Just another step on Drustina's journey to Constantinople where Drustina and her companions finally meet the emperor.

The Angry Mermaid 40.
Or
Y Morforwyn Dicllon 40.

Mabina. The youngest daughter and Twin to
Drustan Her twin brother.
Grandpa Erin the twins grandfather.
Giana The twins grandmother
Caderyn The twins father.
Herenoie The twins wise and beautiful mother.
Morgaran The Twins oldest brother.
Aiofe The twins oldest sister. Famous for her beauty.
Tara The twins second oldest sister. Famous for her grace.
Feidlim Twins aunt (Caderyns’ beautiful sister.)
Mogantu Twins uncle (Married to Feidlim.) Chief of the Gangani tribe.
Brun. Twins 2nd cousin and the Acaman clans’ blacksmith.
Feorin. Twins second brother. Also training to be a blacksmith.
Rhun Feidlims’ son and Feorins’ favourite 1st Cousin. (Both red-heads.)
Arina Child of a Demetae fisherman, (rescued by Aiofe, Drustan and Mabina.)
Penderol Dumnonii Minor chief.
Udris Young Dumnonii warrior.
Dryslwyn High chief of the whole Celtic nation. Dwells in Brithony.
Bronlwyn Dryslwyn’s wife (and queen.)
Magab The moor who taught numbers.
Eric Saxon galley slave rescued from Corsair pirates.
Carl Another Saxon galley slave rescued by Drustan.
Torvel Celtic galley slave rescued from the same captured corsair ship
Arton. Turdetani Chieftain Holder of Gibral Rock.
Carinia Arton’s wife.
Isobel. Arton’s adopted daughter.
Appotel King of the Turdetani Tribe. (Southern Iberia.)
Bramana Queen. (Wife of Appotel)
Pilus King of the Capetani.
Shaleen Pilus’s queen and sister to Bramana.
Pedoro Lord Marshal of the Southern border region.
Lady Shulaar Lord Pedoro’s wife.
Taan. The scullery maid.
Isaar. Pedoro’s oldest son.
Ferdie Pedoro’s 2nd son
Sular Pedoro’s 3rd son
Gontala Pedoro’s youngest son.
Shenoa Pedoro’s only daughter.
Portega. Tyrant King to the west.
Portua. Portega’s grandson.
Jubail. Old Fisherman.
Mutas Magab’s younger brother and usurper.
Walezia King of Malta.
Alviar Megalomaniacal bishop of Carthage. (Hates Drustina.)
Ethelia Female healer who treats Drustina during her pregnancy.
Seripatese Drustina’s faithful horse.
Astos & Amitor Minor royalty who govern Alexandria. King and Twin Queen.
Meronee Nubian Queen of Nobatia The northern Kingdom of the Nubians.
Horam The Egyptian master Boat builder.
Muraa King Astos’s male partner.
Tuk Makurian general.
Fantu. Makurian Captain.

As the barge-captain watched the Mermaid’s wake Drustina slipped into the little bow cuddy and first changed into a more suitable outfit of short jerkin and britches. She then invited the captain to look at a couple of her precious Roman charts. The barge-captain’s eyes widened when Drustina opened them on the little table at the forefoot of the mast.

“Where did you get these?” He gasped.

“Oh it was a long way from here, from and old seaman who lives near the Pillars of Hercules.”

“But these are as good as or even better than our secret charts.” The captain studied them avidly.

“Secret charts. Why keep them secret? Does not your Island of Rhodos depend on trade? Would it not be better to share the information?”

The captain studied Drustina with puzzled eyes.

“If everybody had the charts how would the governors control the seas?”

It was Drustina’s turn to wag her head.

“Nobody controls the seas. Only the gods control the seas.”

“And what of taxes, taxes to protect the ports and the narrow straits?”

Drustina grinned.

“Your emperor didn’t do a very good job of protecting your ports and straits. I seem to remember this middle sea was infested with pirates but a little over a year ago.”

“Well ... yes,” the barge-captain was forced to agree, “but that’s the fault of the emperor and his governors.”

“Exactly,” Drustina pressed home her argument, “they spend the money of frippery and frivolities while real needs go unsupported.

So why pay the taxes if the money is wasted? Anyway, money can be raised by harbour dues. Charging ships to pass through open straits is theft.”

“Well that’s not how the emperor sees it. There is a large port at the entrance to the Hellespont and we will have to pay taxes when we enter the strait.”

“It might surprise you barge-master, but this ship is technically part of the royal assemblage belonging to Astos the king of Egypt. As the king’s wife and queen, I am one of the primary members of that assemblage though I yet choose to travel separately from it. My two infant children, the infant heirs to the Egyptian throne and their aunt, the king’s sister follow on in the main fleet. They enjoy the emperor’s protection and pay no dues to the emperor. You may consider this ship to be a government craft for all taxes and tithe purposes.”

“Well it doesn’t seem like it. You follow a strange life for one so high.”

“And it will get yet stranger still. My final destination is not Constantinople but Britannia, the island of my birth.”

“But if you are the mother of the king’s children then you are his queen and should remain in Egypt to reign alongside him.”

“We, the king and I, have agreed dear barge-master, that once I have paid my respects to the emperor and presented our children to him in homage, then our marriage is annulled by mutual agreement and I resume my quest to recover my homeland. The infants will reside with their father and be cared for by their aunt, the king’s sister.”

The barge-master wagged his head thoughtfully then finished softly.

“You are a strange person your majesty and a remarkable one.”

“If I am barge-master, then it is a life forced upon me. I did not choose to become this.”

Drustina gave a wry smile and carefully stored the charts. The midday sun had passed overhead and they shared bread with their companions as the faithful Mermaid sped ever northwards along the Troas coast. With an extra, competent pair of hands, the passage proved swift and easy. The Mermaid’s speed and manoeuvrability enabled her to pass through the archipelagos with ease and two days later in the afternoon the ship was ‘knocking at the door’ to The Hellespont.

The warden of the fortified city Madytus was not easily convinced that Drustina was the queen of Egypt for, like many others, he could not reconcile the simple but remarkable craft with the status of the captain. Nevertheless, he had letters from the Emperor advising him of the anticipated visit by Egyptian royalty coming to present the heirs to the throne to the emperor and do homage.
Eventually, the warden was convinced but it was to be the following morning before Drustina was free to leave her ship and visit the city. Once again, she found herself to be a compulsory guest of the warden. It irked her, but at least the warden was not of sufficiently high station to compel Drustina to attend. She did so out of courtesy and a real wish to see the town and its fortifications. When she discovered a huge trebuchet located in a yard recessed into the city wall and facing the entrance to the straits, she pulled rank and demanded a demonstration.

“Can it reach right across the straights then?” Drustina inquired.

The warden gave a tight smile but did not reveal the weapon’s capacity. He did though; give Drustina a demonstration and The Lioness of Carthage learned all she needed to know. It seemed the weapon could not hurl a weighty stone so far as to threaten the opposite shore of the strait but few would have learned that without a practical demonstration. Nevertheless the catapult flung a heavy rock far out into the straits. Drustina studied the huge sling intensely until she was sure she understood its fabrication and design. Someday, if she were to recover her homelands, she might have need of such a powerful weapon.

“Can you build me a small model of this?” She asked.

The warden frowned. Whilst the trebuchet was known to all siege engineers it was still a complex and difficult engine to build. The system for releasing the stones or other missiles at the maximum velocity and optimum angle was a difficult concept to perfect. Eventually, Drustina chose to work what feminine charms she had learned to ‘persuade’ the man. Nothing sexual but Drustina had long since learned that with men, it was not what they got but what they thought they were going to get!! The following day, the engineer of the castle took Drustina to a small workshop and showed Drustina a series of shaped wooden pieces.

They resembled some sort of three-dimensional jigsaw.

“And these are?” Drustina asked as she fingered the collection of strange carved wooden pieces.

The engineer smiled and fixed one piece to another as he explained.

“They look like nothing but a complex, child’s puzzle your majesty, but when this is assembled, it makes a perfect working model
for the table top. I’ll demonstrate.”

Drustina watched as his practiced fingers deftly continued assembling the pieces and soon he had a model standing as high as a man’s forearm, standing on the table. They carried it outside and he demonstrated. Drustina gasped with delight. It was a perfect working model.

“And this is for me!”

“It is my lady. The warden has authorised me to present it to you. I can make these models and also build the full sized weapon from memory. I have made dozens and they are positioned all along the Hellespont.

“So I could never run the gauntlet then.” Drustina grinned.

The engineer smiled.

“You could risk it and you could get lucky but I wouldn’t like to try it.”

They disassembled the model and the engineer placed the components into a leather bag to protect them.

“There my lady. Take care of them. This model will serve you well.”

Drustina offered her heartfelt thanks and returned to The Angry Mermaid where Arina expressed immediate interest in the bag.

“What’s in there then?”

“A catapult; a model of a trebuchet.”

“Oh. Who are you going to shoot?”

“Nobody, yet. But one day, one day if I ever get home.”

“Well we seem to be going further away from your home with every adventure cousin.”
Drustina sighed wistfully.

“I know cousin; I know and it pains me.”

“Will you ever see your homeland again?” Arina wondered aloud.

A tear lingered on Drustina’s cheek then she brusquely stowed the bag and model away in the fore-peak cuddy and recovered her composure.

“Not if we spend all day mooning over our ambitions and never acting on them. Come on, the wind is perfect and I have the carnet to pass the Hellespont. Let’s make sail for Pactia before nightfall. Is everybody aboard?”

The whole crew was tired of the small fortress town of Madytus and the thought of a night in a bigger city was attractive. Within minutes The Angry Mermaid was under way with a full set of sails. As they passed under the walls of the huge fort Drustina waved to the warden who waved back.

They reached the city port of Pactia just as they were hauling the defence chain into place for the night. Fortunately the warden of Madytus had already forewarned the governor of Pactia by semaphore signals and the port authority stopped pulling the chain across the harbour mouth as Mermaid hove into sight. There were grumbles from the chain operators at the brief lengthening of their hours but a sweet feminine smile and a ‘thank-you’ from Drustina served to smooth ruffled feathers. A gold coin to be shared amongst them also helped.

As The Angry Mermaid tied up, an emissary from the governor appeared on the quay with a request for the Egyptian Queen and her companions to attend at the Governor’s residence. Drustina complied and all the crew, except Taros, the younger of Horam’s two apprentice sons, attended.

“You’ll have the day off tomorrow Taros and there’s the whole city to enjoy.”

“I’d prefer it if we made haste for Constantinople.” Taros replied.

There was a murmur of agreement from the others and Drustina smiled happily. It seemed everybody deemed arrival at the capital city to be the whole raison-d’áªtre for the voyage. To Drustina it was but another step towards her goal but their mutual ambitions served each other well.

The night spent feasting in the local governor’s residence helped to ameliorate the days spent living of ship-board rations and everybody indulged themselves. It was a well-fed crew that rejoined their ship and settled under the canvas cover that Taros had erected in anticipation of their return. With full stomachs and a safe haven, they slept well. In the morning a low mist lay still upon the Propontis and a cool breeze blew softly from the west. Once again, Drustina made haste to benefit from the slight but favourable wind and as soon as the first sound of the harbour chain clanked eerily through the mist The Angry Mermaid was nosing anxiously between the harbour moles. As the ship ghosted out of the fog to approach the straining chain a voice called out.

“What ship?”

Drustina shouted back. “The Angry Mermaid, bound for Constantinople!”

“This mist is not likely to clear before mid morning. You will not see your way!”

Drustina turned to the barge-captain with a questioning look.

“Can you remember which direction it is to Constantinople?”

“Yes Ma-am just north of east but until the mist clears, nobody dare sail.”

Drustina, Torvel and Arina exchanged secretive knowing smiles. It was time to give these ‘middle-sea’ rock-dodgers a lesson in proper ocean navigation. The eastern seamen seemed to know little of spirit of the north who hid in special stones and always sought to capture Freya and her power over the beautiful colours of the northern skies.

As they watched in amazement while Arina navigated by the lode-stone, Drustina related the story of how Thor and Odin locked the wicked spirit up inside the stone and he could never escape to hurt Freya again.

As the mists thinned and then eventually cleared, the feint outline of Constantinople became visible and an air of excited expectations overtook the whole crew. The city was huge, bigger even than Alexandria or Carthage and Drustina studied it with keen concentration as she tried to pick out notable buildings. Her eyes kept coming back to a large construction where building was still going on and she turned to the barge-master.

“Any idea what that big building is barge-master? The new one they’re building over there.”

“Aye ma-am. That’s the new cathedral they’re dedicating to Saint Sophia.”

“It’s big.”

“Not as big as some of the buildings in Rome Ma-am. The coliseum exceeds it by several hundred cubits.”

“That’s the horse racing thing isn’t it?”

“Yes, though I’ve heard tell it’s fallen into disuse.”

“So now they build churches ... churches to a god who abhors women and subjugates them.”

The barge-master fell silent. The reputation of this strange queen who was a notorious warrior and reputed to be of dual nature was enough to cause the barge-master to keep his counsel. If she was, as the stories told, both a man and a woman then he felt he was on uncertain ground. What he was certain of was that she was a competent and sound captain and if the other stories were true, then she was a formidable leader. Already he had felt himself fall under her charismatic spell.

As they approached the huge city, a picket boat set out to meet them so they shortened sail and extended the normal courtesies. The barge-master was known to the picket boat captain and this doubly assured a good reception. By the time the Mermaid had tied up, an emissary from the emperor himself was waiting on the quay with a troop of the palace guard and several horses.

“Your majesty. The emperor himself sends his greetings and requests that you attend the palace immediately.”

Drustina exchanged surprised looks with her crew and wondered.

“It seems we are to be made welcome companions. They even have enough mounts for each of us.”

“Who is to guard the Mermaid Dru?” Arina asked.

“I will,” Torvel volunteered. “It’s about my turn.”

“No. I think it best that I do.” The barge-master interjected. “They know me here and they will respect my rank.”
Drustina have a brief concern about the barge-master’s loyalty and he frowned slightly before explaining.
“Ma-am you rescued me from the clutches of that idiot, the governor of Rhodes. I have every reason to respect your ship and protect it. Please trust me. I would count it an honour.”

Drustina exchanged a brief questioning glance with Torvel and they agreed to let the barge-master take the first watch. With security arrangements completed, they mounted the proffered horses and rode at a good trot to the Palace.
Drustina was surprised to be met at the very gates of the Palace by the emperor himself. She had expected a formal approach to the reception room and a brief wait before being presented to the emperor perhaps seated on a throne.

The man was quite old and beside him stood a young lady who Drustina presumed to be his daughter.

“Queen Drustina! This is wonderful. I am the emperor Leon and this is my daughter Irene.”

Drustina curtsied and replied. “Your Majesty. I am happy to be here.”

“Oh there’s no need to show me such deference, you might be a subject of mine by marriage to Astos but your earlier exploits put me on your list of admirers and that makes us pretty much equal for I too was once a common soldier. Come, let us dine and you can tell me all.”

Drustina was pleased to have received such a happy and open reception. She had heard that the Byzantine court could be a minefield of plots, assassinations and rumours. This man didn’t even carry sword or have his guard around him and try as she may, Drustina could not spot any guards in the immediate vicinity. The only guards she saw were the formal sentries attending the gates.
Her companions followed her into the Palace as the emperor enthused about Drustina’s exploits. As they took their seats at a table laid out for a feast, the Emperor turned to Drustina.

“I will respect your dignity and not request that you present the usual form of identification. Your good sister Aiofe sent me a
splendid picture of you and I am amazed at the likeness. Truly, your older sister, the Queen of Carthage is a very gifted artist. Now please, might I beg that you entertain us after the meal with first-hand accounts of your exploits?”

“But your majesty; where would I begin?”

“Well I would think it best if your tell of your adventures since entering the middle sea for it is from here onwards that your actions have affected all who live on its shores. From the time you first encountered the Pirates and helped King Appotel to rid
his kingdom of their scourge.”

Drustina rolled her eyes.

“How many nights will we be eating sire? Much has happened since then.”

“Then just give us the briefest of outlines. Taking away all the hype and the exaggerations that have followed you and your adventures.”

Drustina shrugged apologetically as she broke of a piece of bread.

“I’ll try sire. I’ve probably forgotten much.”

“Do not worry. I have scribes ready to record everything you say. Perhaps it’s best if I or my daughter prompts you occasionally and you can correct any misunderstandings. I know that much ballyhoo was told about my earlier campaigns.”
“Yes,” Drustina concurred. “I read that you have fought much with the Bulgars to bring peace to Byzantium.”

“That bit is true but I never walked across the Donau like our Lord in Galilee. The bloody river was frozen but beginning to melt. I crossed with ease with my smaller, lighter forces but the army pursuing me fell through the melting ice.”

“Yes,”! Drustina smiled, “that’s exactly how things get exaggerated.”

Drustina was beginning to like Leon. The old man was a ‘down-to-earth’ soldier who told it as it was. His daughter Irene sat beside him while Drustina sat opposite and they soon formed a common rapport. Occasionally, Arina and Torvel were able to add bits that Drustina had long forgotten then the facts were reinforced and Leon found the evening one of the most enjoyable he had ever spent around a dinner table. His daughter Irene also proved to be a perfect hostess as she complemented her father’s gruff soldierly ways. It was obvious to Drustina that Leon was devoted to his daughter Irene and as the evening wore on Drustina was emboldened enough to ask where Leon’s son was.

“The damned Ague took him this last winter. It’s left me and Byzantium with the Devil’s own task.”

Drustina nodded thoughtfully. The days of Byzantine emperors being elected by a senate had long gone. The position had degenerated to a hereditary process and there was usually only a change of dynasty by assassination, force of arms or a fortuitous marriage. Drustina knew that Leon was a solid, powerful man but he could not live forever. If his line was to live on, it would have to be through his daughter and that brought dozens of undesirable suitors to the palace doors every week. Drustina looked at Irene and re-noted that the girl was attractive. The trail of hopefuls looking to gain her hand and the imperial throne would contain dozen’s of wholly unsuitable characters. Drustina’s arrival as a warrior queen would have surely been a relief for Leon. There would have been no matrimonial issues to address; no unsuitable suitors to be sent away with a flea in their ear. Drustina was now realising why the evening was so enjoyable. Leon was wholly at ease and so was his beautiful daughter.

After several hours of enjoyable discourse, it was time to prepare for bed. Drustina and her party were shown their apartments and she prepared gratefully to sleep.

Shortly after she had snuffed out her candles and savoured the comfort of a soft bed, there was a soft creak. Ever alert to danger in a strange place, Drustina quietly slid her trusty Toledo blade out from under the sheet and slowly eased herself away from the sound. The creak hadn’t been the main door but from somewhere near the turret that served as an en-suite wash chamber.
Silently, Drustina eased herself to the other side of the bed and slowly slipped out from under the sheet as she crouched down beside the bed with her sword in front of her ready to wound anything that came at her with force or meaning.

A shadow dark shape appeared against the faint starlight escaping from the en-suite doorway where the door had been left inadvertently ajar when Drustina had completed washing. It was all Drustina needed for her eyes were already accustomed to the darkness and she was crouching down in the deep shadow between the bed and the wall. She waited for the shadow to make it’s sudden move but instead it moved hesitantly towards the bed carefully feeling as it approached. The hands gently touched the bed then started feeling around for an occupant. They found none and the shadow let out a soft muttered curse.

“Dammit! Where is she?” The shadow asked itself.

“Right here.” Came the reply from the invisible source as a razor sharp sword point gently pricked the intruder’s chest.

The shadow let out a feminine squeak of fear and pain as it froze in terror.

“Who is it?” Drustina demanded.

“It is I, Irene, the emperor’s daughter.”

“And why do you come sneaking into my chamber in the dead of night?”

“I wanted to speak to you.”

“Then why did you not just enter by the main door? The guard would have let you in ... and talking of entering, just how did you enter?”

Irene hesitated and Drustina felt her trying to back away from the sword point.

“Don’t move girl! I can see you plainly silhouetted against the window and I can throw a knife as accurately as I point a sword.”

“I-, I’m not armed.”

“I will determine that for myself. Step back from the bed but remain in the light of the window.”

Drustina watched Irene’s shadow follow her instructions to the letter then she reached to the bedside shelf and felt for the fire making kit. She deftly struck her pyrites rock with her flint and a thick bright spark immediately lit the oil-soaked wick of the main bedside lamp. The candles were on the other side of the bed but Drustina needed light before she moved out of position and cast Irene in shadow. She had to keep the girl silhouetted until she had light. The lamp immediately cast a flickering light all over the room and for a moment, both girls were dazzled for they both had night sight sensitive to the almost pitch darkness.

Drustina recovered first for she knew to look past the light and not let her eyes be drawn to it. In three quick steps she was beside Irene with her dagger at her throat.

“Now lady, what errand brings an emperor’s daughter to my bedroom at the dead of night by what must be a secret passage?”

“This place is full of secret passages.” Irene replied.

“I’m sure it is my lady, and I’m sure you know where every one of them is but you haven’t answered my question.”

“I don’t have to account for my movements.”

“You do to me and this sword lady. I could still run you through and claim it was dark and I thought you were an assassin. Now, your answer please.”