Rhiannon lifted her face to the warm sun streaming down through the budding birch trees, expecting the beauty of woods in springtime to banish the lingering anxiety that nagged at her. When the tension inside her did not ease, she sighed and continued down the forest pathway.
She could not forget Maelgwn's worry that there was a spy at Degannwy—someone who had discovered the truth of her relationship to Esylt and shared the news with the traitorous Rhodderi. Despite Maelgwn's doubts, she sensed no treachery at Degannwy. Was it possible that someone at Catraith had overheard Ferdic's deathbed confession and carried the secret south?
Rhiannon shook her head. She did not want to dwell on the unpleasantness of the past. She would think of the good things instead. Her mind turned to Maelgwn, and her gloomy mood lifted. Nothing had ever felt so right, so natural as to wake up beside her dark, massive husband each morning. She could scarcely wait for him to open his glorious blue eyes so she could see the love there, the contentment. He filled her soul with his body, his voice, his scent. Even now, she carried a part of him within her.
She reached down and touched her belly tenderly. It was too soon to be sure, but her senses told her that a child grew inside her. Maelgwn's baby. A faint sadness drifted across her mind as she thought of the other child she had lost. Nay, she would not grieve for it. The dead babe's spirit was free to find another body in which to return to the living.
Breaking her reverie, she walked faster. A plover sprang up from the forest floor with a frantic cry and a flutter of feathers, startling her. She shook her head at the foolishness of her quickened breath and pounding heart. Here in the king's forest, she was safe; even Maelgwn admitted it. He had said she might walk alone here if she promised not to be gone from Degannwy too long. He meant to allow her her freedom, he said. Her spirit could not endure to be trapped inside the walls of a fortress. But, then, neither could his. He often came walking or riding with her, enjoying the peace and freedom of the woods or the beach as much as she did.
But this day, Maelgwn had left early to visit Cynan's holdings. It was time, he said, to begin making the rounds of his allies. He would often be gone throughout the sun season. Rhiannon would go with him sometimes, but she must also learn to do without him for a week or more at a time. Rhiannon smiled ruefully at the thought that even though she had won her husband's heart, she must share his soul with Gwynedd.
She touched her midsection again. If her instincts were true, she would likely be too busy this summer with the travails of carrying Maelgwn's child to miss him grievously. Already she experienced nausea in the morning and a slight lightheadedness when she got up suddenly. If the fine weather held, she meant to visit Arianhrodd and ask her advice on foods and potions she might take to assure the babe thrived.
Thinking of healing herbs, Rhiannon spied some May lilies growing beneath a bush. She unhooked her knife from her belt and bent to cut some of tiny, white flowers. They made an excellent treatment for nervous disorders, headaches and gout, and could only be found in early summer. She filled the pouch at her waist with the fragrant blooms before refastening the small curved knife and continuing on. It pleased her to be able to provide remedies and potions for Maelgwn's people. Their acceptance of her return to Degannwy had surprised her. They had not blamed her for Maelgwn's grief over the winter, and they seemed genuinely happy to have her back.
A relieved Gwenaseth had returned to the fortress and resumed her former duties. She still grumbled about being overworked, and the servants avoided her sharp tongue, but underneath her brusqueness, Gwenaseth also seemed content.
Rhiannon considered Gwenaseth's delight when she told her of the babe. She had seemed almost as excited as Rhiannon was. She hoped it was a girl, Gwenaseth said. Having herself borne four future warriors for Maelgwn's army, it seemed only fair that the queen's first child be a daughter. Rhiannon had laughed and told Gwenaseth she did not care in the least whether the babe be male or female.
There was a scuffling sound in the bushes, and Rhiannon's carefree mood faded. A stifling dread wrapped itself around her heart. Although the sunlight still trickled down through the budding branches, and the sweet scents of blooming flowers and growing things drifted on the breeze, underneath the tranquil atmosphere, Rhiannon sensed danger.
She took a cautious step, listening. There was no sound except the trill of birds and the music of the wind. Even so, her skin prickled, and her muscles tensed. She had the feeling she was being watched by eyes other than those of the forest creatures. Slowly, she turned, scanning the dappled, shadowy woods with the alertness of a doe. Her body jerked as a voice came from behind her.
"I see you have lost your forest ways, Rhiannon. There was a time when I could no more surprise you than I could a roe deer."
Rhiannon's eyes widened as she recognized the voice and then the man to which it belonged. "Llewenon," she whispered.
He stepped forward, grinning. He looked little different than when she had last seen him. His greasy brown hair and beard were threaded lightly with silver now, the lines etched more deeply in his tanned face, but his gray eyes were the same. Closed, opaque, almost guileless, they failed utterly to reveal his thoughts. It was one of his greatest tricks; Rhiannon had never known anyone who could lie as smoothly and convincingly as this man.
"You are surprised to see me. Did you think me dead?"
Rhiannon shook her head. "What are you doing here?" Her voice sounded strangled.
"I thought I might pay a visit to the great King Maelgwn. Perhaps he needs a bard to brighten his evenings with a tale or two."
"Maelgwn has a bard," Rhiannon responded. The terror inside her deepened, clenching her guts. "In fact, he has two. Taliesin and Aneurin are renowned throughout Britain for their melodious voices and clever stories."
Llewenon shrugged. "Mayhaps he tires of them. I'm sure Maelgwn has not heard any of the tales I tell. I would entertain him well."
Rhiannon suppressed a rising wave of nausea. "Maelgwn won't welcome you," she warned.
Llewenon's eyes were all startled innocence. "Why not? Have you told him the truth? Does he know his bride was sullied ere he took her maidenhead? Did you tell him how
I put my hands upon you, how I defiled your scrawny body?"
Llewenon took two steps closer. His eyes glittered, the mask of guilelessness lifted. "I doubt he will want you once he knows. What man would wish to pleasure himself on your tainted flesh, knowing what you are?"
Rhiannon shook her head. She would not listen. His words were evil. Maelgwn knew she was not a maiden when she came to their marriage bed. He would not care. He loved her.
"Ah." Llewenon smiled. "I see you have not dared to tell your husband about me. You were afraid of what he would think. Now I am here to refute your claim that I ravished you, to tell him how you reveled in my touch. He will always have doubts."
Llewenon's voice was silky, and he moved even closer. He reached out, as if to stroke her cheek. Rhiannon froze. She could not seem to control her body. She watched in horror as his brown fingers touched her arm.
Why had she not told Maelgwn the truth of Llewenon's attack long ago? Was it all revulsion at the memory? Was there not also a grain of fear inside her that Maelgwn would be disgusted? She had been so stupid to trust Llewenon, to go off alone with him. Maelgwn would see that. He would know what a detestable fool she was.
"There now." Llewenon pretended to soothe her. "I'll protect your secret. Perhaps I won't go to your husband's fortress after all. You're the reason I've come here, not Maelgwn."
Llewenon's other hand tightened around Rhiannon's wrist, and she gasped in fear. "What is it? What do you want from me?"
"The same thing I've always wanted." Llewenon's eyes, so close, mesmerized her like a snake's.
"What do you mean to do?"
Llewenon smiled his soft, innocent smile. "You remember, don't you, the feel of me inside you?"
Her stomach roiled. Her vision faded to dark spots. "And if I refuse?" she managed
to ask.
Llewenon's fingers tightened brutally around her wrist. "Then Maelgwn will pay. Your beloved husband will die."
Rhiannon closed her eyes. This could not be happening. The Goddess would not save her from death only to suffer again. There must be some way out of this trap.
Her eyes flared open. "If I do what you wish, will you leave Maelgwn be?"
Llewenon shrugged. "Who knows? It is Rhodderi who plots Maelgwn's death." Llewenon's lips curled into a sly, repulsive smirk. "If you please me well, I might be persuaded to forget Rhodderi's plan."
"And what is his plan?"
Rhodderi shook his head. "You've changed, Rhiannon. Now you ask questions. You probe my mind as if you have a right to know my thoughts. But I am much stronger than you. You cannot best me in a battle of wits."
Rhiannon's heart sank. Llewenon was right. She was no match for his skill in sensing weakness. He was a master at it.
Another thought came to her then, startling her from her despair. "How do you know Rhodderi?" she asked. "Did you travel to his court as a bard?"
"Of course. He was pleased to welcome me. Unlike others, he is discerning enough to appreciate my gifts."
Rhiannon's mind worked frantically. She must discover the connection between Rhodderi and Llewenon. Llewenon, by himself, could not hope to harm Maelgwn, but in league with the treacherous Rhodderi, he presented a real danger to her husband. She forced her voice to calm. "How long have you been at Rhodderi's court?"
Llewenon smiled. "Long enough to gain his confidence, to arrange things so he is in my debt. He does not give orders to me. No man does."
Llewenon's voice lowered to a hiss, and the sound affected Rhiannon like the deadly warning of a serpent. Again, she froze. Her limbs became utterly rigid, her body so paralyzed she could scarcely breathe. Llewenon's hand climbed her arm. He moved closer so she could smell his sour breath. "I know all your secrets, Rhiannon. Long ago, I overheard Esylt and Ferdic talking, arguing about your future. Knowing who you were, I did not think Ferdic would care if I shamed you."
His fingers continued crawling upwards. They stopped on her shoulder and cruelly squeezed. "I never guessed Esylt would succeed in forcing Ferdic to punish me. What an evil bitch your mother was." Rhiannon felt Llewenon's spittle spray her face. He was inches away, his weathered features contorted with hatred. "Because of you, Ferdic banished me. Me—the finest bard who ever graced his court—banished because I dallied with a skinny red-haired whore, a slave's bastard!"
Rhiannon closed her eyes. She wanted to faint, to escape into unconsciousness, even death. But she could not leave Maelgwn to be entrapped in this creature's foul schemes. She must not swoon. She must find the strength to fight Llewenon.
She took a deep breath and forced her eyes open. "You told Rhodderi that Esylt was my mother, didn't you?"
"Aye. He was very pleased. He believed he could use the knowledge to ruin Maelgwn. How furious he was when his plan failed. Still, his honor demands he defeat Maelgwn. But he hasn't the men to succeed, unless he uses treachery."
Llewenon's bitter mood seemed to vanish, and he smiled a wicked, thoughtful smile. "Rhodderi hopes to use you to lure Maelgwn into a trap. It is said your husband loves you. It would be amusing to see if he loves you enough to follow you to his death."
Rhiannon's heart went cold. She did not doubt that Maelgwn would try to rescue her. The thought that he might die because of her was unbearable. She must keep Llewenon talking. Appeal to his pride.
"This plan of Rhodderi's—you mean to go through with it?" she asked. "You will let him tell you what to do?" Llewenon's smile faded, and Rhiannon continued on, disregarding the pounding of her heart. "You said yourself, it's me you want, not Maelgwn. Are you Rhodderi's servant then, that you follow his instructions even if it ill serves your needs?"
"I'm no man's servant," Llewenon ground out. "I don't need Rhodderi. It's he who needs me. Without me, there is no hope he will defeat Maelgwn."
"And if I give you what you want, will you leave Maelgwn alone?"
The wild look in Llewenon's eyes faded. His expression went cold and dead. "You're in no position to bargain." His hand moved down to cup Rhiannon's breast. "What I want from you, I will take. I mean to make you pay for what Ferdic did to me."
He squeezed her breast until tears formed in Rhiannon's eyes and she bowed her head in misery. It was terrifying to be so close to Llewenon's malevolence. His intentions were clear; he meant to rape her even more brutally than before. This time he might kill her. Or the babe...
The thought flashed through Rhiannon's mind, stunning her with its implications. Somehow she must not only protect Maelgwn, but his child. She would not let this babe die.
A wave of anger and determination swept through her. She ignored the pain of Llewenon's cruel caress and spoke. "It would be unwise for you to take me here. My husband warned me not to be gone too long. If I don't return to Degannwy soon, he'll send soldiers after me."
"You seek to protect me from your husband's men? How very touching." Llewenon sneered. "I need no protection. My powers are great. Do you think I can't elude Maelgwn's bumbling warriors?"
Rhiannon shook her head, trying to clear it. There must be some way to distract Llewenon from his violent intentions. "Why do you want me?" she whispered, deliberately making her voice as meek and frightened as possible. "You've had me before, and you said I was too thin and pale to satisfy you. Why do you want me now?"
Llewenon's voice softened to a velvety whisper. "Long ago, you said you wanted to learn sex magic. Now, we will learn together."
"I have no power. I gave up my dreams of magic long ago."
"You lie! All of Gwynedd says you have bewitched your husband—that he scarce strays from your side." Llewenon's fingers slid to her neck and tightened. "You have some of your mother's skill. She also bent proud men to her will. It was sex magic she used. You will teach me what she taught you; you will share your skill!"
Rhiannon struggled to breathe. Until now, she had not been able to follow Llewenon's twisted thoughts well enough to devise a plan against him. She had always thought he hated her because she was weak. Now he spoke as if he were jealous. Could he really have hurt her because he envied her?
"I will teach you." She nodded confidently. "But not here."
"Where?"
Rhiannon straightened, silently calling upon the Goddess to aid her. To her surprise, Llewenon's talonlike hands slid away as she summoned the energy, the weightlessness she felt in the sacred circle. She was light, transparent, her soul set free, connected to her body by only a gossamer strand.
She returned to her body and glanced at Llewenon. There was a look of awe on his face. "What god do you call on?" he demanded. "What is the source of your power?"
"The Great Mother of us all, the Goddess."
Llewenon's eyes widened even further. "The Goddess! You worship a female deity?"
"From whence else would a woman learn sex magic?"
"I don't believe it."
Rhiannon smiled. "Did you ever hear Esylt call down her gods? Do you know for sure whom she worshiped?"
Llewenon's eyes narrowed. "You will share Her power with me, a man? Is it possible?"
Rhiannon's smile deepened. "When the moon is full, as it is tonight."
Llewenon stared at her. She could feel his doubt. It was proof how much she had changed that she could even begin to convince him. It was not all the Goddess's power, she thought. Something inside her was different. She was not afraid anymore.
Llewenon's arm jerked hard around her waist, and she knew he remembered she was only a small, helpless woman. "Until tonight, you will remain with me," he warned. "You will not leave my sight."
Maelgwn squinted into the sun, frowning. Clear days were rare in Gwynedd, so rare they almost made him uneasy. He kept waiting for a storm to rise up. His eyes scanned the sky above the barely greening hills. He saw nothing to worry him, but the vague discontent continued to gnaw in his b
elly. He must get used to leaving Rhiannon. After all, it was not as if she would not be there when he returned. She was well-guarded, completely safe. He was a fool to worry so.
"What fine weather we have for our journey," Gareth announced emphatically beside him. Maelgwn turned and gave his officer a vague smile. Inside, the familiar wound ached with grief. Balyn had always accompanied him on diplomatic journeys. But he could not trust him now. Even if Balyn had kept the secret about Rhiannon, he had also defied Maelgwn and manipulated him. Things would never be the same between them.
"It is well the trackway is clear and dry." Maelgwn answered. "We started late, and we have many miles to go today."
Gareth nodded cheerfully, and Maelgwn returned to his own thoughts. If it were Balyn riding next to him, they would be discussing Cynan, assessing his committment to Maelgwn, determining how best to deal with him. Gareth did not have the subtlety for that sort of planning. Maelgwn's eyes scanned the other men riding beside him. He felt homesick already. Mayhap if Elwyn had come, he would be more content. But Gwenaseth liked to keep her husband close to her side, and Maelgwn would need Elwyn with him later in the summer when he visited northwestern Gwynedd, where Elwyn knew the chieftains well.
Maelgwn's hand tightened on the reins in unconscious frustration, making Cynraith snort and toss his head. Maelgwn soothed the stallion with soft words and tried to relax. He could not escape the feeling that something was amiss. He again perused the sky, searching for a hint of bad weather to blame for the tightness in his guts. The sky was clear, serene, and only a slight breeze teased the strands of hair around his face. The ominous dread he felt had another source.
It was not something he could explain, but Maelgwn knew when to obey his inner sense. He pulled Cynraith to a halt and gestured to his men.
"We're returning to Degannwy. I have a feeling we are needed there."
The men gaped at him for a moment, their eyes puzzled. Then they wordlessly eased their horses around and followed Maelgwn down the trackway the way they had come.
Dragon's Dream Page 34
