Hades’ Daughter. Book One of the Troy Game by Sara Douglass

‘You actually intend to rebuild Troy in this land of Llangarlia?” Corineus said.

‘Aye,” said Brutus. “I do.”

Corineus smiled, warm and friendly. “Then hate me or not for what I said earlier, Brutus, but I am much afraid that I am your man!”

‘You want to join with me?”

‘Oh, aye, I do!”

Brutus was not sure how to regard this. Earlier he would have greeted it with enthusiasm. Now…

‘But surely,” said Brutus, “you are established and happy and free already, and from what you have said of your city I cannot think that any would want to leave it—”

‘Ah, Brutus,” Corineus said, “I have not told you all. Some weeks ago a great earth tremor struck Locrinia during the night. Some buildings collapsed, and some people died, but the true horror was not realized until the next morning. Every building within the city, every single one , has been cracked so badly that none will stand for much longer. Within weeks, a month or so at the most, Locrinia will crumble into the bay, and it will be as if the city never existed.” “You cannot rebuild?” Membricus said.

‘Rebuild?” said Corineus. “No. The city is too badly damaged. Besides, who could want to rebuild when Brutus offers me Troy?”

He turned his attention back to Brutus. “Pray, do not allow your doubts for me make you refuse me,”

he said. “I can be of great aid to you. Not only can I contribute ships, wealth, supplies, and yet more Trojans to make your new Troy great, I have knowledge. Brutus, I know this land of which you speak.”

‘Tell me,” Brutus said, now leaning forward himself.

‘Blangan is a Llangarlian! A native! She may well be able to tell you all you need to know.”

‘And Blangan is…?” Brutus said.

‘Blangan is my wife,” Corineus said, and his voice was composed of such pride and love and tenderness, that all of Brutus’ doubts dropped away.

‘Blangan is Llangarlian,” Corineus continued. “She left when she was but fourteen, married to a merchant who died within six months, leaving her stranded in Locrinia.” Corineus gave an embarrassed half shrug. “What could I do but wed her myself? Someone had to save her from destitution.”

‘And why am I thinking,” said Brutus with a grin, his humor now fully restored, “that this poor widowed woman was probably the most desirable creature you had ever set eyes on?”

Corineus shrugged, and smiled slightly. “That may have had something to do with it. But to the matter

at hand. While you rest in Locrinia, repairing your ships and healing your people, Blangan can teach you the ways of the Llan-garlians.” He laughed. “The gods drove you to me, Brutus! If the storm had not stopped you, and ripped masts from their beds in their keels, then you would have sailed past Locrinia in the dead of the night, not knowing what aid awaited you within.”

Brutus looked about at his officers and friends. “Well, what say you? Should we welcome this Corineus into our midst, and take what aid and fellow Trojans he offers us?”

‘Oh, we accept him,” Hicetaon said, glad that Brutus had not allowed Corineus’ earlier remarks to turn him against the man. “We welcome him gladly.”

‘YOU HAVE MADE QUITE THE CONQUEST,” BRUTUS SAID to Cornelia when he joined her on the bed within the cabin much later that night.

He waited for an answer, but there was silence. She lay with her back to him, only the rapidity of her breathing betraying her wakefulness.

Brutus propped himself onto an elbow and, with his free hand, toyed with a strand of her long brown hair. It had become much softer with pregnancy, as slippery and fluid as honey, and with a seductive, natural scent.

‘He has a wife,” he said softly. “A woman called Blangan. He loves her dearly.”

‘And she him, I would think,” Cornelia said. She rolled over. “Brutus, I had no idea that Corineus would say what he—”

He slipped his hand over her mouth, stopping her words. “Why do we hate each other so much, my little wife? Why?”

She gently pushed his hand away from her mouth. “I do not—”

‘Don’t dare to say to me that you do not hate me, Cornelia,” he said harshly, “for I would not believe that!”

Her mouth trembled, but she said nothing.

His eyes moved from her face to her body, and his hand he lifted and rested gently on her breast.

‘If only,” he said. “If only…”

Then: “Go to sleep, Cornelia. We have all had a tiring two days.”

He rolled over and, his back to Cornelia, pulled the blankets over his shoulders.

She drew in a deep breath, keeping it steady with only the most strenuous of efforts, then closed her eyes as well. It was a long time before she slept.

BECAUSE MANY OF THE FLEET’S SHIPS WERE SO BADLY damaged, and the oarsmen needed longer breaks than they usually would after their ordeal during the storm, it took an extra half day longer than expected to reach Locrinia.

When they eventually approached at dusk of the fourth day after the storm, Brutus realized why Corineus had thought they’d sail straight past if it had been night—as it probably would have been if they’d sailed untouched through the Pillars of Hercules. The city was visible from the ocean, but only barely. It was tucked into the southern shore of a bay whose only opening was a narrow, rocky strait. If a fleet had sailed north along the coast late at night when the citizens of Locrinia were asleep and all lights doused, then those aboard the fleet would never have known what they passed.

And, Brutus admitted to himself, he may not even have cared very much had he known. He had a destination, he was eager to reach it, and he would have ignored all distractions to achieve his goal. Only injury to his people and his ships had brought him Corineus and Blangan, both of whom might well be worth their weight in gold in aid and knowledge.

LOCRINIA WAS A MEDIUM-SIZED CITY OF LOW BUILD ings constructed in pale shades of sand and limestone and tiled in bright red and turquoise. It stretched from the southern shore of the bay halfway up the slopes of a massive mountain. At the edge of the city, neat fields ran up the mountain to the border of a close, dark forest that covered the greater part of the peak.

The city should have looked prosperous and comfortable, but here and there Brutus could see the mounds of rubble left by the earth tremor, and in many other buildings, a horrible list as if they were shortly to join their crumbled fellows.

No wonder Corineus was so joyful to have Brutus appear. This city was surely doomed.

Corineus told Brutus that because of the state of the city, most of the Trojans would have to make do as best they could on their anchored ships. With luck, however, he could find accommodation for enough of them that the crowding aboard the ships would be lessened considerably. Corineus apologized, clearly embarrassed at his inability to house all the Trojans in accommodation ashore, but Brutus waved away his apologies; Corineus was already doing more than enough.

His embarrassment only mildly allayed, Corineus directed his warship in close to the stone wharf. As soon as it had docked he jumped down to the wharf, sending messages into the city to set people to finding accommodation as best they could for several hundred people at least, and directions to set sailors in small rowboats into the bay to direct the Trojan ships into suitable anchorage sites.

Then, as the gangplank was set into position, Corineus boarded once again and escorted Cornelia and Brutus down to the wharf.

Cornelia looked pale, and her eyes were ringed with blue shadows as if she had not slept well, but she was composed and polite, thanking Corineus for his assistance in aiding her to the wharf. As soon as she had spoken, she moved away slightly, and Corineus allowed it, knowing the reason.

For a while Corineus stood with Brutus and Membricus watching the other Trojans disembark, then, catching sight of Cornelia’s wan face, said, “Can you leave Membricus and Hicetaon to direct the unloading of as many people as we can accommodate? I think it would be best if I took you, Cornelia, and Aethylla and her child and husband to my house, that the women may rest. It is but a short walk distant, and safe enough that you may all sleep well at night.”

‘If your Blangan won’t fuss at the extra visitors,” Brutus said.

‘She will adore you,” said Corineus, smiling, “and drive you to distraction with her chatter.” He bowed slightly in Cornelia’s direction. “And she will be delighted to have you to gossip with, Cornelia. I swear