The Empty Throne A Novel (Warrior Chronicles) by Bernard Cornwell

Author:Bernard Cornwell [Cornwell, Bernard]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2014-10-22T16:00:00+00:00

It was raining again when we reached Gleawecestre. Water was puddling in the fields, pouring down the road’s stone-choked gutters, and turning the stone of the Roman walls dark. We rode towards the eastern gate in mail, helmeted, with shields on our arms and spears held high. The gate guards stepped back without a challenge and watched in silence as we rode under the arch, spears momentarily lowered, and then clattered down the long street. The town seemed sullen, but perhaps that was just because of the low dark clouds and the rain that spilled from the thatched roofs and washed the roadway’s shit towards the Sæfern. We lowered spears and banners again to ride under the palace archway, which was guarded by three men carrying shields that were painted with Æthelred’s prancing horse. I curbed my stallion and looked at the oldest of the three. ‘Is the king still here?’

He shook his head. ‘No, lord. He left yesterday.’ I nodded and spurred on. ‘But the queen stayed, lord,’ he added.

I stopped and turned in the saddle. ‘Queen?’

He looked confused. ‘Queen Ælflæd, lord.’

‘West Saxons don’t have queens,’ I told him. Edward was king, but Ælflæd, his wife, was denied the title of queen. It had ever been thus in Wessex. ‘You mean the Lady Ælflæd?’

‘She’s here, lord.’ He jerked his head towards the largest hall, a Roman building, and I rode on. So Æthelhelm’s daughter was here? That suggested Æthelhelm himself had stayed in Gleawecestre and, sure enough, when I rode into the wide grassy courtyard there were men carrying his badge of the leaping stag on their shields. Other shields showed the West Saxon dragon.

‘Ælflæd’s here,’ I told Æthelflaed, ‘and probably occupying your quarters.’

‘My husband’s chambers,’ she corrected me.

I looked at the West Saxon guards, who watched us silently. ‘They’re telling us they’ve moved in,’ I said, ‘and won’t move out.’

‘But Edward left?’

‘Seems so.’

‘He doesn’t want to be involved in the argument.’

‘Which we have to win,’ I said, ‘and that means you move into the royal quarters.’

‘Without you,’ she said tartly.

‘I know that! I’ll sleep in a stable, but you can’t.’ I turned in the saddle and summoned Rædwald, a nervous warrior who had served Æthelflaed for years. He was a cautious man, but he was also loyal and reliable. ‘The Lady Æthelflaed will be using her husband’s quarters,’ I told him, ‘and your men will guard her.’

‘Yes, lord.’

‘And if anyone tries to stop her using those rooms you have my permission to slaughter them.’

Rædwald looked worried, but was saved by Æthelflaed. ‘I will share the rooms with the Lady Ælflæd,’ she said sharply, ‘and there will be no slaughter!’

I turned back to the gate and beckoned the guard who had told me about Edward leaving. ‘Did Eardwulf return here?’ I asked him.

He nodded. ‘Yesterday morning, lord.’

‘What did he do?’

‘He came in a hurry, lord, and was gone again in an hour.’

‘He had men?’

‘Eight or nine, lord. They left with him.’

I dismissed him and went to Eadith’s side. ‘Your brother came here yesterday,’ I said, ‘stayed a short while, and left.

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