Free Daughters Of The Storm by Kim Wilkins Page B

nephew.’
    A blank look.
    â€˜Papa had a sister. Heath is her son.’ Wengest’s sister was famed for her affairs in her youth. Heath was her only child and his red-gold hair told a tale: his father was an Ærfolc, one of the original peoples of Thyrsland who had now been pushed to the margins of the land and thought. This was why Heath remained clean-shaven:his beard, when it grew, was fiery red. And there were still many people who would heap contempt on him simply because of his Ærfolc colouring.
    Rowan was considering Heath now in the warm sunshine. The long grassy fields waved on either side of them, tiny insects caught sunlight on their wings and dandelion seeds lifted and swirled on the wind.
    â€˜Come on,’ Heath said, ‘I will keep you very safe.’
    Rowan nodded once and Rose lifted her into Heath’s arms with a sense of relief. Unencumbered, the ride would be infinitely easier.
    Heath settled Rowan on the saddle in front of him. Rowan leaned back against him, seeming to enjoy the breadth and safety of his chest. They rode again, this time a little faster. Within twenty minutes, Rowan was asleep, her head lolling against Heath’s heart.
    â€˜She’s asleep,’ Rose said to him.
    â€˜I thought so,’ he replied, smiling. ‘She’s very warm.’
    Rose chose her words carefully, aware at any moment Rowan might wake and hear what they said. ‘I envy her. She looks very comfortable.’ Which meant, I would like to be pressed up against you like that.
    Heath was playing his own game of doublespeak. ‘She is very like you, Rose. Her dark hair and eyes.’ Lucky she didn’t inherit my colouring.
    â€˜Wengest likes to think she looks like him.’ He has no idea.
    They lapsed into silence a while, the road disappearing underneath them. Then Heath said, ‘Wengest told me ... he hopes for a son soon.’
    â€˜When did he tell you that?’
    â€˜I spoke with him at length in his bower, the night I arrived. He was very keen to talk about your sister.’ Heath glanced down at Rowan.
    â€˜Still asleep,’ Rose said, ‘but always listening. What about my sister? I presume you mean Bluebell. What did Wengest say of her? Nothing good, I suppose.’
    â€˜Oh, he is afraid of her, don’t doubt it. With good reason. But he has seen ahead further than I suspect you, or even Bluebell, have seen.’
    â€˜What do you mean?’
    â€˜When King Æthlric is gone, Bluebell will be queen.’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜But Bluebell rules by force of arms.’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜She cannot both fight wars and bear children.’
    â€˜The idea of Bluebell bearing children is ridiculous.’ And as she said it, she knew what Heath was going to say next.
    â€˜Then who will be her heir? Who will rule Ælmesse when she is gone?’
    â€˜I’m the next daughter,’ Rose said.
    â€˜And you’re married to Netelchester. Wengest will have a claim,’ Heath said.
    â€˜Rowan could rule Ælmesse.’
    â€˜Rowan can’t rule. Wengest won’t allow it.’
    â€˜Ã†lmesse will allow it. Wengest can’t have Ælmesse.’
    â€˜Then Rowan would have to defy her father and the alliance would be broken. No, Rose, Wengest needs you to have a son. He wants that more than anything. It solves every problem he has.’
    Rose glanced at Rowan, who was still soundly sleeping. ‘He can’t.’
    â€˜I suspected as much.’
    â€˜He does not suspect it, though. Do you see? He has Rowan: proof of potency.’ She shook her head. ‘Our speculation is meaningless. Bluebell will have thought of this, I’m sure. She will know what to do.’
    â€˜Will she? When I brought her news of Æthlric, she looked to me as though she had never considered it possible he might die.’
    A pang of compassion for her sister. Rose fell silent, turning Heath’s words over