Page 87 of Queen of the Hollow Hills

“Indeed, it was,” Eddin replied, making certain he did not look Venu’s way. It was the Carvetti who had stolen the vast stretches of Dardani orchards. I was glad that Cuneda had not burned them out of spite.

I glanced at Venu, who was lost in conversation with Chieftain Calos and, by all appearances, had not heard Eddin—but I knew better.

“When I was a girl, my father returned from Dardani lands with a sack of apples,” Lady Amma told Eddin wistfully. “I still remember their sweetness. The Dardani apples were the sweetest I ever tasted.”

“Faerie fruits,” Eddin replied with a smirk.

Amma chuckled. “No doubt, King Eddin.”

Eddin held her gaze for a moment, winking at her in jest, then turned back to his plate.

Realizing I had missed some joke between them and feeling awkward about it, I turned back to my food. For the first time since Regan and Aelith had died, I put a morsel of bread in my mouth.

I chewed slowly, then sat back.

Down the table, Ystradwel sat quietly and ate, more pushing her food from one side of her plate to another than eating.

“Chieftain Ystradwel, we are glad to have you in our hall again. How fares Setantii lands?” I asked.

Ystradwel paused, taken off guard by my attention, then gave me a soft smile. “We are well, my queen.”

“I am glad to see you again, Lord Gregor.”

“And you, Queen Cartimandua.”

“How fares your friend, King Aengus?”

The man paused, then smiled. “More neighbor than friend, my queen.”

I gave him a stiff smile. “And King Ord?” I asked, referring to the rightful king of the Cornovii.

“King Ord is perpetually licking the boots of the Catuvellauni, but summer is upon us once more.”

“Meaning?”

I already knew what he meant. King Aengus had been busy all spring, the sounds of blacksmiths’ hammers ringing across his fort as swords and shields were made in plenty. Two weeks prior, the king had begun calling in his retainers. Soon, King Aengus would march south. And while Ord was busy reinforcing the Catuvellauni’s push to the east, King Aengus would attack.

“We shall see who the true king of the Cornovii is very soon,” Lord Gregor said smugly.

At that, the other Carvetti chieftains looked at one another but said nothing.

“And seeing is all we will do, asthe Briganteshave no vested interest in their civil war.”

Lord Gregor inclined his head to me.

“You are very gracious, Lord Gregor, so I trust I do not need to repeat my words on this matter. If I have to share my thoughts on this topic again, you’ll find I have other, very pointed ways to get them across.”

Andoc laughed. “Aye, ask the Parisii.”

Alys frowned and shifted in her seat.

My gaze flicked to Ystradwel. “But I trust my chieftain to ensure that the will of the Brigantes is upheld throughout all our lands.”

“My queen,” Ystradwel said, nodding to me, but there was a flicker in her expression I didn’t like. She shifted her eyes to Lord Gregor for just a moment and then back to me, giving me a reassuring smile.

“Hmm,” Mael Muire muttered softly, echoing the same thoughts swirling in my mind.

For the second time in my dining hall, my instincts told me to poison Lord Gregor and be done with him.

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