Chapter Two: In the Wolf's Den
After a hearty breakfast on the day following their arrival in the stronghold, Seamus, Siobhan and Catraoine stood in the main hall to witness Richardus pass judgement on the slavers. Both women had been given fine linen dresses, similar in appearance to a Greek chiton and soft woolen cloaks. Seamus wore a simple tunic and trousers like any of the local men. Even within his hall, Richardus wore a silvered Lorica Hamata over his tunic with a dagger belted at his waist. His Spatha lay on the table before him. He spoke calmly but his voice carried. "Bring the captives before me that I may do justice upon them."
The three slavers were brought in, now in chains and wearing the coarsest of tunics.
"You may not speak on your own behalf because there is no defense for the crimes you have committed. Your people have been warned before that I permit no slavery on my lands and no slavers to pass through. You have violated my laws. Another crime that you intended to commit was rape. No woman will ever be forced while I rule. Therefore hear my judgement. Were you honorable men I would grant you a quick clean death. But you are not. For the crime of slavery you will suffer that same fate. Branded as slaves and cast from my lands. For the intended crime of rape you are to be gelded. Take them away."
Richardus paused to take a drink of watered wine. "Seamus, Siobhan and Catraoine of the Brooke approach." The three came and stood in front of the table. "You have asked for my mercy and I have granted it, but what shall I do with you? Except for children and our old ones, all within these walls must earn their keep. I will grant you two weeks to rest and heal then you must choose. You may stay and be part of us or you may go. If you choose to go, you may take the wagon and two horses from those we captured. I will give you one week's rations, a spear and a sword."
Seamus spoke; "We thank you for your grace, Richardus the wolf and we do need the time to heal but not to decide. Our lands and station were stolen from us and cannot be recovered. If we go as vagabonds what shall we do? I alone cannot protect my wife and daughter. You see their beauty and know what their fate would be. We would take service with you if you will have us.
I am a Druid and a bard I can serve you in that manner. Siobhan is a Druidess and skilled in the healing arts. Catraoine too is a priestess of the moon."
"So be it Seamus, now Seamus of the Glens. Your skills I can use. My councilors are, like me mostly warriors but there is a time for war and a time for peace. A bard and druid will be useful as an emissary. Go rest and I will have robes made suitable to your office. Siobhan, will you work with Shelana the Nubian as a healer as well as a Druidess among my folk who follow that path?"
Siobhan smiled and bowed her head. "I will serve with gladness Tribune." Richardus laughed.
"I see that you have promoted me since yesterday. I was a centurion, never a tribune and am neither one now. Simply a chief to my people. And what shall I do with your daughter, Siobhan? One priestess is sufficient. He looked at Catraoine. I shall give you a choice. Serve as a handmaiden to my mother or help her with my daughter. We shall see if your skills outweigh that dagger you have for a tongue." A burst of laughter went around the room. Catraoine glared her fury at Richardus but held her tongue, knowing that she was completely at his mercy. But she only held it for a moment. "If I must serve, I choose to serve your daughter, Chieftain. Since she is only a child perhaps her sweetness will soothe the wounds that you so cruelly inflict on a poor woman. A dagger is hardly a defense against a Spatha.
There was another burst of laughter, this time at Richardus' expense. Xavierus slapped him on the shoulder, laughing. "Be careful oh wolf, this one may be a mountain cat." Richardus may be a hard man, sometimes egotistical and often vain about his looks, with a short temper at times. But he was not a cruel man, he had a sense of humor and not above laughing at himself.
"Go about your duties woman." As the three were leaving the room they paused when they heard a querulous voice raised. "Those people are strangers among us Richardus, you do them too much honor and it is dangerous."
"You have made your objection, Niall but I have made a decision, it stands."
"I am older and wiser than you, Richardus, I cannot allow you to do this."
Richardus surged to his feet and bellowed; "Allow me, allow me? By this sword I rule, Niall red beard, accept my words or draw your steel and die!" Niall backed down, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "Forgive me my chief." Richardus glanced around the room.
"Hear me. I am not a tyrant my decisions are open to discussion and even question by my councilors and my Cymbrogi. I will listen to advice and even change my decisions if I deem that advice valid. I admit, I should have sought your advice on this matter but I did not.
I will not, however allow a direct challenge to my authority. To do that and hold, then one of us must die." Catraoine shivered. This man was even harder than she knew. She was hurt and angry but still she wondered. He was still a young man. What had he endured to harden him so?"
She could see the scar on his cheek. She couldn't see the deep scars on his chest and the even deeper ones on his heart. During the following four months in the hold, Catraoine saw other aspects of Richardus that she had never expected. The open mirth with and affection for his sword brothers. The sudden laughter at a jest or the boyish enjoyment of a prank, most often at the expense of Xavierus or Caoimnih.
She marveled at the openly displayed love for his daughter and she for him. She could easily see the love and respect he had for his mother although there were often jibes between them. The growing respect he had for Seamus' wisdom and how often he sought the druid's advice surprised her. Even more surprising was the gentle respect he paid to Siobhan and the kindness with which he treated her4
. Richardus was a much more complex man than one could see at first. It hurt Catraoine to see the affection he displayed to others and the indifference he showed to her.
She was a beauty and she knew it, yet it didn't seem to affect him at all. At first she wondered about certain aspects of his private life until she saw the two teen age girls constantly competing for his affection and often getting it and more, with a hand slipped under a kirtle or a kiss that he thought was unseen, sometimes fondling a hip or a breast.
She couldn't help being attracted to him, he was handsome and virile. Obviously capable of affection, even love. Why couldn't she have any of it? In the four months that she had been caring for Alexis she had come to love the little girl and the girl loved her,
As she had hoped, the child was sweet and affectionate. Wise beyond her years. She was only four but acted like she was seven or eight.
Catraoine was unusual, most considered her odd. At twenty-one not only was she unmarried but still a virgin. Although she was beautiful she was too intelligent and sharp tongued. The young men wanted someone more pliable. A literate woman was even rarer but a doting mage of a father taught her things he would have taught a son. Siobhan had only been able to conceive and bear one child. Catraoine could speak Gaelic, Latin and Greek read and wrote in all three. She regretted the arrogant attitude and her words to Richardus when first they met.
She could see that he was not the man she thought he was at first. That he was a hardened battle-leader, fierce and deadly there was no doubt but he was so much more than that. She'd seen him in audience with his people, how he listened to even the poorest man's concerns. His rule was stern but fair and kind when he could be.
Alexis awoke the maternal instinct in Catraoine. One morning she was sitting in a sunny corner of the villa, plaiting Alexis' hair into a complex Celtic knot. Alexis looked up at her and said; "Would you be my mother Catraoine? I want a mother like all the other children have." Catraoine smiled sadly.
"You already have a mother, Alexis. Your grandmother told me."
"But she does not love me or want me. She ran away." The tears began falling from Alexis' eyes.
Catraoine cradled Alexis to her and kissed her hair. "I love you Alexis but I cannot be your mother, your father does not love me. Your mother must be a woman your father loves."
"Then I will tell him to love you he will do it if I ask him."
"It does not work that way Alexis. You will understand when you are older."
"You love me, do you love my father too?"
"I don't know Alexis, I suppose I could, if he would only talk to me and see who I am."
Over the next couple of months, Richardus took notice of the affection between Alexis and Catraoine and began to soften towards her. He sometimes took a walk with her, Alexis walking between them or riding on her father's shoulders. Sometimes he would talk with her in the morning, before Alexis started her day. These times were much fewer than she wanted, he was often away on raids or skirmishes.
The festival of Beltane was approaching and Catraoine hoped that this celebration of summer would warm a certain heart. Unfortunately that was not to be, at least not yet.
A few days before Beltane, a messenger rode in with a message for Richardus.
"Hail Richardus the wolf, an emissary approaches from Arthwyr Y Ddraig, Morgaine of Cornwall wishes to treat with you in the name of Arthwyr. She will be here before the nooning."
"Very well. Drink a cup of wine and return to your mistress, bidding her welcome to my hold."
Catraoine overheard the message. Morgaine of Cornwall? A woman as an emissary. She must be an aunt or other powerful relative. She was picturing a mature gray-haired woman, probably stout.
When the caravan arrived she was totally unprepared for the ravishing raven-haired beauty that stepped down from the wagon. Sea-green eyes, a fine nose and sensuous mouth set in a heart-shaped face. A dress of emerald-green silk, a cloak of rich black fur held by a silver broach, this was a woman of wealth and power.
Richardus, for once had not worn his chain mail. A black silk tunic and a cloak similar to Morgaine's, an ivory hilted dagger suspended from a belt of gold links was his only armament.
Morgaine advanced and putting her arms around his neck, kissed Richardus full on the mouth, lingering longer than was proper. She stepped back and said: "Merry met cousin. It has been much too long since we have seen each other." Catraoine was certain that there was an undertone in Morgaine's, a meaning she was sure she did not like.
"The midday meal is ready Morgaine we could begin the talks this afternoon." Richardus said.
"It has been an arduous journey dear cousin, I would like a bath and to rest this afternoon and begin talks on the morrow." Then very quietly Morgaine said; "Perhaps you would bathe with me." Richardus smiled, a sensuous smile.
"I will arrange to do so with great pleasure." Morgaine licked her lips as if she seen an especially tasty morsel on her plate. "I will hold you to that, dear cousin."
Their voices were too low for Catraoine to hear what was being said but Morgaine looked like a kitten who just had a bowl of the richest cream. Catraoine managed to keep her emotions in check during the midday meal and speak pleasantly both to Richardus and Morgaine but later in her quarters, while Alexis was napping, she couldn't help picturing, in her mind what was going on in the baths. In her mind's eye she could see Morgaine pressing her sleek, naked body against Richardus, enjoying that hard warrior's body taking what she so desperately wanted. Her mental image of a nude Richardus, triggered a frustrating arousal and an odd combination of despair and fury.
That evening she had to endure a feast honoring Morgaine and the message from Arthur. Morgaine sat on Richardus' right hand, the place of honor, much too close for propriety, hanging on Richardus' every word, flirting with him shamelessly, Richardus lapping it up. What man wouldn't, with a woman as beautiful as Morgaine fawning over him?"
Morgaine occasionally exchanged a few words with Martha or Xavierus even jested with Caoimnih who was clearly under her spell but she focused on Richardus, ignoring Catraoine and barely acknowledging Alexis. It was clear that Alexis did not like Morgaine.
Unusual for Richardus, he didn't pick up on Alexis' discomfort. He clearly wasn't thinking with his brain. The most succulent cuts of meat tasted like ashes in Catraoine's mouth. The absolute cap to a horrible day came as Catraoine was making her way to the kitchen to prepare some warm milk for Alexis, who couldn't sleep. She saw Morgaine, clad in the sheerest silk entering Richardus' bed chamber.