Fire Dragon - Katharine Kerr [66]
“My lady,” Clodda said after a few moments. “Somewhat's troubling me.”
“What?” Lilli said. “You know you can tell me.”
“Well, I know I've no call to be speaking ill of the noble-born, but it's Lady Degwa. Some of the princess's servants say that Lady Degwa's been gossiping about Her Highness and that silver dagger bard.”
“Oh by the gods!”
“I didn't like it, I didn't, but Lady Degwa won't be listening to the likes of me.”
“Oh, don't you worry! I'll speak with her and straightaway.”
Lilli stormed out of the chamber. When she went to the women's hall she found Degwa gone, but Lilli discovered her down in the great hall, where she was standing near the wall and looking around as if she were waiting for someone. At the sight of Lilli, Degwa drew back as if she'd seen a poisonous snake, but Lilli planted herself between her and the door.
“I need to talk with you,” Lilli said. “About your suitor. Some of the servants have come to me with troubling gossip.”
Degwa let her sneer fade.
“They say you tell Oggyn about our princess's doings.”
“So?” Degwa said. “The doings of the noble-born are always of interest. Why shouldn't I give him bits of news?”
“News is one thing. Suspicions are another. The servant lasses are gossiping behind Bellyra's back, too.”
Degwa stared, honestly puzzled, judging from the look on her face.
“About her escort,” Lilli said at last.
“Oh. The bard?”
“Him, truly. They tell me you hint at goings-on.”
“What? I never!”
In anyone else, Lilli would have suspected duplicity, but with Degwa?
“Well, then,” Lilli went on, “where are they getting these ideas?”
“I might have said a few words about that Maddyn.” Degwa suddenly flushed scarlet. “I don't like him, and I don't trust him, and I particularly don't like the way he follows our princess about. But by the Goddess, I'm sure Her Highness never gives him the slightest word of encouragement.”
“People often take things in ways you don't mean them. Please, Decci? You shouldn't even be hinting of gossip about our princess. Gossip always works more harm than witchcraft, sooner or later. You've been at court for years. You know it's true.”
For a moment Degwa hesitated, thinking; then with a toss of her head she pushed past Lilli and hurried up the stairs.
“Well, I did try,” Lilli muttered. She decided that when Nevyn came to her chamber at the dinner hour she'd lay the matter before him.
Unfortunately, she had no way of knowing that evening would be too late.
That afternoon the prince sent pages to fetch Nevyn and Oggyn for an informal council up in his private chambers. They sat around a small table and studied the maps of Deverry laid out there. Through the open windows, Nevyn could see a sky gone dark with rain clouds, but the heat of the day covered the men like an unwelcome blanket. Oggyn kept wiping his bald head with a rag; sweat stuck the prince's shirt to his chest. A circle of flies danced and droned in the center of the room.
“I've called you here to discuss the matter of lands that once belonged to the Boar clan,” Maryn said. “In particular, those that rightfully belong to the heirs of the Wolf.”
“Indeed,” Nevyn said. “The village of Blaeddbyr and the lands around it. I've forgotten how extensive they once were.”
“I've got it here, all written out.” Oggyn laid a scrap of parchment on the table. “The old records are most reliable. I copied this from an old proclamation of the false king, the one where he was handing the Wolf lands over to the Boar clan.”
“Good thinking.” Maryn picked it up. “The Boars wouldn't have let an ell's worth of land slip their grasp. No doubt it listed every stile and dungheap.”
Oggyn smiled, leaned back in his chair, then rested his clasped hands on his ample stomach. He looked entirely too pleased with himself by Nevyn's standards.
“Now, I'm mindful of