Sara Douglass – Battleaxe

than Faraday was now. Perhaps she‘d faced similar problems.

Faraday frowned and played with a tendril of her hair where it had escaped the braid

wrapped about her head. She needed to speak to Embeth. Although it was late, perhaps she was

not asleep yet. Would Embeth mind being disturbed? Faraday abruptly made up her mind and

swung her legs out of the bed, wrapping a warm shawl about her shoulders against the cold night

air.

The house was dark and quiet, for everyone had gone to bed early in preparation for the

dawn start. Faraday walked slowly down the wide corridor, running her fingers along the wall

for guidance, her feet cold where they touched the bare stone between the scattered floor rugs.

She held her breath outside her mother‘s room, but all was quiet. Mentally Faraday cursed her

mother‘s lists; if nothing else she would be able to recite the list of Borneheld‘s retainers to him

on their wedding night. She wished her mother would tell her more about what a husband

expected of a wife.

She paused outside Embeth‘s room. There was the vaguest suggestion of light coming

from between the cracks in the door. Good, Embeth was still awake. Faraday tapped softly,

listened carefully for a moment, then tapped again. Embeth‘s voice sounded softly, although

what she said was indistinct. Faraday took it as an invitation to enter.

She twisted the door handle and stepped quickly into the room. Embeth was sitting on the

edge of her bed swathed in a green woollen wrap, with a look of utter shock and disbelief on her

face.

―Embeth,‖ said Faraday, halfway across the room. ―I‘m sorry to disturb you so late but I

want to ask you if…‖

Too late she saw Axis standing naked by the fire. She stopped, stunned, unable to tear her

eyes from him.

―Faraday,‖ Embeth said desperately, rising from her bed and stretching a hand out

towards the girl.

Faraday dragged her eyes back to Embeth. Her hands started to tremble where they held

her shawl about her shoulders. How could she have been such a fool! Her eyes filled with

mortified tears and she started to stumble back towards the door. ―I‘m so sorry,‖ she whispered.

―Please, excuse me!‖ Then she turned and fled before her tears could spill down her cheeks.

Axis took a step forward but Embeth stopped him with a look. ―Wait here, I‘ll talk to

her.‖

Embeth hurried as fast as she dared down the dark corridor. She dared not call out for

fear she would wake Merlion and prayed that Faraday was not so angry that she would slam her

bedroom door or, worse, bolt it after her. Fortunately Faraday did neither, and Embeth was able

to hurry into the bedroom after her, closing the door securely behind them.

Faraday was huddled into her bed, her hands covering her face, her shoulders convulsing

with sobs. Embeth sat down and wrapped her arms about her. ―Faraday?‖

Faraday dropped her hands from her tear-stained face. ―Oh Embeth! I‘m so sorry, I didn‘t

realise…that…‖

―Shush. It‘s all right. You did nothing wrong, Faraday. Axis and I were just foolish to

take such a risk with so many guests here. Shush.‖

Faraday took a deep breath and made a determined effort to stop her tears. Artor, what a

simpleton she was! ―How long…how long…?‖

―Oh, on and off for about three years. Faraday, listen to me. Axis and I have been good

friends for many years; now and again we are lovers. But we are not in love. Do you know what

I am saying?‖

Faraday nodded, drying her tears with the back of her hand. ―I think so. But I still feel so

stupid.‖

―Well,‖ said Embeth dryly, ―at least you have learnt one of the more important rules of

court etiquette—not to go bursting into bedrooms late at night, even if the person inside is

supposed to be alone.‖

Faraday smiled a little. ―Mother didn‘t teach me that one.‖

Embeth squeezed Faraday‘s shoulders and then let her go, sitting back a little. ―What did

you want to see me about?‖

―Well…can I ask you another question first? About what just happened?‖ Embeth

nodded. ―Do women at court sometimes take lovers, even though they are married to another?‖

Ah, thought Embeth, and right here is where I have to be careful. It was not unusual for

married noblewomen to take lovers, as did their husbands, but Embeth could foresee disaster should she tell Faraday that. ―Faraday, sometimes it is not unknown for women to take lovers,

but usually only after they are widowed.‖ And may Artor forgive my dissembling tongue, she

thought to herself.

―So you and Axis were not lovers while Ganelon was alive?‖

―No. We only became lovers some time after Ganelon died. And, should I remarry, then I

would be true to my husband.‖ At least that is the truth, Embeth thought.

Faraday was silent for a moment. ―I wanted to ask you about marriage, Embeth. How you

felt, what it was like.‖

―Are you having doubts, Faraday?‖

Faraday nodded a little, her bright hair slipping free of its braid and over her eyes.

―It is not uncommon for a girl to have doubts before her marriage. So much is unknown

and uncertain. But Faraday, your parents have already signed the contracts between your family

and Borneheld. Although you have not yet actually spoken the marriage vows, or consummated

the union, there is no turning back. Legally you are now bound to Borneheld, as Borneheld is to

you. Only death can break the bonds between you. You both freely consented to the marriage

before witnesses and before Artor.‖

Faraday sighed and twisted her hair up out of her eyes. ―I know, Embeth. But…but what

if we are not happy together?‖

―Faraday, your duty is to your husband, to look after his needs and his estate and to bear

his children. If love also comes, then that is good. But whatever happens you must always

respect and honour him. You will be Duchess of Ichtar one day, and possibly Queen. You will

have responsibilities to many other people as well as to yourself and your immediate family.

Happiness?‖ Embeth shrugged. ―Happiness is not everything, but duty and respect surely is.

Your duty lies clear before you, Faraday. Do not let any foolish, girlish, romantic notions come

between you and your duty.‖

Faraday looked a little shaken at this plain speech, but she also looked determined. ―I

understand, Embeth. Tell me, did you have happiness with Ganelon?‖

Embeth smiled a little, remembering. ―He was a good man, and he cared for me. He also

respected me. At first I did not love him, and I found it hard to be happy here. But as the years

passed and our marriage grew stronger, love and happiness also came along. One day—after

bearing him three children!—I woke up and realised that I was in love with Ganelon. Two years

later I lost him to the ill-willed tusks of a wild boar.‖ Embeth did not add that she had almost

died with grief when her steward brought her news of Ganelon‘s death. For a moment her heart

clenched, remembering the blood down the steward‘s tunic, the tears in his eyes.

Faraday smiled, comforted. This is what would happen between Borneheld and her. Love

might not come at once, not even for a year or two. But come it would, and she would be as good

a wife to Borneheld as Embeth had been to Ganelon. All it took was patience, respect, and a firm

sense of duty.

―Thank you, Embeth. I‘m glad that I had this talk with you.‖

―Artor rewards those who remain true to their duty. Now,‖ Embeth tucked Faraday into

her bed as she would have done her own daughter, ―to sleep with you, for it is an early start in

the morning.‖

When Embeth opened the door to her room a few moments later Axis was gone. She

suddenly felt very sad, not wanting to spend this night alone after remembering her happiness

with Ganelon. If Faraday had been betrothed to a Ganelon then Embeth would have no doubts

about the outcome, but Borneheld was no Ganelon.

12

AT THE EDGE OF THE SILENT WOMAN WOODS

The journey from Tare to the Silent Woman Woods took five days. The first days of

Bone-month were upon them and the weather was now bitterly cold. During the day dark clouds

broiled across the sky, and the riders were hit with frequent bouts of heavy rain and sometimes

hail. Snow could not be far away. The soldiers huddled inside their oiled sealskin cloaks, the

collars turned up to their ears, trying to ignore the water that trickled down their necks. The

plains of northern Tarantaise were bare of anything but league after league of scrubby grassland

containing no life at all. There was no shelter to be found against the rain. Merlion huddled cold