It was some moments before the hubbub died away.
For the first time Macliau raised his head and an expression of hope crossed his features.
Fidelma glanced at him with a satisfied smile.
‘I discounted Macliau’s involvement on several grounds. Primarily, while, with the right motive, we are probably all capable of killing someone, what motive did he have for killing Argantken? Macliau loves the good life. He loves wine and women. He is no warrior. He confessed as much to us when we arrived here. Importantly, he would never have killed his dog Albiorix. I think he loved that dog perhaps more than he did the women in his life. No, it is impossible to see Macliau in the role of the Koulm ar Maro. The Dove of Death is vicious, a ruthless killer with a fixed ambition — not the sort of person who would fall into a drunken stupor next to their newly killed victim and their pet dog. Finally, how would Macliau have succeeded as King? Even his sister, Trifina, and others have pointed out that he did not have the support to succeed as lord of Brilhag, let alone King. I am told the Bretons still adhere to choosing the most capable member of the bloodline, male or even female.’
‘If not Macliau then who…?’ began Lord Canao.
‘I can now name the person who gave direct orders to Taran: the pirate who, dressed all in white and wearing a mask, even went on some of their murderous raids and enjoyed the killing as much as those they led. The person who killed my Cousin Bressal and the captain of the Barnacle Goose was — Iuna.’
There was a thunderous noise of incredulity and surprise through the hall. Trifina turned from her seat with shocked features.
‘You must be jesting! Iuna, our stewardess?’ she cried over the hubbub.
Fidelma was calm.
‘Iuna was the person who actually led some of the raids. She is a ruthless and ambitious young woman. It was Aourken who first told me about that ambition. Her parents had been killed and she had been fostered by the lord of Brilhag.’
‘But she was content simply to be our domestic…’ began Lord Canao. ‘She was my foster-daughter. She had no ambition.’
‘On the contrary, she had great ambition,’ interrupted Fidelma. ‘Iuna came from a noble family that dwelt in Brekilian. Iuna’s parents had been slain. You knew that when you took her into your household.’
Lord Canao raised his arms in a helpless gesture. It was King Alain who, sitting back, was shaking his head with a sad smile.
‘Unfortunately, Fidelma of Hibernia, in your accusation of Iuna, you are forgetting one thing. I knew Iuna’s father, since he fought at my side against the Frankish incursions. He was a great noble and a great warrior. But he was not of the bloodline of Domnonia or Bro-Waroch. If the motive was to assassinate me and blame it on Lord Canao’s family, in order that she could claim my throne, that would have been impossible.’
‘True,’ conceded Fidelma. ‘But I did not say that she was aiming to be the direct beneficiary of these murderous acts. She was acting for someone else, someone who would be the beneficiary — in the mistaken belief that she would then join him as his Queen.’
‘But,’ replied King Alain, ‘if I died now, there is only…’
There was a sudden silence and then Fidelma spoke slowly and distinctly.
‘Yes. There is only your son by your first wife who is of the bloodline and would come to the throne without challenge. Budic would succeed you.’
Once again the rest of her words were drowned in the cacophony of voices throughout the great hall. Budic sat with a broad grin spreading over his features, shaking his head as if in disbelief.
Finally, Fidelma made herself heard again, speaking directly to King Alain.
‘I did not know that Budic was your son and possible heir until you confirmed it last night. I should have realised it before, when Abbot Maelcar arrived in answer to what he believed was a command from you as King. Abbot Maelcar asked Budic if he had sent the message on behalf of his father. Of course, Abbot Maelcar knew you were Budic’s father. Not picking up on that was a serious error on my behalf.’
Budic was actually laughing now.
‘And not the only one. You are accusing me of attempting to murder my own father?’ He turned to King Alain. ‘The woman is mad. When these attacks started to occur I can prove I was not even in this province.’
‘I am sure you can because you were working with Iuna, the Dove of Death.’
Budic gazed at Fidelma with a cynical smile. ‘You still have to prove all these accusations, and foreigner or not, a King’s sister or not, you will have to account for them.’ The vehemence in his voice belied the smile.
‘Silence!’ King Alain snapped. ‘This is not the place to make threats. Fidelma of Hibernia is under my protection and may present her accusations here without fear. But I have to say that these same accusations are wild and unreasonable. You will have to present proof that Iuna and Budic are in such a conspiracy.’
‘Indeed,’ sneered Budic. ‘And where is Iuna? Will she come forward to confess this? I think not. And for what reason am I supposed to have killed Abbot Maelgar, the girl found with Macliau and heaven knows who else?’
‘Iuna killed Abbot Maelcar,’ went on Fidelma confidently. ‘The Abbot was from Brekilien and had been fostered in an abbey — I believe it is called Pempont. Next to it is the royal court. On a visit recently, he chanced on Iuna in a compromising position with Budic. He came back muttering about loose morality at the court — about a provincial servant fornicating with the King’s offspring. Aourken told me that. Alain has only one offspring. Abbot Maelcar considered Iuna a provincial servant. And Iuna let slip that Abbot Maelcar used to call her that as an insult. She also said he was a man who looked at women through cracks in curtains. She was about to tell me what had happened at Brekilien when she realised that it would incriminate her. Indeed, she realised that Abbot Maelcar could be witness to her relationship with Budic. That was why he was invited here and killed by her. She grew more vicious as the time for the fruition of the conspiracy grew close.’
During this recital, Riwanon had turned to regard Budic with an expression of distaste, but the young man was still sneering at Fidelma.
‘But I am told that Budic himself was nearly slain in an ambush by the followers of this Dove of Death,’ King Alain objected. ‘They attacked Riwanon and killed members of their escort. Budic saved her life.’
‘Explain that, foreigner!’ Budic taunted her.
‘The ambush was faked,’ answered Fidelma flatly.
Riwanon coloured and leaned forward, her cheeks aflame.
‘But I was there,’ she said. ‘Bleidbara and your companion went out after the attackers and found them, rescued my maid while she was being raped, and killed them. How was that a fake?’
‘I’ll tell you what really happened,’ Fidelma said. ‘Budic and yourself rode out with Ceingar, your maid, and two warriors. Budic needed such an event to enhance his position when the time came to present himself as a hero who had escaped death from the evil machinations of Brilhag. Iuna had arranged for one of the raiding parties from the Koulm ar Maro to meet up with Budic and his party. In fact, I suspect the two warriors who accompanied Budic were either part of the conspiracy or mercenaries from the Koulm ar Maro. I found it curious that Budic and Riwanon had decided to go to the oratory that morning when the countryside was in such uproar. When they returned to Brilhag with the story of two warriors and their maid dead or captured and their own miraculous escape, I became very suspicious.
‘What really happened was that the party had met up and then Riwanon and Budic had returned with their stories. Meanwhile, the two warriors and Ceingar had joined the others and even attacked a farmstead, killing a farmer and his family.