Page 27 of Queen of the Hollow Hills

“From whom?” she replied.

Fabius merely winked at her.

“How did you do that?” Cormag asked him, gesturing to Fabius’s unlit baton.

“Ah,” Fabius gasped, his hand to his throat. “A performer never gives away his secrets, silly,” he said, touching Cormag’s knee.

Confused, Cormag shook his head.

I chuckled.

“The sun grows low, my queen. Shall we see to the great fire?” Corva asked.

I nodded. I had sent to Môd, asking her if she would like to come to attend to the festivities, but the priestess sent back a message that her own rites would keep her away. It was no matter. The Yule festival was for the people, and I was their queen.

I rose and made my way from the podium, Cormag gently guiding me.

Conall, who had been waiting nearby, signaled to the men who sounded their trumpets. The sound reverberated across the city, calling the people to the bonfire.

We waited until all the crowd had assembled to begin.

I stepped forward.

A hush fell over the crowd.

“Brigantes,” I called in a loud, clear voice. “Let us celebrate this sacred Yule and give thanks. It is the season of the lady of winter, of the Cailleach. Tonight, as the moon turns, let’s leave the darkness of the past behind us. We have suffered this year, my people, but prevailed. We are stronger than ever. Now, we begin our slow crawl toward spring. Our mountains, valleys, rivers, and fields all sleep. They make ready for the prosperity of spring. And so shall we,” I said, putting my hand on my stomach and smiling at the crowd.

At that, they cheered.

I turned to Cormag, taking his hand and squeezing it.

“Tonight,” I said, “we shall send these effigies of Brigantia and the Cailleach to the fire. May the twin goddesses offer their blessings in the flames. Take with you the embers from this sacred fire so you may carry our divine sisters’ blessings to your own hearth and be blessed and warmed all year long. And to all Brigantes and our allies, I say Blessed Yule!”

The crowd called back to me, shouting out their blessings.

I turned to the men, indicating it was time to add the effigies to the bonfire and light the flames. The men lifted the heavy logs and carefully set them on the fire. Taking a torch from Corva and stepping around Fabius’s dead fish, I set the bonfire to light. The fire came alive with a crackle, and the small twigs and dried grasses soon caught flame.

I stepped back, joining Cormag to admire the fire. So wrapped up in the ceremony I didn’t see the commotion in the crowd until it was too late.

“Queen Cartimandua!” Fabius called, distress in his voice as he tried to push toward me.

Confused, I shifted to look toward him, hearing the whiz of an arrow and the feel of the shaft so close to my face that I could swear the fletching touched my cheek.

Cormag’s eyes went wide. He looked from the crowd to me. “Carti!” Cormag called in alarm, suddenly grabbing me.

Everything happened so quickly it became a blur.

Cormag grabbed me, using his body to shield me. He grunted lightly as he moved me away, Conall and the other guards forming a circle around me.

People in the crowd screamed.

“There! There! Someone tried to assassinate the queen!”

“The queen!”

“Queen Cartimandua!”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Corva’s red cape billow as she disappeared into the crowd.

---