Dragon of the Island (9 page)

“I must have some cheese or fresh meat, some
grains or vegetables. And I must have water to wash with... and I
have no one to help me dress and take care of my clothes!”

Maelgwn shook his head slowly. “There is no
woman in camp who could attend you. But I will try to get you
better food, and water to wash with.” He was confused. Why was she
so angry with him over these little things that could be easily
arranged? He took another step toward her, longing to quiet her
angry mouth with a kiss, but she moved away from him and spoke
accusingly.

“What of when we reach Caer Eryri? What do
you intend to do with me then? They say you are a powerful, wealthy
man. How can you expect me to live in some ancient fortress with no
servants to attend me? I am a princess, after all!”

“Of course you will have a maid,” Maelgwn
said impatiently “And my chambers are comfortable and
well-appointed—even if they aren’t Roman.” He was growing tired of
her accusations. She acted if he were going to keep her in a
dungeon.

“But what kind of queen am I to be? Your
sister runs your household. What am I to do with myself? Am I
nothing more than a hostage for my father’s goodwill?”

Maelgwn was startled. He was concerned as to
how Aurora would be accepted by Esylt, but he had not really
thought ahead to what she would do with her days, how she would
spend her time. He had always assumed that the woman he chose as
his wife would be busy sewing and having babies. He certainly
didn’t want to be discussing these things now, when his whole body
was throbbing with eagerness for lovemaking.

“Your role in my household will be to please
me, and you can begin right now by taking off your clothes and
getting into to bed!” he answered harshly.

His crude order infuriated Aurora. She no
longer cared about being a good wife and she lashed out with the
first angry words that came to mind.

“So, I am to be your concubine... your
whore, after all. How do I even know if our children will be
recognized as your heirs?”

Maelgwn took another step forward and
Aurora’s eyes flashed. “And what of your sister? Does she rule
Gwynedd, too, as well as your household?”

Maelgwn’s face turned as cold as ice, but he
tried to control his voice. “My sister is no concern of yours. She
is very skilled at managing things at Caer Eryri. You will have to
find other means of occupying yourself. I advise you to stay out of
her way.”

“You have no right to treat me like this!”
Aurora said in a voice of muffled rage. “You made an agreement with
my father to marry me. You can’t push me aside like a slave girl
when we reach Gwynedd.”

“I can do whatever I wish. Right now I
command you to take off your clothes and lie down.”

Maelgwn’s eyes were dark and deadly, and he
looked as if he might force her if she did not obey him. Aurora was
desperate; if she backed down now he would never respect her, never
treat her as a queen. She searched her mind frantically for a
weapon to use against him.

“You are such a proud and mighty warrior,”
she sneered. “But it’s clear you are afraid of your own sister.
What power does she hold over you? What dark secrets does she
know?”

Maelgwn’s face went white. No one,
no
one
had ever mentioned his relationship with his sister in such
a way before. And her tone... so mocking, so sarcastic. He did not
even remember lifting his hand to strike the blow, but suddenly
Aurora was sprawled on the ground, holding her cheek and staring at
him with bright tears in her eyes.

Maelgwn was shocked at himself, at what he
had done. He had never struck a woman before, not even when Esylt
provoked him to fury. Slowly, he made himself go to Aurora and help
her gently onto the bedplace. He could not bear to look at her, to
see her red, swollen cheek. She turned away from him, her body
shuddering with silent sobs. He did not know what to say, how to
comfort her, and so he left the tent.

The night was overcast and nearly starless.
Maelgwn walked quickly past the guards and began to pace the
perimeter of the camp, trying to steady his nerves.

In Lludd’s name—what had gotten into him! He
had gone to his new wife eager to pleasure her and make her sigh
with delight. Instead they had quarreled and he had hit her,
lashing out like an angry little boy. His loss of control appalled
him. She was a woman, weak and defenseless. That he had seen fit to
control her by using his fists made him appear a cowardly fool.

Maelgwn flexed his shoulders and tried to
think. It was the taunt about Esylt that undid him. He had never
gotten over being sensitive about the role that his sister had
played in making him king. But how had Aurora known that, and what
kind of woman was she that she dared push him to the point of
violence? Maelgwn stopped pacing and stared out across the dark
hills. His new wife had a defiant streak that disturbed him. It
must be dealt with, and dealt with quickly. But how? If he punished
her further for her mocking words she might hate him, and then he
would never get to taste the delicious secrets of her lovely body
again. Oh, she would submit; she had no choice. But it would not be
the same. He could not forget the way she had melted in his arms.
He did not want to lose that.

Curse it—this was hard. He had never guessed
that having a wife could be so difficult. He had planned to marry
Aurora, enjoy her beauty, savor the hold she gave him over
Constantine, and then go on with his plans and campaigns. But
already this woman was disrupting his life, making him feel things
he did not want to feel. He had meant to keep Aurora as a hostage,
a bargaining tool, but she was more than that. Here he was, pacing
sleeplessly in the darkness, worrying that she would hate him.

Aurora fumbled in the baskets around the
bedplace, searching for a rag with which to blow her nose. She
could not stop sobbing. Her cheek and jaw ached, but the wound to
her pride stung more. No one had ever struck her before—not her
parents nor her nurse—no one. But what could she expect from an
evil-tempered brute like Maelgwn the Great!

Aurora cried harder, the anger washing over
her like waves. Only gradually did the nagging thought that she was
partly to blame for her misfortune prevent her from wallowing in
self-pity. She
had
meant her words to hurt. She had guessed
that Esylt was a sore point with Maelgwn, and she had dared to use
that knowledge to try and shame her husband into showing her more
respect. If words could be weapons, she had chosen the most deadly
ones she knew. It was not surprising that Maelgwn had retaliated.
She was lucky he had not beaten her instead of merely landing a
quick blow.

Aurora sat up and stared at the tent
entrance apprehensively. What a fool she had been. She had defied
her husband and then mocked him. By now he had probably decided she
was a hopeless shrew and he would be better off sending her back to
her father. Her father had been depending on her to accept her lot
as Maelgwn’s wife, to fulfill his part of the agreement. And what
had she done?—taunted her husband into a rage! Aurora suddenly felt
sick. Even now Maelgwn might be planning to turn his troops around
and vent his wrath on Viroconium.

It would be better if Maelgwn came back and
punished her instead, Aurora thought grimly. At least then innocent
people wouldn’t suffer because of her reckless temper. Or perhaps
she could make it up to Maelgwn. If her husband came back to bed,
she would try to act eager and willing for lovemaking. Perhaps then
he would forget her awful words.

Aurora hurried to undress. Her hands were
trembling, and she realized how exhausted she was. Could she really
convince Maelgwn that she wanted him? Could she appear eager and
seductive, even though her insides were tight with fear and anger?
Aurora sighed and crawled into the blankets. She had to try. She
had to think of some way to win back her husband’s goodwill. She
waited, listening anxiously to the night sounds of the camp, but he
did not come.

In the morning, Aurora spent a long time
with her mirror and pots of cosmetics she owned, trying to fix her
face before she left the tent. When she finally ventured out, there
was no sign of Maelgwn.

Elwyn gasped when he saw her. She mumbled
something about falling into the table, but she was sure he didn’t
believe her. Aurora drew her veil close to her face to cover her
swollen cheek. She dreaded arriving at Maelgwn’s fortress looking
bruised and battered. From what Elwyn had said, it was going to be
hard enough to win the respect of Maelgwn’s people without this
badge of shame upon her cheek. That is, if Maelgwn still intended
to take her home as his wife. Aurora listened closely to the
soldiers’ talk. She heard no mention of a change in plans. It
appeared for now Maelgwn had not decided to send her home.

They set off and kept to a steady, if
monotonous pace. By late morning, Aurora noticed that the landscape
was changing. Fierce outcroppings of dull gray rock veined the
land, and the hills around them grew craggy and barren. The weather
was changing, too. The sky had turned a sullen gray, and the air
had a damp, slightly metallic scent. The track they followed
narrowed and grew more rugged, finally winding into a steep-sided
valley.

Aurora shivered as they entered a silent
world of mist and shadow. Shapes sifted in and out of the hazy
light, and the gnarled, ancient trees around them reached out like
spirits beckoning. The stillness was broken only by the echo of
running water. The sound seemed to come from below them, beneath
the ground. Aurora recalled that the poor farmers around Viroconium
believed that every rock and stream and hill had its own god. Here
she could almost believe it was true; the very air seemed
haunted.

As they rode slowly on, Aurora remembered a
story from her childhood about Pluto, the Roman god of the
underworld. He had carried off the beautiful princess Persephone to
his kingdom beneath the earth, and she dwelt there still during the
months when the land was cold and barren. Looking around at this
gloomy land, it was easy for Aurora to imagine herself as the
ill-fated princess and Maelgwn as the god of darkness and death,
come to carry her away from the beauty and tranquility of
Viroconium. Aurora shuddered and urged her horse closer to
Elwyn’s.

By afternoon they had climbed to higher
ground, and the oppressive atmosphere lifted. Despite the change,
Aurora could not overcome her foreboding. Maelgwn still had not
appeared, and she had no idea what he meant to do with her. The
uncertainty tortured her. The longer he waited to confront her, the
more she feared the worst. She looked at the young soldier riding
beside her. Elwyn had been silent and grim all day, and she
wondered what he was thinking. Maelgwn obviously trusted Elwyn, so
he must have some idea what was to be done with her. Aurora
hesitated for a few paces. Would it really be easier if she knew
the truth? Aye, she had to know; anything would be better than this
horrible waiting!

“Elwyn?”

He turned toward her abruptly, as if she had
startled him from his thoughts.

“My lady?”

“I... I appreciate your kindness to me,
Elwyn, truly I do. It has made this journey bearable.”

Elwyn glanced at her quickly and then looked
away.

Aurora plunged on, fearing that she would
lose her nerve if she did not speak now.

“I need to know... it would ease my mind a
great deal if you would tell me what... what is to be done with me
when we reach Caer Eryri?”

“Done with you?” Elwyn’s face was blank, as
if he had no idea what she meant. Aurora felt a stab of irritation.
Surely he was not going to pretend that everything was well between
her and her husband! Anyone could see from the angry bruise on her
face that it was not. She continued on more emphatically.

“I have angered my husband, and I wish to
know what he plans to do with me.”

“I... I don’t know”

Elwyn’s voice was halting and thoughtful.
Aurora grew impatient.

“Well, does he usually beat his women?”

The young soldier gave her a look of horror.
“No, my lady! Why, I cannot remember a time that the king has ever
disciplined a servant, a slave—nay, even a dog—with his fists!”

Aurora was not sure what to make of Elwyn’s
shocked words. It was reassuring to learn that Maelgwn did not have
a reputation for violence, but that meant that her words had
provoked him even more deeply than she had guessed.

Elwyn seemed to be thinking the same thing,
for after a moment, he questioned her hesitantly: “My lady, it is
none of my business, but... what
did
you say to the
king?”

He was right, it was none of his business,
Aurora decided. Still, she needed some advice on how to deal with
her husband, and Elwyn obviously knew Maelgwn better than she.

“I... I suggested that he was afraid of his
sister.”

Elwyn went white and uttered an oath. “Gods
above—you did not!”

“I did.”

“My lady, I am sorry. It is my fault. I
should never have told you about Esylt.”

Aurora sighed. “Nay, ‘tis not your fault. It
was I who taunted him. My mother often warned me that my sharp
tongue would get me into trouble.” She sighed again. “I only wish
that it had not been so soon. I hardly know my husband; I do not
want him to hate me!”

“Maelgwn’s temper is legendary,” Elwyn said
sympathetically. “And Esylt...” Elwyn shook his head. “I do not
know why, but she has the effect of a mite under the skin with
Maelgwn. The mention of her makes his face grow hard and cold, and
if he spends too long in her company he becomes a raving madman.
I’m not sure, but I suspect that it has something to do with Dinas
Brenin.”

“Dinas Brenin?”