The Devil’s Diadem

‘Your lord has put on a goodly feast for his king,’ Saint-Valery said as the feast drew toward its final dishes. ‘He has done himself proud in Edmond’s eyes.’

‘And his household had little enough time in which to do so,’ I said. I did not particularly like the earl, from my brief encounters with him, but I was happy enough to bolster the regard of his household.

‘It is all a great flurry,’ Saint-Valery said. ‘One moment we were happy in court at Edmond’s palace at Westminster, the next we are fleeing eastward to Oxeneford, detouring to collect the earl’s family. What can be the matter do you think? It must be dire news.’

I had by this stage had a great amount of the spiced wine to drink, and its headiness had fuzzed my mind.

But not enough to endanger my head by babbling the secrets I had heard that day in the solar.

‘It is terrible news, I have heard, my lord.’

‘Yes?’ he said, leaning a little closer.

Beside me, I felt Evelyn stiffen.

‘Aye,’ I said. ‘I have heard …’ I paused, drawing out the moment, ‘ … I have heard that the very dryads from the woods threaten the king! They rustle their leaves, and the king grows anxious!’

Saint-Valery chuckled. ‘You have done well, Mistress Maeb. No doubt you know I shall be reporting thus to Edmond. I —’

‘Mistress Maeb,’ said the Earl of Pengraic’s voice, and a heavy hand fell on my shoulder. ‘I would speak with you privately if I might.’

My stomach fell away. I looked up at the earl’s face. It was impassive, but I thought I saw anger in his eyes.

Sweet Jesu, what had I done so wrong he needed to single me out like this?

I murmured a politeness to Saint-Valery, then rose and walked after the earl out of the hall.

I could feel the eyes following me as I went.

Pengraic led me to a quiet corner by the staircase, then turned to me.

‘What did Saint-Valery speak with you about?’ he said.

‘We chatted of the court, and he pointed out the nobles to me, and —’

‘Did he ask about the meeting in the solar?’

‘Yes.’

‘What did you say?’

‘I said that the king had learned the dryads in the forests threatened to shake their leaves at him, and thus he fled Westminster.’

Foolishly, I thought he would laugh at my wit as had Saint-Valery.

‘What do you know of the dryads in the woods?’ the earl snapped.

‘I am sorry, my lord,’ I stuttered, ‘I only thought to deflect Saint-Valery’s interest.’

The earl simply stared at me.

‘I am sorry, my lord,’ I repeated, and hung my head. It was aching now from all the excitement and the wine, and all I wanted was to escape everyone and flee back to my chamber.

‘You think too much of yourself, Maeb.’

I bit my lip. I did not know what to say.

He sighed, and I found the courage to look at him again.

The earl’s face had lost all its anger and now only looked tired. I realised that he, as the king and everyone who had arrived with them, had been riding for a full day and night and must be exhausted.

‘Maeb, my lady wife will need all your love and care on your journey to Pengraic. She is not well with this child.’

‘I know, my lord. She shall have it. I care for her greatly.’

He studied me, then gave a small nod. ‘I am very much afraid the world shall be a dark place for many months to come.’

I was feeling ever more uncomfortable, mainly because I had not thought to see the earl this vulnerable — he had always been so proud and strong and terrible to me — and that vulnerability frightened me.

‘Maeb, remember this, and remember it well. Every word spoken is carried by the wind to each corner of this mortal earth, and to the ears of God and the Devil. Remember it.’

‘I will, my lord.’

In my tiredness I could not grasp what he meant, nor could I foretell that my utter failure to remember his words in time to come would make a wreck and a mockery of my entire world.

Just then Evelyn appeared, pausing a few steps away.

The earl nodded to her, then he walked toward the hall.

Before he had gone too far, I called out to him. ‘My lord? I have said nothing to Saint-Valery, nor anyone else. Truly.’

He looked at me a long moment. ‘I know that,’ he said, then he walked off.

I put a hand to my head. ‘Evelyn, I think I need to go to bed. Is it seemly that I leave the feast now?’

She smiled and came close, taking my arm. ‘Yes. No one will take offence. Come now, I have had enough myself, and I think those at high table are making murmurs about their beds, too. Yvette will look after our lady and we will make sure Alice and her sister and the boys find their beds, and then we will sleep.’

Much later I lay in the bed I shared with Evelyn, unable to sleep even though my head throbbed and my limbs ached with weariness. My mind could not stop, revisiting everything I had seen and heard and done this day.

After a while I felt Evelyn’s hand on my arm. ‘You did well today, Maeb. I do not know what you heard in the solar, but if all that wine Saint-Valery pressed on you did not loosen your tongue, then little else but torture will … and I do not think you need worry about that in our company.’

I chuckled. ‘Not even from the earl?’

Evelyn laughed softly. ‘I think he might be too tired, but maybe next week, when he is recovered …’

‘Evelyn … may I ask something of your life?’

‘Of course. I have little to hide.’