Dark Under the Cover of Night (The Kingdom of the East Angles Book 1) (22 page)
Read Dark Under the Cover of Night (The Kingdom of the East Angles Book 1) Online
Authors: Jayne Castel
Epilogue
The sun
set slowly behind the ancient Barrows of Kings. The mist had cleared and pink
ribbons laced the dusk sky, promising good weather for the coming day. All of
King Raedwald’s mourners had now returned to Rendlaesham – save two.
Raedwyn
knelt before her father’s barrow and placed a wreath of spring flowers she had
just made on the fresh earth. Behind her, standing at a respectful distance
while his beloved paid her last respects to her father, Caelin waited.
Dry-eyed,
Raedwyn sat back and let her gaze shift, from her wreath, up over the dark
mound of earth that shadowed her. It was spring and within days, grass and
weeds would appear in the soft earth. By mid-summer Raedwald’s barrow would be
part of the landscape, like the others beside it. After an emotional day,
Raedwyn now felt a great peace settle upon her. Seaxwyn had returned to
Rendlaesham and taken with her any lingering disapproval.
Finally,
Raedwyn and Caelin were alone together. They had tethered their horses nearby –
Blackberry, and Mist, a stocky gray gelding that Eorpwald had gifted Caelin. In
a short while, she and Caelin would ride off to their new life together. They
would be married on the morrow and the thought of the adventure that lay before
them – as man and wife – made Raedwyn’s belly flutter with excitement.
“Goodbye
father,” Raedwyn whispered. “I wish you a safe journey.”
Raedwyn
got to her feet and brushed earth off her cloak. Then, she turned and walked back
to where Caelin waited for her.
“Are you
ready?” he asked softly, his dark gaze riveted on her face.
Raedwyn
nodded. “Thank you for waiting. I wanted to have some time alone with him,
after the others had gone.”
“I
understand,” Caelin’s expression was wistful. “I would have liked to have given
my father a proper burial.”
Raedwyn
stepped close to Caelin and kissed him softly on the lips. “I know,” she
replied.
In
response, Caelin pulled her close and kissed her back. His kiss was initially
gentle, but quickly grew urgent. Raedwyn felt one of his hands rest on the
small of her back, pressing her against him, while the other hand cupped the
base of her neck. It was a possessive gesture and Raedwyn melted into his arms.
Her mouth opened under his and the world disappeared.
When the
kiss finally ended, Caelin’s eyes were glazed with longing.
“We should
go,” he urged her. “I’ve no wish to desecrate a burial ground but if I keep
this up for much longer I cannot be answerable for my actions.”
Raedwyn
laughed and the warm sound shattered the day’s somber tone.
“Very well
my love.” She linked her arm in his and steered Caelin towards their horses.
“Take me to a place where you can kiss me to your heart’s content.”
“I plan to
do much more than that,” Caelin replied with a wolfish grin. “Lead the way
sweet Raedwyn.”
--
Loved DARK
UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT and want more?
Buy
Book #2 in the Kingdom of the East Angles series: NIGHTFALL TILL DAYBREAK
--
Read the
Prologue of NIGHTFALL TILL DAYBREAK.
Prologue
Spring, 629 A.D.
North coast of Gaul –
Kingdom of the Franks
The waves crashed against the rocks, sending foam into the
salty air. Gulls shrieked overhead and a cold wind whipped off the churning
sea. The wind stung Aidan’s face as he walked towards the four longships.
His men had dragged them up to the waterline and were readying
the large boats for their journey to Britannia. Sigeberht was already there
waiting, his tall spare frame wrapped in thick furs. He spied Aidan’s approach
and walked forward to meet him. Sigeberht’s grey eyes were steely; his long,
wind-burnt face set in determination when he stopped before his
thegn
.
“Are we ready?”
“Yes, milord.”
“Will four ships be enough?”
The wind whipped Aidan’s dark hair in his eyes. He pushed it
aside before answering.
“You have one hundred and twenty-two spears. I could find you
more but there is no time.”
Sigeberht’s mouth thinned at Aidan’s response. He looked out
across the churning grey sea. It was not ideal weather to journey in but they
could not delay.
“Britannia.” Sigeberht savored the word as his gaze focused
on the northern horizon. “I’ve spent so many years in exile that I can barely
remember my homeland.”
Aidan did not reply, knowing that his lord’s decision to
leave Gaul and return to the Kingdom of the East Angles had not been easy. News
of the murder of Eorpwald – Sigeberht’s half-brother – at the hands of Ricbehrt
the Usurper had forced him to leave his life dedicated to the study of
Christianity and learning, and go to war.
“I must have reckoning for Eorpwald’s death,” Sigeberht
repeated the vow that had spurred him on this journey. “The Usurper cannot wear
the East Anglian crown. I may not be of true Wuffinga blood but I am the
rightful heir to the throne. I must take it back for my family.”
Aidan nodded. “You will have your reckoning milord.”
Sigeberht smiled and clasped his arm around Aidan’s
shoulders. Together the two men walked to the nearest longship, where warriors
were starting to push it into the water; it took nearly forty men to heave the
heavy craft into the waves.
“I thank thee Aidan. I could not do this without you.”
“You gave a lost Irish boy his freedom.” Aidan grinned back
at Sigeberht. His lord’s thanks brightened the chill spring day. “I told you I
would never forget that. I would lead this army against the northmen if you
asked it!”
“Let us pray to our Lord that it never comes to that!”
Sigeberht gave a rare laugh. “I will have enough heathens to deal with back in
Rendlaesham!”
With that, Sigeberht climbed onto the longship and took his
place at the stern. He pulled his fur cloak close around him and nodded to
Aidan.
“
Gāð
!” Aidan shouted, “go!”
Aidan ran to the next ship and helped haul the massive craft
into the rolling surf. He waded into the water, feeling its chill bite through
his breeches and fur-lined boots. Then, he swung up onto the boat and settled
himself at the stern.
Before him, forty warriors jostled into place, each taking
hold of a heavy oak oar. Moving as one, they propelled the longship through the
choppy waves and out into the open sea. Aidan glanced behind him and saw the
final two boats were also afloat and cutting their way through the surf. Ahead,
Sigeberht’s longship moved swiftly northeast. Aidan could see them unfurling
the sail from the ship’s central mast, and he called to his men to do the same.
The longship, loaded with warriors, weapons and supplies, sat
low in the water. Yet, its shallow-draft hull allowed it to move swiftly
through the waves like a fleet sea creature. The biting wind whipped away the
shouts of his men as they heaved their oars through the heavy swells.
At the front of the boat, his strong face creased in
concentration, sat Lothar. Like most of the men in Sigeberht’s army, Lothar was
a Frank. The same age, Aidan and Lothar had grown from boys to men under
Sigeberht’s roof. Blond and built like an ox, Lothar was just the sort of man
Aidan wanted at his side when they attacked Rendlaesham. Besides Sigeberht,
there was no one he trusted more.
“Enjoying the ride?” Lothar shouted at his friend over the
wind, and pulled back on the oars once again. “I wouldn’t want you to feel useless,
perched there like a maid at her distaff!”
Aidan snorted. “I’ll take my turn soon enough Lothar. Just
keep rowing!”
Lothar grinned, his teeth flashing white against his tawny
beard.
An arc of sea-spray cascaded over the boat, drenching them all
and cutting Lothar and Aidan’s conversation short.
Blinking the water out of his eyes, Aidan looked about – a
grey, cold world surrounded him. The sea was the color of beaten iron and the
sky that of smoke. It was not long before the coastline of northern Gaul,
Aidan’s home for the past seventeen years, receded to a green and brown strip
on the southern horizon.
Aidan looked towards their destination and, although they were
still some way off, he caught a glimpse of white cliffs on the horizon.
Britannia.
A thrill of excitement went through Aidan at the thought of
what lay ahead. At twenty-seven winters, he longed for a challenge. Aidan had
been only ten when he was taken from his village in Connacht, West Ireland.
Saxon raiders had attacked, pillaged and set fire to his village and Aidan had
been among the handful of slaves those blond savages had taken away. Once they
reached Gaul, the raiders sold Aidan to a long-faced young man with fierce grey
eyes: Sigeberht, the exiled stepson of King Raedwald of the East Angles.
Woden, father of the gods, had favored Aidan, for his new
master treated him kindly and upon Aidan’s sixteenth summer, he gave his slave
freedom. Aidan could have left Sigeberht’s hall then, but he had chosen to stay
on as a retainer. His loyalty had paid off, for now he commanded this small but
fiercely loyal army.
If Sigeberht's attack succeeded, his lord would soon be King
of East Angles – a massive step up in the world from the exiled man who lived
like one of the monks he admired so much. In truth, there were times when Aidan
found Sigeberht a bit dry and humorless; his devotion to Christianity
influenced all who lived under his roof. Aidan, like all the others, had
converted to his lord's religion. Yet, in secret, Aidan still prayed to the old
gods – Woden and Thor meant more to him than this new god who appeared to
praise abstinence and piousness above all else.
Aidan kept his gaze on those white cliffs. He urged Lothar and
his men on; his throat straining with the effort it took to be heard over the
roar of the wind. Soon he would be standing on Britannia's fair soil and
breathing in her fine air. A new life awaited him, and Aidan was impatient to
embark upon it.
Buy
Book #2 in the Kingdom of the East Angles series: NIGHTFALL TILL DAYBREAK
About the Author
Love is at the core of all Jayne Castel's stories. She writes
historical romance set in 7th Century Anglo-Saxon England and contemporary
romance set in Italy.
Her inspirations for these genres come from her fascination
for British history, and her love of Italy, where she lived for a decade.
Two of her novels DARK UNDER THE COVER OF NIGHT and NIGHTFALL
TILL DAYBREAK, reached the quarter finals of the Amazon Breakthrough Novel
Awards in 2013 and 2014. Her latest historical romance, DAWN OF WOLVES, is a
Kindle Scout winner and is in production to be published by Kindle Press.
Jayne lives in New Zealand's South Island, where works as a
freelance copywriter. When she’s not writing, she’s studying languages, or
dreaming about her next trip to Europe!
Connect
with Jayne online:
Twitter:
@JayneCastel
Email:
[email protected]
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