The Beast of Caer Baddan (33 page)

Once the breakfast tray was removed, Leola found herself alone with her troubled thoughts.

She did not understand why she was so upset over Owain's death. He was a man whom she did not actually know, for a morning's acquaintance did not signify knowledge. She had only been with him once, and had little reason to believe that he had truly cared for her.

Leola searched her heart over and was finally compelled to admit a secret truth.

Owain made her feel desirable. She loved the way he spoke to her, touched her, and even how he looked on her. He had called her “Beauty” so many times, that she had begun to believe that she was in fact lovely, precious, and special.

Leola had to chide herself then, that she should wish a man to life once more, only to make herself feel pretty.

“Are you well, Mistress?” Gytha asked.

Leola was surprised to see her there, for she had not heard the servant girl come into the room.

“No,” Leola moaned. “I feel terrible. My feet hurt and there is this terrible pounding in my head.”

“Here, Mistress,” and the servant picked up her feet and pushed a cushion underneath them.

Leola had to smile for this kindness, for she had never had a stranger willing to do things for her. But then, Gytha was a servant and these things were her tasks. Leola then resolved that if she was to be a mistress, she must be just as gentle and thoughtful as Ardith had been towards her.

I shall not dwell on Owain's death. I shall only seek to make the most of my new life, whatever it may become
.

“Gytha, correct?”
Leola asked, to be sure of the girl's name.

“Yea, Mistress,” she said.      

“That is a nice name,” Leola said, with a pleasant smile.

Gytha looked up at her in surprise.

“I like it, Mistress,” she said. “It makes me feel special.”

“Do you have family?”

“They are dead,” Gytha replied.

Leola felt
a kindred to her at once. “My parents too,” she said.

“I'm sorry, Mistress. Were you very young?”

“No. Not very.”

They talked on about family, harvest, and mead halls, and Leola felt herself at peace for the first time since she came to Venta.

The steward entered to announce King Irael's arrival at the castle of Venta, but Britu saw at a glance that his uncle was not to be delayed even by etiquette.

“What is this that you now write me?” King Irael cried.

His eyes found King Gourthigern, and Britu sighed in relief that for once he was spared someone's rage.

King Gourthigern tried to give their clansman a greeting, but King Irael would hear none of it.

“My son has a wife, and you wait to tell me?” he cried.

Britu had never seen his uncle angry and had to be impressed by the horror the king placed in the sitting room. King Gourthigern, King Emrys, Swale, great warriors of the highest renown, stood shaking in fear.

“I do not think-” Swale tried to say.

“You do not think, Sir!” King Irael cried, turning on the prince in a vengeance. “You thought nothing! Nothing at all! I am his father and you failed to inform me that he married!”

“A grave error, Brother,” Queen Severa said, her low voice gentle as if to sooth him. “But think on the blessings. Swale said that Owain had foretold his death. He must have realized how it was, having no heir, and thought of you first, and your line, and married to give you a grandson in place of a son.”

“And now everyone shall call him perfect in heart,” Britu said under his voice.

“He did always think of family above everything else,” Swale replied.

Britu glared at Swale. He loved Owain but he refused to listen to pretty versions of the story that made his cousin out to be a saint, who gave his clothes to the poor and rescued injured baby animals.

“Of course,” King Irael said, actually calming down from his sister's words. “And now I have an heir, or at least, I shall soon have an heir.”

“King Irael,” King Emrys said. “I have long wished to repay the debt I owe to Prince Owain. Allow me to adopt this common woman for you. My wife and I shall look after her until the birth-”

“Certainly not!” King Irael cried. “You think that now that I have a pregnant daughter-in-law, that I shall part with her?”

“Clansman,” King Gourthigern said. “We are not now sure that this is Owain's child.”

“Do not be silly. It is Owain's,” King Irael replied.

King Gourthigern glanced at his wife as if beckoning her to speak.

“She seems too far along in her pregnancy, Brother,” Queen Severa said, at last. “She says she is in her sixth month and looks as though it should be her ninth. We cannot be sure of the child's paternity until the birth, assuming that the child will resemble Owain.”

Britu was sure that Leola's words were true, that she was in fact only six months along and that her baby was Owain's, for he had seen it in her face. Yet she was a Gewissae, and

therefore he would not defend her against his parents' ill tongues. 

“Nonsense!”
King Irael cried. “I shall hear no more of it!”

“But let us be of some assistance,” King Emrys said.

“Very well,” King Irael replied. “If you wish, stand at the dedication. I would be proud to make you the godfather.”

“Of course,” King Emrys replied in haste. “I shall.”

“Good. Now get my daughter-in-law.”

“I shall go with you to Baddan,” Queen Severa said.

“Come, if you please. Only bring her down here.”

When his mother left, Britu ventured a word.

“Uncle, forgive my speech,” he said “but I must question the wisdom of recognizing a Gewissae commoner as the wife of an Andoco prince.”

“Well said, Britu,” King Irael replied. “But think on this, what is a commoner, or a knight, or a chieftain? It is all lowly. All of the women he seduced were lowly.
Poor, lowly, and ill-educated. Anyone of them could have been a wife instead of a lover as much as this one. I shall only thank God for this one and not care of her birth. I have nothing to lose from recognizing her marriage. It is not as though she would become Queen of Glouia. My son is dead and shall never have the honor of being king, so you need not fear of that.”

“True, Uncle,” Britu said. “Yet the honor of the clan-”

“And what would they say for a woman that they shall likely never see? I need a legitimate grandchild, and God willing it shall be a boy.”

“But, Uncle,” Britu said. “You must also understand that Owain never considered qualities in a woman that might make her an ideal wife.”

King Gourthigern gave Britu an angry look, as if to say, “Do not speak of your cousin in such a way!” but Britu was already talking and would not still his tongue.

“He had been deceived before,” Britu said, “and unfortunately never seemed to gain any lesson from it. We do not know if this Gewissae may prove to be just as self-serving as

Gratianna's arrogant mother was.”

“True, true,” King Irael said, thoughtfully. “But remember that a commoner is never in a position to barter. She is already married, and therefore I do not have to give her anything. In all likelihood, she shall be far too frightened to make demands. Now, do not trouble yourselves with dissuasion. I shall not be moved.”

Britu doubted that Leola was scared of anything, but understood his uncle's reasoning. He only hoped that King Irael's kind heart would not stop him from locking Leola up in Baddan out of the public eyes.

Queen Severa soon returned with a young woman behind her.

“Brother,” she said to King Irael, “this is Leola daughter of Hobern.”

“God keep you, Leola,” King Irael said in Brythonic. “I am Irael, Owain's father.”

The servant girl came in behind them and translated his words into Saxon.

Leola replied in kind with Saxon words, and the servant repeated it in Brythonic.

“I shall take you to Caer Baddan, to the place where Owain was born,” King Irael said. “My sister, Queen Severa, shall accompany us.”

“Baddan,” Leola said.

Britu was surprised to see recognition in her eyes at the mention of that city.

“Ie, to Caer Baddan,” King Irael said. “Now, friends and family, this is my daughter-in-law, Leola, and from now on, she shall be called Princess Leola as she is the widow of a prince.”

Britu watched Leola's face to see what she thought of it. He wanted to pick some devilish intent from her eyes, some deception from the corner of her mouth. Anything that would justify him calling her a liar. Yet there she stood, both humble and honest, and he was forced to be silent.

The whole situation played out before Leola as if she was not really a part of the commotion. They seemed to believe that she knew what was going on and therefore failed to explain anything to her.

King Irael introduced each person one by one, even those whom she had already met, and explained their relationship to Owain to her. They in turn greeted her, giving her a strange

combination
of respectful nods and disapproving eyes.

Suddenly, Leola felt her confusion lift like a dark storm cloud dissipating within her head, and she understood everything.

I am Owain’s first wife! I am his only wife! I am his cwen!

She had explained away Owain's actions by telling herself that he had many wives already, and that one more was nothing to him. But now she realized that she was the only one. And if she was Owain’s cwen then, girl or boy, her baby would be his heir.

No wonder that Iestyn Aetheling was so shocked when I said that I was Owain’s wife! My baby shall rule Glouia!

The thought made her smile from both pleasure and relief. She did not have to fear jealousy or hatred from other wives. She did not have to worry about her child being second to another full Britisc heir. She was all, and her baby was all, that Owain had.

Leola caught sight of Britu’s judging eyes.

Why does everyone stare at me?

But at that moment she did not care what any of these people thought of her. She was Owain's cwen. Nothing else mattered.

Chapter Twenty Seven: Journey to Caer Baddan