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Sign up and get a free eBook! Book 1 of The King Arthur Trilogy. Price may vary by retailer. Photograph by [Paul Sargaison]. Atria Books November Length: The boy then dragged the old strigil over several days of accumulated dirt. Then, after a quick splash in the frigidarium to cleanse and close his pores, he gave himself a rough toweling and attempted to tie back his wet, wild hair with a leather thong.
Finally, he donned a tunic, belt, loincloth, and sandals, and ran through the silent colonnades to the room where all visitors were entertained. His face was florid and almost smooth of wrinkles, for the master of the house rarely fell prey to extremes of emotion. His mouth was good-humored, and his pale, blue eyes were slightly protuberant, giving his face an expression of perpetual surprise.
But only a fool underestimated Master Ector, a man raised in the warrior tradition, to which the hard muscle of his body bore witness. Having served his time in the fortresses of the north, Ector now enjoyed his broad acres, his fat cattle and kine, and the peace of a quiet middle age. However, should external peril threaten his house, Ector would rise to fight like an old battle hound.
Ector and his wife, Livinia, their son, Caius, and three unknown gentlemen were all reclining in the Roman fashion on carved couches around a low table that was piled high with delicacies. Sweet-smelling oils burned brightly in rare glass vessels, and the best torches hung on heavy iron wall brackets, yet no unsightly stains of oil smoke marred a fine fresco of an olive grove. Ector might be a bastard Celt, but he had married the last child of an ancient family, and had taken the Poppinidii name as his own.
In the nearest town of Aquae Sulis, he was deemed to be a man of significant wit—and extraordinary luck. He bowed formally to each guest, even the hateful Caius. The boy was also adept at becoming invisible. As the meal progressed, his presence was soon forgotten by his family. But the three strangers found him strangely interesting. On several occasions, the boy caught the man with long black hair staring at him with an expression that was composed of equal parts of curiosity and relief, although Lump had no idea why the sophisticated nobleman was so interested in a mere boy.
What are a few savages to us? Londinium, Eburacum, and Camulodunum are heavily fortified, and the native legions are well trained. Another stranger, notable for his long brown plaits and animated face, suppressed a grim laugh. Their swords are damned near as tall as you are—and they work iron with great skill to fashion battle-axes that will cut an arrogant man in two.
I served with your father on the Wall, and we shared the same wet nurse for some seasons in Lavatrae. We both grew tall hearing the horror tales of Boedicca of the Iceni and the nearness of her victory when she rebelled against Rome. But that bloodstained bitch was one of us. She was civilized in her fashion, and not some ignorant Saxon pig stealer, or a dog from Jutland who comes hunting enough grain to feed his filthy brood. Lady Livinia was the true master of the villa, especially when tact and clear thinking were needed.
But her rule was benevolent, softly spoken, and never abrasive. Arrogance and raised voices was the province of the ill-bred. Ector shot a swift glance of disapproval at his only birth son. I can tell you, young man, that Rome cannot save herself, least of all a distant ex-colony such as Britain. No, Caius, we are on our own now, and the legions will never come again—no matter how much we bluster or beg.
I fear a barbarian, one of your filthy dogs, friend Ector, will rule the great city of Rome before too long, and we can no longer afford to put our hopes on strangers. Eburacum has fallen to the Jutes, and Camulodunum has never recovered from the bite of Roman revenge.
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God help the west if Uther should fail. Neither possessed a flattering opinion of the High King, who held the tribes to treaties won by bloodshed during his vigorous youth.
King Arthur: Dragon's Child (King Arthur Trilogy 1)
Lady Livinia, especially, was starved for tales of civilized Gaul, and she managed to dominate the conversation for some little time, mainly by right of the purity of her breeding. She was small, even for a Roman matron, but her posture was so straight and uncompromising that few visitors noticed her diminutive form.
Like all gentle domestic tyrants, she was possessed of great charm and wit, making her a hostess of distinction. Gracefully, she ensured that Myrddion Merlinus and his friends would find nothing amiss in the hospitality of the house. The boy filled the gilded wine cups from his jugs and listened to the words of the guests with his instincts and sensitivity sharply focused on the conversation, even as it began to wane.
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The third visitor, a dark-complexioned man, remained silent throughout the conversation that swirled around him. The boy felt his stomach muscles contract with nervousness when the dark-faced man stared covertly at him across the succulent, exotic foods and rich sauces. Black eyes forced grey eyes to meet and be examined. When the honeyed sweetmeats were served, and the men lounged in comfort with the edges of their differences blunted by good food and wine, the silent stranger chose to speak. It was a voice of command that demanded an answer, although it was delivered in tones that were mellifluous and beautifully modulated, and belonged to a man who was accustomed to power and its usage.
The villa normally held to farm hours, and the water dial showed that the hour was now late. The boy almost dropped the Spanish wine in surprise as all eyes flickered towards him. His name is Artorex. Stand under the wall sconce, young Artorex, where I can see you properly. What is his age? But why are you so interested in the boy? She loved the babe so much that she risked her own life to bring Artorex to us. Frith told me later that Andrewina knew that her blood was poisoned, but rather than seek medical help for herself, she struggled to reach a safe haven for him. She was a very brave girl.
No one had told him about this Andrewina Ruadh, and he was determined to demand every detail that old Frith could remember. The boy felt his face flush. He straightened his shoulders and raised his chin. Unblinkingly, the boy watched the blade arc towards him. Acting on instinct, he moved to one side, and dashed the blade aside with his forearm. The knife clattered to the floor, where it lay like a silver reptile with the dragon aglitter on its hilt. The other guests were momentarily robbed of words.
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Visit our Beautiful Books page and find lovely books for kids, photography lovers and more. Other books in this series. Dragon's Child M K Hume. Warrior of the West M K Hume.
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Hume is a retired academic, who is married with two grown-up sons and lives in Queensland, Australia. Hume has now written a series of magnificent novels about the legend of King Arthur. For more information visit: