The Poisoned Quarrel: The Arbalester Trilogy 3 (Complete Edition)
Page 55
“For the rest of my life,” Fallon swore. He gripped Kerrin’s shoulder. “Mate, Caley’s gone. She died saving me, attacking Dina.”
Kerrin looked up at him, his eyes shining. “I knew she would. She and grandpa were going to keep you alive. And then we could save you, Dad. Mam told us how. She’s the best, isn’t she?”
“More than you could ever know,” Fallon said, looking up at Bridgit.
*
Bridgit paused to take a breath from telling Kerrin he had disobeyed her again by leaving the tower and coming to see what had happened. Kerrin had seized his chance, rushing down to throw himself at Fallon. She watched the two of them embrace and took a deep breath. How would Fallon react? She had used him as bait and risked his life, while he had seen many of his men, as well as Caley and Padraig, die.
Then he looked up from hugging Kerrin and smiled at her and it was as if the hourglass was spinning in reverse, throwing them down the years. She strode towards him. In saving him, had she lost him?
*
Fallon hugged Kerrin once more and then lurched over to Bridgit, holding her as he thought he could never do again. Finally he looked down at her.
“You planned all this?” he asked hoarsely.
“Not like this,” she said. “I thought we would grab them at the castle and end it there.”
“But Padraig? Even Caley? Were you planning this when I told everyone about my poisoned quarrel?”
She looked into his eyes and he saw the iron in there. Like raw metal in Brendan’s forge, she had passed through trials of fire and water and turned to steel. “Yes,” she said. “It scared me, I hated it, but it had to be done. I am sorry if—”
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” he said thickly. “I am the one who is sorry. You saved Gaelland and destroyed Swane.”
“You are not angry at how I used you, lied to you, didn’t tell you?”
He kissed her, breaking free only reluctantly. “I feel like I have reborn. I feel like all my anger is gone,” he said. “And I feel like I can see clearly now. You are a better ruler than I am. All my life I have searched for a leader worth following. I thought I found one in Cavan but it turns out I actually married her—she just needed to find herself.”
She pulled away a little. “Did you take a knock on the head?” she asked.
“Several times,” Fallon admitted. “But these were ones that did me good. I still feel regret for killing Cavan, but what I shall do is work each day to make it better. Work with you to make Gaelland better, if you want it. Or we can walk away, go back to Baltimore.”
*
Bridgit looked into his eyes and could see the truth there.
“You would step aside, obey me?” she asked.
He chuckled. “I started doing that the day we married!”
She smiled and looked up and down the street, to where people were looking to her for guidance, for orders. It sounded like a choice—and one the old Bridgit would have run from. But, to the new Bridgit, there was no choice.
CHAPTER 84
Bridgit walked around the throne room, which was filled with tables and people. The first of the spring crops had come in and the food was decent, although no better than what thousands of families around Gaelland were sitting down to and a far cry from the decadence of the previous year, under King Aidan.
She smiled at everyone, even the new councillors who had arrived from distant counties. After having a Kottermani force in every coastal town, it seemed even the most pro-Aidan county had discovered an enthusiasm for the new rule and she had been elected as First Minister unanimously. She had accepted it with only a little reluctance. She had never wanted this position but, as Fallon said, that meant she was perfect for the job. Besides, after she had saved the country from Swane’s evil, she could not just turn away from it. That decision, to use Fallon as the bait in a giant trap for Swane, had sealed her fate, it seemed.
She lingered longer at tables of old friends, embracing Nola and Riona, although it was hard to pry them from the arms of Brendan and Devlin.
“How is Baltimore?” she asked.
“It grows,” Devlin said. “Not everyone returned but Ely and her family are a welcome addition, as are some of the other former slaves that Kemal sent back from Kotterman.”
“It grows but you still don’t,” Brendan said with a wink.
Bridgit joined in the laughter, enjoying seeing Brendan without a haunted look on his face. She had heard that he had begun to use a small hammer again, working the iron he loved so much.
“It is almost as it was,” Nola said, her hand settling comfortably on her husband’s big forearm. “I know you have a few things to do here but we could always find a place for you.”
“Well, we might have to put it to a vote,” Riona said with a wink.
Bridgit slapped her friend lightly on the shoulder and moved on to the table of Kottermanis. Kemal and Feray were unable to be there, because there was so much to be done back in their country. They were negotiating a score of treaties that would see the Empire break into its original countries, while also freeing the slaves across the vast land. They were ruling as co-Emperors, which had created almost as big an upheaval. Luckily they had the new church on their side, and priests rich in Aroaril’s favor, which helped the people accept what they were doing was right. It would be a work that might need to be finished by Asil and Orhan, but they had sent their warmest wishes for today and a delegation bearing gifts. While they were using the Empire’s vast stores of gold to smooth the way to ending the Empire, they had still found enough to pay Gaelland reparations for the havoc the invading army had wreaked. They had also returned more than a hundred slaves who had been secretly shipped to Kotterman over the years. Work was underway around Berry to repair the damage from the battle, as well as what had been done in other towns. Kottermani gold was paying for that but the workers were the black marketeer merchants who had grown fat off Aidan but now grew thinner repairing the damage his son had caused.
The Kottermanis also provided a fine gift of more than a hundred silver-backed mirrors, better than anything in Gaelland. They had been used to line the large cell for Duchess Dina. She had grown fat on a diet of enforced inactivity and stodgy food, while her new wardrobe was a selection of dirty, sack-like rags. Now, wherever she looked, all she could see was her scarred face, unwashed hair, her lumpen body and her rough clothes. It might have been more merciful to kill her but Bridgit was in no mood to be kind to Dina.
Her duty to the Kottermanis done, Bridgit moved on. It truly felt as though this country was made up of her children and there was no end to the task of nurturing them. Although, as today showed, that task was getting easier. Having been shown the face of true evil, the people were eager to embrace the new Gaelland and its fairness for all.
Her musing was interrupted by Rosaleen and Gallagher, resplendent in white robes. They were easy to see because all bowed in respect to them as they passed, a tribute to how they had defeated Swane and also to the way they had helped rebuild the people’s faith in Aroaril afterwards.
“Ah, there you are!” the Archbishop smiled, embracing her. “But where is the real guest of honor?”
Bridgit felt a moment of alarm. “Don’t tell me they’re in trouble again,” she muttered, looking frantically around the room.
A moment later she exhaled as Kerrin and Fallon appeared. “She was crying a moment ago but she’s happy now,” Kerrin announced, holding up his baby sister for Bridgit to see.
“It was an unusual name at today’s Naming Ceremony, but a pretty one,” Rosaleen commented.
“Cavana,” Bridgit said with a slight smile. “Don’t think there were a few conversations about that.”
Fallon embraced her, kissing her gently. “Would you have preferred Swania?” he whispered.
She slapped him lightly on the chest. “Would you prefer being sent to Kotterman as a slave?” she murmured back and gave him a wink.
His eyes had
cleared and he looked ten summers younger to her. Or maybe her eyes were getting worse. Whatever, that little girl had put the sparkle back into their lives and there were times she even thought this made all those dark times worth it, that coming out the other end after all they had been through had made them happier.
“Mam,” Kerrin said. “I think she’s done it again.”
Bridgit let go of Fallon reluctantly and looked down as Kerrin held up the perfect little girl. It seemed her work really never ended.
Then Fallon reached down and took her. “I’ll change her,” he said. “This is one mess I know I can handle.”
THE END
Acknowledgments
Even though my name is on the cover, there are many people who helped—either to make this book a reality or to make the story, the characters and the words better. Without them, it would be a lesser work and I thank them deeply for what they added to the book.
To my beta reader Belinda, who always has good suggestions; my agent Jo Butler at Cameron’s Management; the team at Momentum—Joel, Patrick and Michelle; to copy editor Tara Goedjen, whose brilliant work made me think about every aspect of this book and made my writing look better; to the fantastic proofreader Chrysoula Aiello whose eagle eyes were very much appreciated.
If you enjoyed this book, then you deserve my thanks as well.
About Duncan Lay
Duncan Lay is the author of two best-selling Australian fantasy series, the Dragon Sword Histories and the Empire Of Bones. He writes on the train, to and from his job as production editor of The Sunday Telegraph, Australia's biggest-selling newspaper. He lives on the Central Coast of NSW with his wife and two children.
Twitter: @duncanlay
Website: www.duncanlay.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/duncan.lay
Also by Duncan Lay
The Last Quarrel: The Arbalester Trilogy 1
The Bloody Quarrel: The Arbalester Trilogy 2
First published by Momentum in 2016
This edition published in 2016 by Momentum
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Copyright © Duncan Lay 2016
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The Poisoned Quarrel: The Arbalester Trilogy 3 (Complete Edition)
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