Highland Queen

Chapter 32

Summer passed peacefully, and soon, autumn came to Lochaber. The forest vista outside Tor Castle changed to ruby red, burnt orange, and vibrant yellow. The landscape was lovely, and I felt very much at home there. While Lochaber proved quiet, my work continued to be challenging. I’d finally received correspondence from the Irish king. He was willing to negotiate a release of Donaldbane, provided I came to talk in person. While I knew there were risks involved, I agreed. Being Emir’s daughter, I wanted to see my mother’s lands and maybe even meet my own flesh and blood. I promised the Irish king I would come in the spring.

I wasn’t surprised to see Banquo was a caring and thoughtful thane. Much like Gillacoemgain, he rode out to ensure his people’s harvests were coming along well. Many of the local families fished the lochs and rivers, Banquo often joining them for a day trip onto the water. Since arriving, I had eaten more fish than I had my entire life—most of which was terribly seasoned and often burnt, but Aelith never complained. In fact, I’d grown very round and fat-cheeked. When I was pregnant with Lulach and Crearwy, I often felt ill and tired. Aelith was proving to be considerably kinder to her mother.

I was resting in our chamber when Banquo returned home early one evening. He was tapping a scroll in his hand, a pensive look on his face.

“What is it?” I asked, setting down the letter I was writing.

“From Macbeth. He’s making some plans and would like me to come to Dunsinane in the spring.”

“What kind of plans?”

Banquo shook his head. “I don’t know, but he says he could use the help of his most trusted general.”

“I don’t like the sound of that. He has said nothing to me.”

Banquo nodded. “That’s what worried me as well.”

We were not yet sure if Macbeth had learned that I was in Lochaber. Thus far, his letters to me had been delivered to Cawdor—Standish sending them along to me on a weekly basis. It was only a matter of time before someone said something. Yet Madelaine assured me all seemed well. Macbeth stayed busy moving the court to Dunsinane, which was nearly ready. And she applauded Macbeth’s tact in dealing with the southern lords. Part of me wondered if Macbeth’s invitation to Banquo was nothing more than bait.

“I do have other news, good news,” Banquo said with a smile. “Our sons are coming home.”

“You’ve had word from Balor?”

Banquo nodded. “He sent a casting.”

“Thank the gods.”

“I knew you would be happy. And, my Cerridwen, there is a fresh delivery of honey in the kitchens. Morag promised me she’d make something special for you and my little one,” he said then got down on his knees before me. Wrapping his hands around my waist, Banquo pressed his cheek against my stomach. “How are you, my wee babe?”

“Rolling and kicking,” I replied.

Banquo laughed then kissed my stomach. “We cannot wait to meet you. Will you look like your mother or me?”

“Or both.”

Banquo gazed up me, a look of love on his face. But I also saw the lines around his mouth tremble.

“What is it?” I asked.

“It’s just…it should have always been like this.”

“Yes. You’re right. But in spite of it all, we have won this moment,” I said, taking his hand in mine.

Banquo nodded then embraced me again. “How true. How very true. Don’t tell her I said so, but your mother is the wisest woman I’ve ever known,” Banquo whispered to my stomach.

“Is that so? There are none wiser?” I asked playfully.

“Well, there is Sid. She’s wise in her own way.”

I chuckled. “That makes me wonder what she’s said to you when I wasn’t around.”

Banquo laughed. “You wouldn’t believe your ears.”

“I can only imagine.”

A month later, a horn sounded as riders approached the castle. I had been sitting in the great hall by the fire, trying to warm my perpetually cold feet when I heard the noise. I set down the letter I was reading.

All at once, I was overcome with thoughts of Lulach.

“Lulach,” I whispered then rose. Grabbing a fur, I rushed outside.

Balor, Calean, Beric, and raven-tattooed Diarmad arrived, Fleance and Lulach along with them. My heart skipped a beat when I set eyes on my child, a deep feeling of relief washing over me. I looked then to Fleance whose eyes were fixed on me. He smiled.

Swift hoofbeats raced toward the castle. Banquo rode into the yard behind them.

Tears welled in my eyes, a deep sense of relief washing over me.

Killian appeared from within the castle. He eyed the party.

“Is that the mormaer?” he asked, his voice full of surprise. He stared at Lulach who was smiling at me.

“Yes.” I grinned when I realized that two dogs also traveled with the party, a white dog with red ears, and a massive black brute who looked just like his dame.

“Who are those men?” Killian asked.

“Druids,” I replied.

Killian shook his head. “Lady Gruoch and her secrets.”

I winked at him then went to Balor.

“Fair greetings, Father,” I called. I took the reins of Balor’s horse.

Smiling, Balor dismounted. He bowed to me. “Your Majesty.”

I took his hands, kissing them both. “You are welcome in Lochaber.”

“We are pleased to find you here, my lady,” he said then eyed me over. Smiling, he set his hands on my stomach. “A girl.”

I nodded.

“May the Goddess bless her and keep her from harm,” he said then turned to Banquo, leaving me to wonder about the druid’s words. Surely, he meant nothing ominous by them. A blessing was a blessing. Leaving a mother’s worries behind, I inclined my head to my druid brothers who returned the gesture then made my way to Lulach and Fleance.

“Mother,” Lulach called, passing off the reins of his horse to a groom.

Only a year had passed, but I could already see that Lulach had changed. He was at least a hand taller, and his baby-soft features had started to lose their roundness, his chin taking on the same square shape of Gillacoemgain’s features. How much like Gillacoemgain he looked.

“Son,” I said, pulling him into an embrace.

“Mother, how big you are.”

“Very soon, you will have a sister.”

“Another sister,” Lulach corrected. I caught an edge on his voice that surprised me.

“Yes, another sister.”

Lulach smiled at me. “We’ve just come from visiting Epona. They all send their greetings, and Crearwy sends her love.”

Ah. So, they had been together again. I was dying to know what conversations had transpired between Lulach and Crearwy, but Lulach’s correction told me he and his sister had bonded, for better or worse. In the end, what more could I ask for?

“Corbie,” Fleance called, coming to greet me. Thor, his dog, followed along behind him.

Fleance, a few years older than Lulach, had taken a leap into manhood in the year that had passed. He was taller, his voice deeper. He looked much like his father.

I embraced him.

“How do you like Tor Castle?” Fleance asked.

“You have a fine home,” I said.

Fleance eyed my belly. “Corbie?”

“You and Lulach will soon share a sister,” I said, measuring my words carefully.

Fleance looked at Lulach, a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. “We will truly be brothers then.”

I touched Fleance’s cheek then smoothed his hair. “Come, let’s go inside.”

“We’ll see to the horses,” Mackintosh, Banquo’s sentinel, told me.

I motioned to Killian, encouraging him to come along.

Banquo draped his arm over Fleance’s shoulder. “Son,” he said, smiling at his boy. “And the Mormaer of Moray. It is good to see you again, Lulach,” Banquo told him.

“And you, Thane,” he said, an awkward smile on his lips.

Lulach slipped his hand into mine. He lifted our joined hands and looked at the gloves, studying them carefully.

“Are your hands cold, Mother?”

“No,” I replied.

Lulach raised an eyebrow but said nothing more.

Banquo and Fleance joined Balor and led the druids into the great hall.

“Lulach,” I said, pausing to wait for Killian. “Lulach, I want you to meet Sir Killian. He is a loyal man of Moray and my guard.”

“Sir,” Lulach said, inclining his head to Killian.

“My Mormaer, I am pleased to see you again.”

Lulach smiled.

“Killian’s father and brother served Gillacoemgain—and they were lost alongside your father at the very end,” I told Lulach.

Killian looked at me, an expression of surprise on his face.

Lulach turned to Killian. “Is that so?”

“Yes, my lord,” Killian said.

Lulach set his hand on Killian’s arm. “Then tonight, we shall toast them together.”

I swallowed hard, feeling proud of my son. He nodded to Killian then went to join the druids.

“Lady Gruoch,” Killian whispered.

When I met his gaze, I saw his eyes were wet with unshed tears. I patted his arm gently then went to join the others.

The servants worked quickly, passing out mulled wines and honey mead to our guests. I caught the sweet scents of freshly baked bread and roasting meat. My stomach growled hungrily. I sat beside Lulach, listening as the druids spoke about their travels. Soon after, the servants called us to feast. I was relieved. Aelith had been rolling and kicking since I’d caught the first whiff of food. I took my seat at the head of the table, Banquo at one side, Balor on the other. It seemed strange to take precedence over Banquo in his own castle. In Lochaber, it was easy to forget I was Queen of Scotland.

As we ate, Banquo fell into conversation with Fleance and the other druids. My attention turned to Balor.

“I understand you’ve come from Epona,” I told him. “How is she?”

Balor shook his head. “It wounds my heart to see her thus.” I was sure it did. Balor and Epona had always been very close.

“When I saw her last, I asked her what I could do to help our people. She advised me to speak with you,” I told Balor.

“We could use your aid, Queen Gruoch. Lands granted for our use, protection, coin, and acknowledgment. The south has shifted toward the White Christ. The southernmost coven is over. The last of the priestesses have gone.”

“How terrible.”

Balor nodded.

“I will do anything in my power to help you. It would be useful if I knew where my holy brothers and sisters resided, the locations of the other covens and holy sites.”

Balor considered the matter. “We have always thought it unwise to set such information down.”

“Do you read Ogham, Father?”

“Of course.”

“Are many others learned in the art?”

He laughed. “As far as I know, only Epona…”

“And me.”

Balor chuckled. “Very good, Your Majesty. Very good. Let’s meet and discuss further before we depart.”

“And Crearwy,” Lulach piped up.

“Sorry, love?”

“Crearwy can also read the language you speak of.”

Banquo cast a wary eye toward Lulach.

“Very good,” I said, seeking to curb Lulach’s tongue. It was one thing for him to be proud of his sister, but quite another to speak her name in open spaces.

Fleance, who must have had a better sense of the matter then Lulach, elbowed his old friend.

Lulach gave Fleance an annoyed look but said nothing more.

We spent a pleasant evening feasting and talking of old things. Banquo’s staff moved in and out of the room as if the druid visitors were nothing of particular interest, but I watched Killian out of the corner of my eye. How closely he listened to their words and eyed the men over. It had been a long time since the druids had walked freely amongst our people. Perhaps it was time for that to change.

Late in the night, after Balor and the others had gone to bed, I sought out Lulach. Though they were both older, Lulach and Fleance had asked for a room together. It was late in the night when I found them there—both still awake—talking like two old women.

“My boys,” I said, entering the room quietly. I closed the door behind me.

Both dogs, Thor and Angus, looked up at me. Thor lay his head back down, deciding it was too much trouble to get up from the comfortable spot on the end of Fleance’s bed to come see me. Angus, who’d been resting by the fire, came to me and licked my hand. I scratched his red ears then sat down on the corner of Lulach’s bed.

“You should be asleep, Corbie,” Fleance told me. “A woman should rest when she’s coming to the end of her time.”

“A month and a bit to go,” I said, setting my hand on my belly. “Depending on how stubborn your sister is.”

“How odd, isn’t it?” Fleance asked Lulach. “We shall share a sister. What have you and father decided to name her?”

“Aelith.”

“And are you sure it’s a girl?” he asked.

I nodded. “As sure as one can be.”

“It’s a girl,” Lulach said absently, his eyes fixed on the fire.

“Lulach,” I said, touching his leg. “I love you well, my son, but you must hold your tongue when it comes to Crearwy. I have paid a heavy price to keep your sister’s identity secret. If others were to learn you had a sister—”

“But who would ever guess?” Lulach asked.

“She is named after your father’s sister. One doesn’t need the sight to make connections. Among the holy brothers, it is one thing to speak her name. But never among servants or in common spaces.”

“I told you,” Fleance chided Lulach. “How like you she is, Corbie.”

“You think so?” I asked.

Fleance smiled, and for a moment, I saw a strange wisp of a soft expression cross his face. “Yes. Though a bit more waspish.”

“She is angry,” Lulach said.

“Was she…unkind to you, Lulach?” I asked.

“No. Not to me.”

“I see,” I said, guessing that Crearwy had spoken harshly of me to her brother. “She doesn’t understand. I can’t blame her. One day, she will realize and forgive.”

“May the gods let it be so,” Lulach said, his voice resonating with a deep otherworldliness.

“Have you shown her?” Fleance asked Lulach.

Confused, I scrunched up my brow. “Shown me what?”

Lulach pushed his sleeve up to reveal a small tattoo on his wrist. Inked thereon was a dog surrounded by swirling Pictish designs.

I took his hand into mine and studied the tattoo. “It’s beautiful, but why did they give you such a mark?”

“I walked…beyond,” he said. “Angus guided me.”

I stared at my son. Before me sat the future King of Scotland. And before he had even reached full manhood, the gods had shown fit to take him to the Otherworld.

“And what did you see there?”

Lulach smiled at me. “You know I cannot say more.”

“Then know this, my son, that the Otherworld is full of those who love us, but also many who would trick and harm us.”

“Not where I went. Not who I saw,” Lulach said.

“And who did you see?”

“The one who brought me my dog. Eochaid.”

At that, I laughed out loud. “Fey things. Love them well, but always be cautious of fey things,” I said then reached out to scratch Angus’ ear. The dog tipped his head at me, giving me the impression he understood my words.

“Like these?” Lulach asked, reaching out to touch my gloved hand.

“Why are you wearing those gloves, Corbie?” Fleance asked.

“The better question is, who gave them to you?” Lulach said.

“Fey things,” I said. “You know I cannot say more.”

Lulach chuckled.

“But why are you wearing them?” Fleance asked again.

“My hands are…bespelled. The gloves contain the curse.”

Both boys stared at me, their eyes wide.

“I’m not in any danger, I swear,” I told them.

Frowning, Lulach looked back at the fire.

“As long as you’re not hurt,” Fleance said.

“I’m not hurt,” I reassured him.

“But you should get some rest,” he told me.

“Yes, you’re right. Hopefully Balor lets you stay for a time.”

“A fortnight,” Lulach told me.

“Do you wish to continue on with him?” I asked Lulach. I wasn’t sure what Lulach would make of the holy life, but I could see that it suited him as it had suited me.

“Yes. I hope you will permit me.”

I nodded. “Of course. My father, Boite, once studied amongst the holy brothers.”

At that, Lulach smiled. “Thank you, Mother.”

“And you, Fleance? Will you stay in Lochaber?”

Fleance laughed. “Only if father makes me.”

“That is unlikely.”

Grinning, Fleance looked at Lulach. “Then we’re for the road once more.”

Lulach returned his smile.

Shaking my head, I rose. “Goodnight, my dears,” I said then left, my heart brimming with joy.