Chronicle of Ages (13 page)

‘Any time thou art ready, merlin,' Maelgwn urged from upon the dragon's claw.

 

Their view of the garden changed in only two respects during their ride. The light from the sun above turned from blue to violet, at which time Tory, Gwyn ap Nudd, and his bed, took on a solid form.

‘Stay put and keep quiet,' Maelgwn instructed.

I've done and said enough already.
Selwyn finished the King's thought for him, considering that Maelgwn was too polite at times.

Maelgwn cleared his throat as he approached the couple rolling around on the bed.

As Tory glanced over to see Maelgwn, she threw off the man on top of her and got to her knees to hold both men at bay. She looked from one man to the other, confused — on this level of Annwn, Gwyn ap Nudd appeared as Maelgwn's mirror image. ‘Alright, what gives?'

‘I am thy husband, Tory,' said Maelgwn. ‘Thou art being deceived by Gwyn ap Nudd.'

‘Really?' Tory sounded surprised by the claim and looked to the accused. ‘Then everything thee told me about our victory wast a lie?'

‘Victory?' Maelgwn echoed, with a good serve of sarcasm. ‘Craig-y-Ddinas looks like a cemetery.'

‘Nay, Tory, I have told thee the truth.' Gwyn ap Nudd appealed. ‘Dost thou not know me?'

She turned back to the God, seeming more inclined to believe his plea.

‘Surely 'tis obvious …' Maelgwn regained his wife's attention, ‘that this set-up would not be of my doing?' He referred to the bed on which she knelt, in the middle of the otherworldly garden.

‘Why?' Tory appealed to him. ‘'Tis no more outrageous than some of thy past seductions?' She looked back to Gwyn who nodded in agreement with her.

Maelgwn was opening his mouth to contest this, and realising he could not, expanded on the original question. ‘Then it be not something that I would conceive of in the middle of a crisis.'

‘But thee,' Tory gazed into Gwyn ap Nudd's eyes, ‘just told me the crisis had passed.'

‘'Tis true,' Gwyn insisted, luring her to a kiss.

‘He lies!' Maelgwn roared.

‘Hold on!' Tory cried in truce, not prepared to lean either way. ‘There be a simple way to settle this.' She climbed off the bed and headed towards Maelgwn. ‘Could I trouble thee for a kiss, sir?'

Maelgwn frowned and smiled at the same time wondering what his wife was playing at as she glanced back to catch his replica's reaction. Gwyn ap Nudd stood back, confident that his victim would not be able to tell the difference between his kiss and that of her true
husband. ‘A kiss for thee be no trouble at all.' Maelgwn swooped Tory backwards to indulge her request to his utmost ability, and he took his time doing it.

Once the King stood her upright again, Tory announced, ‘My true husband!' She motioned to the man at her side.

Gwyn contested her ruling. ‘Thou art being deceived!'

‘Nay, there be no deception here,' stated Tory, as she placed her arms around the King's neck and smiled up at him. ‘Maelgwn would never stand by and watch me kiss another man.'

Maelgwn grinned broadly at her resolve, before looking to their bewildered host. ‘True, I never would.'

Then how dost thou think I feel?
Gwyn ap Nudd assumed his own huge form.
Thy druid hast seduced my intended!

Tory looked to Selwyn, unable to keep the smile from her face. Selwyn, however, was not amused. Still, the Queen was not given a chance to comment as the vines again sprouted out from the trail of her dress. The strong thick stems extended towards the tree closest to Gwyn ap Nudd and winding themselves around the trunk, they reeled Tory in.

‘Not again!' The Queen tried to resist their pull, whereupon she fell to the ground and was dragged towards the Lord. ‘When I get out of this thing, I am going to smash every bone in thy body, Gwyn —' The neckline grew to smother the Queen's threat.

‘Such an unbecoming tone in a female, dost thou not agree, Dragon?' Gwyn looked to catch her husband's reaction.

‘She be capable of much worse,' Maelgwn warned, but refrained from retaliation. After all, it was only his wife's pride that would be harmed by her bondage. ‘Selwyn informs me that at the time the alleged offence took place, he was unaware the nymph in question wast thy intended. So this would seem to indicate that thy lady wronged thee wilfully, my Lord.'

I did.
Amabel spoke up for herself, enchanting those present with the dazzling beauty of her presence and her voice.

Maelgwn could only gape at her loveliness and uttered aside to his Merlin, ‘I can see thy attraction.'

‘Do not let her beauty fool thee, Majesty.' Selwyn spoke up so that Amabel might hear him. ‘This nymph thinks only of herself and be damned with everybody else.'

Thou art exactly right.
For once Gwyn ap Nudd agreed with the druid.

Amabel approached Gwyn ap Nudd, and fluttering down to a kneeling position, she bowed to the ground at his feet.
On the advice of the Goddess, I have come to throw myself upon thy mercy, Lord. If my Lord will amend all the wrong that hast been done to Abred,
Amabel raised her enchantress' eyes to view him,
I shall marry thee and honour thee only, as thou doth wish.

Nay, thou dost not love him.
But Selwyn dared not voice his protest. His duty to his country began to pale in comparison to his concern for Amabel, and he immediately regretted every harsh word he'd said to her.

Although Gwyn didn't seem that opposed to Amabel's proposition, he played hard to get all the same.
Wed thee? So thee may pass thy days as my wife, pining for the love of another?

Then confine me, punish me, in whatever way thou dost see fit! But do not blame those from Abred for my defiance … I wast solely to blame.
She bowed her head and awaited his judgment.

Do not be a fool, Gwyn. Thou hast been pining after this nymph forever.

The voice of Keridwen penetrated Gwyn's mind, and he turned to discover the Queen of Gwynedd had been freed from her dress of flowers and now wore the clothes he had found her in. In reality, she had worn this attire throughout this whole episode. Her restraints had been mind-induced.
Thou hast unexpected depth of perception, Tory Alexander.
He acknowledged her psychic skill.

‘I am onto thy game, Gwyn ap Nudd,' Tory assured him as she stood, brushing herself off. ‘As thee cannot control the will of other intelligent entities, thou dost seek to break the will of thy opposition by testing it. For it was not the Goddess who aided Selwyn in finding his way into Annwn … so I am guessing it was in fact thee who showed him the way to Amabel.'

All eyes turned to Gwyn, who was unsure as to whether to deny the charge or not. He was certain he'd heard Keridwen's voice just now and if she was advising the Queen of Gwynedd then she knew the truth already.

‘Thee knew,' Tory continued, pushing Gwyn to comment, ‘that Selwyn, as a musician, would not be able to resist her siren song. So, thee led him into temptation and by so doing, have managed to get we of Abred right where thou dost want us.'

Amabel rose up into the air to view Gwyn at his level, the look on her face compelling the Lord to confess or deny the charge.

That wast not the way of it,
he insisted,
so thou art still in shame
. He motioned Amabel back to her knees.

Art thou calling me a liar, Night Hunter?
Keridwen's pixie-like features suddenly burst forth on Tory's face, and the Queen's form levitated into the air.

The Lord of the Night humbled himself before the Goddess as did all those present.

Enough of the fun and games, Gwyn. Thou hast taught thy human foe their lesson and have thus fulfilled thy duty to me and my folk. By the grace of the elements, I want life restored to all those who perished during thy rampage of torment this night.

Begging thy pardon, great Lady.
Gwyn stood tall to advise her.
If I restore life to the workmen at Craig-y-Ddinas, the work on the fort will only resume.

The Dragon was just seeing to having the project stopped when he wast called from his duty to save his wife from being defiled!
Her tone was cross and the Lord of the Night cowered before her once more.
Need I remind thee, that thy duty to test the faithful doth not exist for thy personal gratification. I am watching thee, Gwyn ap Nudd. Misuse thy power again, and it shall be suspended.

I did not start all this
, the lord defended.
And this will not be the last time I will be forced to such extreme measures.

Form an alliance with the Dragon,
Keridwen suggested.
Make him thy High King, so that all who ally in my name art answerable to one man, and that one man will answer to thee.

Gwyn looked, for some reason, very much disposed towards the idea, which made Maelgwn uneasy.

To be truly confident about my appointed, naturally he would have to pass our initiation first.
Gwyn made the reason for his amusement known.

Naturally
, Keridwen granted, and the Lord was appeased.
I feel sure the Dragon will be happy to oblige.
The Goddess turned her large green-grey eyes to the King.

Even though Maelgwn was a little daunted by the prospect of being tested by the otherworldly God, it was not the first time he had undergone initiation for an appointment. ‘I shall undertake any task put to me, to prove my worth to the Tylwyth Teg and their Lord.' Maelgwn bowed slightly to Gwyn in acceptance.

Amabel
, the Goddess looked to the lovely nymph.
Thou art well aware of my thoughts in regard to thy antics. I think it be high time thee committed to a partner for life.

Thank you, Lady,
Gwyn spoke up,
for ruining the best chance I have had of being that partner. I almost had her.

If thou dost win this nymph's favour
, Keridwen advised him in a lecturing tone,
it shall be for thy merits, not for thy skills of deception … no marriage can be a happy one if one soul dost dominate the other. Ask the Dragon, he knows.
The Goddess cunningly referred Gwyn to Maelgwn for advice.
Perhaps if thee had wooed the waif as she ought to be wooed, thee would have settled this issue a long time ago.

Selwyn didn't like the fact that the Goddess seemed to be encouraging Amabel towards giving Gwyn another chance. Now that he knew the whole truth of what had happened, the details mattered not. All Selwyn could
remember was the intimate closeness that he'd only ever experienced with Amabel, and every fibre of his being craved to know her in such a way again.

Selwyn
. Keridwen startled the druid from his thoughts.
I would ask thee to supervise the Night Hunter's initiation of our High King.

That hardly be necessary.
Gwyn strongly opposed her implication that he might treat the initiate unfairly.

And thou art to bear this merlin no more illwill, Gwyn,
the Goddess instructed, politely.
He shall be treated as thy honoured guest, and in return, Selwyn,
Keridwen looked to the druid,
will conduct himself as such from now on.

Keridwen's thoughts about his affair with Amabel were made fairly plain by her instruction. If Selwyn nodded to accept her advice, then that was his word to the Goddess that he would forget Amabel. The Merlin bowed. ‘It shall be my honour to assist the Lord of the Night with the initiation of our High King.'

Keridwen's gaze lingered on Selwyn a moment, aware he was avoiding the issue of the nymph.

From where Selwyn stood, the look the Goddess gave him implied that his surrender to her will was inevitable and that he may as well not fight it.

I wish thee well, Maelgwn Gwynedd.
Keridwen looked to her champion among kings.
Our new appointment shall suit thee very well.

If he comes up to standard,
Gwyn specified.

Maelgwn gave the God a sideways glance before bowing to the Goddess. ‘I shall serve thee to the best of my ability in this, great Lady, as I do in all things.'

Then I shall consider this matter resolved.
Tory's form lowered to the ground, and as her true features returned she blacked out and fell to the ground.

The King and Selwyn both rushed to her aid, but the Queen of Gwynedd was out cold.

I have plans for thee, Dragon,
Gwyn advised.
Leave thy queen on the bed to recover. Amabel will stay with her.

The King placed Tory comfortably on the bed. ‘Best that thou art dreaming through this,' he uttered, and taking up her hands to draw upon her strength, he pressed her fingers to his lips.

Gwyn noticed Amabel become all teary-eyed as she observed how the King doted on his Queen.
All right, break it up.
Gwyn beckoned with a finger for Maelgwn to follow him.

As his King moved off, Selwyn chanced a glance at Amabel, who smiled back at him, teary-eyed. ‘I handled this situation very badly, Amabel. I had no right to judge thee,' Selwyn said, near choking on the lump of remorse welling in his throat.

Thy judgment wast just,
she admitted, making no move to approach him, nor to pursue the conversation further.

Selwyn shook his head. Amabel hovered but a few feet away, but the distance between them felt suddenly vast. What had the Goddess said to her that had caused Amabel to distance herself from him like this? Or had it been his own cutting words that had done it?

Coming, druid?
Gwyn yelled back to Selwyn and he was forced to make a move.

‘Forgive me,' Selwyn implored the nymph as he backed up to take his leave.