The Devil’s Diadem by Sara Douglass

Muttering to myself, annoyed that I could not get out of the cart, I balanced precariously, Gytha holding onto one of my hands as I tried to see or even hear what was happening.

From what I could see, the strange knight — his face hid now by tendrils of mist rather than by bright sun — and Ghent were simply sitting their horses, looking at each other.

Then the knight leaned forward, clapping Ghent on the shoulder, and both knights spent a long moment, heads bowed, foreheads almost touching, in some strange, silent communication.

The knight leaned back, Ghent nodded, then abruptly the strange knight wheeled his courser about, and he and the wolves vanished into the mist.

I felt resentful. He had paid me no attention.

‘Gilbert?’ I called.

Ghent’s shoulders and back moved as he visibly pulled in a deep breath, then he pivoted his horse about on its hind legs and rode back to me.

‘Please sit down, my lady,’ he said. ‘You will topple out if you do not sit.’

I sat, irritated. ‘Gilbert? What did that knight want?’

‘You did not hear our conversation?’

‘No. I did not. What did he say?’

Ghent frowned, as if I had disappointed him. ‘Well, he talked of the bear, and how he may not trespass on the bear. The bear is sacrosanct, and he may not interfere.’

I almost hissed in frustration. ‘Gilbert, what does that mean?’

Again Ghent frowned. ‘You do not understand, my lady?’

I was about to snap at him, then realised that Ghent was still lost in another world.

‘What else did he say, Gilbert?’

‘That we face trials ahead. That he will do what he can.’

Trials?

‘My lady,’ Ghent said, hesitating a long moment before he continued, ‘how may I say this?’

Again, a pause.

‘There are trials ahead. There is blood ahead. There is nothing you can do, nor could have done, to prevent it. Do not grieve too much.’

And with that unsettling, obscure statement, Ghent turned his horse and waved our company on as he rode forward.

No matter how much I pressed him later that night, when finally we arrived at Skenfrith Castle, Ghent did not elaborate. Indeed, he barely spent a word on me, and I realised he was still adrift into whatever dream the knight had dragged him.

Chapter Four

We started early the next day. It should be an easy day’s journeying through the last of the forest until we reached Bergeveny, but we did not want to take risks.

From Bergeveny, just one short day’s travel to Pengraic.

We were almost home, and I allowed myself to rest. I had taken enormous risks travelling when I was so big with child, but we would reach Pengraic in good time.

Or just enough time. Already I could feel the child moving downward, settling itself for birth, and I had begun to experience annoying pains in my back, hips and legs. It would not be long, now.

It was a bright day, and everyone seemed cheered by the appearance of the sun. All save Ghent, who seemed lost in his own world. I found it barely possible to get a word out of him, and his continued dreaminess was beginning to annoy me. I wanted to reach Pengraic, and I didn’t want a dawdling, dreamy Ghent to hobble our progress.

We began well enough, but by mid-morning our progress had slowed as we encountered yet more snowdrifts. By mid-afternoon tempers had frayed from our stop–start progress and when we came to a massive tree that had toppled across our pathway, I am afraid I hit the side of the cart with my fist in frustration. I was tense, achy, my back pained me, and all I could think about was Bergeveny and a night’s rest there before making for Pengraic as early as possible the next day.

Ghent dismounted from his horse and waved the soldiers into action. We had shovels, but only one axe, and swords were of little use against this mighty tree trunk. While the horses and riders could easily have gone round the tree, the carts could not. The trunk had to be cleared from the path. Ella and Isouda had dismounted from their horses, and sat in the cart with Gytha and myself. We talked desolately, none of us able to raise much of an interest in anything, when Gytha suddenly gave a small shriek.

She was looking round-eyed at something over my shoulder, and I turned grumpily, wondering what could be going wrong now.

What I saw sent a chill of fear through my body.

Two score or more of armed men in maille over dark red tunics were kicking their horses from the forest, and even now were upon Ghent and our soldiers.

My escort had no chance. Most had laid aside their weapons to struggle with the tree, and they did not have time to reach them before they were struck down by the flashing weapons of our attackers.

Two soldiers survived long enough to land several blows, but were then cut down.

Ghent, turning too slowly to face the riders, was felled by a hard blow to the head.

It was all done within moments. I had a hand to my mouth in shock, my women were crying out.

Our two grooms had fled.

Suddenly the attackers surrounded my cart. Several of them flung themselves off their horses, hauling a shrieking Isouda, Ella and Gytha out of the cart. The men spoke in a strange language, and it took me a moment to put the language and red tunics under the maille together and realise who they were.

These were Madog’s men. His bodyguard, the Teulu.

Two of the riders climbed into the cart, reaching for me.

I cried out, trying to struggle, but they were too powerful for my pitiful strength. One tied my hands together at the wrists, the other gagged and blindfolded me.

Then one of them grabbed my ankles and pulled me roughly down so that I lay along the floor of the cart.

Covers, blankets and cushions were thrown over me, then something heavy that left me feeling stifled.

For some time nothing but some muffled speaking and a few shouts. I heard something being tossed into the other cart.

I wondered what had happened to my women, then tried not to think of it.

I could easily imagine what was happening to them.

Madog may want me, but he had no use for my women.

After a long time the heavy cover that stifled me was drawn back, and I heard and felt maille hauberks being tossed in the cart, some of them covering my legs, then some cloth — the red tunics, probably.

‘Lady Maeb,’ said a voice in good French, ‘you will lie there quiet. We are taking you now to our lord. You will be kept safe. But while we are moving you will stay still and you will not try to cry out. We have your companion Ghent in the other cart and we will not hesitate to kill him if you try to attract attention. Do you understand me?’

Ghent was still alive? I remembered the sound of something heavy being thrown into the other cart.

‘Do you understand me?’

I nodded, wishing I could speak so I could request to be moved into a more comfortable position, or even given some water.

But the man pulled the heavy cover over me once more, and I was left in the darkness, hardly able to breathe, and with the weight of several hauberks lying on my legs.

The cart lurched, and we moved on down the now presumably cleared track. We travelled for many hours. What was originally discomfort for me eventually became searing pain as my muscles cooled and seized. The movement of the car buffeted me to and fro, and the weight of the maille on my legs became almost unbearable. I could barely move, nor to change my position, and certainly not make any kind of noise to attract attention, even if I had wished. The rope about my wrists cut into the flesh, and my hands swelled so that after a while I could no longer feel or move my fingers. My back and hips ached more powerfully than ever.

But of all the aches and pains, nothing distressed me so much as the fact that after some time I could no longer control my bladder. Urine soaked through my chemise and kirtle, and I wept with the humiliation.

I would be dragged before Madog in this disgusting state, dishevelled, soiled, bleeding.

And then? I did not fool myself that he wanted me alive. He would want something from me — I could not think what unless this was a design only to humiliate my husband — and when he had that he would kill me. This treatment now indicated that he had no interest in keeping me alive once he’d done with me.