Gods Concubine by Sara Douglass

said. ―Where? When?‖ He paused. ―In whom?‖

Caela smiled, and leaned forward so she could put a warm hand on Saeweald‘s arm. ―Not

yet,‖ she said. ―He will not be reborn until it is safe for him to be so.‖

In whom? Saeweald thought, and would have repeated the question save that Ecub spoke

first.

―When will it be safe for Og to be reborn?‖ she said.

―When Asterion is distracted, and when…‖ Caela faltered, then resumed, ―and when

Swanne can pass on to me the arts and secrets of Mistress of the Labyrinth.‖

Judith‘s mouth fell open, her expression mirroring that of Ecub‘s and Saeweald‘s.

― Swanne hand to you the powers of Mistress of the Labyrinth?‖

―I will need them in order to complete the Game, just as Og-reborn will require the

powers of the Kingman. Land and Game merged, completely. Mag and Og, Mistress and

Kingman of the Labyrinth.‖

―That is not my query,‖ said Judith, still aghast, ―but this: How in creation”s name will

you get Swanne to hand to you her powers as Mistress of the Labyrinth?”

―There is a way, I know this.‖ Caela beat a clenched hand softly against her breast. ―But

for the moment this way remains unknown to me. Eventually I will find it—or it will find me.‖

Saeweald gave a short, harsh bark of laughter, making the ladies under the window look

at him in surprise.

He waited until their attention had returned to their needlework. ―I wish I had your

certainty, Caela. Swanne will never do it, just as William will never hand to Og his powers as Kingman. Both are too devoted to their ambitions, and to their shared vision of immortality.

They will never do it!‖

―You misjudge both of them,‖ Caela said quietly. ―I think they will. Eventually. When

circumstances are right.‖

There was silence among them for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Judith and

Ecub were trying to come to terms with the idea that they should actually use the Game, rather

than destroy it; Saeweald‘s mind remained consumed with the idea of Og-reborn. Who? Who?

Who?

The thoughts of all three stumbled at the idea that Caela, Mag-reborn, actually thought

she could make Swanne hand over her powers as Mistress of the Labyrinth, and that William

would do likewise with his powers as Kingman.

Eventually Caela, having watched the doubts flood the faces of the other three, shrugged

her shoulders as if in apology. ―There is still much to be decided. I will need to speak with the

Sidlesaghes. They have been watching, these past two thousand years. They will show me the

direction I should take.‖

Ecub, somewhat reluctantly, gave a single nod. ―May I ask, great lady, who Asterion

masquerades as? He is among us, we can all feel that, but who is he?‖

Caela coloured slightly. ―I do not know.‖

―You do not know? ‖ Saeweald said incredulously.

Caela shot him another hard glance, but Saeweald met it unhesitatingly.

―He hides himself well,‖ she said curtly. ―Too well. I cannot know him. But he must have

come to see me in the hours after Mag‘s ‗death‘. Who visited me then? My mind was sleepy and

muddled, and I can remember only a procession of vague faces.‖

―Half the cursed court visited you,‖ Saeweald muttered. ―How is it you cannot tell

Asterion‘s guise? By all the stars in heaven, Caela, you do not know how to persuade Swanne to

hand over her powers, you do not know who Asterion is…what else do you ‗not know‘?‖

―There are still vaguenesses, and still things I need to learn,‖ Caela said. ―I am not

omniscient, neither was Mag, nor even Og. But, if you worry about Asterion, then pray put that

to one side. For the moment Asterion is concentrating on Swanne and William. I am no longer of

any concern to him.‖ She drew in a deep breath. ―Now, I have some questions of you. Harold…‖

Her voice broke a little. ―For all the gods‘ sakes, why does he not remember? Why have none of

you told him?‖

―As to why he cannot remember,‖ Saeweald said, ―I do not understand, but I suspect it is

because it is kinder to him that it be so. And that is the reason none of us has taken him aside,

and explained to him the tragedy of his previous life. What would you have had us say, my lady?

That his sister is the love of his life? That if he indulges in that love then he not only threatens

her wellbeing, but throws away all he could attain in this life? By all the gods, Caela! Harold is

the man who can lead England to a victory against William, but England will not follow him if

he is accused of fornication with his own sister.‖

―But he is married to Swanne!‖ Caela said.

―And that marriage took place before any of us knew him,‖ said Ecub. ―The fact changes

little.‖

Caela‘s face twisted in revulsion. ―But Swanne… she arranged his murder in his last life.‖

―And what can you do about it?‖ said Saeweald. ―If you walk up to him now, and reveal

all that can be revealed, then you risk destroying his life.‖

Caela did not answer.

Saeweald again leaned forward. ―Is Harold Og-reborn?‖

Caela shook her head.

―Then what purpose is there in revealing his past to him?‖ said Saeweald. ―What purpose,

save to batter his emotions, and show him what now he cannot have?‖

Caela nodded with obvious reluctance.

―Silvius,‖ she said, lifting her wrist a little so she could see the bracelet he‘d given her.

―What in heaven‘s name does he do here?‖

―He is part of the Game,‖ Saeweald said. ―Brutus made him so.‖

―He says he is here to help,‖ Judith put in. ―He thought that the bracelet might make you

remember. None of us then knew quite what you truly were, or what was needed to make you

remember…‖

There was a slight reproach in her last remark, and Caela‘s cheeks again coloured a little

at it. ―Well,‖ she said, ―I suppose I will speak to him eventually.‖

She was about to say more, but at that moment the door to the solar opened, and

Edward‘s chamberlain entered with a request that Caela rejoin her husband to greet an

ambassador from Venice.

With a smile, and a gracious inclination of her head, Caela rose.

Later that night, when Judith stood behind Caela in her bedchamber, combing out her

long hair, Caela half turned, and spoke quietly.

―Judith…‖ Caela hesitated. ―William…I have not met him in this life…have I? He and

Edward were very close when Edward was younger—gods, Edward spent a decade or more at

William‘s court when he was exiled by Cnut—but I do not think William has come to our

English court. Has he? Ah, I have searched my memory and cannot remember, and I do not

know if that is because I have not in truth met him, or if it is because I have met him then

dismissed him, not knowing who he was…‖

Her voice broke a little on that last, and Judith frowned. ―Caela, remember how this

William treated you in your former life. He was vile to you! He—‖

―I loved him. And now I need to know. Judith, tell me… have we met?‖

―You have not met.‖

Caela sighed. ―And his wife, Matilda? I have paid little attention to what I‘ve ever heard

of her. What do you know?‖

―Caela, you can be doing yourself little good by—‖

―I want to know. Please.‖

―She is a strong woman, quick to temper, sure of herself and her place in life. I…I have

heard that she and William have made a good pairing.‖

―And children?‖ Caela said.

―Many, sons as well daughters.‖

Caela winced.

―They have been blessed,‖ Judith finished.

Caela turned aside her head.

―Caela…‖ Judith said softly.

―My hair is untangled enough, Judith. You may leave me now.‖

Judith went to Saeweald, needing to talk through all she had heard that day.

―I still find it difficult,‖ she said as she lay naked in Saeweald‘s arms on his bed, bundles

of drying herbs hanging from the low beam above them, ―that the reborn Mag and Og will

complete the Game instead of destroying it. For so long we have hated and loathed the Troy

Game, wanted it gone. Now…now we must reconcile ourselves to the idea that it will be with us

always. Part of us.‖

Saeweald did not immediately reply, and, curious at his silence, Judith raised herself on

an elbow so she could see his face. ―Saeweald?‖

―While you spent the evening with Caela, I went to sit on the edge of the river. I prayed,

and thought, and sought answers.‖

―And did you find any?‖

His hand stroked gently over Judith‘s shoulder, and down her upper arm, making her

shiver and smile. ―Aye. Caela— Mag—is right. Imagine the power and strength of this land if it