Gwenhwyfar_ The White Spirit - Mercedes Lackey [135]
“Roughly half a day from here, more or less southwards, dear sister.”
That was not a voice she wished to hear.
She stiffened as Medraut strolled past the guards, a goblet held negligently in one hand. He took a sip of the contents as she stared at him, uncomprehending. Surely they were not hunting that far afield? And surely there was no need for Arthur to go visiting an ally in this weather—was there?
“Half a day—what does that mean?” she demanded, her stomach sinking with dread. Because there was one reason why they would all have left . . .
“Just what I said. He left this morning to join most of the Companions and the warriors. And his allies, of course.” Medraut smiled at her, evidently enjoying every moment of this.
“Warriors—allies—why?” No. Surely not. Surely Arthur would not have—
“The Saxons, of course. The moment they heard he’d married again, they decided to take advantage of it. Just like the last time, when they attacked in the winter. Evidently they did not learn the lesson. Or they heard that Arthur tamed the White Phantom, so now they believe it is safe to harass our border again.” His grin widened. “You’ve been carefully sheltered from all this terrible news so that you wouldn’t be upset by it. Arthur was only waiting until he was sure you were breeding to go take the field himself.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Wh—breeding?” Suddenly the conversation—or lack of it—they’d had last night all made sense. But not in the way that she’d assumed last night.
He thought—
“Of course, we were all sympathy when we learned of your outburst. And we agreed that it was safe enough to leave you now—not to mention that it’s very unpleasant to be around a female when she is so . . . temperamental. Women do get so emotional and so irrational when they’re breeding.” Oh how she hated the snide smile on Medraut’s face! She wanted to smash it off . . . her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. How much of that nonsense he had just spouted had he poured into Arthur’s ear? Her jaw was clenched so hard that her teeth were actually beginning to hurt, and she forced herself to relax, but her fury at both of them did not abate one bit. Of course he had taken the field himself. He hadn’t wanted her in the first place. She was only now beginning to realize just how he thought of women in general—that he had never, even with the evidence in front of him, thought of her as a warrior. Certainly he had not thought of her as the equal of one of his Companions. Bronwyn was right; though he had first seen his first wife as a warrior, she had later shown herself to him as a woman, and he had buried the warrior beneath the woman in his mind. He was not a man who could see both. And in her case, he did not want to.
And Medraut? Medraut had encouraged him.
“Here. Drink this, dear sister,” Medraut said, handing her the goblet. She almost dashed the contents in his face. But instead, she swallowed them in two gulps, not even tasting them, except to recognize them vaguely as mead. She thrust the cup back at him. “Your women protested that it was too early to tell, but he only smiled, and said, ‘Well, whatever else would cause a lady to suddenly demand fletching supplies and sit in her solar to make arrows? I expect her next demands will be for pickled vegetables, and stewed dormice.’ And then he laughed and appointed Kai and myself to be in charge of the realm while he was at war.” Medraut chuckled. “Such a trusting man. I suppose he thinks he’s tacitly grooming me to take Kai’s place eventually. But then, he knows that Kai will take excellent care of his queen, given her condition. And I, of course, told him that I would be sure that you had my very particular attention.”
“He—what?” She was so enraged now that she was dizzy with it. “But I am the queen! I—” She groped blindly for the edge of the table to steady herself. She should have been the one left in charge, not Kai, and certainly not Medraut! That she had not—it was an insult past bearing.
“Exactly, dear sister.” He laughed. Oh, how she hated that laugh! “You are only the queen.