“There’s nothing there but genealogies and herb lore. Someone,” she said, knowing full well it was the Torr, “has removed all the useful books. The library was not what I hoped it might be.”
“I am sorry, my Queen. But I have news, or at least an idea that I thought you might approve of.”
“Go ahead, I’m listening,” she said as she fell into an overstuffed chair near her sister.
“Well, I had the idea that perhaps we should send out riders. They could conscript more men for our army and perhaps bring us news of the Five Kingdoms.”
“That’s not a bad idea,” Gwendolyn said, doing nothing to hide the boredom in her voice. “Go ahead.”
“Thank you, my lady,” Prince Wilam said. “Work is going well on the Castle. Would you care to see it?”
“No, it’s too hot outside. I think I’ll take a bath.”
She watched as Wilam struggled to speak. She knew his imagination was running wild. She of course had no intention of inviting him into her bed, much less her bath, but it wouldn’t do to let him know that. Toying with the men under her power was one of her favorite things, whether it was a crown prince or a pauper.
“Well, go,” she said. “Send in Keevy with fresh water and towels.”
“As you wish, my Queen,” Wilam said, bowing low.
He had never bowed to anyone, but he was completely under the witch’s spell. Each teasing suggestion bound him more closely to her. He left her rooms and hurried to find the steward of the Castle. Keevy had served at the Castle for years. He was fat and his hair was falling out, yet he oversaw every aspect of life at the Castle with the energy of a much younger man. Though he was as sly as a fox, Keevy was just as infatuated with Gwendolyn as the Prince.
“She wants fresh water sent up for a bath,” he told the man, almost choking with jealousy as he said it. “And fresh towels. Be sure they’re clean and neatly folded. And don’t let any of your vile staff near her. They’ll be eunuchs if they step out of line. I’ll see to the gelding myself.”
“Yes, my lord,” Keevy said in a nasally voice.
Prince Wilam stormed out of the Castle. He was so angry he hit the first man who approached him. Then he gave the new assignments to the riders he had selected and took a position on the wall to watch them ride away. The town of Lodenhime had once been a busy place. Now it seemed almost haunted with emptiness. There were still women and small children in the city, but they stayed away from the Castle.
Wilam considered his options. He wasn’t sure how long he could hold himself in check. He had never dishonored himself by forcing his affections onto a woman, but every time he was near Gwendolyn his desire raged like a fire out of control. He made up his mind to try harder to win her affection. It was all he could think of to do.
Chapter 6
Quinn spent three days in the water. His body ached from cold and lack of sleep. The Great Sea of Kings was a freshwater lake that was as large as an entire kingdom. Savage storms were common, and waves could tower as high as twenty feet. Fortunately for Quinn, the weather did not turn bad. Instead he baked under hours of direct sunlight and shivered through cold, wet nights. Time became a blur. The bucket he was clinging to had a rough, rope handle and Quinn snaked his arm through it. He couldn’t sleep, too afraid of losing the bucket. Whenever he dozed off he would jerk awake in terror.
Eventually he grew delirious. He saw Zollin walking toward him across the water, heard voices, and carried on conversations with people he knew were dead. When he heard the sailors on a small fishing boat calling out to him, he didn’t think they were real. He ignored the voices, his mind lost in a mental fog where delusion and reality were one and the same. He felt himself grabbed by rough hands and heaved up out of the water. He felt his sodden clothes cut away and felt warm blankets cover him. Then, at long last, he slept. When he woke up he was warm and dry. He looked around and realized he was on a boat. It wasn’t a great vessel, just a small boat with a canvas awning and a small sail. He could smell raw fish and heard voices. He struggled to sit up, his head spinning a little from the effort.
“Hey look, he’s waking up,” said a young man about Zollin’s age.
There were three of them, obviously a father and his two sons. The father was guiding the ship, the boys were mending nets. Quinn saw a pile of fish between himself and the fishermen.
“He’ll need water,” said the father, “and food.”
The boys both dipped their hands into the water by leaning over the edge of the boat. Then they each held a bucket, much like the one he had been clinging to, back toward Quinn.
“I’m Niils,” said the first and clearly the youngest.
Quinn thought the boy was probably fourteen or fifteen years old. He had shaggy hair that was bleached blonde by long hours exposed to sunlight. He had a bright, cheerful face and offered Quinn a tin cup from his bucket.
“It’s just water,” Niils said.
“I’ve got food,” said the older boy. “Some hard bread, and apples.”
“Thank you,” Quinn said, with a froggy voice.
“I’m Azel, and our father is Olton.”
“Thank you for rescuing me,” Quinn said after sipping the water.
“What were you doing in the water?” Niils asked. “Did your boat sink?”
“No, I was attacked and thrown overboard,” Quinn said.
“By who?” asked the boy in awed surprise.
“By a friend,” Quinn said. “He wasn’t thinking clearly. I need to get to Yelsia. Where are we going?”
“Not to Yelsia,” said Azel. “The Great Sea isn’t anywhere near Yelsia.”
“We can take you as far north as the Walheta Mountains,” said Olton, speaking to Quinn for the first time. “We’ve got to get these fish to market first, though.”
“Not in Lodenhime, I hope,” Quinn said.
“No, we live in a small village south of the Walheta.”
“Okay, thank you. Thank you for saving my life.”
“No decent seaman would have left you for dead. How long were you in the water?”
“I’m not sure,” Quinn said bitterly. “Too long. I’ve got to return to Yelsia as quickly as possible. It’s a matter of life or death.”
“Really?” said Niils in astonishment.
“I suppose you’ve heard rumors of a dragon in Yelsia,” Quinn asked the boy.
“Of course. They say it’s destroying whole villages and demanding gold.”
“That’s true,” Quinn said. “My son is a wizard. He was sent to slay the beast.”
“Wizards and witches and dragons,” Olton scoffed. “We’ll be hearing tales of sea creatures and mermaids next.”
“They aren’t just stories,” Quinn said. “I was sent on a mission by King Felix. I was returning with my companions when we came to Lodenhime. There is a woman there who bewitched us. I can’t remember much about her, but I do remember feeling like being with her was more important than anything else in the world. I was under some kind of spell, until my friend cast me overboard. The cold water must have shocked me back to my senses.”
“It sounds more like they robbed you of them,” Olton said.
“It’s the truth. The witch sent us to bring back my son. I have to get to him before Mansel does. He can’t fall under the witch’s spell.”
“You tell a good story, stranger,” said Olton. “But I’d prefer for you not to fill my children’s heads with such nonsense.”
“I swear on my life it’s true. Tell me, have you seen any of the merchant trading ships on the sea?”
Olton looked hard at Quinn before speaking.
“No,” he said at last.
“That’s because they are all at anchor in Lodenhime. The crews are bewitched by a woman with strange powers.”
“Well, if that’s true, it’s no concern of ours.”
“No, I guess not,” Quinn said.
“Let our guest rest, boys. Back to the nets.”
The boys left the buckets of food and water and returned to their places in the boat near their father. They worked with quiet efficiency. Quinn watched them as he ate. They seemed content, and he envied them. He wished more than anything that he could ignore the larger world and live in peace. His whole life he had tried to do the right thing, but it only seemed to bring him heartache and pain. He had lived for a long time in Tranaugh Shire, but that time was forever marred by the death of his wife and the difficulties of raising Zollin on his own. Now, after battles and travels across the five kingdoms, he wanted only to rest. To be done with strife. He thought of Miriam, the animal healer in Felson. They had met only once, but she still captivated his thoughts like no other woman ever had.