Elder Isles - Madouc Part 84

Ca.s.sander said coldly: "We went elsewhere, to enjoy a few moments of quiet."

"Ca.s.sander, you are resourceful! In revelry of this scale, where does one find privacy?"

"Here, there, one place or another," said Ca.s.sander. "It is all beside the point."

"Still, I am curious."

Dhrun said: "Prince Ca.s.sander wished to visit the Hall of Heroes, so that he might honour an old tradition."

"So now: the truth emerges!" said Madouc. "Ca.s.sander is not so nonchalant as he pretends. What tradition did Ca.s.sander feel obliged to honour?"

Ca.s.sander spoke peevishly: "It is only a whim, no more! Princes of royal blood who sit even a moment on the throne Evandig are a.s.sured of a long life and a fortunate reign-such is the legend."

"That is a very obscure legend," said Madouc. "Dhrun, did you honour this tradition as well?"

Dhrun gave an uncomfortable laugh. "Prince Ca.s.sander insisted that I share these benefits with him."

"That was kind of Prince Ca.s.sander! And you sat at the Round Table as well?"

"For a moment or two."

Madouc heaved a sigh. "Well then, now that you have been soothed by the privacy, do you remember that you promised to dance with me?"

Dhrun looked puzzled for only an instant, then said: "So I did! Prince Ca.s.sander, my excuses."

Ca.s.sander gave his head a crisp nod. "Dance away!"

Madouc took Dhrun not to the dance floor but to the shadows at the side of the hall. "Think now," she said. "When you sat on the throne, did you speak?"

"Only to fulfill the terms of the tradition, as Ca.s.sander explained it to me. When he sat on the throne he uttered an order, that I should step forward a pace. I did the same in my turn."

Madouc gave a fateful nod. "So now you must fear for your life. You may die at any instant."

"How so?"

"I have been trying to tell you of Persilian's prophecy. It guides every hour of your life!"

"What is the prophecy?"

"It goes to the effect that the first-born son of the Princess Suldrun-that is to say, you-will take his rightful place at Cairbra an Meadhan and rule from the throne Evandig before his death. You have now fulfilled the prophecy! You have sat at the table and you have given an order while sitting on Evandig, and now Casmir will put his a.s.sa.s.sins to work. You may be killed this very night!"

Dhrun was silent for several moments. "I thought Ca.s.sander's conduct somewhat odd! Is he aware of the prophecy?"

"That is hard to guess. He is vain and foolish, but not altogether unkind. Still, he would obey King Casmir's orders, no matter where they led."

"Even to murder?"

"He would obey orders. But he need not do so, since King Casmir brought others with all the needful skills."

"It is a chilling thought! I will be on my guard! Three good knights of Troicinet are with me and they shall stay close by my side."

"When does your father arrive?"

"Tomorrow, or so I believe. I will be glad to see him!"

"I as well."

Dhrun looked down into Madouc's face. He bent his head and kissed her forehead. "You did your best to spare me this peril. I thank you, my dear Madouc! You are as clever as you are pretty!"

"This is a most successful gown," said Madouc. "The color is called Black Rose and by some freak it goes nicely with my hair. The style also seems to enhance what I suppose I must call my posture. I wonder, I wonder!"

"What do you wonder?"

"You remember King Throbius, of course."

"I remember him well. On the whole he was benign, if a trifle foolish."

"Just so. For certain reasons, he laid a glamour upon me, which caused a great excitement and, to tell the truth, frightened me with its awful power. To relieve myself of the force, I was instructed to pull at my right ear with fingers of my left hand. Now I wonder if I pulled hard enough!"

"Hmm," said Dhrun. "It is difficult to say."

"I could pull again, for the sake of honesty and rea.s.surance. Still, if I instantly became a ragtag starveling with my beautiful gown hanging limp, I would feel distress-especially if you drew away from me and took back all your compliments."

"It might be best to let sleeping dogs lie," said Dhrun. "Still, I suspect that what we have here is you, in part and in full."

"Once and for all I will make sure. That is the honourable course~Are you watching?"

"Very carefully."

"Be prepared for the worst!" Madouc gave her right ear a tug with the fingers of her left hand. "Do you notice a change?"

"Not a whit."

"That is a relief. Let us go over yonder and sit on the couch and, if nothing else, I will tell you of my adventures in the Forest of Tantrevalles."

III.

The night pa.s.sed without alarm or incident. The sun rose tangerine red in the east, and the day began. Madouc awoke early and lay for a few moments in her bed thinking. Then, abruptly, she jumped to the floor, summoned her maid, bathed in the pink porphyry tub, and dressed in a frock of soft blue linen with a white collar. The maid brushed her hair until the copper ringlets became disciplined and hung in s.h.i.+ning curls, and were tied with a blue ribbon.

A knock sounded at the door. Madouc c.o.c.ked her head to listen, then gave quick instructions to the maid. The knock sounded again, sharp and peremptory. The maid opened the door a slit, to find two black eyes gleaming at her from a sallow long-nosed face. The maid called out: "Have you no respect for Her Highness? The princess receives no one so early! Go away!"

She closed the door upon m.u.f.fled expostulations: "It is I, Damsel Kylas! I am a person of rank! Open the door that I may enter!"

Receiving no response, Kylas marched off to her own chambers, where she tried the door giving into Madouc's parlour, only to discover that the door was locked.

Kylas knocked, and called out: "Open, if you please! It is I, Kylas!"

Instead of complying, Madouc was away: out the other door, to the end of the garden courtyard, into the east gallery and out of sight.