Mercy's Prince (24 page)

I
don’t know the details. They wouldn’t tell me. My father and Michael were both
so changed when they returned I scarcely knew them.
She touched her cheek,
and Valerian remembered seeing a bruise there when he and Kieran had first
found her. Had someone struck her in anger?

“I’m
very sorry, Merry. I know hardships dispirit many people, but others find peace
and joy no matter what their circumstances. That’s the kind of person I aspire
to be.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized those were probably
not the most suitable.

She
shook her head, appearing even more distressed.

That’s
what I don’t understand. How can you be so ruthless and yet so gentle?

Valerian’s
eyes widened in surprise and it took a moment for him to answer.

“I
have never in the whole of my life, not even once, been accused of being
ruthless. Quite the opposite. Merry, neither I nor the king wanted to have to
execute the men of your village, but even we have to abide by the law of the
land. The law clearly states that one who disobeys the king’s command must
forfeit his life. I desired only to find a solution that would obey the letter
of the law and avoid executing the Brethren.”

Merry
wrestled within herself. He
Saw
the turmoil in her mind. To his relief,
she spoke again.

Gabriel
tried to explain it to me.

“Gabriel?”

He
said I should not hate you.

“Gabriel
said that?”

He
was one of those you spoke about, one who found joy and peace through suffering.
She
covered her face with her hands and began silently weeping again.

Valerian
scanned the area. There was a tree stump nearby. He guided Merry toward it, and
she allowed him to lead her for those few steps. Then he sat and pulled her to
his lap. She was crying so hard she didn’t seem to notice. He began to rock her
as if she were a child, for that was how he saw her at this moment. What a
sheltered life she must have led. First she was traumatized by having all the
men taken away, and later shattered when everyone was killed. Did she not have
a reason to be angry with him? How could he make things right with her?

At
last her silent weeping passed as the calm after a storm. Merry took a great
shuddering breath. When she met his gaze, Valerian
Saw
the light of
recognition. Her eyes widened and she jumped off his lap, backing away until
she stood a respectful distance from him.

Oh,
God of Peace, forgive me.

“What
do you think you have done wrong?” He didn’t move lest he startle her into
running away.

I
should not have—sat on your lap. It is forbidden.
She appeared stricken,
and he realized what a fool he’d been.

“Then
it is I who should apologize to you. I will be more careful in the future. Can
we still be friends?” He smiled at her. She was a sight, covered with dirt and
leaves, her hair disheveled, and her face puffy from crying.

How
can we be friends? You are a prince and I am a poor maiden from a village that
no longer exists.

Valerian
stood and gestured to the stump.

“Merry,
will you please sit here and let me tell you something?”

She
stared at him for a long time. Valerian thought she would refuse to sit, but
finally she nodded and walked slowly to the stump, still watching him warily. He
sat on the ground beside her, close enough to
See
her but not so close
as to cause her discomfort.

“I
can’t begin to understand your terrible grief, but I do know about loss.” He
paused to make certain she was listening.

“Until
about four new moons ago I was my older brother’s squire, just as Kieran is now
my squire. Waryn was the perfect prince in every way. Everyone said so. Not
much was expected of me, and so I was allowed free access to the Keep’s library.
My greatest joy came from studying the scrolls of history and the Holy Writ. I
discussed what I read with the monks who maintain the library. I did learn to
ride a warhorse and wield a spear and bow, but I have always preferred the
quiet life of a scholar.” He had Merry’s full attention now.

Something
happened, didn’t it?

“Yes.”
Valerian swallowed, knowing it would be painful to relive that day’s memories. “We
were out on patrol when we were surprised by the Horde, the same monsters that
must have attacked your village. I’d never been in a battle before. I didn’t
act swiftly enough to save my brother, and he—died in my arms.” His eyes filled
with tears, and he wiped them away in order to
See
Merry.

“Now
I must take my brother’s place, though I feel utterly unprepared, and put away
my heart’s desire. Forever. So in that way, I can understand your loss.” The
grief rose in him so sharply it took his breath away. He thought he had come to
terms with it already.

Merry’s
face softened with compassion.

I’m
so sorry for you. What a great burden you must bear. And to think I was sure my
Healing gift was a burden.
She shook her head.

They
sat quietly for a few minutes, each lost in their thoughts. Merry gently
touched Valerian’s arm, and he looked up at her again.

May
I tell you about my family, since you told me about yours?

“Of
course.”

She
took a deep breath as if to brace herself.

My
mother died in childbed when I was ten. With her dying breath, she made me
promise to care for my infant brother. I think something died in my father’s
heart that day, but I was so busy caring for them I couldn’t stop to think
about it.

Then
the men were taken, and then the Healing gift came upon me, and then they were
all gone.

When
she paused, he
Saw
guilt in her eyes.

Did
my resentment cause their deaths? I left the gate open that morning when I ran
down to the river. Would they still be alive if I hadn’t done that?

“No,
Merry, it wasn’t your fault. If you had stayed at home you would have been
killed too.”

Wouldn’t
that have been better than living without them?

“I
can’t believe that.” Valerian shook his head, trying to convince himself as
well. “Life is precious because it comes from the Most High. He must yet have a
purpose for your life.”

Her
eyes widened. While she pondered his words, he decided he had to know what her
relationship was to Gabriel.

“Merry,
you have not said what happened to Gabriel.”

He
was murdered also
.
Her face was full of pain.
He said you spoke with him.

“On
two occasions. I only wish I had known him better.”

He
was the leader of our village.
She struggled to hold back her tears.
And I
would have become his wife on my fifteenth birthday in less than three moons.

His
wife
. She would have been his wife. Valerian’s throat tightened and he
had to clear it.

“Then
I am doubly sorry for your loss, and for his.” He gasped. The dream he’d had of
Gabriel just before he and Kieran investigated the Brethren village. What did
it mean? Valerian’s chest twisted with a chill of guilt, though he had no idea
why.

Merry
touched his arm again to catch his attention.

Did
you know Gabriel was a Seer, too?

“I
learned so the first time I met him, at the Keep.”

It
was his wish that I not hate you
.
I wanted to blame you, but now that I’ve
met you, I can’t hate you
. Merry began to pick at the dried leaves clinging
to her skirts and her hair and suddenly stood up.
There’s a stream just
behind us. I will hurry. Will you wait?

“Of
course I will.”

She
ran through the trees and out of sight. Valerian stood and wiped the seat of
his breeches. By the position of the sun, much time had passed since they left
Eldred’s cottage. Poor Kieran must be wondering what happened.

While
he waited for Merry, Valerian sifted through his jumbled thoughts and feelings
about Gabriel and his tragic loss, not just for Merry’s sake, although it had
affected her profoundly and so affected him. He wished he and Gabriel could
have sat down together and discussed matters moral and religious. Valerian was
certain they would have had much in common. So certain, in fact, that Valerian
vowed to make Merry’s welfare his primary concern.

At
last Merry reappeared. She had washed her face and rebraided her hair. Her
scarf and dress had wet splotches where she’d tried to clean them, and she was
barefooted. With chagrin, Valerian realized that if he were to take her to the
Keep he would need to outfit her for the journey. The farther north they
traveled, the colder it would become.

“Shall
we return to Eldred’s? They’re all probably wondering if we disappeared.”

Merry
nodded. She held up her right hand with the palm facing him. Then she met his
gaze. How had he not noticed her eyes were the same shade of blue as the
northern lakes?

I’m
sorry for being so angry with you,
she said
. I would like to be your friend, if
a Brethren Healer may befriend a prince.

Valerian
smiled in relief and touched his palm to hers. Her hand was so small next to
his.

“I
gladly accept your friendship, and pledge mine in return.” He gently squeezed
her hand. “And since you cannot speak, you won’t have to worry about calling me
‘Your Highness.’  That makes you the best kind of friend.”

Without
another word between them, they returned to Eldred’s.

***

In
the privacy of his guest quarters at Reed’s castle, Caelis opened his saddle
bag and took out the decree written in Valerian’s own hand. He reread the words
and then admired his cousin Lewes’ carefully applied seal below the prince’s
signature. Authentic enough to fool simple soldiers, but never would it fool
the king, even if Valerian was no longer able to defend himself.

One
of Captain Ulfred’s spies had discovered the prince and his squire had left the
garrison and were traveling alone. This was the perfect opportunity for some
accident to befall them, and no one would be able to trace the “accident” to
Caelis. It was gratifying to know so many other southerners were as disgruntled
as Caelis that the ruling house of Levathia had been the same for three hundred
years, a family from the north. What did they know of the south’s affairs? What
did they care? It was past time for a change in leadership. But first Caelis
had to get rid of the heir. Now that Waryn was gone, Caelis had no more guilt
about his actions. He’d been willing to whole-heartedly support that prince,
but never the current one or the king.

Caelis
replaced the stolen royal decree in his bag and pulled out the two scalps he
had taken in the massacre. Although he’d enjoyed his daydream of throwing these
down at the foot of Orland’s throne while pointing the finger at Valerian, if
Caelis could eliminate his rival here in the south, there would be no need to
keep either the scalps or the decree. Then Caelis could ride back to the Keep
with a lighter load, in more ways than one.

Now
that Ulfred had given him a name, Caelis would contact Orin Swift, the leader
of those plotting rebellion, and ask him to send someone skilled in the art of
assassination.

When
Merry followed Valerian into Eldred’s cottage, Ruddy and Kieran had already
left.

“Even
Kieran has gone?” Valerian sounded surprised.

Eldred
laughed, and Merry smiled at his mirth.

“I
had quite a time convincing your squire that he should return with Sir Rudyard,
that you had in fact ordered him to stay with Ruddy. Kieran was quite reluctant
to leave until you returned.”

“I
would like to have seen how you accomplished that,” Valerian said. “I’m sorry I
put you in an awkward situation.”

“Not
at all, my prince. I believe you and I both have many pressing questions that
need answers before we lose our daylight. But first, I would like to meet this
young woman.”

Valerian
turned and beckoned her closer.

“This
is Merry. Kieran and I found her two days ago at the Brethren village. Everyone
had been killed. It seems to have been the Horde.”

“Yes,
Kieran related the incident to me.” Eldred grew somber. “Come closer, dear
girl, and let me
See
you. You’re not afraid of Seers, are you?”

Merry
curtsied and went forward. She knelt on a blue wool rug directly in front of
the kindly elder and stared into his pale eyes. When he
Saw
her thoughts
she tried speaking to him as she had Valerian.

I’m
sorry that I left so suddenly earlier.

But
he did not answer and she was puzzled.

“I
am sorry you are so distressed, my dear. It appears you have suffered greatly
in the past little while. I offer my condolences, though I understand words are
not much comfort.”

Merry
grasped his gnarled hand with a grateful squeeze. He smiled at her, which made
his eyes sparkle. She liked him very much.

“I
have long desired to find out more about the Brethren,” Eldred continued. “I
had thought to ask you, but I didn’t want to add to your distress. And then
Kieran told me you are unable to speak, so that would make answering questions
rather difficult.”

“Merry
and I have discovered she can speak to my mind,” Valerian said. “Perhaps when
she is ready I might be of assistance.”

“She
can speak to you?” Eldred’s eyes widened. “Then perhaps she can to me also.” He
turned his Sight on her again.

Merry
spoke slowly and clearly in her mind.

I
would be happy to tell you all I know about the Brethren. I don’t want them to
be forgotten.

He
did not react to what she said. Apparently he could only
See
her
frustration, not hear the actual words.

“If
you’re trying to communicate with me, I’m not hearing anything.” Eldred
gestured to Valerian. “Go ahead, let her talk to you, and I will try to understand
what is happening.”

Valerian
went down on one knee on the rug beside Merry. She stared into his eyes, and
Eldred leaned closer to them.

How
can you hear me and Eldred cannot?

“I
don’t know, but I wish he could, for your sake. Was Gabriel able to hear you?”

Merry
remembered their one time of intense sharing, but it was of emotions and
images, not actual words.

No,
he could only See me as Eldred does. What’s the difference between us, I
wonder?

“I
still can’t hear her.” Eldred sounded disappointed. “This is something I’ve
never heard of. To my knowledge, only the great dragons can communicate
mind-to-mind. Are you part dragon, Merry?”

Valerian
smiled at her, and she lowered her head when her face warmed.

“She’s
a Healer,” he said. “Could that have something to do with it?”

“No,
but as a Healer she may be especially empathetic and open to such mental
communication.” The old man sighed. “Too bad we don’t have a dragon to test
that theory.”

Merry’s
eyes widened. Was it possible to speak to a dragon? She would like to try that!

“However,”
Eldred continued, “I would like to test another theory of mine concerning the
Brethren. Do you know how they came to be, my prince?”

“I
honestly didn’t know much about them until the men were brought to the Keep.” Valerian
exchanged a meaningful glance with Merry.

Eldred
stroked his beard, pausing before he continued.

“You
know what good friends your grandfather and I always were.”

“Yes.”
Valerian’s voice sounded wistful. Merry glanced at him, but he was focused on Eldred.

“Our
one disagreement concerned his grandfather, King Sigmund.” He raised his brows,
waiting for a reaction from Valerian.

“He
was the one who abdicated the throne to enter a monastery.”

“That’s
what your grandfather believed, because that’s what
his
father told him.
Do you realize King Emeric never knew his father, Sigmund? So
he
only
knew what he’d been told.”

Merry
had a hard time following the names, but Eldred’s passion for the subject made
it fascinating to her.

Valerian
sat back on the rug and crossed his legs.

“So,
Eldred, what is your theory?”

Eldred
stared at Merry for so long without
Seeing
her that she started
fidgeting. When he spoke his voice was solemn.

“I
believe King Sigmund changed his name to Absalom and founded the Brethren.”

Merry
gasped. She turned to Valerian and met his gaze.

I
know that name.
She
closed her eyes and tried to put the names in order before she told him. When
she opened her eyes, Eldred waited so eagerly she hoped she could help him. She
extended her fingers and ticked off the names as she told Valerian, beginning
with herself.

I
am the eldest of my mother, Melody, who was the youngest of her father, Uriel,
who was the eldest of his father, Manuel, who was the eldest of his father,
Absalom. We were always told his name, Absalom, means ‘Father of Peace.’  We
lived in the ‘Village of Peace.’

Valerian
related her words to Eldred. The old man sat back in his chair, thinking.

“So
we know there was an Absalom, but whether or not he was the same person as
Sigmund is not certain.” He pointed to a small desk in one corner. It contained
pigeon holes stuffed with scrolls. “I had the monks copy several portions of
histories before I left the Keep. I will pore over them and let you know if I
find any mention of our elusive Sigmund.”

“Would
you like for me to take one or two with me to Ruddy’s house and help you look?”

Merry
wondered at the eagerness in Valerian’s voice until she remembered his heart’s
desire was to be a scholar or a monk.

“I
would like that very much. Before you leave, was there something you wanted to
ask me about the Sight?”

While
Valerian and Eldred discussed ways to
See
, or rather not
See
the
thoughts of others, Merry went to the far wall to study a tapestry that had
caught her eye. The brightly colored threads shimmered in the late afternoon
light coming through the window, but it was the picture that fascinated her. A
huge beast, surely a dragon, dwarfed two soldiers holding spears and shields. The
blue and green dragon had reared up on its hind legs with wings outspread and
orange and yellow flame spewed from its mouth. The two soldiers were dressed
like Valerian and Kieran but wore some kind of protective hat on their heads. The
tapestry was beautiful, even though the subject was frightening.

Valerian
mentioned her name, and she turned back to them.

“I
do feel that being able to hear Merry’s words has made it easier for me to
focus on what is important when I
See
the thoughts of others.” Valerian
glanced at her, and she smiled. She was glad she could make something easier
for someone.

“Thank
you for your suggestions.” Valerian stood then. “I only wish you had still been
at the Keep when the Sight first came to me. It was quite—unsettling.”

“How
well I remember when it came to me.” Eldred pointed to the desk. “Don’t forget
to take one or two of those scrolls with you.”

Valerian
picked out two of them and turned back. He was beaming.

“When
I finish these, may I take more after I return them?”

“Of
course, of course. But you should get back to Sir Rudyard’s lest your poor
squire have a nervous fit or something.” He waved them toward the door.

Merry
came near to Eldred. He was so like her grandfather. She leaned down and kissed
his leathery cheek. He touched the place with a trembling hand.

“Why,
thank you, Merry. You must come back as often as you can.”

While
they headed back through the village, Valerian indicated the scrolls in his
hand.

“You
know, Merry, if King Sigmund really did change his name to Absalom and found
the Brethren, that means you and I are cousins. Distant, of course, first
cousins four or five times removed, something like that, but family
nonetheless.”

She
gazed up at him, pleased.

Then
I hope they are one and the same, for I already feel as if we are connected in
some way.
She
smiled sadly.
It would mean you and Michael were cousins, too. Our mothers
were sisters.
She paused.
You would have liked him, before he changed.

While
they walked the rest of the way to Ruddy’s house, Merry added silently,
and
you would have had one more cousin. Rafael.

***

While
a single candle burned and grew shorter, Valerian pored over the first scroll. Beside
him on a pallet Kieran snored, oblivious to the world. He knew he should follow
Kieran’s example, but he was engrossed with the history of Prince Sigmund and
his father, King Lionel, fighting an invasion by Vandals from the south.

 Valerian
had nearly reached the end of the scroll when he heard a baby’s distressed cry.
He stood, listening. He didn’t know much about infants, but that cry sounded
more urgent than usual. He glanced down at Kieran, but he slept on.

Picking
up the candle, Valerian opened the door and peered down the hall. Merry came
out of her room and moved toward the sound. She had thrown a fur over her
shoulders, for she wore only her white underdress. She held her carry sack with
her medicines. Valerian quietly closed the door behind him and followed Merry.

When
she reached Ruddy’s bedchamber at the end of the hall, she knocked. By the time
Valerian arrived Ruddy had opened the door. He also held a candle.

“Come
in,” Ruddy said, his voice strained. “Something’s wrong with the babe.”

Valerian
followed Merry inside. Shannon cradled her son, crooning to him, but his
shrieks did not abate. Even by candlelight his face appeared red. Shannon’s
eyes were wide with fear. Merry placed her hand on the child’s small head and
gasped.

“What
do you need?” Valerian asked. But when she met his gaze, he remembered that it
was too dark to
See
into her eyes. “Can you show me?”

She
pantomimed pouring and drinking and he guessed, “Water?” She nodded.

Ruddy
pointed to the bedside table.

“Is
that enough?”

Valerian
picked up the ewer and sloshed the water. Merry nodded and ground something in
her mortar that released a sweet scent like honeysuckle. She added water,
stirred it, and then started to tear off part of her underdress.

“Wait!”
Valerian stopped her before she ripped the garment. “I’m sure Ruddy has a clean
cloth in here.”

“Aye,
here’s one.” Ruddy stumbled to the bed and pulled a handkerchief from under a
pillow. He tossed it to Valerian.

Merry
soaked the material in her mixture and held it to the infant’s mouth. When he
would not stop wailing to suck on it, she twisted the cloth, squeezing the
liquid into his mouth. He choked and coughed, spitting out the medicine, which
only intensified his screaming.

Even
without his Sight Valerian could see the desperation in Merry’s eyes. He
realized what she wanted to do.

“Go
ahead,” he told her. “I will watch and make sure you don’t go too far.” He positioned
himself so he could better see her face in the dim light.

She
gently placed her hands on either side of the babe’s small head and closed her
eyes. She grimaced once and then concentrated. Gradually the infant’s distress
receded and his cries lessened. He gave one last sob as his eyelids drooped. He
now slept peacefully.

Merry
took a deep breath and opened her eyes. She appeared a little unsteady on her
feet, so Valerian found a chair and helped her to it. Ruddy went to Shannon.

“The
wee one looks to be fine now, thanks to Merry.” He stared at his infant son
with great relief. “Thank you, lass.”