«Sire, you will be aware that Twelfth Night marks the Feast of the Epiphany, when, by tradition, three kings brought gifts to the newborn Child in Bethlehem. This is why we give gifts at this season, in memory of their gifts».
«That is true», the king said patiently, smiling faintly.
«This past year has marked the giving of another great gift: your Majesty's great commission of inquiry, by which the rights of lords and commons throughout this land shall be safeguarded and preserved».
Tremulously she offered up her package in both hands, placing it in his.
«In the spirit of this season, then, the four of us decided to create a modest memento to commemorate the importance of this latest inquiry — an extract of the findings concerning the city and environs of Holy Dhassa — and we have set it forth in a form befitting its importance in the history and preservation of our land, and hopefully pleasing to your Majesty».
She watched as he untied the yarn holding the linen wrappings in place, his eyebrows rising as he turned back the linen and caught his first glimpse of what lay within.
«My lord», said the queen, «Lady Vera and Lady Marie created the binding and its fine embroidery. The illuminations are Mistress Zoë's work, and the scrivening was done by Lady Alyce. The balass rubies and the gold bullion thread for the binding were my own humble contribution. I hope you are pleased», she concluded, as the king opened its cover, greatly touched, and turned the first page slightly toward the queen.
«What a truly remarkable gift», he murmured, as Richeldis ran an appreciative finger along a bit of the binding. «I shall look forward to finding the time to examine it properly. Dear ladies, I thank you. Now, where is my new page?» he added, turning to look for Prince Brion, who was standing proudly behind his father in his page's livery, craning his neck to see.
«Boy, take charge of this, please — and mind your hands are clean! Ladies, I see a squire lurking by the door, waiting to unleash petitioners, but I shall charge my son and heir to guard this well for me». He leaned forward to kiss the hand of each of them, then nodded to the squire as he put his crown back on.
«Let's have the first one, Gerald. I should like to see everyone that I must, before the feast is served».
After Twelfth Night, the rhythm of life at court settled back into its usual routine. The first months of the new year were marked by heavy storms and freezing cold, leading to a late spring. Perhaps because of the sharp lesson of two years previously, Meara was still quiet, but Iolo Melandry, the royal governor, warned that the peace was precarious, and might not hold.
The peace did hold, all through that season, but word came early in the summer that the newly married Countess Elaine, a bride of less than a year, had died in childbed after delivering a son. The boy's father had christened him Kevin Douglas McLain.
«What a tragedy», said Queen Richeldis, hugging the infant Nigel to her heart when she heard the news.
«Was she even sixteen?» one of the other ladies asked, shocked.
Alyce shook her head sadly. «No».
«Her husband is to blame!» another muttered.
«No, she was unfortunate», the queen replied, for both she and Jessamy had borne their first child younger than Elaine.
«Indeed», Jessamy said quietly. «Sadly, such is often the fate of our sex».
Chapter 17
«So they oppress a man and his house, even a man and his heritage».[18]
The peace looked likely to hold in Meara that summer, perhaps partially because Duke Richard made a progress into Kierney and Cassan, to show the royal presence at the courts of Earl Jared and Duke Andrew. In May, he had ridden up to the red walls of Jared's seat at Castel Dearg only hours before the birth of the McLain heir — and had mourned with Jared when pretty Elaine slipped away soon after. He would stay on patrol along their Mearan borders for several months.
The king took advantage of the respite to spend time with his young family — fortunately, as it happened, for trouble flared unexpectedly toward the end of summer: not in Meara, as one might have expected, but in Corwyn, on the opposite side of kingdom.
«Torenthi raiders crossed the river at Fathane and harried as far south as Kiltuin», Sir Sé Trelawney reported, addressing king and council in emergency session on a steamy August evening. «Scores were killed or injured, and Kiltuin town was looted and burned. It — ah — has even been suggested that some of the raiders were princes of the blood, and that rogue magic was employed. Ahern will be investigating those claims», he added, with a speaking glance at Alyce and Marie, who had been asked to sit in on the session. «The bishop is said to be livid».
As his council muttered among themselves, Donal cast another glance over the report Sé had brought from Lord Hambert, the seneschal of Coroth. It was the same that Hambert had sent to Ahern to inform him of the raid, and was stark in its assessment of the situation.
My lord, your father would not have allowed this to go unpunished, Hambert had written. The raiders destroyed most of the town, looting and burning with abandon, and even violated many of the women. In some cases, women and children were ridden down in the streets. I chanced to be traveling in the region soon after it happened, and was told by the town's headman that those responsible were definitely of Torenth, and had boasted that none could bring them to task for their actions, since the king is an old man and his brother is occupied with affairs in Meara. They also believed that, with Earl Keryell dead, you would not be able to take up Corwyn's defense, being young and unfit….
«Lord Hambert and the Corwyn regency council have already sent stiff letters of protest to the court of Torenth, deploring the incident», Sir Sé was saying, «and Ahern will be in Kiltuin by now, carrying out further investigation. But this is not the first such border violation, as we all know. One would think that the Torenthi would have learnt their lesson in the Great War».
«Twas clearly a blatant venture of opportunity», said the Archbishop of Rhemuth, forging directly into the discussion. «They know that the king's attention has been focused on Meara, and that Corwyn is in the hands of regents for its duke, who is a minor and a cripple to boot!»
«More agile a cripple than many a man with all his faculties intact», Sé said pointedly. «And crippled he was in the king's service».
«Let be, Sir Sé», Donal said mildly. «What concerns us at this time is a fitting response in Corwyn — which Lord Ahern and his regents seem to have begun quite nicely. Kenneth, how many ships have we at Desse?»
«I don't know, Sire, though I can have that information for you by morning».
«Fair enough», the king agreed. «Jiri, how quickly can we raise sufficient troops to take a policing force into Corwyn?»
«That depends on how many men you have in mind, Sire — which, in turn depends on what ships are available».
«Let's plan for about forty. We'll ride down to Nyford for ships, if we must».
Jiri Redfearn nodded. «In that case, perhaps a day or two, then».
«Which?» Donal demanded. «One day or two?»
The king's sharp tone elicited a whispered conference.
«Tomorrow?» said Jiri.
Donal nodded. «By noon».
«Yes, Sire».
«See to it, then. Sir Tiarnán, you'll leave at once for Kierney, to find my brother and inform him what's occurred. He may well be in Cassan by now, but it would probably be wise for him to return to Rhemuth. It’s late for any serious trouble in Meara this season. Seisyll, I'll ask you and the archbishop to form an interim council of regency with the queen, pending Richard's return». He slapped his hand flat against the table in annoyance. «Damn! I did not want to campaign this season. Why couldn't those misbegotten Torenthi stay on their side of the river?»