Mac Tire � Son of the Earth

Part 12 � Tara

There were five roads reaching up to Tara from all points in the kingdom. They needed only one. Dom looked round as they rode up the hill. It took some time to climb the High Road, and Dom was searching desperately about him for any sign that this was still the joyous home of his childhood. The buildings were the same, the trees and bushes had increased in number and height, but all he saw were people passing quickly with bowed heads and eyes averted, and all he heard was a deafening silence broken only by the occasional caw of a raven in a tree.

Dom had often spoken to Lij of his childhood and life at Tara, and Lij, the stories all fresh in his retentive memory, was shocked to see that the place was as welcoming as a desert ruin populated by jackals. No human voice was to be heard. No children played amongst the trees and bushes. It was like a Necropolis - A City of the Dead.

Cass and Nekeb riding behind the couple could be heard murmuring together in the silent surroundings. Lij wondered if they were as disturbed as he was at the lifelessness of the place. Dom cleared his throat, and it was plain to Lij that Dom was trying very hard not to show his distress.

Dom looked in vain for any signs of normal daily life. A dog, a cat, chickens pecking corn in front of the closed doors of the houses. Nothing. No chattering housewives, no workmen singing as they toiled. No children at all.

Dom remembered Colm's brood dangling playfully from the branches of a venerable tree they were just passing, shouting and squealing as children do. It was true something hung there now, but it was not a thing Dom could fix his gaze upon.

Cassawn was heard to hawk and spit upon the road. His companions knew why. The stench of decay that lingered about the place was tangible. It laid a film on the back of the throat. Lij's heart broke for his Dom and for Cass who had also called this place his home.

They continued slowly up the hill, weary and sick at heart, and although stopped and questioned by two groups of sentries on their way up, they were not hindered until they approached the king's residence, where a group of twelve mounted soldiers barred their way. They looked as if they had turned out in a hurry, and were a rough lot armed to the teeth with swords, knives and spears.

"We have come..." Dom began, but the leader put his hand up to silence him. "You are not answerable to me, but to the King and his Lady. You will follow us!"

They rode through the heavy gate into the castle compound, and the gates were locked and bolted behind them. They all dismounted. The leader indicated that the travellers walk inside, and they were led to an empty room deep within the building, where they stood waiting events. No-one had threatened them, but no-one had welcomed them either. There was no furniture in the room and nowhere to sit except a narrow stone ledge built into the wall. They chose to stand.

Several minutes later the metal viewing hatch on the thick wooden door slid open and then shut with a bang. Then the door itself opened and a woman strode in, accompanied by the soldier who had brought them there.

Tall and dark haired and very lovely, with a firm mouth made for kissing or secrets, she stood staring at the group. It was impossible to tell her age, but she was no longer in her youth. She was dressed in a fine woollen apple-green gown, and wore an emerald on a golden disc the size of a small plate that hung on a chain to her waist. Nekeb for one could not take his eyes off it. It was a jewel as big as his fist.

Dom drew in a sharp breath and grasped Lij's hand firmly, pulling his love closer to him. Lij could feel Dom tremble and he glanced at his spouse with concern. Why was Dom trembling and fearful? His lover, who had faced death at the end of Cass's knife without a tremor, was afraid of this woman.

The woman smiled lazily. "Remove these two to the other rooms - and bring them refreshments," she drawled, waving an elegant hand at Cass and Nekeb.

The men were led out protesting. Dom had neither spoken or moved, but clutched Lij's hand more tightly still. "You have no need to fear me, Sean-Adomnan. I will not harm you, or your...bond-mate." Her glance rested on Lij for a brief moment before returning to Dom. "You have my word."

Dom raised his eyes to the woman, glaring at her, his face afire with all the fury that had rested in him since he'd first heard news of his homeland. "And you think, woman, knowing what I know of you, that I would trust your word on that, you evil spawn of a she-devil?"

She smiled tenderly at Dom, and Lij felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise up. He squeezed Dom's hand more tightly.

She moved forward a few steps and folded her hands piously on her stomach, lowering her eyelids. Her voiced became quiet, but no less disturbing for that.

"You have returned to me from the dead, Seaneen, and yet you speak in anger like the child you were when you fled my embrace and vanished into thin air. Now, are these harsh words the only greeting you can summon up for your loving and devoted wife, my husband?"

Lij let go of Dom's hand and turned to look at him in amazement. His wife? This woman was his Dom's wife? Lij shook his head in denial. This could not be! Dom kept nothing from him as he kept nothing from Dom. All their secret hopes and fears were discussed in bed at night, before or after they had lain together in love.

Dom was not looking at him, nor did he seem to notice that Lij had released his hand.

Dom moved slightly on the balls of his feet. Lij could feel the tension thrumming in him like a harp too tightly strung.

"And do you say, Ede, that my words to you are untrue? And that you and your mother are perfect examples of the virtuous wife?" Dom's hand sawed the air as if to refute these words. Ede continued to smile. The gaze she bent on Dom was avid; as if he was water and she thirsted.

"You know I lay in no-one else's bed until you left, muh kree. You must know this. You satisfied my every desire. Never have I had such a lover as you, neither before...nor since."

Lij swallowed hard. He did not understand the emotions that hung in the air between these two people. Dom laughed, but it was a cold sound.

"There are more hurtful ways of betraying your mate than taking others to your bed, Ede, as you well know. I will say no more."

Ede unfolded her hands and stared intently into Dom's eyes. "I had you brought to this room for a purpose, Seaneen. I knew you were coming - yes, I have spies everywhere. The couple in the hut where you claimed shelter last night were told to watch out for a group of four men, and send a message by bird when they appeared. Two men of the Land and two foreigners. One of the strangers was exceptionally beautiful of face."

Here her gaze fell upon Lij again, and as she studied his visage, he felt as if she had stripped him naked, so intense was the emotion in her eyes.

"What purpose do you mean? I have come..."

"Yes, I know. To ask the King for position as ollave of the court. Connor will do as I say, as he always does. He will accept you, because I say he must. It will give me time to discover why you really came. I cannot believe it was for joy of seeing me again. But you must understand that neither of you will leave this room alive unless you cede to my demands."

�We must settle this now, Seaneen. How this lies between us.�

�If it must be settled, then I would it were done in private, between the two of us.�

Before Lij could utter a word of protest, Dom asked him to wait outside the room. With a look that could freeze a man�s blood, Lij turned and walked with utmost dignity to the door. As he went outside into the passage, he did not glance back.

Dom remained silent, waiting for the woman to speak. "You know all there is of me," Ede murmured quietly, aware of listening ears at the door. "Connor does not, nor ever will, do you understand? And I know that Connor will have you strangled the moment he finds out who you really are, so he will. I would keep you alive, a stor.�

�Therefore I propose a bargain. I keep silent, and so do you. No word of what you know of me and mine will pass your lips whilst either of us breathe. If you swear this upon the life of your pretty boy here, I know you will keep your word. Otherwise you die. And I am very inventive in ways of making the process of dying last a very long time. And you will watch him die. Do you understand?"

Dom nodded. "I understand."

"Then swear."

"I swear."

She laughed, and it was not a pleasant sound. "No, no, my love; that will not suffice. Say after me....

"I, Dom of Monaghan, once king of this land, do swear to keep secret from all persons that which I know of Ede my gracious wife, whilst we live and breathe. If I break this oath retribution will be exacted against me upon the body of my present spouse, Knefer-Lijedefer, King of Egypt, and after this, I, too, shall die. May my heart wither within me if I am forsworn."

Dom started with dismay when he heard her utter Lij's full name - how had she known that? - but Dom repeated the words exactly as they had been spoken.

The Ede said, looking full into Dom's eyes, "I, Ede, now wife of Connor, High King of Erin, do swear to keep secret the identity of Dom of Monaghan from my Lord and from all who would harm him. Never shall I speak of it to any other person. May my life be forfeit and my heart wither within me if I am forsworn."

Then she smiled and called for Lij to return. He did so but remained at a slight distance from both of them. "Come! You must be hungry. I will show you to your rooms and then we shall eat together."

***

She kept them waiting for a few minutes as she spoke apart to several people standing nearby. They bowed and scuttled off to do her bidding. The two men then followed her in silence along the stone flagged corridors, walking side by side but not touching. She stopped before a double door and opened it. It was a large room, and one Dom was intimately acquainted with.

Inside there was an enormous bed, built on a wooden stand that raised it off the stone floor and covered in a red woollen blanket woven with intricate designs in many colours. Over it were laid thick white pelts of comforting furs. A large fire blazed brightly in a hearth along the wall.

The room was simply but tastefully furnished with wool and sheepskin rugs and several large chests. Two chairs with cushions stood either side of the fire. Beside the bed there rested a large harp flanked by two smaller ones.

"Osian!" Dom breathed, as soon as he entered, his eyes showing his pleasure. "You did not have them destroyed when I...left?" He turned to Ede suddenly. She shook her head. "I am not a child, Sean-Adomnan. I do not exact vengeance on inanimate objects - especially ones of such beauty as these. And it appears they have been looked after in our absence."

Colm's ghost suddenly thickened the air between them. Dom's smile vanished as swiftly as it had come.

"What are you called?" said Ede, gazing at Lij in a contemplative manner. Before he could answer her, "Ah! Lij it is! Is that not so?" Lij nodded. "It is, Lady...to my friends. Others have different names for me." His chin rose.

She studied him carefully. "I think you and I will become friends, Great One. I have a mind to discover what it is Sean-Adomnan sees in you - apart from your face and other very obvious attractions, of course."

Lij was shaken at how much this woman had found out about him. From whom had she gathered her information? He was determined to tread warily. "And where is my chamber, Lady? I would send for my servant and bathe and rest a little before we eat, if you please."

Dom stared at Lij in astonishment. Never had they slept apart in Egypt, even though they had their separate quarters. He had assumed Lij and he would share this room. It seemed both Lij and Ede had had a different idea.

Ede indicated the door in the opposite wall. "Your chamber lies there, um...Lij. Your servant is already busily at work - I can hear him preparing the bath. I ordered some more suitable clothing sent to you. I find our thick winter garb does not suit you. It is warm - inside the castle, at least - and you should be clad in brighter colours as befits your station. The bath is most fascinating." She grinned at Lij and looked genuinely amused. He smiled back, more out of politeness than anything. Dom's face, he could see, was as dark as thunder.

"I will leave you, now. Your servant will be here in a moment, Seaneen. He has to carry the bath further, and it is heavier than the other. And you, too, will benefit from fresh clothing. I will send a servant to bring you to us in one hour. I have had it mooted that you are Lord of the Slieve Galnach. It gives one such pleasure to be able to deceive whilst telling the absolute truth, does it not? " She bowed slightly and left the room in a cloud of exotic perfume.

Lij bowed back and made to open the adjoining door after she had departed. Dom took hold of the hand that rested upon the door handle. "Lij? Will...?"

Lij looked down at the hand resting upon his. "Please remove your hand, my Lord. I wish to bathe and change my raiment."

Dom took hold of Lij's shoulders and shook them, gently. "Lij? My love? We can ...I can explain...I...we..." Lij's glance froze Dom's blood to ice. "You have an explanation, my Lord, that you think will satisfy me? I am anxious to hear it. But not now. Pray excuse me. We shall speak of it later..."

A knock at the door heralded the appearance of Cass staggering under the weight of an enormous wooden tub. Several servants came in behind him with pails of hot and cold water. Behind them came two men bearing Dom's packs, and a woman with arms piled high with clothing. The two men remained silent until all had left but Cass.

Dom put his hand out. "Lij?" Lij ignored it. "Later we shall speak together. Detain me no longer." This was not Dom's spouse but the Son of the Sun, whom he had sworn to obey in all things. Dom knelt before his Liege Lord, arms outstretched, head down. "It shall be as you say, Great One."

Lij nodded slightly to Dom, then at Cass, who was looking at the two men in bewilderment, and left the room.

Lij found Nekeb pouring the last bucket of warm water into the copper bath. There was clean clothing lying on the bed, which was a mirror of the one next door except the cover on the bed was blue.

Nekeb looked up at his friend and master, noting the strain around his eyes and the paleness of his cheeks. He nodded to a small table against the wall. "There is drink of some kind there, Lij, if you'd care for it. The boy who brought it said it was called mead. There is honey in it - I tasted it. It is very good."

Lij shrugged himself out of his outer clothing. "Later, my friend. First, I need to sit in the warm water. I have felt, since entering this accursed land, that I will never be warm again."

Nekeb's eyes narrowed. Something was very wrong here. Lij never gave vent to his feelings like this. He was angry, any fool could see that. But underneath the anger Nekeb sensed an overwhelming sorrow. He helped Lij out of the rest of his garments and Lij sank gratefully into the warm water.

"Bless you, my dear friend for insisting upon bringing this bath. The wooden one I saw next door seemed to me less than comfortable."

Nekeb laughed as he squeezed warm water over Lij's shoulders. "Indeed, so am I glad. I will use this one myself, if I may. I have a feeling the wooden ones would cause splinters to dig into the most delicate places."

Lij smiled wearily. "I will wash my hair, Nekeb. Unbraid it for me if you will."

*

Just over an hour later the couple met outside in the corridor. Dom's eyes grew wide with distress as he caught his first glimpse of his spouse. For many years Lij had worn his hair in the same style as Dom wore his. It had become the fashion at court, for the Princes of the blood Royal, and remained so to this day. Three thick plaits, one each side of his face and one at the back hanging below his waist.

Now Dom saw that Lij's hair was plaited in the Egyptian way in a thick prince's lock that hung from the crown of his head over his right shoulder, and the rest of his dark hair was left loosely falling down his back like a black silk waterfall.

He was dressed in a finely woven woollen robe in richest purple that fell to his ankles and covered his arms to the wrist, and around his waist there was tied several lengths of softest silk in various shades of purple, white and mauve. Over this he wore a cream cloak lined with dark fur and on his feet were his gold-brushed sandals.

He wore his pectoral, three bracelets, and two rings. Dom, simply clad in the fresh grey leather trousers and a dark blue woollen shirt covered by a grey wolfskin cloak, thought Ede could not have made Lij look more of a foreigner if she had dressed him in a leopardskin and a lionstooth necklace - but he held his peace.

Nekeb, at least, trailing behind them like the obedient servant he was supposed to be - albeit the richest servant in the world, bar none - was dressed in more suitable clothing, Dom thought impatiently. Cass did not attend Dom. He was given permission to scout around if he was able, and see what information he could gather.

Dom stepped back and walked beside a silent Lij along the corridors to the hall where food was served. Dom was surprised when, instead of being ushered into the main hall where all the more senior members of the court were fed, they were directed to the solar, where he saw that a private dinner had been arranged for them.

There were six chairs set around a square table. Against the wall a long board was filled with roast meats and tiny white loaves of bread. There was no-one else there when they entered. Suddenly Ede appeared at the doorway, flanked by two young men. Dom and Lij bowed politely as they came in. The man on Ede's right appeared slightly older than the other man, and wore an expression of vacuous benignity at odds with his reputation for evil.

Dom was puzzled. Ede had said her husband the king was named Connor. Was the other man Sowrawn? Or was it the name he used to inspire terror in the frightened people? He looked at Dom and Lij with an expression of interest. The other younger man, Dom noted, was staring at Lij.

Ede introduced them. "Connor, my Lord, here is the prince of the Slieve Galnach come to join your court. He craves the position as ollave. I beg you will grant it. There has been a singular lack of music at court since Trailac....left."

As a signal the servants came forward and held the chairs as the group seated themselves. The new king inclined his head graciously at Dom. "We are glad to welcome you, my Lord...um...?" He turned his head to his wife sitting beside him and arranging her gown about her knees. "Sean, my Lord. He is called Sean."

Connor smiled. "Sean. You are a musician and poet...?" Ede interrupted him. "And this my Lords, is Knefer-Lijedefer, King of Kings, Son of the Sun. A faraway land called Egypt."

"I have heard of it," the younger man said quietly. "It is far to come. Why have you come so far, my Lord?" He gazed at Lij intently. Dom was not surprised. Lij was most appealing dressed as he was. Before Lij had time to answer him "I am Cormac, son Of Ede," he continued, picking up a piece of fowl in delicately shaped fingers.

She laughed as Dom and Lij both stared at him. "Yes, he is the son of a youthful indiscretion. He is seventeen, now, and ripe for mischief as I was at his age." The lad opened his mouth to speak, then thought better of it, and closed it again.

There was some talk between them all that whilst slightly stiff was not uncomfortable. Dom and Lij and the two others had had plenty of time to prepare their story. They ate their meal, and whilst Connor was questioning Lij about Egypt, Ede beckoned to a servant and whispered an order.

She smiled at Lij. "Now I have sent for a delicacy of which I am particularly fond and which as an honoured guest I wish to share with you." The man reappeared and put the steaming dish on the table. It contained mushrooms.

Dom, to save his Lij from committing a breach of manners by refusing the offending fungus, rushed into unwise speech.

"Please, Lady, do not offer mushrooms to my mate. Of all foods, he dislikes mushrooms the most. Is not that so, Lij?" He grinned at Lij who returned a frosty smile - just the mere suggestion of an upturned lip - at his spouse.

"The Prince of Galnach jests, my Lady. He knows that I am very fond of the mushroom." He picked several out of the proffered dish and ate them with apparent relish. "Try them, my Lord."

Dom frowned, then remembered where he was. "Thank you, no. I have never liked mushrooms as you know, Lij. You may have my share with my good pleasure." Lij ate the rest of the contents of the dish, and wiped his lips. "Most palatable," he said evenly to Ede, who was just finishing her portion. "The garlic flavouring was particularly pungent." She nodded gracefully.

"When the next spores have come to growth I shall send you a dish of them, my Lord. As you enjoy them so much."

Lij bowed over the table, and addressed Connor. "And now, I beg you will excuse me. I have lately been sick of the lung-fever and am very tired." He rose and Dom rose with him. Courtesies were exchanged, appointments made for the morrow and they were escorted back to their rooms in silence.

Dom and Lij went into Dom's room, and Dom dismissed the two men sitting by the fire with a smile. "You shall tell us in the morning if you discovered anything, my friends, but Lij is tired and we need to rest now."

Nekeb looking at his king could see the dark circles blooming under his eyes, and hoped Lij would be asleep soon. Dom removed his cloak and unbuckling the heavy black leather belt from his waist, flung it carelessly onto a chest.

The door closed with a click, and Dom turned and gathered Lij into his arms, jumping backwards as his embrace was repulsed. Lij, before all cold ice, was now a heaving inferno of anger and distress.

"Ingrate!" he hissed at Dom, not daring to raise his voice in fear of attracting unwelcome attention. Dom tried to grab Lij's hand, and failed. Lij leaned against the wall, his chest heaving with passion. "Lij? What is the matter, my love?"

"Your love," whispered Lij making a sound more deadly than that of the striking cobra. "Your love? He moved his arm swiftly and grabbing Dom's discarded belt, struck him with it hard across the face. Dom, fell, landing beside the bed, holding his bruised cheek and looking up at Lij with astonished eyes.

"Now, my Lord, you will explain yourself to me; and if your answer does not satisfy me, I shall send for Nekeb and write a bill of divorcement. You may begin."




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