«Do such things happen in Kierney or Cassan?» Alyce asked.

«Perhaps occasionally», Vera admitted, «though I’ve never heard of such a case. But Deryni are better tolerated there. Not officially, but the mountain folk are said to have the Second Sight, which may not be all that different from some Deryni powers. Anyway, that seems to make the differences less obvious». Her sigh turned into another yawn. «Your big problem in central Gwynedd is some of those bishops, though. What was the name of that one who gave you so much trouble, just before you married Kenneth?»

«Oliver de Nore», Alyce said coldly. «I heard that he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Nyford over the summer, and it’s likely that he’ll be given a diocese of his own within the next few years. Both the archbishops like him, as do several of the other diocesan bishops — and that counts for a lot, when it comes time to fill vacancies».

«A pity», Vera said, yawning again. «You’d think they’d see right through him…». She sighed. «But I don’t believe we shall resolve this tonight, dear Alyce. I must get some sleep. I return to my dear Jared in the morning. Several days from now, at any rate. I do love you, dearest sister».

«And I, you», Alyce murmured, patting her sister’s hand, though she did not drift off until long after Vera’s breathing had shifted to that of deep slumber.

Chapter 13

«Rejoice not over thy greatest enemy being dead, but remember that we die all».[14]

Some miles south, in the king’s private withdrawing room in Rhemuth Castle, the candles burned far later as Kenneth and the king also discussed the very troublesome Bishop Oliver de Nore. Kenneth had briefed the king for several hours immediately after his return, recounting everything he could remember of the encounter at Hallowdale. Sir Xander had also been present for the first part of the briefing, but when he could offer nothing additional, Donal had dismissed him — and then had stormed around the confines of the chamber like a caged lion, swearing fluently and occasionally kicking chair legs or remnants of kindling on the hearth.

«So, will you do something about it?» Kenneth asked, when the king had finally wound down from his initial tirade and asked him to retell the story one more time, to be certain he had all the facts straight.

Donal stiffened, leaning on a windowsill to gaze outside at the lowering twilight, then let out a long breath in a sigh of frustrated defeat.

«There frankly isn’t much I can do», he admitted reluctantly. «Unfortunately, de Nore is the archbishops’ business. He is under their authority, and they are practically a law unto themselves, when it comes to matters of faith».

«Sire…»

«No, listen to me. You saw how they reacted after that whole miserable situation surrounding Krispin’s murder. God knows, you and Alyce were a part of it. She was, at any rate. It isn’t often that a king has to grovel before a pack of priests, but I groveled. It was the only way to get the Interdict lifted, because I did kill one of their own — or rather, I ordered him killed; it’s much the same thing, when you’re a king. I still was responsible, even if I didn’t execute him with my own hand».

«It is part of a king’s right and duty to exercise the High Justice, Sire», Kenneth said stiffly. «God’s law allows for that. In fact, sometimes God’s law requires that, if a king is to do his duty to his people. That duty is assumed when the archbishop anoints the new king with holy chrism, confirming his right and duty to rule with justice. And then the king lays his consecrated hand upon the sacred Scriptures and swears an oath to do just that, in justice and honor».

«I know that, dammit!»

«I know that you know it, Sire. I was there when you swore that oath, all those years ago, and I know that you meant and mean to honor it. But those men in Hallowdale — and women, God help them! — took the law into their own hands. They took it upon themselves to act as judge, jury, and executioners, and we shall never know whether their victims really were Deryni, or had really done anything untoward, or had done anything besides being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Where is the justice in that, Sire? Where is your duty to protect and defend your people, even against bishops, who are also your subjects?»

They were questions with no easy answers, given the circumstances of the incident at Hallowdale. Kenneth’s more official report, somewhat cooler for having slept on it, quickly polarized opinions in the crown council, when they learned of it the next day. Especially summoned to the meeting was the Archbishop of Rhemuth, who did not always attend; but when confronted regarding the probable role of one of his bishops, Archbishop William would only defend Oliver de Nore and assert that his brother bishop could not be held responsible for how uneducated peasants interpreted the sermons preached by his circuit priests.

Kenneth, for his part, would not back down from what he had witnessed with his own eyes; and Sir Trevor as well, long in the king’s confidence despite his youth, corroborated the accounts of Kenneth and Xander, when he returned to Rhemuth a few days later with Alyce and Alaric and the rest of Kenneth’s household.

The matter clearly was not ended. In an effort to clarify exactly what had occurred, and who was responsible, the king did send a commission of inquiry to Hallowdale early in November, but those interviewed stuck doggedly to their assertion that those burned had been discovered to be notorious Deryni, well deserving of their fate, and the villagers had only been following the exhortations of a traveling preacher.

The king had even taken the precaution of sending along Sir Morian du Joux, the Deryni brother of the woman who had borne the ill-fated Krispin. Summoned to the capital from his usual assignment at the court of the royal governor of Meara, and proven loyal through service to the king on numerous occasions in the field of battle, Morian was little known east of Rhemuth, and had been instructed merely to observe the questioning of the villagers of Hallowdale, employing his powers only to detect lies. Kenneth was not permitted to accompany him, for the council thought him too biased, but the king did send Duke Richard, who alone of the commission was aware of Morian’s unique talents — and the danger he faced, if the local folk should realize what he was, in that emotionally charged atmosphere.

But Morian was never detected, and the testimonies appeared to have been truthful, as far as they went, given the villagers’ rife superstition, misinformation, and lack of sophistication. By all the evidence available, both Richard and Morian concluded that the man and woman executed by the villagers probably had, indeed, been Deryni, even if the exact nature of their alleged crimes could not be determined. (No one would comment on the alleged execution of a child, and Morian had been forbidden to press the issue.) The role of the preacher and even his exact identity remained unclear, and the man had moved on, in any case. Which left the inquiry largely where it had begun.

It was all mostly over by early December. After due reflection on the results of the inquiry, and another meeting with Archbishop William, attended by Duke Richard as well, the king reluctantly was obliged to put the matter aside — though he did promise Kenneth and Alyce privately that if further such incidents came to his attention, he would take a more aggressive stance. It was not what Kenneth had hoped, but he, too, had to put the matter aside, as king and council settled back into the routine of governing through the short days and long nights of winter. The subject of Hallowdale still arose occasionally — though more for the offense against the king’s authority than the fate of the victims. But gradually the ministers’ energies shifted back to a more comfortable and commonplace succession of advisory meetings with the king, mild court intrigues, and the occasional serious discussion of trade treaties and border disputes. All of this was punctuated by bouts of arms practice moved into the great hall, as the weather worsened, the occasional hunt, and many a less formal discussion before the fires in the great hall, of an evening after dinner. An ongoing topic of happier speculation was the celebration being planned for the following June, to mark Prince Brion’s coming of age.