The Beast of Caer Baddan (78 page)

Owain was certain that Swale was correct. Th
e kings would refuse to elect Owain as long as he had a Gewissae wife. Half of the rulers were related to Owain, and most these, he was sure, would vote in his favor regardless of his marriage. Yet the rest of the rulers, though they were indebted to him, would not be willing to bow respectfully to a woman who was not only born a commoner but was not a Britannae at all.

Owain gave a sad smile at the irony of the situation.

If it had not been for Leola, he would still be sitting in his own room, rejecting the company of his friends and bemoaning himself his ugly face. He would have alienated his little Gratianna and caused his father more pain and stress then the king's weak heart could tolerate. Owain was cured because of Leola, and every success that he had since then the island was owed to her.

The arrogance of kings, that they should look down on those subjected to them, even when they were indebted. But rhetoric, no matter how true, would not convince the rulers of the island to accept Leola as their Queen.

With a long dissatisfied breath, Owain came to a decision.

Chapter Sixty Three: Grief

Through the open door
where she stood out in the passageway, Leola had heard the words of Swale. She had not gone in and made her presence known to the princes but traced her footsteps back to her own rooms and refused to go out again.

The words burned in her sensitive ears.

Father was wrong. The kings will reject Owain because of me. And now he shall reject me because of them!

She did not understand what the Pendragon was, but she realized that it must be an important position that only Owain could fill.

He will leave me and tell them we are not married! He will become this Pendragon and shall marry a Britisc lady! She shall be his cwen, and I shall be forgotten!

The thought pounded in her head like a relentless hammer.

“Mistress?” came Gytha's quiet voice. “Dinner is ready and the Master, King Irael, has returned.”

“I shall not have any dinner, Gytha,” Leola replied. “I am not hungry.”

“Yea, Mistress,” the girl replied.

“And, Gytha?”
Leola said. “Call me 'Leola'”

“I could not-”

“Yea, you can,” Leola replied.

“But-”

“I am just Leola,” she mused. “And nothing else. Give me this courtesy.”

Leola felt she must have been firm, for Gytha nodded her head in agreement.

“Yea, Leola,” the girl said, with a hesitant gasp.

“Thank you, Gytha.”

When night came.
Leola knelt by the babies’ cradle and gazed over their little faces. They were sweet babies, in spite of all the crying that attended their little teeth coming in. She would not give them up for anything, but a little weary thought burned deep in her heart.

I wish he had left me in the mead hall. I wish none of this had ever happened
.

She wondered if King Irael would let her leave now. She could take the babies and go back to Anlofton.
But, no. She could never leave little Gratianna behind. Besides, she did not think that Owain would let her take any of the children, and she would miss King Irael terribly if she did leave.

What a mess this is! What an utter mess! And it is all Owain’s fault!

Who had ever heard of a prince marrying his slave? What severe bout of insanity had struck him as to make him believe that that was a good thing to do?

But that was what princes did. They went where they wished to, did what they wish to do, and thought nothing on how it hurts those around them.

“He shall not care about one common girl.
”

She had spoken these words to her aunt a year before and now knew the truth of them.

Leola heard the door open behind her, and she rose and turned around to see Owain walk into the nursery.

What do you want from me?

“Beauty,” Owain said.

“Yea?”
Leola replied.

The back of his hand moved up and down her cheek, but she shrank from his touch. 

“Please, no,” she said. “I’m bleeding.”

But once she had spoken thus she looked into his eyes and realized that he could read the emotions on her face.

You know that I have just lied to you!

She gasped in horror but could not make a sound.

Owain bent down and kissed her forehead.

“Go to sleep,” he said. “I shall speak to you tomorrow.”

He went out then, leaving Leola more wretched than ever.

It also did not bother Owain that she had interrupted his thoughts. He had gone in to tell her about the Circle but he was certain that she did not wish to talk about anything. He did not know what she had heard of it, if anything, but resolved to discuss it in detail the next day.

Owain could not help but wonder at the difference in himself.

The old Owain, before his terrible feat with death, would never have accepted being pushed away so obviously by any woman. He would have convinced her to let him stay with her. He would have called her pretty things until she blushed and coaxed her until she gave in to him. He would have held her there, so that she had to listen to him.

The old Owain would have seduced her.

The old Owain was the monster.

But now, Owain was changed. He was made anew. And the new Owain’s pride was not so delicate that it hurt him to know Leola did not want to be with him for one night.

He would talk to her tomorrow, after the meeting, but now he had to try to rest.

“You still do not sleep, my son,” King Irael said.

He took the chair across from Owain by the fire in the outer room of Owain’s chambers.

“I slept most of the last summer away,” Owain replied. “Now, I lie in the bed and think of bright flashing lights and the horrible pain in my back.”

King Irael nodded.

“Your cousins are concerned about Leola,” he said.

“They are,” Owain replied, thinking on the upcoming meeting of the kings. “And justly so, I suppose. The Britannae have never liked outsiders. It is a miracle they accepted Mascen as one of them.”

“To be sure,” the king replied. “My father was formally adopted by his father-in-law and the heads of the clan voted for him to be called an Andoco. But he was a great warrior whose political connections made it a practical action on the part of the Andoco. As for Leola, she is of no value to our clan or the rulers of Albion. They shall never find reason to accept her as their own.”

Owain was irritated by the remark. He did not wish to hear any more of the matter, even from his father.

“I know,” he said.

King Irael had a long sad face, but Owain could see that he mustered himself up to his task.

“Owain,” he said. “You are my son. I shall support you, whatever your decision.”

“Thank you, Da,” Owain replied.

“If you declare a divorce from Leola, you can marry again,” King Irael said. “On the babies' birth, I made Euginius my heir in your place, and a divorce shall have no effect on that. You know that Leola shall always have a home here with me.”

Owain was certain this was not what he had expected to hear, but he was glad to know that his father would stay by his side no matter what.

“Thank you, Da,” was all he could reply.

When morning came, Leola was determined to keep to her regular schedule.

She rose and sunbathed Ambrosius, noting that Owain was absent from the courtyard. Then she nursed both of the babies, and took a bath. Gytha seemed to feel that something was amiss  and wished to ease Leola's pain. The girl not only complied with Leola's request that she address her by name, but ordered Leola's food brought to her rooms without any word from Leola herself.

Leola was grateful for the understanding, especially when word came that King Gourthigern and Queen Severa had arrived at the castle. Owain's deplorable aunt was the last person Leola wished to have breakfast with and now more then ever.

Thus she ate in the quiet sanctuary of her outer room and gazed out into the pleasant garden.

Perhaps she would not be so miserable after all.

The door opened, and Leola knew who her guest was without looking.

“Princess Leola,”
came Queen Severa's superior voice.