Read Online Gambit of the Glass Crowns: Vol. I of epic fantasy The Sundered Kingdoms Trilogy by Ethan Risso - Free Book Online

the door as it was. “What happened to him?”
    Ceridwen set a book on the bedside table. “He grew ill during the tournament yesterday. He barely made it back into the castle before he lost consciousness.”
    Gawain sat on the stool at the foot of Connor’s bed. “I thought he was getting better.”
    Ceridwen wiped Connor’s forehead with a cool cloth from the basin of water at the bedside.
    Gawain looked at Connor. His hair was plastered to his face from sweat. The life that he had witnessed in the drying house was gone. His face was pallid and sallow, almost the whiteness of parchment.
    Ceridwen pulled the blankets back to check his wound.
    Gawain let out a gasp when she peeled back the linen from Connor’s skin. He had seen many battles, but never had he seen such an injury.
    “His wound still weeps?”
    She nodded, dabbing the blood from around the cleaved skin. “I do not know that it will stop.”
    Gawain looked at the deep gash. “Lady Ceridwen, I have never seen a wound from an arrow which looks as such.” A large bruise had formed, and thin, red lines similar to a spider’s web spread from the edges of the laceration. “It was no ordinary arrow…‌was it?”
    Ceridwen paused for a moment, as if debating whether she should answer him truthfully. “No, Dáire. Connor was not struck with an ordinary arrow, but one of the felltithe.”
    “Felltithe?”
    “It does not surprise me that you have not heard the term before. It is my understanding your father keeps most knowledge concerning the Meïnir and Féinmhuinín far from Gweliwch.” Ceridwen frowned as she slathered more of the ointment onto Connor’s wound. “The felltithe are poisoned arrows of the Féinmhuinín.”
    “What has he been poisoned with?”
    “In truth? No one but the Féinmhuinín could answer.” Her speech was halted and Gawain felt she was keeping something from him, but he did not press the matter.
    Gawain looked back to Connor. “He will recover, will he not?”
    “He has made it through the night, which is promising.”
    “That is good to hear.”
    “You are to attend the wedding ceremony, yes?”
    “Yes. Are you?”
    “I will stay with Connor. I do not think I would attend even if Connor was well. I do not care for this Bronwen.”
    “It would seem that is the general opinion on the matter.”
    “Is it?”
    “Only Annwyd and Cærwyn benefit from this union. Gweliwch and Arlais, as well as the rest of Dweömer, gain nothing.” Gawain felt his anger bubble to the surface with sudden realization. “And what is to become of Arlais?”
    “You ask a question for which only the Goddess knows the answer.”
    “Your halted answer signifies that it is as I fear, I take it?”
    “You are perceptive, Dáire. But yes, I worry too that Arlais will be caught in the middle of it all.”
    “Alric loves Connor as a son, does he not?”
    “Yes, that is true.”
    “Then he will wage war with the Féinmhuinín.”
    “It is not Alric whom I worry about. King Denorheim will demand war, but I suspect he has ulterior motives. I fear the best of outcomes is that his soldiers shall march toward Glyndwr to battle the Féinmhuinín, and to reach Glyndwr, he will march over Arlais.”
    “That is the best of outcomes?”
    “The Féinmhuinín could choose to cut them off at the pass and not lie in wait for the battle to come to them; instead the battlefield will be the Hwerydh forest.”
    “Then Arlais‌—”
    “Will be obliterated.”
    “You spoke of ulterior motives?”
    “Annwyd has wanted to mine the Brynlands since the first of their warriors came to this land. Arlais stands in their way though. So war would give them the ability to clear the obstacles in their way.”
    After a long silence, Gawain took his gaze from Connor and looked to Ceridwen. “May I ask you something, Lady?”
    “Of course.”
    “You call me the name my mother gave me. No one has called me ‘Dáire’ since my mother left Gweliwch. I do not think we