The Prince of Powys (11 page)

or yours. Even though you have gone to get the ransom from my

father, do not be troubled. I won’t have to return to him. I can

stay with you.”

A wide smile broke on his lips. “Is this true? You are to be

mine?”

“Yes, oh yes, my love. An ancient god of your people

appeared to me and sent me on a quest for treasure and this

prize. When I find it, it wil alow me to stay with you. Bran has

spoken.”

Blaise covered her mouth with his and a sweet, melting

sensation filed her. He slid and twisted his lips over hers as he

hungrily kissed her. Then he puled her into the warmth of his

arms, so male and embracing, and carried her away into his

bower at Dinas Bran. She woke from the dream and opened her

eyes.

Branda sat up in bed and covered her mouth with her palm as

she yawned.

“Are you awake? You stil look half asleep,” Leri said.

“What time is it?” She rubbed her eyes to try to clear her head

of grogginess. “Is it morning?

of grogginess. “Is it morning?

“It’s time to sup.” Leri had one hand on her hip. “I caled your

name so many times. I finaly had to shake you until you woke.”

“Ah, I was dreaming.”

“About Bran?” Leri cocked her head to the side.

“No, something else.” Branda glanced away toward the ample

windows at the soft glow of the low-hanging sun.
Ah, I napped

a long time,
she thought.

She took a deep breath and tugged a blue tunic dress on over

her head. Leri wrapped a plaid brat around her shoulders, and

they went to the feasting hal. They hiked up their skirts and

walked past groups of people clustered in circles of rank. One

behind the other, the princesses stepped upon the dais and

settled into the intricately carved chairs behind the thick oaken

table where Elisedd, Carthann and Brochfael were seated.

Leri turned to Carthann. “Did you hear of our adventure?”

“I was told you two took il in the yard and your dresses were

soiled.” Carthann leaned toward Leri. “What happened?”

“Nothing to worry over, my Queen.” Leri pushed her hair

behind her ear. “We ruined our dresses while we were in the

tombs.”

“We weren’t il. It was merely the dust which made us cough.”

Branda reached for her cup to ease her hammering heart as she

recaled the cloud of black bats that swooped over her head.

“The tombs?” Carthann raised her eyebrows inquiringly.

“No one should be in the tombs!” Elisedd’s face turned red.

“It’s due to Branda’s dream.” Leri’s eyes held a mysterious

glint.

Al faces turned toward the Saxon Princess, who pushed a

spoonful of stewed lamb and cabbage into her mouth. She

chewed rapidly then swalowed. “Yes, I had a dream.”
Why are

they staring at me?
she thought as she gulped her mead. “A giant head with no body told me his name was Bran and

beseeched me to find the treasure hidden here.” She clunked

down her cup of mead. “’That is al.”

“God Bran appeared in your dream?” Carthann laid her

spoon down. “Did you speak to Neilyn of this?”

“Neilyn listened to me.” Branda was stil amazed by that,

considering the way he was usualy so dismissive to everything

she said.

she said.

“I went with her. Neilyn said we could search the tombs,” Leri

added, rapidly.

“Why would he say that?” Elisedd leaned his elbow upon the

table.

“Be it the gods beckoned her on a quest.” Leri shrugged.

“She has to do Bran’s bidding.”

“What did you find?” Brochfael rubbed his firm chin.

“Nothing.” Leri glanced from her husband to Carthann then

Elisedd. “We cannot move the large standing stones.”

“We must have help,” Branda pointed out. “There is a power

in the tombs. I can feel it.”

“I cannot send my men to look for treasure because you had a

dream.” Elisedd leaned back in the heavy oak chair.

“You won’t have to, Father. I wil escort them.” Brochfael

nodded with an upward tilt of his head.

“Thank you, my husband.” Leri flashed him a warm smile.

“My thanks.” Branda held up al the fingers of one hand

except for her thumb and pinkie. “Three is good, a favored

number
.
”

“What treasure do you hope to find?” Carthann took a sip

from her silver goblet.

“I know not.” Branda inhaled. “I had thought the Grail, but

Neilyn said neither the Grail nor the magic cauldron is at Dinas

Bran. He does not believe the Grail exists and says the cauldron

was destroyed in Bran’s last battle.”
Who knows what this Celt
god has me searching for,
she thought as she took another gulp of ale.

“This is true,” said Elisedd. “I know not what treasure the

gods would want you to find.”

“Indeed, but it is most interesting.” Carthann adjusted the

thick gold torque at her neck.

“You had quite an adventure.” Elisedd clear his throat. “First

the daffodils and now a god’s treasure.”

“Elisedd, don’t go down to that tomb.” Carthann shook her

head.

“Why not?” He looked at his wife askance. “How did you

know I was thinking of joining them?”

“It’s something you would do, but it is not healthy for you,”

Carthann scolded.

“Woman, I am a warrior. I do what I please.” He threw his

“Woman, I am a warrior. I do what I please.” He threw his

shoulders back.

“We wil see about that.” Carthann sipped her cup of mead.

Leri leaned over to Branda and whispered, “I wil not return

to the sunroom. Rather, I wil spend the night in my husband’s

chamber. We wil meet you by the entrance to the tombs

tomorrow at sunrise.”

“Yes, of course. I wil see you there.”

Leri and Brochfael excused themselves from the table, and

then Carthann walked Branda to the door of the sunroom.

Carthann smiled at Branda. “Do you miss Blaise?”

“Yes.” She tilted her head back. “I dreamed of him today.”

“I see.” Carthann looked at her intently. “What did Bran

promise you if you find this treasure?”

“How did you know?” Her lips remained parted after she

spoke.

“I know.” Carthann crossed her arms.

“He said this treasure is part of my fate and if I find it I can

stay in Dinas Bran, where I belong.”

“So the gods want you to stay in Dinas Bran.” Carthann

relaxed her shoulders and arms. “It’s good. I thought you

belonged here. I wish you luck in recovering this truly priceless

treasure, Princess.”

“My thanks, Lady Carthann.” Branda tilted her head back

and with a nod, said, “I do want to stay here.” She smiled and

entered the sunroom.

Since I slept today I probably won’t sleep well tonight,
she thought as she picked up her embroidery of daffodils and sat on

the bed, but as she puled the needle to and fro she was soon

overcome with the haze of slumber. Tossing the embroidery

aside, she lay down, puled the coverlet over her and drifted into

a dream of Blaise. She promised to find the treasure if he

returned home as fast as he could.

* * * *

Branda sat on the corner of the wishing wel to dangle her feet.

The chirps of the larks resounded in the air scented with

daffodils, foxglove, and dew-kissed heather.

She gazed through the low-hanging mist to wave at Brochfael

She gazed through the low-hanging mist to wave at Brochfael

and Leri. “A merry morning to you. It’s a beautiful day. It seems

a shame to go down into the dank, dark tombs.”

“Yes, but you have to find the treasure.” Leri‘s face spread

into an enthusiastic smile.

“Yes, and fast, before Blaise returns.” She eased off the wel

and folowed Leri and Brochfael as he rubbed flint and steel

together, lighting the firebrands mounted on the wal while he

walked down the stone-cut steps.

He grabbed a torch and headed into an open area faced by

blocking stones of various shapes. The three coughed as ancient

dust clogged the back of their throats.

Brochfael slipped between a space where two of the large

stones didn’t meet. “Watch your step here,” he caled back to

Leri and Branda.

“We know,” they retorted in unison as they jumped down to

the stone-covered floor, surrounded by standing stones.

As she entered the long passageway, Branda moved to the

head of the trio and led them to the north tomb where the

massive stone had falen.

“Brochfael, I think you need to bring the torch over here.” She

knelt in the dirt and looked at the spiral and curvilinear patterns carved on the gray stone. When her gaze reached the edge of

the long stone, she felt a jolt of excitement in her chest. “Look, these are different!” She traced the designs with her finger.

“These markings are deeper than the others.”

Leri leaned in to get a better view. “Made by a different

instrument?”

“I think so.” Branda nibbled her bottom lip. She could hardly

wait for them to confirm the amazing find, the first clue to the

treasure.

“Could it be?” Brochfael bent down closer to examine the

engraved tracery. “Mayhap these carvings are older?” He

touched one of the markings.

Branda ran her fingers over the engraving of a head of a man

with his mouth open as if speaking. “It is Bran’s head—cleaved

from his body and stil speaking.” She pointed to a square shape

with a doorway cut into the bottom and a symbol of a sword on

top. “This looks like an entrance way.”

Brochfael bobbed his head. “Bran is teling us to enter here.”

Brochfael bobbed his head. “Bran is teling us to enter here.”

“Wait, there is one more, but it’s hard to make out.” Branda

squinted her eyes and peered closer. “It looks like a hand.”

“Nuada!” Brochfael widened his eyes and gleamed with

excitement.

“Nuada of the sliver hand—an Irish King of the Tuatha De

Danann.” Leri spoke in a rapt tone, just above a whisper.

Brochfael stood up with a jolt and swung toward Leri. “Bran

buried something of Nuada’s in this tomb.”

Leri and Branda climbed to their feet. They al stared at the

pile of smal stones blocking the entrance.

“I wil take care of this.” Brochfael puled the rocks out one

by one.

“Hasten, Brochfael!” Branda felt like thousands of tiny

bubbles were popping inside her. “Hasten, oh hasten!”

The entrance above the falen stone was large enough to slide

in headfirst. Branda crouched down and slipped inside with ease.

She jumped to the dirt floor and landed on her feet with a loud

thump. Leri tumbled in after her. It was pitch black. Brochfael

handed Leri the torch, then pushed himself through the smal

entrance. Branda held the flame as Leri shook the dirt off her

braies. No more than ten men could stand in this smal chamber

but she sensed it should be larger. Something wasn’t right.

Holding the firebrand above the wal of rocks, Branda looked

down at the floor of the tomb, which was strewn with human

bones. In the cramped, musky area where they stood, she found

nothing but a boulder. Holding the torch to the large white rock,

she examined the faded line drawings of animal heads.

Brochfael reached out and patted its smooth, hard surface.

“Symbols of power; warning of a curse. The boulder cannot be

moved.”

A black creature crawled toward her, and she felt a

shuddering jolt shoot through her body. She let out a piercing

scream and leapt back.

Leri grabbed Branda and shrieked, “What is it?”

“A spider.” Branda panted, trying to catch her breath. She

broke out in nervous laughter upon realizing she had been

spooked by something so trivial. Bats and rats were one thing,

but she could handle a bug or two.

Leri swatted the hanging web and the spider jumped instantly

to the dirt.

to the dirt.

“Are you al right?” Brochfael took the torch from Branda and

checked the chamber out thoroughly.

“Why would this god, this Bran, have me look for a treasure if

he didn’t want me to find it?” Branda sighed in exasperation as

she folded her arms across her chest.

“The gods test your bravery.” Brochfael rubbed his chin.

“God Bran wants you to find the treasure but he doesn’t mean

for it to be easy.”

“We cannot move the boulder.” Leri flung her arms in the air.

“We need a board.” Brochfael arched his eyebrows. “For a

lever. Like a catapult,” he said slowly as he looked at the

women.

“Why did you not say so?” Leri roled her eyes upward. ”I

know what a lever is.”

“Brochfael, go. Get a lever. We must find out what is under

the rock.” Branda raised her chin. “I am on a quest.”

He shook his head. “You two wait here. Leri, study the

carvings so you can tel me what the ancient ones were trying to

tel us.”

As he climbed out of the tomb, Leri and Branda knelt beside

the boulder and ran their fingers slowly across the carved

images.

“Look; in the center is an eye.” Branda touched the curly

drawing.

“The eye of a dragon. It means there is power here.”

Branda pointed to another engraving. “These look like wings.”