few history books to do a little research. She turned to a chapter on the inauguration of kings, in the hope of gaining some enlightenment.

 

Come sunrise, Maelgwn hasten to the rooftop to join Tory for kata, but he didn't find her on the sea-wall as
usual. After an extensive search, the Prince leant on the wall, his gaze falling to the beach below. There, along with a few early morning fishermen, he spied Tory seated on the sand in the lotus position.

Tory noticed that the Prince was approaching, but did not break from her meditation until he'd sat down beside her. ‘I did some reading last night and I have to tell thee, this inauguration ritual hast got me worried.' She turned her large green eyes towards him. ‘I did not go through all I did for Gwynedd, Maelgwn. I did it for thee. And now I discover that thy men will probably kill thee on some male bonding weekend before we art even wed.'

Maelgwn was amused by her misconception. ‘Thee need not fear. Inauguration be a test of the spirit. The task I am requested to perform be usually of a political nature, rather than a show of strength. Besides, I am the heir to the throne, dost thou really think my men would see me killed, when they have dedicated their lives to keeping me alive?'

Tory saw the sense of this, yet her frown did not waver. ‘Doth this ritual in any way involve thee having sex with another woman, fertility rites, that sort of thing?'

Maelgwn couldn't help but laugh, as he was stunned by her directness. ‘Well I … I do not think so,' he answered, as he'd resolved to play naive.

Tory folded her arms, waiting, showing that she needed more assurance than this.

‘My father was the last King of Gwynedd to face this initiation, so I have never witnessed it myself. However, I have survived a similar ritual —'

‘The Dragon, right?'

‘Aye.' He seemed surprised that she knew. ‘And I did not have to perform any such rite then.'

This was not the entire truth; following this quest, Maelgwn had returned to Dumnonia to celebrate the dragon's departure with the overjoyed King Catulus. It was the feast of Beltaine, and the young Prince had lost his virginity to a willing young maiden by the bonfires.

‘Thou art the Goddess who awaits me at the end of my quest, and the Great Houses have stated such.'

‘That be good news, indeed,' Tory warned, and within seconds had him pinned to the ground. ‘Because if thee should ever sleep with another woman, I would make thee wish that thou
had
wed Vanora.'

The thought of Vanora made him shiver. ‘Nay, thee and I shall lovers die,' he said with zeal, and when she still didn't release him he added, ‘I swear to thee.'

‘Not good enough.' Tory was in the mood to play. ‘Swear by the elements for me.'

Maelgwn laughed again. ‘Where art thou getting all this from?'

Tory let him go, and knelt up. ‘Lady Gladys made me swear by them.'

The Prince sat up, pulling Tory towards him. ‘And what did thee swear to exactly?'

Tory wrapped her arms around his neck and straddled her legs to take a seat in his lap. ‘That until we art wed, I shall withhold my favours from thee.'

Maelgwn's expression grew more mischievous. ‘And thou art doing a fine job of it, too,' he said.

Tory was enjoying the opportunity to arouse him a little. We deserve it, she thought to herself as the Prince caressed her neck with his lips. ‘How would thee define favours exactly?' Tory asked him.

‘Um …' He could barely think for the distraction of her body. ‘I would say that as long as I keep my clothes on, we art safe.' Tory went to hit him, so Maelgwn wrestled her into a more manageable position beneath him; he noted in the process that Tiernan was heading down the stairs towards them. ‘Could I come and see thee later tonight, perhaps?'

‘I think that would be highly dangerous.'

‘I shall behave, I swear.'

Tory procrastinated over the answer for so long that Tiernan had reached them before she'd had the chance to reply. Maelgwn climbed off and gave Tory a hand to her feet, explaining their position to his knight. ‘Training.'

‘I can hardly wait to get started.' Tiernan grinned and bowed to them. ‘I am sorry to disturb thee both, but I bear grave news.'

‘Not more,' Maelgwn said, his mood darkening. ‘What hast happened now, another death?'

Tiernan gave a slight nod.

‘Please Goddess, not Sir Gilmore?'

‘I am very sorry, Majesty.' Tiernan felt for the young leader, it was a cruel stroke of fate indeed to lose another trusted adviser so soon.

Tory looked at Maelgwn, who appeared as if he might explode. She quietly wrapped her arms about him tightly. The Prince, after a moment of resistance,
crumpled into her embrace and she felt he would have burst into tears had Sir Tiernan not been present.

 

The King's cremation ceremony was held the next day in the traditional burial grounds just outside the town limits. The Prince tried to dissuade Tory from attending the funeral as she was not of the faith, and he feared she would only find the ritual gruelling. But Tory was determined to learn more about the culture and knew that Calin would be in attendance. She so desperately wanted to speak to him, or absolve him, or whatever the hell it was she had to do to have his friendship back.

She'd shown Maelgwn the photo of her brother and tried to explain to him how much Brian had meant to her. The Prince began to understand her strange predicament, and so had apologised for his jealousy and for ever doubting her love. This had not been her main concern, however. Tory wanted the Prince to make amends with Calin, or at least to try. After she explained that she would sooner leave than come between two friends of such long standing, Maelgwn agreed he would see to the matter before he left for his inauguration two days hence.

 

Calin stood not far from Tory, yet not once throughout the ceremony did his eyes turn in her direction. His head remained bowed low in mourning and his expression was solemn.

The punishment is rather severe for nothing more than a proposition, Tory thought. If I had been any other woman he could have raped me and been deemed a hero. This was part of their way too, she supposed. And,
as this did not seem the right time or place to attempt a reconciliation, she resolved to let the matter rest.

The overcast sky enhanced the darkness of the occasion. As the King's body was set to flame, Taliesin recited:

Once the day of the burial had passed, the sorrow which had overshadowed the house lifted, and all began to look forward to the great celebration that lay ahead. For the next few days Tory resumed her normal routine: training with Maelgwn in the morning, lunch with Lady Gladys, music with Selwyn in the afternoon, and more training with the maidens in the evening after supper.

The Prince hadn't spoken again about coming to see her at night; perhaps he had also decided it was too risky. Still, Tory needed to see him before he embarked
on his adventure. So on the day before his departure, she requested that he join her in the north tower that night. ‘To talk,' she said, to stress the innocent intent.

 

It was some ungoldly hour when Maelgwn quietly made his way across the open wall-walk to Tory's tower, carrying a large basket.

He found Tory dozing on her bed. After whispering an apology for his tardiness, Maelgwn tipped up the basket and showered her with fresh flowers. He then tossed it aside and climbed onto the bed next to her.

Tory sat up, enchanted with his gift. ‘Maelgwn, how lovely.'

He ran his hand down her bare arm and, taking hold of it, gently urged her to lie back next to him. ‘Aye, now what did thee wish to discuss?'

Maelgwn's lips enveloped her own, and before Tory could stop him, he was on top of her. His attentive kisses slowly moved down her neck, as his hands slipped the straps of her singlet from her shoulders. She felt a twinge of guilt as Lady Gladys' voice resounded through her brain.
Thou hast sworn by the elements and art bound by life itself to comply.

‘Maelgwn, I am required to take offence if thee continues along thy current course of action,' Tory said, but she made it clear by her playful tone that she was reluctant to do so.

His kisses had reached her breastbone and he gazed up at her, smitten as a schoolboy. ‘Thee would not deny me but a small taste of thy pleasures to see me through my quest?'

Tory smiled, yet one of them had to be responsible. ‘I am afraid I must insist.'

‘But it be tradition to bed one's intended wife a week or so before one weds her.'

Tory laughed, ‘I do not believe thee for a second, Maelgwn. How gullible dost thou think I am?'

‘It be true: Thus a man be assured his betrothed will not back out on him for fear she hast fallen with child.'

Tory sprang up at the suggestion and grabbed her wrap from the end of the bed to cover herself. ‘Thou hast no need to worry about that. Thy mother warned me that if thou had any of thy father in thee, keeping thee at bay would not be easy.'

‘Thou hast spoken with Sorcha?' The Prince sat up, intrigued by her words.

‘Aye, thee might say that. I hear her whispering little messages sometimes, in my head. And thy father has spoken to me also, the day he died. That be why I asked thee here.' Tory took hold of his hand. ‘He left thee a message. Caswallon said that the two of thee had not been very close since thy mother's death. Thee claimed, according to thy father, that the only time he had ever trusted thee was when he had been chained in prison with no other choice.'

Maelgwn raised an eyebrow, recalling the incident of which she spoke. ‘I did.'

‘He confessed that he had never thanked thee or Taliesin for freeing him from Cadfer's imprisonment, or for the salvation of his kingdom. This was his deepest regret in passing, Maelgwn, for he knew he owed thee
much. He was terribly distraught following Sorcha's death, and he did not consider how thee might be faring without her. He believed the reason thee hid in a monastery for so many years, was to escape his remorse and narrow-mindedness.'

Maelgwn looked rather surprised. ‘My father said that?'