Chronicles of the Brittany Kings Chapter 32

 32

“May I ask why did the duck take to the water?” It was a rhetorical question. Vortimer looked at Gildas when he asked the question. They were in the prayer session then.

“Well, it's their nature to do so. They like the water and their webbing feet paddle well there.” Gildas replied, and then looked at the other. 

“Why do you ask?” Gildas was curious.

“Nothing to be concerned about. I was just curious.” Vortimer replied. His mind drifted back to his avoidance of the lady named Rowena. He had seen her in the castle but chose to avoid talking to her. For once in his lifetime, he was afraid.

“Why should I be afraid of her?” Vortimer had questioned himself, but he could find the answer. He spends his time with the Lords on the situation on the land.

“The Amoricans have crossed back to their land. The Anglo-Saxons have left with remnants of those here hunted by our army.” Lord Cornell reported to the new King. “We faced no reprisals from the Danes or the Picts.”

Vortimer breathed in a sigh of relief with those words. He felt then for once the Kingdom was secured. He was to speak when he saw the arrival of Vortigern and his lady.

“May I approach, King Vortimer?” Vortigern asked. Vortimer nodded to the request.

“I was advised that you have repelled all the raiders and barbarians. You have done more than what I had done.” Vortigern smiled at the other. “Your Lords are obliging.”

“Speak quick, Vortigerm. We are in conference here.” Lord Cornell looked at the other. “We have …”

“No time to be wasted? I can see that in the discussion.” Vortigern cut in before he looked at Vortimer. “I am here to offer you a feast as King.”

“I am not with huge wealth, but enough to host a feast. The portion of it will be sufficient to cover the food and drinks. May I use your hall for that?” Vortigern asked. “I am …without one as huge as this.”

Cynism was in the tone of the defeated King, but what was distracting was Vortimer’s stare at the lady standing behind Vortigern.

“My King, this is our hall and shall not…” Lord Cornell objected but Vortimer held up his hand to silence the Lord.

“We will hold the feast here.” Vortimer agreed to it, watching the lady smile at him. “It will be done the day after tomorrow.”

Lord Vortigern and his lady left the hall with Lord Cornell seething with anger, The Lord asked Vortimer about his decision.

“Are we to allow  Vortigern to host the feast here? Were his guests to attend? Anglo-Saxons? Picts perhaps? The last time the Picts were here, they killed the King.”

“Enough, Lord Cornell!” Vortimer for the first time as King raised his voice to the Lord. “I have decided.”

A wise decision it was when Vortigern requested the feast, for he was keen to mend the relationship with Vortimer. Ever since his abdication from the throne, Vortigern was quietly building up his allies. He started with the Lords, not in the favor of the new King. He met them singularly on many pretexts of issues to discuss or to share a feast, or drink. He was elusive to bring up the matter of the old alliance and then gauge their willingness to side with him. Some Lords were obligatory while some were coaxed into it by preserving their borders from raiders.

“The Picts held me still in their favor,” Vortigern assured the nervous Lords. “The Anglo-Saxons are my blood relatives now.”

Vortigern pushed forth his lady to appease the Lords; “We are a family.”

“What of the Amoricans? The young princes?” Vortigern was queried by one whom he met.

“Did they come? Who was it? Aurelius or the youngest Uther? I heard they did and pursue the Anglo-Saxons to the coasts but they did not engage in any battles. It was all a show of … influence? The young cubs with their new fangs think they are ready to take back their land from Vortimer. I doubt so. They have retreated to their own.” Vortigern used his words to ridicule the young princes. “They are without their father’s courage.”

“They have no assistance of Lord Cornell.” Lady Rowena added in. The mention of Lord Cornell’s name angered the other Lords who felt that Lord Cornell had taken to the new King’s side as his adviser and thus subdue their influence in the hall. Emotions of rage mixed with the free flow of meads and intoxicated by the scents of the lady, the discussion soon turned to favor Vortigern.

“I believe to have snared another Lord to my cause,” Vortigern whispered to his lady soon after the discussion with the lord ended. “Lord Bannion will be with me.”

“Do I detect selfishness in you, love? I have done my part too.” Rowena retorted to the other. “All of you men are the same. Only the works of yours matter.”

“Nay, my love. I treasured your charms too.” Vortigern looked to his younger lover. “Your scent is intoxicating.”

Intoxicating was the works of the scent prepared for Rowena by her servants. She recalled during her younger days the works of the scents will work in their favor.

“We held nothing with us except the alluring heavenly body to entice men.” The elderly lady had coached her when young. “You must learn other skills.”

Rowena was taught the art of healing which included making potions for various ailments.

“Nothing needs healing unless it’s sick. If need to get someone sick, you need to learn how to make potions of poison. Some potions may kill immediately or over some time. The signs of poisoning could be from irritation in the body to bursting sores or chronic ailments.  The most crucial part of the lesson was to avoid the poisoned person knowing it was from you.”

“Everywhere we may be, there are elements of herbs or creature droppings that we can use.” Rowena learned then the items which she can use. Some were given to her by loyal servants like the deadly mushroom.

The feast soon came to the hall, and the gathered were all gaily celebrating the occasion. Rowena was doing her role then as hostess to greet the guests that were in favor of her.

“Drinc heil!” That call resonated in the hall which amused the Voritmer so that he asked Vortigern what it meant.

“I heard of it but hardly knows its true words.”

“It meant drink till you die, Vortimer.” Vortigern told the other. “Rejoice.”