The Bloody Quarrel (The Complete Edition)

by Duncan Lay

  “How could those bogging fools not know that was Swane sitting there, looking as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth?” Devlin asked.

  “They see only what they want to see, hear only what they are told,” Gallagher said.

  “And where is the Fearpriest?” Devlin asked.

  “Aroaril willing, he’s still rotting inside a cell with my fistguard in his gob and our iron wire cutting off his hands and feet,” Brendan said.

  “There’s a thought to warm your cockles a little,” Gallagher said.

  “Nothing can make me feel better,” Fallon said hollowly.

  That quieted the others but Fallon did not care. He was torn between being relieved to still be alive and bitter that Aidan and Swane were not dead.

  “Maybe the Duchess is going to tell us now what she meant,” Gallagher said.

  Fallon looked up to see her outside Cavan’s rooms, Gannon standing like a rock at her left shoulder, a pair of other Lunster guards just behind. They were locked in a stand-off with Kelty’s men Regan had placed there.

  “Fallon, we need to talk urgently about what is happening in Lunster,” she said.

  “No visitors today,” the guard officer announced. Fallon recognized him as the one who had panicked when Cavan had wanted to go into the village of Killarney. Quinn was his name. His eyes darted across to Fallon, carrying a warning with them.

  “We have nothing to talk about, Duchess,” Fallon said roughly, knowing this would get back to Regan. Besides, maybe she was secretly on the King’s side and had stopped him to save Aidan’s life.

  He went to step past her, only for Dina to reach out a hand.

  “I need your advice urgently on a problem in Lunster,” she said loudly, then added in an undertone, “Then let me tell you how to get rid of that bastard Aidan and the foul Swane!”

  Fallon looked into her eyes and saw what was blazing there, a mixture of indignation, anger and fear.

  “I cannot help you. Please take your worries to the King,” he said, nodding towards Quinn.

  She rounded on the guards officer, her eyes flashing. “I am a Duchess of the realm. I need the advice of Captain Fallon for a quarter-turn of the hourglass. Do you dare forbid me? Must I go and tell the King that?”

  Fallon almost smiled as he saw Quinn fold spinelessly. “Be quick then, Duchess,” the guard said.

  Dina smiled at him dazzlingly. “Thank you. And do not fear: it shall remain our secret. I shall not say a word.”

  Fallon opened the door and led the way inside, wondering what this would bring. The Duchess was all poised and polite until the door swung shut, then she grabbed his arm.

  “Fallon, I am not your enemy,” she said. “Fetch your priestess, get her to tell you that. I can see how desperate you are. Let me help save you. Fallon, Prince Cavan is dead, so you have no other friends and no other chance of getting your families back. You need me.”

  He did not want to trust her. What if this was a trap of Regan’s? Yet the chance of perhaps finding a way out was irresistible. Without looking away from her, he pointed at Devlin. “Get Rosaleen and Padraig,” he said.

  *

  Cavan’s room was crowded. Dina’s guards were outside, all but Gannon, who was standing behind the Duchess’s chair.

  “I know you must be suspicious and not want to trust anyone. But I am your friend, the only friend you have left in this court,” she said evenly.

  “Forgive me if I no longer trust the words that come out of a noble’s mouth,” Fallon said harshly and then gestured to Rosaleen. “Tell us, sister, can we trust her?”

  Rosaleen reached out a little hesitantly.

  “Don’t worry, my dear. I want to prove myself,” Dina said brightly.

  Rosaleen took her hand and closed her eyes. “Tell us why you want to help,” she said.

  “Because Prince Cavan was the hope of Gaelland. When I saw Swane sitting there in his place, I knew he was dead. If I do nothing, I shall see myself banished back to Lunster. I want to stop whatever it is King Aidan is plotting. He has lied to me and I cannot forgive him, nor trust him.”

  “Well?” Fallon demanded of Rosaleen.

  “She speaks the truth,” Rosaleen said.

  “I want to see Aidan and his foul son Swane dead and you get your families back. Maybe he has promised you your families but he breaks his promises, for he broke them to me.”

  “Again, I can feel no lies,” Rosaleen echoed.

  “Don’t sacrifice yourself. Gaelland needs men like you and you cannot leave your little boy all alone.”

  Fallon glanced over to his friends, and to Padraig.

  “You know she speaks the truth there,” Padraig said.

  “Confide in me and I will not breathe a word of this to the King, nor to Regan nor to anyone who would tell them,” she promised.

  “Truth,” Rosaleen said. “She wants to help you, and will help you.”

  Fallon still hesitated. He distrusted her. She was a noble and only wanted what was best for herself. That’s if she did not have some darker purpose. But Rosaleen had found only truth, not lies in her words. Maybe this was the chance they had been looking for. He wanted to wash away his guilt in Aidan’s blood but then he thought of finding Kerrin hiding behind their house and how Bridgit had left him there and gone out to fight the Kottermanis to save their son.

  “All right then,” he said. He took her through what they had found beneath the castle, the link of Eamon to the Moneylenders, the King’s obsession with the visit of the Kottermani Prince and then what had happened at the Guildhouse, the capture of Swane and his Fearpriest and the King’s reaction.

  Dina sat quietly through it all, occasionally expressing her shock or horror, while Gannon could barely contain himself, soft mutters and curses flowing out of him almost constantly.

  Fallon had to grit his teeth before he could finish the tale and felt anew the burning at the back of his throat as he explained how he had been tricked into killing Cavan, forced to keep everything quiet until the Kottermani visit was over.

  “Aroaril, what a horrible tale,” Dina said softly, reaching out her hand and grabbing Fallon’s forearm. “You must be suffering deeply. No wonder you wanted to sacrifice yourself.”

  Fallon bit his lip, unable to say anything in reply.

  “It was not your fault,” she said strongly. “You were tricked and betrayed by the King.”

  Fallon shook his head and she reached out, grasping his shoulder. “Stop blaming yourself,” she said.

  He looked at her and saw nothing but sympathy in her eyes. For a moment it almost felt like Bridgit was there.

  “You have to let it go. You thought you had won and then Aidan fooled you. But what he did was madness – how could you expect it? I can see why you want him dead but true revenge is living happily ever after, having hacked off his lunatic head.”

  Fallon smiled, a little.

  “Fallon, I want to help you,” she said. “You know I can give you the nobles. You despise them, and rightly so, but there is great power there. Even the King is afraid of upsetting them too much, for if they ever banded together, they could remove him and replace him with another. And that other could be me. I was married to his cousin, after all, and am close to the throne by marriage. And if I took the throne as a regent, then my first act would be to restore your families.”

  Fallon stared at her, the others also reacting as well. “You want to take the crown?” he croaked.

  “Fallon,” she said firmly. “What else can we do? If Aidan was not bad enough, we face a future where the Zorva-worshippers have power. And, if by some miracle Swane does not take the throne, it will be a son Aidan has fathered on Meinster’s girl Brona. It’s revolting – the girl is younger than Prince Cavan was. And Meinster is nearly as bad as Aidan. He flogs his people and delights in punishing those who defy him. Aroaril knows what children they will produce together.”

  Fallon looked down at the table. Rosaleen said Dina spoke the tru
th. And she could not be as bad as Aidan. “How do we make that happen?” he asked.

  “Get me the evidence that Cavan wanted. You need something tying the King to the Fearpriests, the snatchers, the witches and the selkies and to the Kottermanis. I present it to the nobles and they will act. Already they are afraid and angry about this marriage. They do not need much to tip them over the edge.”

  “Really? They looked delighted about it when the King spoke,” Devlin interrupted.

  Dina shook her head. “Have you learned nothing in your time here? To show your true feelings at a time like that would be a fatal mistake. But they are scared and furious. Nobody likes Meinster and he has just made himself the second most powerful man in the land. To those of us who have crossed him, defied him and thwarted his ambitions, it is a terrifying time. He never forgets and he never forgives. Oh, I can assure you that there are many nobles in Berry right now who are meeting and whispering nervously together.”

  Fallon glanced at Rosaleen, who gave the smallest nod of her head, saying she could detect no lies there.

  “We have to be careful. We are being watched by Regan,” he warned.

  “And you are right to worry. He has a network of informants through the city, reporting back to him,” she admitted. “But he cannot keep you in here all the time. You will get a chance. If you find anything, send word to me and I will find a way to meet. Apart, we can do nothing to stop Aidan. Together, we stand a chance.”

  Fallon glanced at Rosaleen and she nodded. “The truth,” she said.

  Fallon signaled and Devlin escorted Dina and Gannon out.

  “Do you think—” Brendan began but Fallon waved him down. “Wait for Devlin,” was all he said.

  His mind was racing. He could see the possibilities in her words and part of him wanted to leap at the chance. But what of his dream? Was just killing the King enough or would he still be haunted if he did not sacrifice himself? Surely he needed to be punished as well …

  “Well, that sounded better than you throwing your life away and maybe ours with it,” Devlin said as he walked back into the room.

  Fallon looked around the table. “Is that what you all think?”

  “It galls me to say it but maybe this is the best way,” Padraig said. “The real question though, is can you accept that or are you still set on killing yourself?”

  Fallon rubbed his eyes. What had seemed so certain that morning was now all mixed up. Could he have a life after killing Cavan?

  “I need to sleep on it,” he said, although it was only shortly after noon.

  *

  Kerrin wanted to go down to the crossbow range again. Anything was better than staying in these rooms. It had been bad enough when Dad talked to everyone and said the Prince was dead, but then it had got really scary when he started crying. Dad had never cried before, and he didn’t know what to do. Then he had been strange again that morning, while Padraig had wanted to sit with him and hug him. That was even scarier. Grandpa had begun to talk about the two of them living together and maybe going to look for Mam. He had wanted to ask about Dad but had been afraid of the answer. Then Dad and the others had come back, Dad looking angry and his friends looking happy, which was even more confusing.

  When Dad walked into their room and lay down on his bed, saying nothing, he watched for a little while and then could take no more.

  “Dad, what is going on?” he asked cautiously.

  “Nothing.”

  That was a lie, so he joined him on his bed. “Are you going away? Are you going to leave me?” he demanded, still afraid but having to know.

  His dad stiffened, then sighed. “Maybe.”

  “Why? Was it something I did? I know I wasn’t any good with the sword,” Kerrin said miserably.

  Dad turned over then. “It was nothing you did. It was something I did. I might have to go but grandpa Padraig will watch over you—”

  “I don’t want him! I want you!” Kerrin howled.

  His dad sat up, startled, but Kerrin did not care any more. The memory of lying in that pit, knowing Mam was going, was never far away. He could not lose Dad as well. “Don’t leave me!”

  Dad reached out a hand and patted him but it did nothing. “I don’t want to but I have to. I did a very bad thing—”

  “Leaving me is a bad thing! How could you? You promised we would find mam together and you lied to me!”

  Next moment he was hitting Dad, trying to punch out his anger, fear and frustration. He must have caught him by surprise, because it was some moments before he enfolded him in a hug, so he could not hit.

  “I am sorry,” Dad said. “You wouldn’t understand but I did an evil thing, so I must be punished.”

  “Leaving me is worse,” Kerrin said defiantly. “You always said you can make up for mistakes.”

  “I did. But this is the way I have to make up for what I did.”

  “And how will you make it up to me? You said you would never leave me – that we would rescue Mam. Breaking that promise is worse than anything you have done.”

  *

  Fallon groaned, his son’s words striking deep inside. In his mind’s eye he saw a bloodied Cavan, looking sadly at him but, standing on the opposite side, a bloodied Bridgit holding a limp Kerrin. And her eyes were even more accusing.

  “It’s not so simple as making up for what I did by saying sorry,” he said.

  Kerrin got one arm free and began hitting him again. “Yes it is! You just don’t want me around.”

  “Now that is not true,” Fallon said angrily.

  “Prove it. You swore an oath to me and you said a man is only as good as his word. Let’s get Mam back together.”

  Fallon felt something tear inside him. The anger and self-loathing dissolved into fear and doubt.

  He crushed his son to his chest. “Help me,” he begged. “I feel like I am lost.”

  A sob convulsed the boy, who clung on as ferociously as Fallon held him. “Then let’s find our way home together,” Kerrin said, his voice a little muffled.

  Fallon relaxed his grip and looked down at his tear-stained son. “I am not a good father,” he said. “I am not even a good man any more. You deserve someone better.”

  “But I only want you.”

  Fallon felt his own tears trickling down then.

  “Without you, we shall never get Mam back,” Kerrin continued.

  Fallon still wanted to atone for killing Cavan. But maybe he could have both. He closed his eyes. No visions came. This must be what Rosaleen was always talking about. You had to make your own choices.

  “All right. Let’s get Mam back,” he said.

  But he did not feel any better for saying it.

  Then Devlin burst through the door. “Regan is here,” the farmer said urgently.

  Fallon felt his heart beat faster but did not want to alarm Kerrin. Was this the final message? Had they realized he wanted to kill the King? “I’ll be right there,” he said, forcing himself to sound casual.

  Kerrin was reluctant to let go and he had to promise to come back before he could hurry out to where the chamberlain was waiting impatiently. Regan reached into his belt pouch and Fallon tensed but the man only produced a scroll from his belt pouch.

  “The King wants to speak to you. In a turn of the hourglass. Here are the details. Do not be late,” Regan said simply.

  “Wait! What about?” Fallon asked as the chamberlain turned away.

  “I do not know. Make sure you are on time.”

  Fallon watched the man stride away and broke the seal on the scroll to see it just repeated the words Regan had spoken.

  “What was that about?” Devlin asked, as his friends joined him.

  “The King wants to see me. To talk about something.” Fallon showed them his scroll.

  “Do you think this is it?” Brendan asked.

  “No,” Fallon said, although he was thinking the same thing. “If they wanted us dead, they would just storm in here.”

 
“Well, you will know more in a turn of the hourglass,” Gallagher predicted.

  Fallon shuddered at the thought of seeing Aidan again, of sitting opposite him; he was flooded with the awful temptation to kill the bastard. Despite his promise to his son he did not honestly know if he could stop himself attacking the King.

  “Don’t do anything stupid. It will only be Aidan there. Swane is somewhere else. Kill Aidan and Swane will hunt us all down,” Gallagher warned.

  Fallon’s mind cleared. It was both or neither. “Aye. I will just talk. But I’ll find a way to go back into Aidan’s rooms when he is in the throne room, surrounded by people.”

  “Why do you want to get yourself killed?” Brendan asked.

  “If I am not going to kill him straight away then I’ll get something for the Duchess to use. Let’s see if the nobles can be trusted. If not, I always have a knife.”

  *

  Kerrin sat on the bed with Caley, looking at the dog seriously.

  “I think it is going to come down to you and me, Caley,” he told her.

  The dog tilted her head and chuffed a little in her throat.

  “I couldn’t save Mam and now Dad keeps going off. If we are to get her back, I think we will have to do it.”

  He didn’t like the idea and he could tell Caley wasn’t happy about it either. But it was taking too long to get his mother, and now Dad had said he might have to leave it to Grandpa Padraig. Well, that was not a plan. He had to be ready.

  “We’ll do the push-ups first and then try throwing knives,” he told Caley. “When the time comes, we might have to save Dad before we can save Mam.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Fallon sat brooding outside the King’s rooms, having handed his weapons to the guards at the door. A pair of the King’s guards had escorted him there and now all he held was the scroll. But how could he speak to Aidan and pretend nothing had happened? A vision of Bridgit came to him, of how he had disguised his anger when they had fought, because the more she thought he was angry, the longer it took to make up.

  “The King is ready for you,” a guards officer told him.

  He stood, composing his face as he did so, then recognized the man. “Quinn. You are a busy fellow.”