The Dragon Lord's Daughters (16 page)
Read The Dragon Lord's Daughters Online
Authors: Bertrice Small
“I am not,” he assured her.
“But if you do not show me your face, my lord, how am I to know you when you come to my father to ask for my hand in marriage?” Maia wanted to know.
“You will know me, my love,” he promised her. “Your innocent heart has come to trust me even if you cannot see my features, and that is why I am assured that you will know me when I come to Dragon's Lair.”
“Soon?” she pressed him. “Ohh, my lord, I would be with you all the time, and not just in a dream at night!”
“I promise you that I will come very soon, my love,” he swore to her. “You sense it, which is why you wore your pendant today for all to see.”
“I did!” she exclaimed.
He laughed, and then his thumb and his forefinger took her chin between them, and she felt his lips on hers.
Maia did not dream of her lover the next night. She awoke weeping and agitated. None could calm her until a servant ran into the hall to announce that a rider approached Dragon's Lair. Leaping to her feet the distraught girl dried her eyes as best she could. “He has come!” she cried. “He has come!” She ran from her father's hall, her long red hair flying behind her, and followed by her family.
“How does she know? How can she be certain?” Ysbail demanded. “Junia! Remain by my side.”
He rode up the hill on a large black stallion. When he dismounted they could see he was tall, and lean. He wore his wavy black hair short. His eyes were a dark gray. His features were perfect. He was, Gorawen thought, the handsomest man she had ever seen. To their surprise Maia gave a sharp little cry, and threw herself into his arms.
“You have come for me, my lord!” she said, looking up adoringly at him.
His arms enclosed her in an embrace, and his eyes lit with pleasure. “I have indeed come for you, Maia, but only with your parents' permission.” He kissed the top of her head. Then he set her aside, and bowed to Merin Pendragon. “I seek your daughter's hand in marriage, my lord.”
“A matter to be discussed in private, my lord,” Merin Pendragon said. “First, your name. We do not know it.” The Dragon Lord's eyes took in the man before him.
“My name is Emrys Llyn,” the deep musical voice answered him.
“The Lord of the Lake!” Gorawen exclaimed.
“I am, lady,” Emrys Llyn replied with a small smile.
“How perfectly fitting,” Gorawen said softly.
He laughed. “I suppose it is. I had not considered it before now.”
“What is it?” Argel asked Gorawen as they entered the hall.
“This lord descends from King Arthur's knight, Lancelot de Lac, and the Lady of the Lake. Is that not so, my lord?” Gorawen said.
“Their blood flows in my veins, 'tis true, lady,” Emrys Llyn said.
“But did not Lancelot betray King Arthur with the king's own queen?” Ysbail now found her voice.
“He did,” Emrys Llyn replied, “and in doing so he broke the heart of the Lady of the Lake who was his wife, and who loved him too well, I fear. They say that one of Arthur's half sisters, and all were skilled mightily in the dark arts, cast a spell upon the queen and Lancelot so that they would deceive the king. Then Mordred, Arthur's other son, took advantage of the situation. Thus began the downfall of Camelot that led to King Arthur's death. 'Twas a terrible tragedy for all involved.” He set his dark gaze upon the Dragon Lord. “Your ancestor took no part in any of it, did he?”
“No,” Merin Pendragon acknowledged. “It was Merlin the Enchanter's decision that my ancestor would remain hidden in order for Arthur's line to continue. Arthur had not yet met his three half sisters before he was crowned. He was warned by Merlin to say naught about his son by the lady Lynior. So they never knew, and my ancestor was safe. Yet you know of my descent, Emrys Llyn. How is this possible?”
“The Lady of the Lake was one of the few in Merlin's confidence. 'Twas she who guarded the king's sword, Excalibur, before Arthur knew his true identity. Lancelot returned Excalibur to her on Arthur's death. It is said she still keeps it safe within her watery bower. It has been believed within my family that a union between our families would wipe away Lancelot's sin against Arthur. But until now it was never possible.”
The Dragon Lord nodded. “I must know you better, Emrys Llyn, before I allow you to marry my daughter Maia. While I recognize your family name and your lineage, I do not know you. Maia is dear to me, and she is my one legitimate daughter. Her dowry includes land.”
“I have no need of your land, Merin Pendragon,” the Lord of the Lake answered. “I will gladly accept whatever other dowry Maia possesses, but I should take her even without a dower portion. I love her.”
“My lords,” Argel said. “Let us sit within the hall, take refreshment while you discuss the future of my daughter.” She motioned them into the chairs of honor by the fireplace, and served them sweet wine in her best silver goblets. Then she directed the other women to the benches to sit with her as they had not been forbidden to listen to the two men in their discussions.
“How came you to know of Maia?” the Dragon Lord asked Emrys Llyn.
The Lord of the Lake smiled. “I have inherited my family's magic,” he said, “and I keep myself informed. I was aware you had three daughters, two of marriageable age. I cast their star charts, which told me your golden haired daughter traveled a different path, but more important, her stars and mine were not compatible. Then I cast Maia's stars, and discovered that should I choose to make her my wife, our stars were sympathetic to one another. But first I had to know her. Sometimes when the stars are consistent with one another, the union is still not advisable for other reasons. But I loved her from the moment I knew her.”
“Why did you keep your face from her, then?” Merin demanded of the younger man.
“Because more times than not an innocent maiden will fall in love with a handsome face. I do not believe I am being immodest when I say I know my visage is a beautiful one. I wished to be loved for who I am, and not for what I look like. And as you see, your daughter knew me instantly even though she had never before laid her eyes on my face.” His eyes found Maia's and he smiled at her.
Her heart leapt in her chest. “Father, let us be wed today!” she begged her sire.
“No,” the Dragon Lord said. “I must know more of this man before I will entrust you to his care.”
“I will die if I cannot be his!” Maia declared, distraught.
“Obey your father, my love,” Emrys Llyn said. “He does what he believes is best for you. He has not forbidden us. He simply wants more time. That is his right.”
“You will abide with us, my lord, will you not?” Argel said, attempting to calm both her husband and her daughter who were both known for their tempers. “Maia, you and Junia will prepare the chamber in the tower for our guest. Go, now.”
The two girls arose, and casting a longing look at her lover, Maia and her sister left the hall to do as they were bid.
“There, now,” Argel said quietly. She turned to look upon Emrys Llyn. “Tell me, my lord, where is your castle, for Maia has declared it beautiful and peaceful. She says it is in the middle of a lake. Is it the lake?” She smiled at him.
“Aye, 'tis that lake in which the guardian of Excalibur is said to dwell. She raised up the castle in which your daughter and I will live, for her husband, Lancelot. She planted and tended the gardens that surround it. Sometimes she is said to be seen walking in those gardens in the moonlight, for it was believed, like all magical persons, she was immortal,” he told his fascinated audience.
“Humph!” grunted Merin Pendragon. “A romantic tale to be certain, but you have still not said where this castle is located.”
“Not far, my lord,” Emrys Llyn told them. “To the north, and to the west, just before you come to the sea is a valley, well hidden among the mountains. My lake, and my home, is there. I would like to take you to see it, Merin Pendragon, so you will know I do not lie. It is but two days' journey. If I took you there by means of magic you would not believe the evidence of your own eyes, would you?” His long mouth twitched with amusement at the look on his host's face.
But then to everyone's surprise the Dragon Lord laughed. “Nay,” he said, shaking his head. “I probably would not.”
“Let me have a few days with Maia in this world, and then I shall take you to see for yourself,” the Lord of the Lake promised.
Gorawen spoke up. “I think that a fine idea, my lords, but I believe, Emrys Llyn, that we would all be more content if you would promise not to visit Maia's dreams while you are here at Dragon's Lair with us. What think you, Argel? Maia is your daughter, after all.” It was cleverly done. Both Merin and his wife were quite taken aback by the Lord of the Lake. Gorawen realized that she would have to act for them in the area of common sense if this was to work out well for Maia.
“Yes, yes!” the Dragon Lord agreed, and Argel nodded. “You must swear to me you will not come into my daughter's dreams by night while you are with us.”
“I swear,” the Lord of the Lake said, and his eyes briefly met those of Gorawen's. He could see that she had some small magic about her, and was well respected by both her lord and his wife. Despite its unique nature he found Merin Pendragon's domicile both interesting and comforting.
The house serfs moved quietly about the hall preparing the household for the meal. As the wine in the two men's cups grew scant, Argel was there to fill them up. She took the opportunity to study the Lord of the Lake with a mother's eye. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen in all her life. He was fair-spoken, yet there was an air of mystery about him that lent presence to his person. And there was something that she could not quite put her finger on, Argel thought.
“Aye,” Gorawen said, as if reading Argel's musings. “We know really nothing about him, do we? What of his parents? Why have many heard of him, but few seen or even treated with him before this? And from where does his great magic come?”
“From the devil, if you ask me!” Ysbail murmured low. “No man is that beautiful naturally. Fair skin, dark hair, changeable eyes. Is he even human?”
“He is human,” Gorawen said, and she firmly believed her words. “But he does have great magic. Is it inherited? Will Maia's children have it as well? I cannot help but wonder such things.” Then she laughed at herself. “While Averil loves her Rhys, I think when she learns her sister is to wed a great lord she will have a moment of pure envy.”
“If our lord Merin will allow such a marriage,” Ysbail remarked. “I can but hope when Junia is grown she will have more sense, and choose a lordling with a good house, good lands, and a fat purse. The dramatics involved in Averil's matching, and now Maia's, is most annoying. But our lord will let his daughters have their way in such things. 'Twould be better if he found the husband and they wed according to their father's wishes. We would all be a lot better off without this love nonsense.”
Junia and Maia now came back into the hall, and curtsied to the lady Argel.
“We have prepared the guest chamber, Mother,” Maia said.
“Then you should have some time with Emrys Llyn, my daughter,” Argel said. “But you may not leave the hall. You will be courted in full view of your family.” She turned to her husband. “Merin, let Emrys go now that he and Maia may be together.”
The Lord of the Lake stood up quickly, and taking Maia's two small hands in his looked down into her face. “My love,” he said softly.
The look on Maia's face was luminous. A blush suffused her pale cheeks. “My lord,” she answered him, and then she smiled radiantly.
He tucked one of her hands in his arm, and they moved away from the others.
Gorawen shook her head. “Maia is in love, and she will never love another. Look at her face, my lord. You will not be able to forbid this.”
“There is something about him,” Merin Pendragon said slowly.
“I know,” Gorawen responded. “I feel it too, and so do the others, but whatever it may be, good or bad, she will have him, my lord. And it is a passion that will not die, I believe.”
“The silly child is bewitched!” Ysbail said. “Oh, I can but hope Junia is wiser when her turn comes to choose a mate.”
“Junia will go where her heart leads her,” Gorawen responded.
“The Lord Jesu and his Blessed Mother forbid!” Ysbail exclaimed. “I want a man of substance and good reputation for my daughter. She will not have to be a concubine like me. She will be a respectable man's wife, or I will know the reason why!”
The other two women said nothing in reply. Ysbail might attempt to have her way in the matter of her daughter, but both Argel and Gorawen knew that Junia's soft heart would take her wherever it would, a path that would not necessarily lead to a respectable man of substance and good repute. And they would support her as they were supporting Maia.
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