awake?”
There was a stirring behind the door. Akeela fixed a smile on his face.
“Who is it?” called a voice. It was hoarse from lack of sleep, but Akeela recognized it.
“Beith, it’s Akeela.”
After a hesitation, the startled voice returned. “The king?” There was more fumbling behind the door. Akeela imagined Beith smoothing out her night clothes. “My lord Akeela, a moment, please . . .”
Akeela waited patiently until finally the door opened, revealing Beith in a disheveled robe and unkempt hair, her red eyes rimmed with sunken bags. She forced a sunny smile, stepping away from the door so he could enter. Quickly she dipped into a curtsey.
“My lord, this is a surprise. Forgive me, I wasn’t expecting you. My appearance—”
“Is perfectly fine, Beith, don’t worry.” Akeela stepped into the room. As expected, the apartment’s cheerfulness had fled. “I apologize for bothering you, but I’ve only just arrived home. I’d heard . . . well, that you’ve had your child.”
“Yes, my lord,” said the woman. She wrapped her robe about herself, obviously embarrassed. Since he’d become king, Akeela had noticed the way ordinary people squirmed around him.
“Please,” he implored. “Be at ease. I just wanted to see you, and your little one.”
Beith brightened. “You’ve come to see Gilwyn?”
“Gilwyn?” laughed Akeela. “Is that his name? I didn’t even know you’d had a boy! I know you wanted one.” He looked around the room and spotted the crib beneath the room’s only window. Sunlight poured onto its whitewashed wood; a cottony blanket fell over its rim. “Ah, that must be him.”
“Yes, my lord,” said Beith. Pride crept into her tone. “He’s sleeping, I think.”
Akeela tiptoed toward the crib. “May I see him?”
“Certainly,” answered Beith. “But he’s . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“I know about his problems, Beith. Warden Graig told me. I’m sorry.”
Beith said quickly, “Oh, but he’s a beautiful baby, my lord. He’s got his father’s eyes. And he’s smart! He can already tell when I say his name.” Beith moved toward the crib. “Here, let me show him to you.”
“If he’s sleeping . . .”
“No,” said Beith anxiously. “I want you to see him.”
Akeela followed her to the crib, watching in fascination as she lifted the little bundle out of the blankets. Baby Gilwyn squirmed in protest at being awakened. Beith’s expression lightened as she held out the baby for Akeela to inspect.
“Ah,” said Akeela, enchanted. He stuck his face closer to the child, amazed by his smallness. Little Gilwyn fixed his bleary eyes on the king and gave a tiny cry.
“No, don’t cry,” said Beith, bouncing the baby in her arms. “That’s the king!”
Akeela put out a finger, touching the baby’s stomach. Gilwyn reacted by wrinkling his nose, which made the king laugh.
“He’s beautiful,” said Akeela. He noticed the clubbed hand but pretended to ignore it. “Congratulations, Beith. If your husband were here, he’d be very proud.”
“Yes,” said Beith sadly. “I wish he could see him. But Meri says he’s here in spirit, watching.”
“And perhaps he is,” said Akeela, not believing a word of it. Like some in the castle, Meri believed that the dead lived on as spirits, walking among the living. It was just one of the varied religions represented by Lionkeep’s staff. “Like I said, Gilwyn would have been proud of this little soldier.”
Beith blanched. She hugged the baby a little tighter.
“Oh, blast,” said Akeela. “I’m sorry, Beith. That was stupid of me to say.”
“No, it’s all right,” said Beith. “But I don’t think he’s going to be the little soldier. He won’t ever be a Charger like his father.”
“No,” Akeela agreed. With the baby’s infirmities, being a soldier was impossible.
“But he’s smart, my lord,” Beith insisted. “He’s not slow or simple. Gwena says he might be, but I just know
There was a stirring behind the door. Akeela fixed a smile on his face.
“Who is it?” called a voice. It was hoarse from lack of sleep, but Akeela recognized it.
“Beith, it’s Akeela.”
After a hesitation, the startled voice returned. “The king?” There was more fumbling behind the door. Akeela imagined Beith smoothing out her night clothes. “My lord Akeela, a moment, please . . .”
Akeela waited patiently until finally the door opened, revealing Beith in a disheveled robe and unkempt hair, her red eyes rimmed with sunken bags. She forced a sunny smile, stepping away from the door so he could enter. Quickly she dipped into a curtsey.
“My lord, this is a surprise. Forgive me, I wasn’t expecting you. My appearance—”
“Is perfectly fine, Beith, don’t worry.” Akeela stepped into the room. As expected, the apartment’s cheerfulness had fled. “I apologize for bothering you, but I’ve only just arrived home. I’d heard . . . well, that you’ve had your child.”
“Yes, my lord,” said the woman. She wrapped her robe about herself, obviously embarrassed. Since he’d become king, Akeela had noticed the way ordinary people squirmed around him.
“Please,” he implored. “Be at ease. I just wanted to see you, and your little one.”
Beith brightened. “You’ve come to see Gilwyn?”
“Gilwyn?” laughed Akeela. “Is that his name? I didn’t even know you’d had a boy! I know you wanted one.” He looked around the room and spotted the crib beneath the room’s only window. Sunlight poured onto its whitewashed wood; a cottony blanket fell over its rim. “Ah, that must be him.”
“Yes, my lord,” said Beith. Pride crept into her tone. “He’s sleeping, I think.”
Akeela tiptoed toward the crib. “May I see him?”
“Certainly,” answered Beith. “But he’s . . .” Her voice trailed off.
“I know about his problems, Beith. Warden Graig told me. I’m sorry.”
Beith said quickly, “Oh, but he’s a beautiful baby, my lord. He’s got his father’s eyes. And he’s smart! He can already tell when I say his name.” Beith moved toward the crib. “Here, let me show him to you.”
“If he’s sleeping . . .”
“No,” said Beith anxiously. “I want you to see him.”
Akeela followed her to the crib, watching in fascination as she lifted the little bundle out of the blankets. Baby Gilwyn squirmed in protest at being awakened. Beith’s expression lightened as she held out the baby for Akeela to inspect.
“Ah,” said Akeela, enchanted. He stuck his face closer to the child, amazed by his smallness. Little Gilwyn fixed his bleary eyes on the king and gave a tiny cry.
“No, don’t cry,” said Beith, bouncing the baby in her arms. “That’s the king!”
Akeela put out a finger, touching the baby’s stomach. Gilwyn reacted by wrinkling his nose, which made the king laugh.
“He’s beautiful,” said Akeela. He noticed the clubbed hand but pretended to ignore it. “Congratulations, Beith. If your husband were here, he’d be very proud.”
“Yes,” said Beith sadly. “I wish he could see him. But Meri says he’s here in spirit, watching.”
“And perhaps he is,” said Akeela, not believing a word of it. Like some in the castle, Meri believed that the dead lived on as spirits, walking among the living. It was just one of the varied religions represented by Lionkeep’s staff. “Like I said, Gilwyn would have been proud of this little soldier.”
Beith blanched. She hugged the baby a little tighter.
“Oh, blast,” said Akeela. “I’m sorry, Beith. That was stupid of me to say.”
“No, it’s all right,” said Beith. “But I don’t think he’s going to be the little soldier. He won’t ever be a Charger like his father.”
“No,” Akeela agreed. With the baby’s infirmities, being a soldier was impossible.
“But he’s smart, my lord,” Beith insisted. “He’s not slow or simple. Gwena says he might be, but I just know
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