Footsteps in Time (The After Cilmeri Series Book 1)

Footsteps in Time (Chapter Nineteen)

Anna

Mom and Anna sat on a bench against a sheltering wall in the kitchen garden, herbs at their feet and a grape vine running up and over the lattice above their heads, providing shade against the summer heat. They were watching Gwenllian run back and forth along the paths, chasing butterflies. She'd come from Aber with Heledd, arriving in Dinas Bran just after David left.

"There's something to be said for air conditioning," Anna said, just as a suggestion, flapping her fan.

"I've never been heavily pregnant in the summer," Mom said, "but I can appreciate the sentiment."

"Mama!" Gwenllian called, coming to a stop. "Look!" A butterfly had landed on her wrist and was slowly flapping its wings, warming itself in the sun.

"Don't touch it, Gwen," Mom said. "It will fly away if you leave it." It did, and after watching it flutter onto a climbing vine, Gwenllian settled herself under a bush to dig in the dirt with a stick.

Mom and Anna continued to sit contentedly, sharing a moment of peace. "Does Math feel anxious at not going south with David?" Mom said after a while.

"Yes, of course he does," Anna said. "But Papa told him to hold the north for him and that's what he is doing." She checked the sun, trying to estimate how long before Math returned from the day's patrol.

Just then, Math himself emerged from the shadows of the castle doorway. Anna gathered herself to push to her feet, but he waved her down. "You need to sit," he said.

"What's wrong?" Anna said.

"Hereford's men have surrounded Buellt."

"David!" Mom surged to her feet, but Math caught her arms.

"Rest easy, Mother," he said. "It was he who sent the messenger. Dafydd was riding with some of his men at the time, and they've retreated in good order, south, to find Prince Llywelyn."

Mom put her hand to her head and turned away. She walked a few steps, eyes on the ground. "How do I stop caring? How do I stop worrying about him all the time?"

Math shook his head. "You don't," he said simply. "You are his mother." Math smiled down at Anna and put a hand to her belly.

Yes, that is to be my fate, then.

"I need your thoughts on a particular matter," Math said.

Mom noted the change in tone and turned back. Math paced around a bit while he gathered his thoughts, clearly restless, and then came to stand in front of Anna.

"I have a situation," he said. "Believe it or not, one of my people has murdered another."

"A murder!" Anna said. "Who?"

"The miller and his apprentice. The apprentice claims he was beaten one too many times by the miller so he walloped him on the head with a wooden staff, killing him."

"In self-defense?" Anna said.

Math put out a hand and wobbled it in a 'so, so' manner. Anna couldn't remember if he'd done it before or learned it from her.

"Have you heard the witnesses?" Mom said.

"Yes, dozens," Math said. "They don't change the issue." The way the law worked in Wales was that both the murderer and the family of the victim gathered witnesses who were willing to swear either that the murderer was innocent, or that there were extenuating circumstances such that it was not murder. Math's job, as the judge in the case, was to determine what sort of proof was appropriate, which of the parties were required to produce proof, adjudicate on the case, and then impose the appropriate penalty in accordance with the law.