The Warrior’s Princess

‘So, what changed your mind? Why did you decide to leave?’ Steph had leaned back on her elbow amongst the pillows as she sipped her coffee, noting how pale and strained her sister looked.

Jess set her own cup down on a console table by the window. She rubbed her face with her hands. The music from her dream, from the long car journey was still there, at the back of her brain. She was not going to mention Dan, but she could tell them about Eigon. ‘Did you ever hear a child’s voice at Ty Bran, Steph? Eigon’s voice.’

Steph sat up again. ‘A voice?’

‘Eigon. The daughter of Caratacus!’

Steph looked confused.

‘The ghost! The little girl who haunts your studio.’

‘Ah.’ Steph stood up. She paced slowly over to the window and stood looking out. ‘Is this why you changed your mind about staying up there alone? You got spooked.’ Her voice was casual but Jess heard the tension there.

‘I suppose I was,’ she acknowledged cautiously. Better by far for Steph to think she had been chased out by ghosts than to know the real reason.

Steph retraced her steps to the bed and climbed onto it once more, sitting cross-legged against the pillows. ‘Ty Bran is haunted. There’s no doubt about it. I’ve often heard things, sensed things. Not really seen anything.’ She picked idly at the silvery embroidery on the pillow case. ‘But it’s never frightened me. If it had, I would have warned you. I don’t mind at all being up there alone. At least –’

‘She didn’t frighten me.’ Jess sat down on the bed next to her. ‘Not once I got used to her. But she made me sad. She is so lonely, so needy. Do you know the story? Eigon was captured by the Romans with her father and mother. And brought here. To Rome. They were prisoners in chains. But her baby brother and sister were lost in the woods at Ty Bran.’

‘Lost?’

Jess nodded. ‘They were hiding from the soldiers. They captured Eigon, but they never found the other two. At least, I don’t think they did.’

‘And you think she is still looking for them?’ Steph shook her head. ‘God that sounds awful. How do you know all this?’

‘Rhodri Price.’ Jess grimaced.

‘Rhodri?’ Steph stared at her incredulously.

Jess slipped off the bed again and went to rummage in her bag. She pulled out a CD.

‘Elgar’s Caractacus.’ Steph read the label. ‘That’s mine!’ She looked up.

‘You might have warned me about him,’ Jess said. ‘I put my foot in it at once by not having a clue who he was!’

Steph chuckled. ‘Oh dear. Sorry. That would really have upset him. He’s a prickly so and so – much too big for his boots!’

‘Isn’t he just!’ Jess grinned. ‘I remembered you didn’t like him much! I think I can see why.’

Steph dropped the CD on the bed. ‘I’m surprised he was there. He doesn’t stay at the farm much any more. He’s based in London nowadays and he’s always on tour somewhere or another. So, you’ve come to hear him sing? Megan told me he was due to appear at La Scala. But that’s not in Rome …’

‘No, I haven’t come to hear him sing! Come off it. It’s not my kind of music for a start.’ The music which was nevertheless swirling and raging in her head; the music which wouldn’t go away. ‘And I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of letting him think I was even remotely interested in hearing him. My God, he might think I was a fan! No, I’ve come to do some research.’ Suddenly she realised that was at least partly true. She wanted to get as faraway from Dan as possible, yes, but she needed to know what happened to Eigon as well. She wanted to find out about the children. ‘I know what happened to Caratacus when he got to Rome, it’s part of history, but I want to know what happened to her. It was Rhodri who told me who she was. He told me about the battle when Caratacus was defeated. After all, he has sung about it, their farm is part of the battlefield. He knows the story. And he got me to listen to a programme on the radio about it all.’

She repeated the whole story to Kim and Steph as the three women sat over a late lunch at a trattoria near the palazzo. Kim stared at her. ‘Well, of all the reasons for anyone to come to Rome, that was the last thing that would have occurred to me.’

Steph grinned. ‘I think it’s wonderful. A quest!’

‘But how does the dangerous man fit into all this, I wonder,’ Kim went on thoughtfully. ‘Did you tell her, Steph, about Carmella’s warning?’

‘What warning? What dangerous man?’ Jess put down her fork.

‘My friend Carmella read the cards for you and she said that you were in danger. Your sister here almost had the police out to you when she couldn’t get you on the phone.’

‘Really?’ Jess met Steph’s gaze thoughtfully.

‘Really.’

‘And now here you are with this strange mission,’ Kim went on, her eyes sparkling suddenly. ‘So, who is Caractacus? I know he was a king. I know that much from Rolf Harris! But I didn’t know he was real. I didn’t know he was dangerous. Caractacus I mean, Not Rolf.’ She gave a gurgle of mirth.

‘His real name was Caratacus, without the extra c. In Wales he’s called Caradoc,’ Jess said thoughtfully. ‘The Romans defeated him in a battle in the valley below Ty Bran. He was the Welsh leader, a national hero. He was captured with his wife and daughter by the Romans and the Emperor Claudius ordered that they be brought to Rome in chains.’

‘Bummer!’ Kim reached out for the wine bottle. ‘And what has this to do with your ghost?’ She topped up Jess’s glass.

‘The ghosts at Ty Bran are his daughters.’

‘Ghosts?’ Steph put in. ‘Are there more than one?’

Jess nodded. ‘Eigon and her little sister, Glads. I’ve seen them both.’

‘And they died at Ty Bran?’

Jess shook her head. ‘No. I don’t think so. That is what I want to find out. According to this –’ she fished in her bag and produced the CD – ‘Eigon came to Rome with her parents. In this opera, she is a grown woman. A powerful busty soprano! For me she is a little girl. Unhappy and lost.’

‘Your first conundrum!’ Kim pushed her plate aside and stood up. ‘OK. I have to love you and leave you. I have a hair appointment. You two continue your sisterly reunion and I will see you later. Ciao, girls!’

‘Right,’ Steph said as they watched Kim duck out from under the pavement umbrellas and thread her way down the street. ‘And what happened to the other sister?’

Jess shook her head. ‘I don’t know.’

Steph raised an eyebrow. ‘No, Jess, intriguing as all this seems I don’t think I’m altogether buying this story. You’re not a historian. Come on, I want the truth.’

Jess glanced at Steph, her eyes hidden behind her dark glasses from the blistering Roman sunshine then she looked down at the table and shrugged evasively. ‘I’ve told you the truth. Now, what is this about reading my cards?’ Firmly she changed the subject.

Steph shrugged. ‘It was a silly game. One of Kim’s friends does it as a party piece. Reading the tarocchi. She said you were in danger.’ She looked surreptitiously at her sister. ‘She talked about a man trying to kill you.’

Jess stared at her.

‘I told them all that was nonsense, but I did worry a bit. Of course I did. That was why I tried to ring you.’

Jess tucked the CD back into her bag and reached for her purse. ‘Can we go for a walk?’ She found she was shivering in spite of the heat. ‘Let me pay for this, then I would love to stroll for a bit.’ Thoughtfully she pulled out a handful of euros. ‘Why on earth should someone be trying kill me? Did she say?’ She beckoned the waiter.

‘No she didn’t.’ Steph hesitated. ‘She also said something about love.’

Jess grinned distractedly. ‘What tarot reader doesn’t.’

‘Good point. The thing is, you are still together, aren’t you, you and Will?’

‘No way!’