AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Arthur tilted his head. “Yet forgive me for saying you have never seemed particularly eager to become a priestess before now, Morgan.”
“I would rather become a priestess than Florian Emrys’s wife,” I said softly. “If that is my only other choice, then I beg you to honor father’s wishes and leave the agreement in place.”
Arthur studied me. “That is truly what you wish? You would not rather take a husband? Have children of your own?”
I didn’t know how to answer. Disinherited or not, as Arthur’s elder sister, any children of mine could not help but pose a threat–at least until Arthur sired children of his own.
“I have never given it much thought,” I said, forcing a smile. “I suppose that means such a domestic life is not for me.”
Arthur smiled back and I wished he hadn’t. His smile was predatory, like a fox observing a rabbit it planned to eat. “Perhaps you may give the two paths that lie before you closer consideration as you embark on your journey.”
I moved over to sit in a chair at the table, pouring myself a goblet of water from the nearby pitcher. “Very well,” I said, as agreeably as I could. “May I hear more about this journey. Where exactly am I going? On some sort of a diplomatic mission, I suppose? To Tintagel perhaps?”
Arthur walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. “The other direction in fact. You are going south. Past Lyonesse. Past Cerunnos. Very far south, in fact.”
I put down the goblet. “Past Cerunnos? There is nothing past Cerunnos.”
“That’s not precisely true. You must have studied maps of the continent just as I have.”
“The Bloodlands lie south of Cerunnos,” I acknowledged. “But no one travels in those parts.”
“Not no one, but admittedly they are very few.”
I stared at Arthur. “You want me to go to the Bloodlands?” I said slowly. “That’s a journey that would take months.”
“Which is why you will be leaving immediately after the spring rites.”
For a few moments, I was stunned into silence. “That’s only a few days from now.”
He nodded. “You’ll leave the day after the ball that is being held for our honorable guests from Lyonesse. I thought you would want a few days to pack.”
I suddenly realized Arthur must have been arranging this for some time. A few days to pack? He was doing this on purpose. He didn’t care one way or another if I really felt prepared. Throwing me off guard and sending me spinning with confusion was exactly what he’d intended to do today.
I was struck by a horrible prospect. “Am I going alone?”
Arthur laughed. “Of course not. You’ll have a few guards attending you. Escorting you. Protecting you. You won’t be alone. But it will be a small party. Smaller is better for the mission I am sending you on.”
“What exactly is my intended destination and what exactly am I doing?” I asked, trying to stay calm. “You mentioned an object.”
“A very important object, yes. A weapon of immeasurable power. A weapon that could help us win the war.”
“The war against Rheged? If they attack, that is.”
Arthur frowned. “There is no doubt in my mind that they will. And so you must return with the weapon as quickly as possible.”
My heart was hammering. “What sort of a weapon?”
“The Blade of Perun.” He looked at me thoughtfully. “In your time spent reading, have you ever come across mention of the Blade of Perun?”
I shook my head. “I’ve read very little about Perun.” I remembered what our uncle had mentioned last night.
Arthur nodded as if this was to be expected. “He’s been sorely neglected. But at one time he was the mightiest god in our pantheon. The true god of war. Perun imbued the ancient Pendragon kings with great power. We were invincible with Perun’s might behind us. That has all been lost now with this obsession with the Three sisters.”
“But Perun’s worship faded for good reason, did it not?” I asked carefully. “Were there not... blood sacrifices involved?”
Arthur’s eyes narrowed. “Perun’s power came with a price. The price was blood.” He lifted his shoulders. “Only animal sacrifices, of course. But blood sacrifices have power that sheaves of wheat and flowers could never possibly have, Morgan.”
I nodded, not in the mood to argue.
