The Wayward Godking by Brendan Carroll Read Free Book Online Page A

distantly related due to his kinship to Lavon de Bleu, who had been briefly married to her daughter Oriel, which would make him her ex-uncle-in-law.
    She made a bee-line directly for the golden-skinned former-Knight, who was sitting on one end of the long table under the pavilion, drinking ale from a pewter tankard while talking with Christopher and Paddy. They fell silent as the Queen drew near, but she paid no attention.
    “Armand de Bleu! What a surprise.” She sat down next to him and leaned against the table. “You are looking wonderfully well. How are things in old castle Ramsay?”
    The Knight-turned-elf looked at her suspiciously and then drew a deep breath.
    “Things are going quite well,” he told her. “We have just brought in a new season’s wool harvest and the shepherds report an unusually high number of new lambs. Next year’s crop should be even better. The dairies are flourishing, and this year’s cream is sweeter and thicker than last year’s. Even the apiaries report record harvests. We should be able to trade the honey down south for enough wine to last for a while and bit. I have filled four hundred orders for household items from the Tuatha de Danann and have two hundred and thirty-seven more unfinished projects. Enough to keep me busy for an age or two. How are things in the Fifth Gate?”
    Ereshkigal nodded her head slowly with her mouth slightly agape. She’d not expected such a detailed answer.
    “Oh, so-so,” she answered after a bit. “Do you still keep in touch with Lavon, my former son-in-law? He’s a lovely lad, simply lovely. And intelligent, I hear.”
    “Lavon is quite intelligent, yes,” Armand agreed. “He is a marvel with electronic gizmos. Not exactly my cup of tea. I rather prefer the pastoral life. Farmlands, vineyards, fields and fen. That sort of thing.”
    “I see.” the Queen smiled. “Welcome to the Fifth Gate, at any rate. I hope you enjoy your stay. The festivities will be getting underway shortly. In the meantime, my daughter, Oriel, and my son, Konrad, should see to your needs quite readily. They are darling children.”
    “Of course, they are.” Armand returned her smile and, when she was gone, he downed the rest of his drink. Paddy refilled it for him.
    “Dunna let ’er se ye sweat. She’s on ’er best be’avior.” Paddy called for more ale and his cousin Seamus went to fetch it for them. The Templar Knights finally finished their prayers and joined them at the end of the table, ready to raise a cup or two in honor of the infant king. “’ow air th’ boys? Torrie, Renn and Gil?”
    “They are spending the summer with the brown men. Learning to be shepherds. I think a well-rounded education would be best for them.” Armand eyed the five Knights, who were speaking together quietly in French, while one of the Boggans filled their tankards.
    “Well, thot’s gud t’ ’ear, but I ’ope ye came prepared t’ stay fur awhoile and a bit,” Paddy told him. “We’ve oll come, but none have gone, other than th’ gud Laird Nergal and ’is companion, Marduk.”
    “You mean we are trapped here?” Armand’s eyes widened. He looked at Christopher Stewart in surprise for confirmation.
    “It would seem so,” Christopher whispered over the rim of his beer. “Ashmodel has been trying to get Leviathan to wake up, but it appears our ship has gone to sleep and none can rouse him.”
    “But Sir Ramsay is not here,” Armand answered him in a desperate whisper. “We can’t stay here to entertain the queen. Surely Ashmodel and Lucifer can do something.”
    “I think that we’ve come as far as we can…” Christopher hushed as the Queen walked back by them with Menaka in tow.
    “Ahhh, did I introduce ye t’ th’ Berts?” Paddy took over quickly when Ereshkigal cast a suspicious glance at them.
    “The Berts?” Armand raised both eyebrows.
    “Yes, the Berts,” Michael said as he sat down next to him. “They are quite entertaining.”
    Paddy