By Honor Bound Part 34

"Need it or not, you have it, Elen."The wounded of both armies had been moved to one side, clearing a s.p.a.ce in the center of the great hall.A high-backed chair had been placed there for Malcolm's use, but he refused to sit. He moved amongthe wounded, speaking to a man here, exchanging a coa.r.s.e jest with another, holding the hand of a dyingsoldier.

He wore Macbeth's gold circlet upon his head, and Elen, coming into the hall between Conal andFionna, was reminded of Macbeth striding victorious into Burghead with Duncan's crown sittinglopsidedly on his golden hair, and tossing it carelessly upon his bed.

That was seventeen years ago, she reminded herself, and this is another world. Malcolm will change everything. We must begin by speaking English, I suppose, since I have heard he speaks little

Gaelic.

She studied the new king of Alba. He was twenty-six years old, an extremely tall, thin man, with dark brown hair and piercing grey eyes. His hair was uncombed, his leather tunic bloodstained and slashed open on one arm where he had taken a minor wound.

"Conal." The king's loud voice rang across the hall. "You found your wife, I see."

Malcolm came to meet them. Fionna made a deep curtsy and Conal bowed. Elen remained upright,staring at Malcolm as he took Fionna's hand and raised her."I'm glad you are safe," Malcolm said to Fionna, his English speech strange to Elen's ears. "My friend Conal was much concerned about you."Malcolm's calculating grey eyes now met Elen's, and his smile disappeared."Who is this?" he demanded."I am Elen of Laggan, widow of Talcoran, Thane of Laggan, and cousin to King Macbeth," she replied boldly, before anyone could speak forher."Oh, ho-a rebel still." If Malcolm's voice was amused, his face was serious."I am no rebel," Elen insisted. "I am a loyal subject to my rightful king.""Your king is dead, lady. I am King of Albanow.""Then I ask a favor of you. I am newly widowed and I wish to return to my home, where I will live in retirement and cause you no trouble. Give me permission to take my women and my men-at-arms and go to Laggan. I will leave at dawn."

"You ask a favor as though you were making a demand."

Elen stood proudly before him, not flinching at his hard expression. She remained silent while Malcolm regarded her with distaste.

"You cannot return to Laggan," Malcolm said. "It is no longer yours. As of this day, Lagganshire and everything in it is my own property."

Elen gasped as if she had been stabbed.

"It was thanage, was it not?" Malcolm went on. "Though it was held by your grandfather and father, inherited by your husband through you, and would have pa.s.sed to your son had he and Macbeth lived to be subject and ruler, still Lagganshire was always crown property, administered by its thanes for the crown. As king I have the right to take it back, and that I now do."

"I am pleased to learn you are so well schooled in the laws of Alba," Elen told him coldly."It is my country, too," Malcolm said. "I must find a new administrator for Laggan."Elen would not so easily accept the loss of her beloved home."I would remind you that my father, that very Colin of Laggan for whom my son was named, was thane to your own father, King Duncan. He died fighting at Durham for your father. For his sake, you shouldreturn Laggan to me."A look of surprised admiration came into Malcolm's eyes."I like your spirit, lady." Malcolm pa.s.sed one hand across his face. "I am weary, and I have many other pressing matters to consider just now. I will think about Laggan when I have more time. I will let you know my decision later. In the meantime, since you remain rebellious, I must make you a royal prisoner. I place you in the custody of my loyal subject, Conal mac Duff. I trust he and his good wife will keep you secure." "The Thane of

Fife?"

"He is a thane no more. He is Earl of Fife now," Malcolm told her. "When I am installed at Scone all of my thanes will become earls, and the land once held in thanage will be given to them by royal grant."

"Like the English," Elen murmured. "Why not?" Malcolm laughed. "I grew up in England, lady, and the

English were kind to me." "You mean they used you for their own purpose against Alba."Malcolm raised a warning finger. "Never interrupt your king, mistress. And never speak such words tome again or I'll call you traitor. The English had their purposes; I had mine. The English king gave me ahome when I was an orphaned exile, and he treated me well. He provided me troops with which I wonback my throne. Is it not natural that I should look kindly upon the English and adopt some of theirmethods of government, now that I have come into my rightful inheritance?"

"For that home," Elen told him, "for thatEnglish manor of Colby which King Edward gaveyou, he will now expect you to pledge your fealtyto him. And then he will say that you have pledgedhim Alba, too. Before you know it, the kings ofEngland will claim that they are the rightfulrulers of Alba, not you and your descendants."Malcolm began to laugh at her."By G.o.d, you are a quarrelsome wench! I pity the man who weds you." He sobered suddenly. "I will pardon your boldness, because I know you are in great distress, having lost your nearest kin and suffered attack upon your person. But mind your manners with me in the future, for I will not forgive you a second time. Leave me now, and do not come before me again until I order your presence.

Elen fled through the castle, so intent on reaching her own rooms before she broke down completely that

she did not see the tall figure coming toward her. She ran right into him.

"Elen, what's wrong? Has someone hurt you?" Patric inspected her tight, strained face with a worried expression.

"Malcolm. Your king." She spat out the words.

"He has not touched you?" Patric knew only too well Malcolm's predilection for beautiful women, andElen, even in grief and anger, was very beautiful to his eyes."He doesn't need to. Malcolm wounds without touching. He has taken Laggan away from me.""I see. Why would he do such a thing?""He says I am a quarrelsome wench." Elen sniffed, stopping the threat of tears."I wonder why he said that?" Patric tried not to smile. Elen was too angry to notice."I reminded him," she went on, "that my father fought and died for his father.""That was clever of you. Malcolm appreciates loyalty. Was he impressed?""I don't know. I lost my temper and scolded him."

"Scolded the king?" Patric shook his head. "Oh, Elen.""He deserved it.""I am sure he did.""What are you laughing at? I've lost my home. What am I to do now? How could he take Laggan awayfrom me?"

"You are the only n.o.ble he has treated so

harshly, and there are two reasons tor that. First, you refuse to submit to him as your king, and second,you are obviously female. Beautifully female." Patric's large hand rested on her shoulder. She tried toshake it off, but he would not release her. "You know a woman cannot hold thanage in her own right. ButMalcolm will treat you more kindly if you kneel and pledge your loyalty to him. He might leave yousomething of your father's property if you will do that."

"I cannot, no more than you could give your oath to Macbeth."The hand on her shoulder shook her hard, but Patric's voice was soft."You are incredibly stubborn, my sweet."She was so distressed that she scarcely noticed the endearment, or the concern in his blue eyes."I will not change," she stated flatly."I know you well enough to believe that. It might help if I spoke to Malcolm in your behalf. He iswell-disposed toward me"

"He should be, after all you have done for him. Patric, you would do that for me, try to make Malcolm treat me more kindly?"

"That and more. I'll ask him to give Laggan

back to you."

"You will? Oh, thank you." She smiled up at him, her earlier despair wiped away by new hope.

"Thank you."

She was so grateful for his promise of help that when he put his arms around her, she did not resist. It was only a friendly kiss, a soft touching of his lips to her cheek. There was nothing wrong with that. She felt his arms tighten, just for a moment, before he set her gently aside.

"I'll do whatever I can for you," he said, and

then he walked quickly down the corridor and disappeared from view.

It was only later that she remembered that he was a despicable traitor and she hated him with all her heart.

"Elen, do be careful," Fionna cautioned. "Malcolm has a notorious temper. Do not anger him again."

"What do I care? I have lost everything. There is nothing more your new king can do to me." Elenpointed out the window of her chamber. "Look what he has done to Macbeth. How long will that-thatthing hang there over the gate?"

"It will be taken down tonight." It was Conal who answered her. "Malcolm has ordered Macbeth's body removed to lona. He will be buried there."

"Has he admitted then that Macbeth was rightful ruler of Alba?" Elen asked in surprise.

"He has acknowledged by his order that Macbeth was in fact ruler of Alba for seventeen years," Conalsaid. "It is a slight difference."

"But an important one."

"Elen, you must realize that Malcolm is king not only as eldest son of Duncan, but also as the nearestqualified male descendent of Kenneth mac Alpin," Conal told her patiently. "Malcolm rules Alba by bothdirect descent and by the Law of Tanistry. No one can possibly quarrel with his right to be king."

"There is Lulach. He is nearly four years older than Malcolm."

"Lulach is not fitted to be king, and you know it." Fionna was becoming exasperated at this argumentbetween her husband and Elen. "If Lulach will make submission to Malcolm, then Malcolm says he will be given the Mormaership of

Moray.""Lulach has that anyway, by right ofheredity," Elen snapped."Not under this king, my dear. There will be great changes in Alba now."

Fionna was glowing with happiness as she spoke, rejoicing in the knowledge that both her husband and her brother had been restored to her, and that her sons Keith and Ewen, who had been with the army in the south of Alba, were safe and would rejoin her in Fife when she returned there. Her red-gold curls were frosted with a few silver strands, and there were lines about her eyes, but at thirty-six, Fionna in her new-found joy looked like a young girl again. Typically, she did not gloat over the abrupt reversal in their positions, but treated Elen with the same kindness and friendship she had always shown. It was this kindness that Elen, in her unhappiness, found hard to

accept.

"Ava," Elen said when Conal and Fionna had left her alone, "I cannot wander freely about this castlenow, but you can. Find Drust. Ask him to learn everything he can of Lulach's whereabouts and hisactivities. Perhaps Drust can get a message to Lulach or Gertha. Tell him to ask how I can best serve mylord Lulach."

"Yes, mistress." Ava looked more cheerful than she had for some time. "Drust will be happy to hear this of you. He does not like Malcolm."

"Neither does Lulach," Elen said, "as you and I remember well. Malcolm is not secure on his throne while Lulach lives. If I can help Lulach in any way, I will."

25.

August to September 1057.

The new royal court was to move to Scone before proceeding even farther south to Dunedin. It seemed to Elen that every person in the castle was busy with Malcolm's plans, bustling to carry out some new, detailed order Malcolm had given. The king himself, preoccupied with affairs of state, had apparently forgotten Elen, who spent her time a.s.sisting Fionna in a half-hearted way.

Fionna worked daily, directing the inventory and then the sorting, packing, and removal of household goods. The gold and silver cups and plates, pitchers and basins, the tapestries and beds and carved chests of Macbeth's and Gruach's royal household were to be sent to Scone.

"If Malcolm makes no decision about you, you will go on with us from Scone to Fife," Fionna told Elen."Officially, you are a prisoner, but you are my best friend still. It will not be unpleasant, my dear."

Fife is too far south, Elen thought. I have to get away from here before the court moves.

She had been sorting through some of her own clothes. She pulled a heavy bracelet from the bottom of the chest, and looked at it for a long time before she remembered what it was. Patric

had given it to her at their betrothal ceremony so many years ago.