When Lilli hesitated, Merodda raised a ringed hand. Lilli left and hurried down the corridor to her chamber. Once safely inside, she went to the window – the floor was soaked with rain, but outside the storm had ended. Overhead a pale moon seemed to race through the sky as torn clouds scudded past.
‘He looked kind,’ Lilli whispered. ‘Truly kind. If he’s the sort of man Cerrmor has on his side –’
She shook her head to drive the traitorous thoughts away.
Yet that night she dreamt about Cerrmor, or some dream image of it, at any rate, since she’d never been there, and of Nevyn, who seemed to be trying to find her in the middle of a vast maze of stone walls and hedgerows. When she woke to a flood of sunlight across her bed, the dream stayed with her. She dressed and was just thinking of looking for Brour when he knocked at her door.
‘It’s me,’ he called out. ‘Are you there, Lilli?’
‘I am.’ She unbarred the door. ‘Come in. I’ve had the oddest dream.’
‘I thought you might.’
Brour hurried in, then shut the door behind him. His round child’s face was pale and stubbled, as if he’d waked all night.
‘What’s so wrong?’ Lilli said.
‘A number of small things that all add up to trouble. Nevyn spotting you, and then your dear mother’s lack of sense. She refuses to stop this dangerous scrying.’
‘Dangerous because of Nevyn?’
‘Just so. If he makes a link with you, he’ll be able to spy through your eyes.’
‘Well, it’s not as if I know very much about the King’s plans.’
‘You’d be surprised what you know without knowing you know it.’ Brour smiled briefly. ‘What troubles my heart is a selfish fear, though. I don’t want Nevyn tracking me down.’
‘Oh. Why not?’
Brour’s eyes blinked rapidly; then he shrugged.
‘I was a cursed poor student,’ he said. ‘And I left before I truly should have.’
Lilli hesitated, hearing pain in his voice. Something more than that had gone wrong, she suspected – something too shameful for Brour to admit.
‘It was all a long time ago.’ Brour paced over to the window, paced back again. ‘But I’ve made up my mind. Once we work the ritual and find the bolthole, I’m leaving Dun Deverry.’
‘Oh, don’t go!’
‘I’m sorry, but I can’t stay here. Your mother and uncle have grown suspicious of me for some reason, and they’ll kill me when the time seems ripe. You remember the omen of my head in a chest? Well, I’m sure it was quite true. I was hoping to win your uncle round by finding the bolthole, but now I think I’ll just leave by it. Safer all round. Then once I’m gone, you can tell Burcan about it, and you’ll get the gain and favour.’
‘My thanks. But I wish you weren’t going.’
‘You could come with me.’
Lilli gasped and laid her hand at her throat.
‘Just think about it,’ Brour said. ‘My offer is strictly honourable. I’ll treat you like my daughter. Come with me and be my apprentice. And save your skin, too, when this miserable dun falls to the enemy.’
Lilli felt the blood pound in her throat.
‘I’ve got to get back to your lady mother.’ Brour looked as if he might spit at the mention of her name. ‘But think on it, Lilli. I beg you.’
After he left, Lilli wandered over to the window. For a long time she stared out at the many-towered view without truly seeing it. She had a decision to make, and for the first time in her life, she couldn’t go running to Bevva with it.
Over the past few days, Merodda had become more and more aware of Lady Bevyan’s growing influence over the young Queen. Abrwnna included Bevyan in every royal progress through the town and every hawking party, visit to the temples, or special evening meal in the royal hall. At times, when Merodda went up to the women’s quarters, she would find Bevyan there alone, listening to one of the Queen’s rambling conversations.
‘I was glad at first,’ Merodda remarked to Brour. ‘Abrwnna can be a tiresome little thing.’
‘Indeed, my lady? But you’re not pleased now?’
‘Well, I don’t want to see myself displaced in the Queen’s favour.’
‘Ah. That would be a great loss, truly.’
Merodda considered him for a long moment. His head bent over his work, he was writing out a proclamation of Lilli’s betrothal for the heralds. She would regret his death when Burcan killed him, but Burcan’s favour was the centre of her life, the one thing she desperately needed, far beyond even the favour of the Queen. If he wanted Brour gone, then gone he’d be. Brour stuck his reed pen into a hole in the side of his ink pot, then picked up a handful of sand from a tray behind him and sprinkled it over wet words.
‘What do you think of Bevyan?’ Merodda said.
‘I rather like her, my lady, from what little I know of her, but I don’t know much at all.’
‘Well, true-spoken.’ She hesitated, wondering what she wanted him to say. ‘It’s of no matter. Tonight I’ll be in the Queen’s quarters, attending upon Her Highness. If anyone else wishes to see me, they’ll have to wait.’
‘Very good, my lady.’
Brour picked up the sheet of parchment and tipped the sand back into its tray, then laid it down and got back to work.
That evening Merodda tried to reach the Queen’s side early, but it seemed that the entire court was conspiring against her. As she made her way from the great hall, one person after another stopped her – servants asking for orders, lords hoping to wangle some favour from the Regent, ladies wanting to chat, a page with a message from Burcan. By the time she reached the women’s hall Bevyan was there ahead of her, sitting at Abrwnna’s side on a footstool while the Queen lounged in a cushioned chair. Her maidservants were laying a little fire in the hearth and lighting candles, while two serving women sang a song of love, trading off verses, and a third played a clumsy harp, all to keep the Queen amused.
In vain, that – Abrwnna was scowling. When Merodda came in, she turned her head to acknowledge her, then waved a hand at the music-makers.
‘Oh don’t!’ Abrwnna snapped. ‘I hate that song.’
The music stopped. The singers glanced at each other, then arranged smiles. The would-be harpist looked close to tears.
‘This is all unbelievably tedious.’ Abrwnna lay back with her head resting on the chair and stared at the ceiling. ‘I think I’m going to die of boredom.’
‘Well, Your Highness,’ Bevyan said. ‘We could play a game of carnoic or wooden wisdom.’
‘I’m sick of games.’
‘Your Highness?’ the lass with the harp said. ‘If your husband the King joined us, we could have a proper bard come in to entertain.’
‘I don’t want my beastly husband here. He sucks his thumb when he listens.’
All the women glanced sideways at each other. Merodda found an empty chair and sat down. Their tasks done, the maidservants scurried away.
‘I want to go for a walk in the night air,’ Abrwnna announced.
‘Very well, Your Highness,’ Bevyan said. ‘We’ll all have a nice stroll in the gardens.’
‘I don’t want anyone to come with me.’