Page 70 of The Dragon Ring
“That goes for me too.” I grinned. “And I don’t even believe in prophecies.”
They looked surprised. “But everyone does. They’re true. Look at you. You’ve transformed Arthur into a king.” Albina seemed to be the spokesperson.
I sighed. “I did nothing of the sort. He did that all by himself. And if his father hadn’t wanted him to be a king in the first place, it wouldn’t have happened whether I was there or not.”
They didn’t believe me. I could see from the shocked expressions on their faces. It was no use arguing with the blindly faithful. I changed tack. “Come and sit down.”
They hurried forwards and sat, one on either side of me on the cushioned bench seat, rapt.
I smiled at them again. “I don’t know much about what goes on. I’m– I’m from far away and it’s quite different there.” I took a deep breath. “You could start by telling me how your father came to be seneschal to King Uthyr.” I might glean some useful information.
Albina started. “He’s from Rheged. There was a Council of Kings and he came here with his own king. I meanourown king. Meirchion the Lean. Years ago. In the time of the old High King.”
“She means High King Ambrosius, King Uthyr’s brother.”
“Yes, I do. Don’t interrupt. I’ll lose my track.”
“Well, you weren’t going to say.” Cloelia’s jaw had a stubborn set to it.
“I was. Shut up and let me talk. It was when Meirchion was a young man and had just become king in Rheged. He’s an old man now, like Father. He brought Father to the Council of Kings in his retinue, and Father met Mother. And they fell in love.”
“She was Grandfather’s only child. He didn’t want her to marry a man from Rheged. Grandfather was High King Ambrosius’s seneschal,” Cloelia elaborated.
“You keep on interrupting!”
“Well, you keep on leaving out important bits.”
“Just be quiet. Yes, she’s right, Grandfather forbade the marriage. Father had to go back to Rheged without her. He was really sad because he loved Mother so much.”
“You wouldn’t think it now, but she was really beautiful when she was young.”
I didn’t think she was too bad now.
“Just let me. I’m the oldest. I get to tell the story.” Albina cleared her throat. “He pined for her. Then there was another Council of Kings and he had to come back here, and he found she was pining for him, and finally Grandfather let them marry because he thought she might die! Isn’t that romantic?”
I nodded dutifully. I wanted to ask them more about the Council of Kings but held my tongue, waiting for their story to finish.
Albina continued. “They went back to Rheged together, and Father worked for King Meirchion for years. He didn’t want to be a warrior– he says he’s too clever for that.”
“He says only stupid men want to fight. But I don’t think that’s true. All the heroes in the stories are warriors, not seneschals.” Cloelia did like to put in her pennyworth.
“Shutup. He worked for King Meirchion’s seneschal– sorting out taxes and things like that. It’s what he does now. He makes money for the King.”
“Mother says kings are nothing without a good seneschal. But I think seneschals are nothing without good warriors.”
“Cloelia! Anyway, we were born. We lived in Caer Ligualid, the capital of Rheged, up beside the Wall. It’s an old Roman city like this, only nowhere near so big or so splendid. And then there wasanotherCouncil of Kings and Grandfather retired, so King Uthyr persuaded Father to come and work for him as seneschal to the High King, not just to the king of Powys.”
“Mother says it was promotion.”
“So we all came south. Grandfather was really pleased. We came to live here, with him. In Domus Albus. It’s our family name– Albus– well, Grandfather’s family name. He was a Roman. It’s why I was named Albina. To keep the family name alive. He isn’t here now. He died three years ago. Mother says we made his old age happy.”
I was sure they had. They seemed like exceptionally nice girls.
They appeared to have finished their narrative, so I asked, “What can you tell me about the Council of Kings?”
Albina started. “It’s held once every two years unless something special happens. Always here. I don’t know why, but it is.”
“Because the kings of Powys have always been the High Kings. That’s why, stupid.”
