Dragon of the Island (20 page)

“Where would you like to live?”

“Why, anywhere else. Along the coast, at
another mountain fortress, anywhere I can be more than your
despised, pampered bed partner!”

Maelgwn considered. It was not as easy as
she thought to find another place for his queen to dwell, and he
didn’t like the idea of catering to Aurora’s whims. On the other
hand, he was anxious to make her happy so she would be willing and
enthusiastic for lovemaking. He decided to put her off. He touched
Aurora’s cheek with a warm lingering caress.

“I will think on it, Aurora, I promise. But
for now... can we not continue what we were doing?”

Despite her anxiety, Aurora forced herself
to respond to her husband with all the passion she could muster.
Now it was more important than ever that she keep Maelgwn
satisfied.

Balyn asked Maelgwn the next day: “How are
things with you and Aurora?”

Maelgwn shook his head. “As soon as we were
alone together, Aurora surprised me with a request that I find her
some other place to live. I know that her unhappiness here is real
enough, but do I dare give in, especially since it will be
considerable trouble to move her elsewhere?”

“Why is she unhappy?”

“Well, for one thing, she says the other
women are cold and unfriendly to her.”

“I’m not surprised,” Balyn said
thoughtfully. “As much as I have tried to get Sewan to befriend
her, my wife steadfastly refuses to give Aurora a chance.”

“Do the women have real grievances against
her, or is it just the petty jealousies of their sex?”

“Oh, their grievances about Aurora are quite
damning,” Balyn answered with a smile. “They think she is vain and
proud, too proud to speak to them or make the first gesture of
friendship. I have tried to make Sewan see that Aurora is really
shy, not haughty and rude, but as usual she does not see my point
of view.

“She says I know nothing of women,” he
continued. “Actually, I think I understand them all too well. They
are jealous of Aurora, jealous of her many gowns and elegant
appearance. Beauty such as Aurora’s does not endear her to other
women. They see their husbands watching Aurora, their eyes
lingering on her body and the graceful sweep of her unbound
hair.”

“Aurora is my queen,” Maelgwn said stiffly.
“Her beauty pleases me. Should I have her wear rough gowns and bind
up her hair so she does not outshine the plainer women?”

Balyn shrugged. “You see the problem it
causes. If she were a Cymraes the problems might be lessened some,
but with her odd accent, her foreign ways of dress and
manner...”

“And if I take her elsewhere... to one of my
lesser holdings, will that make it easier? No, I think not. The
women there would be even more in awe of her.” Maelgwn groaned in
frustration. “I had no idea that having a wife would cause so much
difficulty.”

“Are there other reasons she does not like
Caer Eryri?”

“Aye,” Maelgwn answered wearily. “She does
not like it that Esylt runs my household, and not she.”

“I’m not surprised. Esylt would be hard for
any woman to take.”

Maelgwn’s face stiffened with determination.
“Aurora will have to learn to ignore Esylt and the other women.
There is only so much I am willing to do to keep her happy.”

“You will refuse her?”

“I must. She has to learn to adjust to her
new life—she is only a woman after all.”

Aurora waited impatiently for Maelgwn. The
barley bannock she had eaten for breakfast sat heavily in her
stomach, and her thoughts churned in restless circles. She had
tried to please her husband well last night, but there was no
telling what he would do, if he would listen to her. If he did
not... Aurora shuddered. How would she endure life with Esylt
breathing her foul, evil breath upon her back?

Maelgwn came at last to the tower room. He
looked at her with warmth and then leaned down and kissed her.

“Let us go for a walk,” he suggested.
Maelgwn played with her fingers distractedly as they walked through
the fortress, testing the sharpness of her nails against his
callused palm.

Aurora was not sure about this gentle,
thoughtful mood of Maelgwn’s, and as they left the gate and he had
still not spoken, her anxiety grew. They walked down the track for
a while, and finally Maelgwn led her off into the grass. When they
were near the place where Aurora had been coming to watch the
valley, Maelgwn stopped and turned to her.

Aurora searched her husband’s handsome
face—the deep-set, moody eyes, the sensual mouth. Even now, so
close to him, she could not guess his thoughts, and her heart
pounded in her chest.

“I told you I would think on your request to
live elsewhere than Caer Eryri—and I have,” he said softly. “I’m
sorry, Aurora, but the answer is no.”

Aurora gave a little gasp and began to
protest, but Maelgwn silenced her with a curt shake of his head.
“Hear me out. There is nowhere else you could go, nowhere you would
be safe, not to mention live comfortably.”

“I don’t care about safety!” Aurora cried.
“What does it matter if I am safe, but alone and miserable!”

“Your safety matters a good deal to me. You
could be taken hostage, and I could be forced into war because I
failed to guard you properly. I will not let your foolishness
compromise Gwynedd’s security.”

“But what of Llanfaglan? Surely I would be
safe at Abelgirth’s stronghold.”

Maelgwn shook his head grimly. “There are
the politics of where my queen lives to consider. Already there are
chieftains who think I am much too tight with Abelgirth. To lodge
you at Llanfaglan would give substance to their grumbling that I
favor him over others.”

Aurora’s face was full of dismay,
desperation even, and for a moment Maelgwn regretted his refusal of
her. “I am sorry Aurora,” he said as gently as he could. “It’s not
an arbitrary decision. If I could think of a safe place that would
not upset the balance of power among my princes, I would consider
it.”

Harsh words came to Aurora’s tongue, but she
held them back. To mention the conflict between herself and Esylt
was too dangerous. So far Esylt had not gone to Maelgwn with her
lies, but Aurora dared not risk forcing Maelgwn into a
confrontation with his sister. Still, it seemed to her that Maelgwn
was condemning her to a life of misery and fear.

The sun shone brightly, turning Aurora’s
tears to glittering ribbons on her cheeks. Maelgwn was torn. He
wanted to comfort her, but he was also determined not to let her
affect him deeply. Suddenly he thought of a way to make his
decision seem less harsh.

“Would it help if you could go away from
here for a little while?”

Aurora nodded.

“I have to visit Cunedda in the north to
talk with him of the Pictish raids. It will be a long, hard
journey, Aurora,” he cautioned. “It would mean being tired, dirty,
eating traveling food...”

“I don’t care,” Aurora said defiantly, her
tears forgotten. “I don’t want to be left behind again. When will
we leave?”

“Tomorrow. That is, if Gwenaseth can get you
ready in time.”

“Who is going with us?”

“Balyn, Evrawc, Rhys, Gareth... and Esylt
will no doubt bring her latest bed partner.”

“Esylt!” Aurora almost choked.

“Aye. Cunedda is a distant kinsman of ours,
and he and Esylt have been close since they were like puppies
playing together at the same hearth.” Maelgwn read the dread in
Aurora’s eyes. “Have you changed your mind about going?”

Aurora considered. Esylt would have long
hours on the journey to tell Maelgwn her hateful lies. No, as much
as she loathed the thought of being near Esylt for so long, she
needed to be with Maelgwn, to remind him that he desired her and
that she knew how to make him happy.

“I... I still wish to go.”

“Good.” Maelgwn gave her a satisfied smile.
“Why don’t you tell Gwenaseth the news.”

“I don’t know if you will like Cunedda’s
people,” Gwenaseth said skeptically when Aurora told her of the
journey. “The Brigantes are wild and uncivilized—they make the
Cymru look like proper Roman townspeople by comparison.”

“It will be exciting. I like to ride, and I
will see many new things.”

“I will never understand your desire to go
roaming about on horseback. I would just as soon stay on my own two
legs and by my own hearth all my days,” Gwenaseth said with a
shudder.

“I have never been anywhere except
Viroconium and Caer Eryri,” Aurora answered. “On my trip here, I
was so nervous and homesick I hardly noticed anything except
whether Maelgwn smiled at me or frowned.”

“Well, it seems Maelgwn smiles at you now,”
Gwenaseth observed happily.

“It’s not so certain as that. I have learned
better how to please him, but he is still capable of dealing with
me very coldly.”

“You will see just how considerate and
civilized a man Maelgwn is when you meet Cunedda. He is a brute!
It’s hard to believe they are distant cousins.”

“It’s not so hard to believe,” Aurora said
with a smile. “Why just today Maelgwn was telling me of your
father. From his description, I can hardly believe such a man sired
you.”

“My father is big and loud and crude
sometimes, but he is also good-natured and loyal,” Gwenaseth
answered defensively. “I know Maelgwn counts him among his
strongest supporters.”

“I was merely teasing. I’m sure Abelgirth is
a good friend to Maelgwn... just as you are to me.” She looked at
Gwenaseth fondly. “Now, help me decide what to take.”

* * *

Maelgwn and Balyn sat in a corner of the
great hall, discussing gifts to take to Cunedda. “By the way,”
Maelgwn said as an afterthought. “I have decided to bring Aurora
with us.”

Balyn looked surprised. “It’s a long
journey, Maelgwn, and not one for a woman like Aurora.”

Maelgwn shrugged. “She rode to Gwynedd well
enough... and she wants to go. She complains she has nothing to do
here at Caer Eryri.”

“But what of her and Esylt? Can you hope to
keep them from being at each others’ throats when they are together
for days?”

“Perhaps it will be good for them. Being
forced to be together might make them more tolerant of each
other.”

Balyn shook his head. “I don’t know,
Maelgwn. It seems ill-advised to take two women on such a long
journey.” He looked at the king suspiciously: “Why
really
,
are you taking her?”

“Do you suspect I have become so infatuated
with my wife’s lovely body that I can’t bear to leave her behind?”
Maelgwn asked with a smile. “I do have other reasons. Aurora is
proof of my easy victory over Constantine. Cunedda cannot boast of
having such a woman.”

“You think it’s time to remind Cunedda of
the might of your army?”

“It may be. I can’t tell. Despite our shared
blood, Cunedda and I have never been easy with each other. He wants
my help with the Picts, but I fear he would betray me if he thought
it would benefit his people.”

Balyn nodded. He wondered if Maelgwn’s
decision to take Aurora was really wise. Maelgwn seemed very much
like a little boy, eager to show off a new plaything to a rival.
Had his gloating over his beautiful wife clouded his judgment?
Aurora was lovely and charming, but she was also unpredictable,
naive and headstrong, hardly the sort of person most leaders would
want to take on a peaceful visit to an uneasy ally.

As he lay sleepless in his bed that night,
Maelgwn, too, had second thoughts about his decision. Aurora had
been passionate and eager when they made love, and his body felt
exquisitely satiated. But his mind was crowded with doubts. How
well did he really know this woman who lay beside him, sleeping in
the silvery moonlight? Esylt had warned him that Aurora was weak
and untrustworthy. Was his sister blind with jealousy or was
he
the one who was in thrall to his own desires?

Maelgwn watched Aurora sleep, tracing the
delicate curve of her cheek with his fingers. He had never felt
anything for a woman like he did for this one. It worried him. His
whole future was bound up with this mysterious, foreign princess
and he did not really know her, no, not at all.

They left at dawn. Aurora wore a pair of
Elwyn’s trousers and an old tunic. Her hair was braided to keep it
out of her face, and she wore a veil to protect her fair skin.

Maelgwn was used to riding next to Balyn,
but Aurora’s horse trotted beside him now, and Balyn had dropped
back next to Rhys and Gareth. Maelgwn had to admire Aurora’s skill
on a horse, but it was strange to see her dressed in men’s clothes.
If anything, the close-fitting garments emphasized her feminine
charms, and Maelgwn tantalized himself with the thought of sliding
down the awkward trousers to reveal the creamy naked curves of her
hips.

Esylt rode at the end of the caravan near
the wagon full of gifts for Cunedda. Next to her rode a lean,
swarthy man named Grimerwyn, who appeared to be her most recent
lover. A single slave drove the wagon, and from his vivid red hair,
Aurora was sure he was kin of the Irish slave girl she recalled
from her first morning at Caer Eryri.

Aurora was happy and excited. Riding next to
Maelgwn reminded her of the times she had gone riding with Marcus.
Although she was not entirely comfortable with Maelgwn, it was nice
to feel as if he were her companion.

As usual, Maelgwn said little. Aurora had
found him to be a quiet man, despite his ability to speak well
before a crowded feasting hall or to make his men comfortable with
a friendly word or jest. Even though they were married, Aurora
seldom saw Maelgwn alone, except when they were in bed together,
and then he was usually too busy doing other things with his mouth
to talk! She was looking forward to a chance to converse at length
with him.