Free Hereward 05 - The Immortals by James Wilde

– and all women – need allies. Here, enemies lurk everywhere. There are few who can be trusted. But you rushed to Alexios’ aid with no thought for your own safety. You fought for a stranger, because you saw one man threatened by four cut-throats, and knew there was no justice there.’ Stepping closer, she peered deep into his eyes. Her stare was unflinching. Hereward thought he had never seen eyes filled with such confidence, such power, since he had stood before William the Bastard in Wincestre. ‘A man of honour,’ she added quietly, ‘and they are rarer than hen’s teeth in Constantinople.’
    ‘Why did the man I killed want your son dead?’
    ‘Many want Alexios dead. As many would see my blood spilled too. There is a war within Constantinople. A quiet one, but no less a war. You must know that.’
    Hereward nodded. ‘The emperor is not well liked. Some think the empire would fare better with a stronger man on the throne. Some covet the power that goes with the crown.’
    ‘And there are those who believe I still covet the throne, for one of my sons.’
    ‘Do you?’
    ‘We have an emperor, a young one. I would not see him harmed.’
    ‘A good answer, but not to the question I asked.’
    Swigging back her wine, Anna set the goblet aside. Her eyes flashed. ‘It matters not whether I see a path to the throne, merely that others think I desire it. For many a day, I could not set foot in Constantinople. The emperor’s uncle, the Caesar, John Doukas, feared my claim to the throne. I have little love for him …’ Anna caught herself. Hereward could see from her sour face that in truth they were bitter enemies. ‘He branded me a traitor, saw me banished, to a monastery on Prinkipos. All to make sure I would be no threat to him. But power waxes and wanes, as we all know, and John Doukas no longer wields any at the court. Perhaps he no longer has aught to his name,’ she added with an enigmatic smile. ‘And so I am back.’
    ‘But still you have enemies on every side.’
    A cold smile. Anna poured herself more wine. ‘I need a good man … a warrior … a trusted, honourable man who can watch over my son and keep him safe from the knives in the dark.’
    ‘I am a soldier now. I aided your son in his hour of need, but I would not see out my days wiping the spittle from his chin.’
    Anna’s eyes narrowed. Hereward saw steel there. Here was a woman not accustomed to being questioned or denied. ‘A soldier? The man who challenged a king? Who could have taken the crown of England for himself if he had not been betrayed? A lowly soldier?’ Her words boiled with scorn. ‘Wulfrun,’ she called. ‘Take him back to the cells.’
    ‘Wait,’ Hereward growled as the door ground open.
    Anna waved the guardsman back out.
    ‘So,’ the Mercian said, holding out his arms to the chamber, ‘this is no reward for an act of kindness. I must earn my life.’
    Gliding across the room, Anna perched upon the stone of the window. A halo of sunlight glowed around her head. ‘I need you, Hereward of the English. What you witnessed last night is only the beginning. My son’s life hangs by a thread, and I would do anything … drive any bargain … to keep him alive. I can trust no one else in Constantinople. So, yes, if you would see another dawn, you must agree to my terms. It may yet cost you your life. But if you accept this offer, I will use what influence I have with the emperor to have your sentence lifted. The emperor will have his own terms, of course. He cannot ignore the murder of a man like Sabas Apion. But at least here is a chance for life. Do not turn your back upon it.’
    Hereward stifled his simmering anger. He should have known that nothing in Constantinople came without a price. But as his thoughts raced, a flame flickered to life deep in his head. Smiling, he said, ‘I will watch over your son, but let us haggle some more. I have a mind to strike a bigger deal by far.’

C HAPTER N INE
    THE GULLS