Serpent (28 page)

It was well-said. Bhrodi’s eyes glimmered with approval. “Wisely spoken, wife,” he said, looking at Bron. “You have not yet met my wife, the Lady Penelope de Wolfe de Shera. Penny, this is a very old friend of mine, Bron Llwyd. His family is very, very old in Anglesey. We grew up together.”

Penelope nodded her head politely. “My lord,” she greeted, but she returned her attention to Bhrodi
. “I would call a meeting but I would not have it inside the castle in case your chieftains decide to riot. They will remain outside of the walls while you speak to them from the battlements. I will speak with them also, with your approval. When they see me, and hear me speak, I will cease to become the hated enemy and they will hopefully see me as a woman who wants peace as much as you do.”

Bron was watching the woman, seeing that she was very intelligent and well-spoken. She was, in fact, a most impressive match for de Shera
. He turned to Bhrodi.

“She speaks wisely,” he concurred. “Let them hear you and let them
see
her. Mayhap that will ease them.”

Bhrodi pondered the advice. In truth, he hadn’t much choice; he knew these chieftains and they were a petty lot
. After what happened at his wedding, they were also not to be trusted. Eventually, he nodded.

“Very well,” he said. “I will send out messengers tomorrow and invite them to a
cyfarfod
. They will hear what I have to say about my marriage and they will agree with it.”

It was a decisive statement
. Penelope cocked her head curiously. “What is a
cyfarfod
?” she asked

Bhrodi turned to look at her. “It is a gathering of chieftains,” he said, turning his attention back to Bron. “You will say here with me tonight
. There is more I wish to discuss with you after my wife retires.”

He meant a meeting she was not in
vited to. Penelope took the hint and, trying to behave like a good wife, stood up and reached out to take Tacey’s hand. The young girl had sat through the exchange between the men, not saying a word because she was eating little bread rolls with cheese baked into them that one of the serving wenches had brought to the table. She was more interested in food than talk of rebelling chieftains. Even as Penelope pulled her to stand, she grabbed a couple of the little rolls and chewed on them as Penelope led her out of the hall.

“Good eve to you, my lord,” Penelope said politely as she led Tacey from the hall.

Bhrodi’s eyes were riveted to her, thinking of finding her in his bed when he retired later on. “Good eve, my lady,” he replied, his tone bordering on seductive. “I will join you later.”

Penelope merely nodded, lowering her head so he wouldn’t catch the blush in her cheeks. She had heard his tone and it sent shivers coursing through her body. After their voyage of discovery last night, she was embarrassed that she was anticipating what might come tonight
. The red hue to her cheeks gave her thoughts away.

Bhrodi watched the pair leave, hearing their footfalls fade as they mounted the stairs for the upper floor.
As Bhrodi admired his wife as the woman left the room, Bron had tucked into the bread on the table, ravenous after his stay in the buttery with no food or water. He had a full mouth when Bhrodi returned his attention to him.

“Now,” he said, his voice low as he motioned Ianto and the others closer. “You will start from the beginning of your meeting with
Tudur and Lon, and tell me exactly what was said. I would know what manner of rebellion I am dealing with so I can better deal with the remaining chieftains.”

Bron swallowed the bite in his mouth, eyeing Ianto and
Ivor as the men sat on either side of Bhrodi. “Did you really feed them to the beast?” he asked quietly.

Bhrodi didn’t acknowledge the question, which was an answer in
and of itself. When he prompted Bron to tell him of the meeting that led to the wedding feast assault, Bron told him everything he could because perhaps deep down, he was fearful he might end up in the belly of the beast as well. Bhrodi could be unpredictable that way.

When the discussion was finally over and Bron headed home to see his wife and sons, he couldn’t help but wonder what the coming days would bring. Bhrodi had made it clear that treachery from
his vassals would not go unpunished. He wondered if more chieftains would meet their fate at the fangs of the serpent.

⌘

Kevin wasn’t quite sure how long he’d been awake. All he knew was that somewhere over the past few minutes, he realized that he was staring at a ceiling. There was a fire in the room because he could see it dancing off the walls, flickers of orange and yellow against the stone.

It was an odd sensation, really
. He had no idea where he was nor could he remember how he got here. The last memory he had was of watching Penelope as she married that arrogant Welshman and then there was something about drinking too much wine. He could hear his mother begging him not to drink anymore. He thought very hard on what he was doing at the time of all the drinking and seemed to recall a wedding feast. Aye, that’s what it was – a wedding feast. He had been drinking too much, feeling very bad over Penelope’s marriage, and then chaos ensued.

Crashing tables and men with short-blade swords
. Welshmen who wanted to kill him. Aye, he remembered that clearly. As he stared at the ceiling and tried to recall how he ended up on his back, he heard the door to the chamber open and soft voices enter. Turning his head slightly, he could see Penelope approaching.

“
Kevin,” Penelope gasped as she quickly moved to him. “You are awake. How do you feel?”

Kevin
gazed up into her lovely face, feeling a good deal of angst but he hid it well. He shifted slightly, trying to get a feel for his level of discomfort.

“Wounded,” he grunted as pain shot up his torso, into his chest and down his left arm
. “What happened?”

Penelope reached out and grasped his hand. “You do not remember anything?”

Kevin tried to take a deep breath but he ended up hurting himself again. “I… I am not sure,” he said, trying to sort through the cobwebs in his brain. “There was a fight at your wedding feast.”

Penelope nodded. “Indeed there was,” she said. “Local chieftains who did not agree with Bhrodi’s decision to
take an English bride.”

Kevin
remembered that much. “My parents? They are well?”

Penelope squeezed his hand. “They are very well,” she said. “Only you and Thomas were injured. You must remain here at Rhydilian until you heal.”

“Did everyone else leave?”

“This morning. Your mother was very distraught about it but my father thought it best to return to England as soon as possible.”

Kevin grunted. “A wise decision,” he agreed. Then, he tried to move his stiff neck around as if looking for something. “Where is Thomas?”

“Here,” came the muffled reply from the corner. “You snore like an old bull, Hage
. I thought you were going to bring the walls down around us.”

Penelope grinned and let go of
Kevin’s hand, moving to where her brother was just rolling over onto his back. His hazel eyes gazed up at his little sister.

“What has happened since I’ve been trapped in this room with the great rumbling beast?” he asked. “What day is it?”

Penelope giggled as she grasped her brother’s hand. “It is the day after my wedding,” she replied. “You have been asleep since last night when you were injured. Bhrodi’s surgeon gave you both a potion to make you sleep.”

Thomas sighed heavily, putting a hand to his head. “No wonder I feel as if I’ve been hit in the skull
with a hammer,” he said, looking over at Kevin. “Do you feel that way, too?”

Kevin
nodded faintly. “My head feels as if it weighs as much as my horse,” he said. “But I will admit that I am thirsty. And hungry.”

A roll suddenly appeared in his face. Startled,
Kevin pulled back a little to see a very young woman standing next to his bed. She was tiny, dark haired, and very pregnant. He blinked at her, somewhat surprised to see her there.

“Greetings,” he said.

Faced with a stranger, Tacey reverted to her stammering shyness. “You… you can have my bread,” she said. “You said you were hungry.”

Penelope let go of Thomas’ hand and came over to Tacey as the young woman stood over
Kevin’s bed.

“I will go to the kitchens and get him something to eat,” she said, taking the girl by the shoulders and turning her for the door. “You go up to your chamber now and prepare for sleep.”

Tacey was all but pushed to the door. “Will you come and see me before I go to sleep?”

Penelope nodded. “Aye,” she replied. “Go, now. I will see you
in a few moments.”

Taking a bite of her roll, the one she offered to
Kevin, Tacey quit the chamber and headed up to her bower. When she was gone, Penelope turned back to Kevin and Thomas.

“I shall send the surgeon to you both,” she said. “I am sure he will want to know that you are awake.”

As Kevin nodded weakly, Thomas climbed out of bed with great effort. “I have had to piss badly for the past several hours,” he said, grunting with exertion. “I was having dreams of pissing great yellow rivers. It is time I find a garderobe before I burst.”

Penelope giggled at her crude brother. “There is one downstairs in the feasting hall.”

Thomas staggered past her, holding his tightly wrapped arm and shoulder. “I shall find it.”

“Do you need my help walking?”

“Nay.”

Penelope followed him to the door anyway, making sure he made it down the stairs without falling
. Once she was sure he had made it down unharmed, she returned her attention to Kevin.

“I will send for food for you,” she said quietly. “I am sure you will not be able to eat anything substantial for a while
, so it may only be broth and gruel. Not very filling.”

Kevin
’s right arm moved to the heavy bandages across his torso. “A chest wound?”

Penelope went back over to his bed, looming over him. “Abdomen,” she said. “Right in the middle of your body.”

He fingered the bandages, pondering her reply. But as he did so, his thoughts inevitably moved to the feast and the wedding itself. He struggled to shake off the extreme sadness the event provoked but he couldn’t help himself from speaking on it.

“You are married now,” he said softly.

Penelope nodded, wondering where the conversation was going to lead. She didn’t want him upsetting himself over things he could not change.

“Aye,” she responded quietly.

“Your husband,” he continued, “has he been good to you so far?”

Penelope nodded again. “He has been kind and generous,” she said, hoping it would ease
Kevin’s mind. “I fear he wants me to be a true lady, however. He does not seem to approve of me wearing armor and carrying a broadsword.”

She was smiling as she said it, hoping he would see the humor in it, but
Kevin’s expression remained neutral. “I would have permitted it,” he whispered. “I would have let you be what you wanted to be.”

Penelope’s smile faded. “You know me too well,” she said, hoping to avoid the emotion of his statement. “Besides, I can best you in a fight.
You would not have had a choice in letting me do what I wanted to do.”

He reached out and grasped her hand, unwilling to give in to any humor at the moment. He wanted to be serious and she was jesting.

“I want you to listen to me and listen well,” he muttered. “This wound may kill me yet and I want to say all I must say to you in case I die. Will you hear me?”

Penelope’s humor vanished and she tried to pull away from him. “Nay,” she said. “There is no reason for you to tell me anything,
Kevin. What is done, is done. I am a married woman now and nothing you can say will change that.”

He wouldn’t let her go, showing surprising strength for a man who was gravely injured. “
I realize that,” he said. “But there is so much I have wanted to say to you for so long but I never did. I want you to know how much I love you, Penny. I will always love you. If anything happens to de Shera, know… know that I will be waiting for you.”

There was pain in her expression as she gazed at him
. “I do not want you to wait for me,” she said softly. “I want you to find a wonderful woman to marry, one who will worship you as you deserve to be worshipped. For you to remain unmarried and without sons to carry on your name is such a tragedy, Kevin. Do not make me the reason for this tragedy.”

He sighed faintly
. “If my sons cannot have you as their mother, then I see no point,” he murmured. “You were always my destiny, Pen. I am sorry I was not yours.”

Penelope was having trouble looking him in the eye. “You give me such guilt,
Kevin. I wish you would not say such things.”

“I do not mean to give you guilt,” he said. “This is my burden to bear. But… but if your marriage to de Shera had never happened, would… would you have accepted me as a suitor?”