Boudicca, page 39
Beside me I felt Rhan stiffen.
Adminius raised his mug to me. “First, I would like to thank Queen Boudicca for her hospitality. She has proven herself not just ally but friend.”
I bowed my head slightly in acknowledgment as the room echoed his toast and drank.
“Next, I want to make it official that I will not change the lead warrior choices my father made.” Adminius glanced at the men who sat on either side of him, nodding at each of them, though they made no response. Adminius, who seemed oblivious to their silence, continued. “Especially you, shield of the Trinovantes.” He nodded to Mailcun. “Your place should always be at the right hand of the chief, thus you will remain there when I wear the torque.” Adminius raised his mug again. “To my father, who was victorious in life as in death!”
There was a subdued response to Adminius’s toast, and Rhan released a long breath as her brother sat and then leaned close to me to whisper, “I’d hoped he would not force the issue tonight, but as he has, I must speak.”
A chill fingered down my spine as Rhan stood, and the room instantly went silent. I knew what was happening. I’d experienced it. Twice. Though the first time differed dramatically from the second. When Prasutagus died, Derwyn presented me with my queen’s torque during his funeral feast, after Prasutagus’s shield and senior warriors had consulted with the high Druid and all had been in agreement that I was to lead the Iceni.
The second time had been unusual, but I had not initiated my naming as a wartime queen. The goddess Andraste had gifted me with Prasutagus’s torque. The wearing of a torque is always the decision of the tribe and the high Druid—or of the tribe’s patron goddess or god—and never of the prospective chief or queen. I knew why Rhan had stood and what she would say, though the knowing did not make it any easier.
“Adminius, son of Addedomaros, as high Druid it falls to me to tell you that your lead warriors and I have not yet decided who will wear the Trinovantes torque.”
Absolute silence followed her words. I felt Cadoc stir beside me to put his hand on the dagger he always wore sheathed around his waist. The chiefs of the Dobunni and Catuvellauni tensed, as did Mailcun and the other Trinovantes warriors.
My gaze went to Adminius as I, too, readied myself for one of the explosions of temper for which he was so well known.
“Of course! Of course, good sister.” Adminius’s smile appeared guileless. “Forgive me for speaking of such things too soon. You are correct. Tonight we remember my father. We can discuss the torque and who should wear it later. Wulffaed! I’d like more of your excellent mulled mead. Tonight, I drink not just for myself but for my father—and that is certainly a mighty task.”
Wulffaed hurried to fill his mug as the room released a collective sigh of relief. Losing a chief unexpectedly was difficult enough on a tribe, but to lose him and then have to deal with infighting over his torque would be doubly tragic.
The Dobunni chief stood next, telling a story about when he’d traded with Addedomaros for several unbroken yearlings, and now those yearlings had proven to be the swiftest, though most headstrong, horses in their herd—obviously reflecting the attributes of the Trinovantes chief.
Surreptitiously, I watched Adminius as the warriors drank more and more and told story after story about his father. He appeared to be increasingly drunk, slouching and slurring his words, but he drank almost nothing. Oh, he seemed to be drinking, and Wulffaed refilled his mug often. Only I noticed that Adminius spilled more mead than he drank, and when he thought no one watched he would tip his mug, pouring it under the table.
I leaned close to Rhan and lowered my voice. “Your brother’s drunkenness is a ruse.”
Rhan said nothing, but she, too, snuck glances at her brother until she whispered to me, “Beware and be ready.”
I nodded, and next time the warriors all laughed at a story Mailcun had told about his chief, I bumped Cadoc’s thick leg, drawing the old shield’s attention. “Adminius is pretending to be drunk.”
Cadoc narrowed his eyes, watching Adminius, before he whispered to me, “Aye, he’s up to something.”
But nothing happened. The warriors continued to tell stories. Adminius laughed with them, sloshing mead from his mug and pretending to drink.
As the night grew old, the Trinovantes warriors were slurring their words. Some were even snoring with their heads on the tables. I began to relax. They would all leave soon. It could be that Adminius was so grief-stricken that he had no stomach for drink that night and the only ruse he’d planned was to pretend otherwise so that he didn’t appear weak to his warriors.
So when Adminius stood for a second time that night, I smiled at him, expecting that he would thank me again and then call the feast to a close.
“Queen Boudicca, again I thank you for the generosity you have shown me,” said Adminius.
“Tribe Trinovantes is the Iceni’s closest ally. It has been my honor to host the funeral feast of their chief,” I said.
“In return I would gift you—gift us all—with something.”
I began to assure Adminius no gift was necessary, but he spoke over me.
“Join with me as more than allies. Marry me, Queen Boudicca, and unite Tribe Trinovantes and Tribe Iceni forever.”
Again, his words brought stunned silence to the lodge. I felt the shock in the pit of my stomach—along with anger. This was why Adminius needed to appear drunk but actually be clear minded.
I met his gaze and spoke slowly and distinctly. “Adminius, son of Addedomaros, I will never marry again.” I stood. “And now I will wish you and your good warriors a peaceful night.”
Adminius chuckled and slurred his words. “Of course! Of course! Prasutagus was quite a man—quite a chief. And you are quite a queen. Good night, all!” Adminius staggered and almost fell. Mailcun caught his arm and steadied him, leading him from my lodge. The rest of the Trinovantes warriors bowed respectfully to me as they silently departed, followed by the Dobunni and Catuvellauni.
Chapter XXXVIII
When everyone except my lead warriors and Rhan had left the lodge, Cadoc broke the silence. “That Trinovantes pup needs to be muzzled.”
Briallen’s lip lifted in disgust. “The mead. Adminius was mad with it, but ’tis no excuse for his behavior.”
“He wasn’t drunk,” I said.
“Boudicca is correct,” said Rhan.
“Aye,” agreed Cadoc. “I watched him, too. He drank almost nothing.” The shield went to where Adminius had been sitting and squatted, touching the ground beneath the table. He snorted. “This is where his drink went.” He stood and pointed to the slick surface of the table. “And here.”
“He pretended to be drunk in case Boudicca turned his proposal down,” said Maldwyn, his voice tight with anger. “Tomorrow he can say it was the drink that caused him to speak out.”
“How could he have believed that there was any chance that I would accept him?” I said.
“You were kind to him yesterday.” Rhan sounded weary. “Today you showed him compassion and respect.”
“I didn’t show him respect! I showed Addedomaros and Tribe Trinovantes respect!” Anger lifted my voice. “And I was kind to him because I know what it is to lose a father.”
“To a man like Adminius, everything is always about him,” said Briallen, who still sat beside Rhan. “He would believe any woman who showed him kindness also lusted for him.”
“Then he is a fool,” I said.
“Yes,” said his sister. “Which is why only one of the tribe’s lead warriors put forward his name for the torque.”
“Mailcun,” said Briallen.
Rhan raised one brow. “Yes.”
I looked at the leader of my Queen’s Guard. “Why would Mailcun want Adminius to wear the torque?”
“Because it is what Addedomaros wanted, and Mailcun is loyal to his chief even after his death,” said Briallen.
“The others will not choose him,” said Maldwyn. “There was more talk today. No one trusts Adminius.”
“He has proven himself unfit to lead over and over, beginning when he was just a boy,” said Rhan. “Tomorrow after we break our fast I will join the lead warriors of the Trinovantes as they choose another for their chief.”
“Will it be you?” I asked. My stomach tightened at the thought and I reminded myself that I would lose Rhan eventually. Should we be victorious against the Romans, she would return to Ynys Môn to rebuild the isle of the Druids. But were she queen of the Trinovantes, Rhan would be closer to Tasceni, and that would actually make seeing her easier.
“No,” Rhan said firmly. “I have made it clear to the Trinovantes lead warriors that my life’s path has already been chosen. I am a Druid—now high Druid; I cannot also be a queen.”
“How much of a problem will Adminius be when another wears the Trinovantes torque?” I asked, more thinking aloud than looking for an answer.
Abertha shook her head. “We cannot know for sure what he will do. What we do know is that he will not be able to fracture Tribe Trinovantes as the Catuvellauni did when royal brothers disagreed over how to deal with the Romans.”
“True,” said Maldwyn. “Adminius doesn’t have enough support to split the tribe.”
Cadoc snorted. “That pup has no support. Once the new chief is chosen, Mailcun will swear fealty to him.”
“So we watch Adminius and be sure we limit whatever damage he tries to do,” I said. “Briallen, tomorrow have my guard take turns shadowing him, but do not make it obvious.”
“Aye, my queen,” said the warrior, who bowed before she left the lodge.
“We will all be watchful,” said Cadoc. “Though there is little he can do except to continue to make a fool of himself. Good night, Queen Boudicca.”
“Rest well, my queen,” said Abertha.
“May the blessings of the earth be on you,” said Maldwyn. He paused, and when I only smiled and wished him a good night, he nodded to Rhan and left.
“I should go, too,” said Rhan as she stood.
I took her hand in mine. “Please stay.”
* * *
I sent Phaedra to bed. Rhan and I helped each other undress and then we snuggled together under the thick pelts, sharing our body heat against the frigid night. As had been her habit when we were girls, Rhan smoothed my hair while we talked, and the stress of the evening was washed away by her touch.
“I still do not understand how Adminius thought making such a public offer of marriage to me would help him,” I said. “He is arrogant and foolish, but he had to have at least considered that I might turn him down.”
“He is arrogant and foolish, but Adminius is not stupid,” said Rhan. “Had your refusal not been so emphatic, he could have dangled the possibility of joining the Iceni and Trinovantes as incentive for his lead warriors to offer him the torque. It is probable that several of them would look favorably on joining the tribes.”
“Which means they would look favorably on Adminius.” I sighed. “But I said no. Emphatically. And now he can say he was drunk and grieving and not himself.”
“Exactly. Though he may try to coax you into a union again.”
“No. He will not wear the torque. That means he is simply a young Trinovantes warrior who will not be invited to any war council. After tomorrow there will be no reason for him to have access to me.” I touched her face. “It is you who must be careful. He cannot take out his anger on me and he is no match for any lead warrior. He may target you.”
“Do not fret, Boudicca. I am the high Druid and well protected.” Rhan leaned into me. The stones clattered as her hair formed a curtain around us while she took her time exploring my mouth.
I loved her taste and touch. The passion I felt for Rhan began deep within my spirit, and when I thought of it I realized that it had always been there, first in the form of friendship, and now so much more. Soon we were glad of the cold night as the heat between us slicked our naked bodies and we laughed as we kicked the thick pelts from us. Her softness and heat had me gasping as waves of pleasure built and crested, and then built again.
“You sly whore! Now I know why you rejected me!”
Shock jolted through me at the sound of Adminius’s voice. I turned to shield Rhan’s naked body as I faced him. “Get out of my lodge. Now.”
Though the only light in my bedchamber was from a single candle, I could see Adminius clearly. His face was scarlet and his lips were drawn back, exposing his teeth in a snarl. “Everyone will know that you fuck my sister and the two of you conspire to steal the torque from me! But you won’t get away with it!” He moved more quickly than I expected, closing the short distance to my bed. He grabbed my arm, jerking me toward him.
I used the momentum to fly into him. Unbalanced, he stumbled backward, and I easily broke his grip. I lunged past him to the wooden chest that sat at the foot of my bed, wrenched it open, and pulled out the Roman dagger I kept there—the dagger with which I had already ended one traitor’s life. My rage boiled over and I was on him. He lurched away from me and drew a dagger from the sheath he wore around his waist. Adminius jabbed it at me, but he was no Cadoc or Maldwyn or Abertha or Briallen. I easily sidestepped and sliced his bicep. He let out a shriek and dropped the dagger. Naked, I drove him from my bedchamber out into the lodge, where the fire burned low, sending ghostly shadows against the tapestries that covered the curved walls.
“You bitch! You cut me!”
With a well-practiced motion I tossed my dagger from my right hand to my left. From a nearby table I grabbed a heavy iron candleholder and hit him across the face with it. He cried out and fell to his knees, pressing a hand against the bloody gash in his cheek. I fisted his hair, pulled back his head, and placed the sharp point of my dagger against his throat.
“Do. Not. Speak,” I commanded. “Phaedra!”
Phaedra was rubbing sleep from her eyes as she parted the blanket that served as door to her small bedchamber. And then she froze in shock.
“Get Cadoc.”
“Yes, my queen!” Phaedra ran from the lodge.
“Cadoc is not my chief,” sneered Adminius.
I pressed the dagger against his neck until it wept a single drop of blood. “I told you not to speak.”
A cloak was placed around my bare shoulders and Rhan, fully dressed, moved to stand beside me. She looked down at her brother, who glared up at her with narrowed, hate-filled eyes.
“You would do well to remember that you no longer have Father to hide behind.” Rhan’s voice was devoid of emotion.
Adminius started to speak, but the pressure from my knife silenced him.
Cadoc burst into the cave lodge, his sword drawn, and skidded to a halt to stare. “What in all the gods is this?” he sputtered.
“I need your sword,” I told Cadoc.
My shield did not hesitate. He strode to me and gave me his sword, which I rested in the center of Adminius’s chest before taking the dagger from his throat.
I straightened and tossed back my hair. “There. Now I don’t have to bend over. Wake Mailcun and the Trinovantes lead warriors. Get them here. Call for Comux and Leofric, as well as my lead warriors. What happens next will be witnessed by all.”
“As you ask, so will I do, my queen,” said Cadoc. But before he left he jerked his chin at Adminius and added, “Shall I bind him first?”
“No,” I said without looking at Adminius. “If he tries to run I will hamstring him.”
“She already cut my arm and my face,” Adminius squeaked, trying not to move his throat as his eyes beseeched Cadoc.
“Be glad I haven’t slit your throat,” I told him. “Yet.”
Cadoc bowed to me before he jogged from the lodge.
When he was gone, Adminius seemed to deflate. “What now?” he asked me.
“Now you wait. Silently,” I said. Phaedra reentered the lodge. “Phaedra, Rhan and I would like mugs of Wulffaed’s mead.”
“Yes, my queen. Shall I bring you your clothes, too?”
Though the night was frigid, rage warmed me. Naked, I’d bested this warrior easily, and that is something my army would know, would sing of proudly. I met her eyes and smiled fiercely. “No.”
* * *
It didn’t take long for the lead warriors and chiefs to arrive. They poured into the lodge, silent and wide-eyed. I stood in the center of the room. With one hand I held Cadoc’s sword against Adminius’s chest. With the other I held a mug of mead, which I drained before I tossed the cup to Phaedra. Rhan sat at the table, which wasn’t far from me.
Mailcun stepped forward and was instantly shadowed by Cadoc and Maldwyn, whose blue eyes were bright with rage. Briallen and Abertha followed closely behind. No one else approached me.
Mailcun stopped before the still-kneeling Adminius and me. He bowed to me. “Queen Boudicca, what has happened here?”
I lifted my chin and met the loyal shield’s gaze steadily. “Adminius broke into my bedchamber. He threatened me. He threatened the high Druid. He put his hands on me and meant me harm. As you can see, he was not successful.”
“Mailcun! They are lovers. My sister and the queen. I caught them. They’ve been plotting all along to take the torque from me so my sister”—he spoke the words like they tasted foul—“will be named chief in my place!”
Mailcun blew out a long breath before he lifted his gaze from Adminius to me. “Are you wounded, Queen Boudicca?”
“He does not have the skill to best me,” I said.
“You bitch! I should—” Adminius began to hiss at me, but Mailcun struck him across the mouth with the back of his hand, causing blood to well on his bottom lip.
“Enough.” Mailcun did not raise his voice, but the command carried the weight of decades of leadership. “You have long been a fool, Adminius. Who the queen takes to her bed is no concern of yours. And the high Druid, your sister, has refused to even be considered for the torque—though I can tell you if she agreed to wear it I would gladly follow her.”
