The Dark Age (37 page)

‘She can legally do that,' Maelgwn cautioned Rhys, who was becoming increasingly agitated by the second.

‘I blame thee for this, Maelgwn. This whole situation be well out of control and 'twas of thy making.'

‘Now wait a minute.' The Queen approached the knight. ‘I believe there be one small point thou art overlooking. What would happen if thou wast away fighting a campaign somewhere …' Tory circled Rhys as she spun her scenario. ‘And thy estate at Din Lligwy was raided? Now most of the women in Gwynedd will have been trained in self-defence, but not Jenovefa. So what becomes of thy wife then? Need I tell thee, she would be dead!' Tory thundered, annoyed by his selfishness. ‘How dare thee blame thy King for thy shortcomings. Thine own fear and arrogance hast brought about the ill will between thee and thy wife. Face it Rhys, though thee may have the mind of a great scholar, thee can still not grasp the simple concept that we art all created equal. Every human being hast the right to their freedom, to be heard, to make their own decisions, to live and love as they see fit. Love and respect, sir, art not a condition of marriage, they must be earned!' Tory paused, having exhausted her frustration. ‘Am I getting through at all?'

Rhys, whose eyes were downcast, nodded and replied, ‘I understand well enough.' The law was on the Queen's side. If he didn't agree with her he would lose his wife and be forced to forfeit his place in the circle of twelve, neither of which he was prepared to relinquish. ‘I apologise, Majesty.' Rhys swallowed his pride. ‘I did not think.'

Satisfied that her husband had realised his mistake, Jenovefa said she was sorry she'd punched him in the eye and swore that from now on she would confine her practice to within the walls of the gymnasium.

 

Three days later, Brockwell arrived home from his quest triumphant. He rode into Aberffraw in the company of the High Merlin. Katren made sure the whole household was aware of his return, and everyone rushed to the courtyard to meet them.

Calin jumped from his saddle, appearing most impressed with himself. He took hold of Katren to bequeath a kiss, pleased to confess, ‘'Tis all I have thought about for days.'

As Calin couldn't drag himself away from his beloved, Taliesin took the liberty of informing the gathering of the outcome of the quest. He announced that the pending King of Powys had not only persuaded the MacErc clan to come to the allies' gathering, but had also convinced the leaders to sign the pact. The Anglo-Saxons had already begun to raid their lands in Cumbria, and the Picts, in the upper highlands of Alban, were proving just as troublesome. The men who had witnessed Calin's initiation rites were most impressed, for no one had ventured into the mysterious and savage land of Dalriada and lived to tell of it.

The Merlin dismounted and Maelgwn greeted him warmly. ‘Good morning, High Merlin, how is everything with you this fine day?'

‘Very well indeed, Majesty.' He thought nothing of the King's words for a moment and then he realised.
‘Splendid! Tory hast been teaching thee English.' Taliesin was in the best of moods as he placed his arm around his pupil and accompanied him inside. ‘It would seem there be much to celebrate at Aberffraw this night.'

 

On the eve of the wedding and the feast of Beltaine, the guests residing at the castle at Aberffraw were treated to the story of the first of May which they were to celebrate. The High Merlin took his place by the fire, his goblet filled with mead. Selwyn sat alongside him with his harp to enhance the tale with the heavenly strains of his strings. Taliesin waited for his audience to settle before he began the tale. As a hush came over the room, he asked, ‘The word “Beltaine” means?'

‘Fires of Beli.' All bar Tory replied in unison; they had obviously heard this story before.

‘And Beli was?'

‘The God of life and death. The father of gods and men.' The room resounded with amusement.

‘Who be telling this story?' Calin added in jest, not moving from his place alongside Katren at the Merlin's feet.

Taliesin gave Calin a look of caution as he resumed. ‘Beli's story dates back to a time when the Otherworld and the Middle Kingdom co-existed on the same plane. Beli came to our land from the Honey Isle, which your Majesty,' Taliesin pointed out for Tory's information, ‘might know better as Atlantis.'

The Merlin had spoken to Tory about Atlantis when they'd last met, nearly five months ago. The
subject had arisen when Tory had asked how Taliesin had obtained his knowledge of the mystic forces that surrounded the planet; how he had learnt the secrets of time travel, the megaliths and the higher realms of consciousness. Taliesin explained that he'd lived year to year through history, growing increasingly frustrated with humanity's decline, and his inability to do anything about it. At his wit's end, Taliesin finally besought Keridwen to help him amend the state of Britain. The Goddess had previously said that Taliesin must acquire these skills on his own to amend his error in ruining her potion. But in her mercy and wisdom, she sent the High Merlin back to Atlantis to learn from the Ancients.

‘I follow thee, Taliesin,' Tory told him. ‘I recall thee mentioning Beli in one of thy poems, where thee described the land surrounded by deep moats from which he came. I understand that thee referred to Atlantis as the Honey Isle in the poem, because of the sweetness of the forgotten knowledge to be found there. As thee depicted Beli as the Dragon, who became the guardian spirit of Britain, I assume he was a great ancestor of Maelgwn.' Tory had been taking a closer look at the Merlin's writings over the cold season and his riddles were beginning to make more sense to her.

Taliesin confirmed her conclusions with a wink. He then went on to tell of how Beli, the husband of the great Don, gained victory over the powers of darkness in their land. He brought the people of Britain the secrets of the harvest and knowledge of the seasons of the year.
Beltaine marked the birth of the harvest year, and the fires did honour to him.

As the Merlin recounted the tale, Tory thought it strikingly familiar to the story of the great deluge as written in Genesis. It was even closer to the ancient Sumerian account of the tale. In this version it was Beli (under the name of Enki) who advised Noah (who was also known by a different name). When the select few who had been spared from the disaster again found dry land, they built an altar to the god and burnt offerings in his honour, giving thanks and praise.

This led Tory to wonder if the Celts had borrowed the tale from the Jews and Christians? Yet it seemed more likely that the Judeo-Christian saga had been derived from the earlier Sumerian version.

As with Samhain, all the fires in the land would be extinguished to be rekindled from the sacred fire. The fire would be lit by the druids on the morrow at eve, and left to burn all night. Prime cattle would be driven between the fires for purification and fertility. Men and women would take to the fields and make love to enhance the fertility of the earth and ensure a good crop. Come dawn, the people of the land would take the new flame home and light their own fires again. This symbolised a fresh start and gave all the hope of a good yield.

 

Tory rose early the next day to help Katren prepare for her wedding. As the Goddess' representative at the house at Aberffraw, Tory was required to attend Calin's crowning this morning and so she wore the green dress
of the triple Goddess. Tory was the only woman permitted to attend, just as Lady Gladys had been at Maelgwn's crowning.

The bride awoke in a bed covered in fresh spring flowers. Tory and Ione were there to greet her with bread, fruit and a jug of mead to calm her nerves.

Katren had asked Ione to be her bridesmaid, for Ione had helped her to win the title of Queen's Champion and, indirectly, Calin's heart. Ione was thrilled by the honour and had graciously accepted, even though it meant appearing feminine for a day.

Calin wrote a love letter in the early hours of the morning after he'd picked the flowers that now covered Katren's bed. His note explained that this inability to rest stemmed not from nerves but from his anticipation and elation of their imminent union and life together.

Katren, who had been reading the note aloud, went quiet and read the rest of his letter to herself. With a devious chuckle, Katren's cheeks flushed red. She folded the letter and held it to her breast. It was hard to believe the turn her life had taken, considering the way it could have been had Tory never come bounding into it.

‘And?' Ione prompted, as it was just getting interesting.

‘And then he just reverts into obscene degeneracies pertaining to his lustful intent, but I will not bore thee with my love's unscrupulous appetite.'

‘Why not?' Ione protested.

‘Ione!' Tory was surprised. ‘I thought thou wast not interested in men?'

‘True. But there be no harm in learning how they think,' she smiled. ‘Know thy enemy. Thee said that,
Sensei
.'

Ione was wrong in thinking that all men were her enemy and Tory had corrected this misconception so many times that she decided a different approach was required. ‘It be the key to defeating thy foe, to be sure, dost thou have a particular conquest in mind?'

‘Nay, I do not!'

Ione was so disgruntled that Tory and Katren had to delight in her obvious lie.

‘Well, whoever he be, I assure thee, he shall lose his heart this day,' Tory said, feigning ignorance.

‘Majesty, I beseech thee, there be no one,' Ione stated in a huff. ‘Thou art my only concern.' Ione was to assume the role of Queen's Champion in Katren's stead, as she was the highest ranking female warrior among the masters.

Katren decided to put her at ease. ‘In that case, thou shalt be breaking hearts all day.'

‘Now that be much more to my liking,' Ione informed them.

Tory made Katren a wedding gift of her make-up, and with it they set about preparing Ione for the event. As they did, Tory considered that even the most beautiful models of her time would pale in comparison; this woman had features and a body that superstars would pay millions for. Heaven help poor Tiernan when he set eyes upon the true beauty of his partner. The only trouble was that the knight still pined for Sorcha and might fail to notice even Ione. This certainly seemed to
have been the case so far. Nevertheless, over a decade had passed since Sorcha had stolen his heart. It was time Sir Tiernan got over the loss of his first love, who had never really been his anyway, and got on with the rest of his life.

 

The Queen left Katren and Ione to dress as she was running late to escort Brockwell to his crowning. She knocked before she entered Calin's chamber. ‘Calin, it be Tory. Art thou decent?'

‘Not since the day I was born,' he replied, motioning to Sir Tiernan to open the door for her.

Tory rolled her eyes at Calin's jest and burst into the room, only to have the heavy oak door near close on her again when it accidentally met with Sir Tiernan's head.

‘Tiernan!… Art thou alright?' Tory crouched beside him.

‘Nice going!' Calin threw his arms in the air. ‘As a lady, thou art supposed to wait until the door be opened for thee.'

‘I am sorry,' Tory said. ‘But I wast running late.'

‘Well thee could have picked someone other than my best man.' Tiernan's eyes were rolling around in his head but he was still conscious. ‘This doth not look promising.'

‘He will be fine, there be no need to panic. Tiernan, look at me. Focus.' Tory endeavoured to keep him with them. ‘Can thou hear me?'

Maelgwn came over to give her a hand to get him on his feet.

‘Aye, my love, I can,' Tiernan mumbled, smiling deliriously, his eyes lulled closed.

Uh-oh!
Tory cringed, as Maelgwn knew nothing of the knight's feelings for his mother.

‘What?' The King dropped him back on the floor with a thud.

‘Nay, please Goddess, do not let this happen today!' Brockwell pleaded, his eyes raised to the ceiling.

‘What doth he mean?' Maelgwn's tone stopped just short of an accusation.

This surprised and angered Tory. Yet, as it was Calin's wedding day, she kept a civil mood.

‘Sorcha,' Tiernan held a hand out to touch her cheek in wonder. ‘How I have longed for thee.'

‘Shh,' Tory consoled him, not knowing what else to do; Tiernan would kill himself if he realised what he was disclosing.

‘Sorcha?' Maelgwn was shocked and backed away, trying to comprehend the full implications of the news. ‘Tiernan was my mother's lover?' Maelgwn was mortified. ‘Mercy sakes, how many did she have?'

‘Please, Goddess!' Calin repeated his plea, more desperate this time.

Lady Gladys entered in the midst of the confrontation, wondering what was holding everyone up.

‘Stop right there,' Tory cautioned, feeling Sorcha's presence was very close. ‘It be true to say that Tiernan was in love with thy mother, it would seem just about everybody was. But he never laid a hand on her, I swear to thee. He was loyal to Caswallon to the end.' Tory gently placed the knight's head on a pillow.

‘So, thou art Tiernan's confessor now, I did not realise the two of thee were so close,' Maelgwn said.

Tory stood, trying desperately to contain her rage.
He's just upset, don't take it personally
. ‘I know purely by accident, for when thy mother's spirit comes over me, I experience many of her memories and feelings. So please, allow me to tell thee the full story, before thee condemns anyone. When Cadfer raped her, Sorcha decided not to tell Caswallon, fearing a civil war in Gwynedd. But when she fell pregnant with Caradoc, the guilt drove her away from thy father. Not Taliesin and her study of sorcery, not Tiernan's attentions, but Cadfer's spiteful act.'

‘She speaks the truth, Maelgwn,' Lady Gladys assured him.