‘But someone did?’ Fidelma queried.

  ‘No one has been apprehended,’ admitted Dego. ‘I hear the killer has simply vanished.’

  Fidelma’s eyes widened a little.

  ‘Is the body in the sanctuary now?’ Eadulf asked.

  ‘Indeed. Dar Luga, the stewardess, is watching over it. Colgú felt he should take the princess out of the sanctuary to the small reception chamber down here. As I said, he is there now with Enda.’

  ‘Was Dar Luga in the sanctuary during the time of the attack?’ Eadulf frowned.

  ‘She was, but I should let others attest to that,’ Dego replied, emphasising his words with a shrug. ‘I was on duty here at the main doors so not privy to what actually happened. I should say that, apart from the household guards that were on duty, your brother has alerted no one else about the events. He felt it unwise to make a general alarm until he had consulted you.’

  Fidelma moved with Eadulf towards the main door. Then she hesitated and turned back to Dego.

  ‘Who was the guard at the entrance to the sanctuary when the event happened?’

  ‘Luan was on duty, lady.’

  Fidelma thanked Dego as he reached forward to release the latch and push open the main door into the royal residence.

  As they entered, the figure of another warrior emerged from the shadows of the corridor’s lamp light. It was Aidan, also a member of the household guard, whom they knew well. He had been standing at the foot of the main stairway opposite to the great doors of the feasting hall. He saluted them and stood back silently. Further down the corridor they saw Luan, a companion in previous adventures. He stood sentinel outside the door to Colgú’s private reception chamber on the lower floor, which was opposite the entrance to a small flight of wooden stairs, which ascended as the only entrance to the sanctuary.

  Observing Fidelma and Eadulf’s approach, Luan turned, rapped on the door behind him and, hardly pausing for an answer, thrust it open to allow them to enter without pausing. Enda was there, standing uneasily inside. The pale face of the young Princess Gelgéis turned to them, her expression one of relief. She was sitting on a couch to one side of the fireplace. She had a thick woollen shawl clutched tightly about her in spite of the warm summer weather, and her hair was unloosed. It was obvious she had left her bed in a hurry and there had been no opportunity to comb or dress her hair.

  Standing before the fire, looking dishevelled and wearing a loose robe, was Fidelma’s brother, Colgú, his hands clasped behind his back and his face creased in a worried frown. His red hair was askew and it was clear that he had made no attempt to attend to himself since waking.

  ‘Has anyone examined the body?’ Eadulf demanded immediately on entering, quite forgetting the protocol of not speaking first in the presence of the King.

  No one seemed to think it worthwhile to remind him of conventions.

  ‘It was easy to ascertain that the poor girl was dead.’ Colgú’s tone was almost querulous as he shifted his weight slightly. ‘That was obvious to me by her wound. Her throat was cut. There was much blood over her chest.’

  ‘Before we go further,’ Fidelma interrupted as Eadulf seemed about to put another question, ‘explain what happened, brother. I presume that you discovered the body? How was that?’

  ‘I was awoken in the dark of the night by an unusual noise,’ Colgú said after a moment or two for thought. ‘Something had fallen in the adjacent room, which we use for washing. I rose from the bed, took a candle, and lit it from an ember in the fireplace. Then I went to check from where I thought I heard the noise.’

  He saw his sister’s frown and smiled without humour. ‘I did have the acumen to take my sword for protection.’ He paused a moment. ‘Gelgéis was still asleep. I went to the door adjoining our room to the fothrucadh and, lifting the latch, opened the door quickly. In the shallow light of the candle, I saw a female body lying over a bench, but there was no one else in the room. The killer could have only just escaped through the far door, which leads into the passage. I went to open it and found it locked. There was no key on the inside of the door and no sign of it on the floor. It had been locked from the outside. I hurried back into the bedchamber. Gelgéis was awakening and so I unlocked my door into the passage and peered out. As there was no one about, I shouted to raise the alarm. I turned to ensure Gelgéis was awake and told her to put on a robe.’

  ‘Who answered the alarm?’

  ‘Luan was on guard at the foot of the stairs and came hurrying up. Moments later, Dar Luga, whose room is opposite ours, opened her door and emerged. She was still half asleep.’

  ‘So neither of them had been roused by the killer?’

  ‘This was the worrying thing. Neither of them had seen or heard anything before I had called. Certainly no one had passed down the stairs by Luan. And that is the only exit.’

  ‘Did anyone go back into the room where the body was?’

  ‘I asked Luan to come and search the rooms of the sanctuary. There are only four. Then I told him to alert the warriors below the stairs. I wanted to bring Gelgéis down to this chamber, so I asked Dar Luga if she would sit with the body until I sent for you. Dar Luga needed to go back to her room for something; for her robe, I suppose. I ensured Gelgéis was safe here with Aidan on guard. Then I returned to join Dar Luga and Luan. We went back into the room where I had seen the body. That is when I was able to get a large lamp lit and we realised the dead girl was Gelgéis’s attendant, Cera.’

  He paused, glanced at Enda, who was standing stoically, hands clasped behind him, staring into the middle distance as if not part of the gathering.

  ‘And you identified the body?’ prompted Fidelma.

  ‘We all knew her,’ confirmed her brother. ‘Cera was personal attendant to Gelgéis; she had her room opposite to the fothrucadh. Enda, alerted by the alarm, came into the sanctuary and joined us. However, I sent him to awaken you.’

  ‘Where was the body in the room … you say it is a washing room?’

  ‘The room we use for our toilet and dressing,’ confirmed her brother. ‘Cera was lying half on a bench, as if she had fallen backwards. The wound and the blood that came from it were clearly visible.’

  ‘You said the door from that room into the corridor was usually locked?’ Fidelma asked.

  ‘It is my practice to have the doors of my bedchamber and the bathroom locked before we retire. The keys are always left on the inside of the doors. But, as I have said, the bathroom key was not there.’

  ‘Are you are saying that this girl was in your bathroom at the dead of night but had no key to enter? Did she have a spare key?’

  ‘She had no key.’ The word came as a frustrated sigh.

  ‘You said that you saw the girl’s throat was cut?’ Eadulf asked.

  ‘It was,’ Colgú replied heavily.

  This brought forth a suppressed sob from Gelgéis. Colgú reached forward, picked up a cup from a table and handed it to her. She sipped at it slowly and then looked at Fidelma.

  ‘I am sorry. Cera had been in my service only a short time, but she had finished her martial arts training and joined my bodyguard. She was so young.’

  ‘I need to be sure of something,’ Fidelma said after a moment or two of thought. She looked at Enda. ‘The girl was young but also a member of the troop of female warriors – the Daughters of the Storm. Being one of them, she was fully trained. Yet, from the sound of it, she was overpowered and dispatched before she could raise any alarm. Her death was done quietly and quickly. Only the fall of her body awoke Colgú. So her ability at self-defence was not perfected?’

  Enda finally stirred, as if emerging from some sleep. There was anger in his tone.

  ‘On the contrary, lady. I have been practising martial arts training with Cera these last weeks. I can say she was one of the best opponents I have ever met.’

  ‘Enda, are you saying that the assassin was just lucky or more finely trained than she was?’ Fidelma asked.

  ‘I am saying that whoever killed her was no mere assassin. It was either someone with remarkable skill or, at least, someone she knew well so that her defences were down and she was caught unaware.’

  There was a silence while they considered this. Then Fidelma spoke again.

  ‘So we have no idea why Cera had left her own chamber to cross the passage in the middle of the night and was able to enter the bathing room, which was locked, where she was found?’

  No one answered her. It took her some time to frame the next question.

  ‘One point of clarification, Enda. I presume that you came in answer to Luan’s alarm?’

  ‘The relayed alarm, to be precise. Dego was outside the residence when he told me.’

  ‘So, now I need to get a picture of the first moments of discovery.’

  Fidelma went to the door, opened it and beckoned Luan, who was still on guard outside, to come into the room.

  ‘Just a few questions at this time. You were on duty, guarding this stairway into the sanctuary during this night?’

  ‘I was. My duty started at the first cadar.’

  Eadulf knew the day was divided into four sections, the first cadar starting at midnight.

  ‘When my brother raised the alarm, where was he standing?’

  ‘He was in the passageway, outside the door of his own bedchamber, which was open.’

  ‘And no one had passed you to go up or down the stairs to the sanctuary during this time?’

  ‘No one passed me, lady. When I was called, I was asked if I had seen any intruder and then I was told to call the alarm. Dar Luga was just emerging from her room opposite the King’s bedroom. After I had called the alarm, I made a hurried examination and can confirm that the door to the bathing room, where the body lay, was locked and the key missing. That is, the door to the passage. The King had brought his lady down to this room and Aidan was told to look after her while we went back upstairs to join Dar Luga. I had already had a quick examination beforehand to make sure no one was hiding in the rooms there. I went through the King’s bedchamber and confirmed the door to the bathing room was locked. There was no key on the inside or the outside. Then Enda arrived and was asked to fetch you immediately, and I was sent for a spare key.’

  ‘A spare key? Where was that kept?’

  ‘In this very chamber. Where we are now. The King asked Dar Luga to remain with the corpse and I asked her to see that nothing was disturbed in the room while we made a further search in all four rooms. But we found no sign of any intruder.’

  ‘During this early time, apart from yourself, was anyone else on guard above the stairs?’ Fidelma asked.

  ‘Once those who had their rooms in the sanctuary had retired for the night no one else was allowed to pass.’

  ‘So who were the last to retire?’

  ‘The banmhaor, Dar Luga, retired last. She came late from the kitchens with a jug of water. I think that was not long after I had heard the bell sounding the start of the first cadar.’

  ‘You saw no one access the sanctuary after that?’

  ‘Everyone who had a right to be in the sanctuary was already inside. I never left my position until I heard the King shouting.’

  ‘So no one could have entered or left by way of the interior stairs after you came on duty?’

  ‘No one, lady,’ Luan confirmed confidently. ‘And the stairway is the only entrance or exit.’

  ‘Only Colgú, Gelgéis, Dar Luga and the girl Cera were in the sanctuary during this time?’

  ‘Except for the killer, of course,’ Luan confirmed with a grimace. ‘As I said, I took a passing scrutiny of the four rooms to make sure no one was concealing themselves. I was certain that they were not, but I admit it was only a brief examination. Perhaps someone could have been hiding somewhere. But they would have had to be hiding there before I came on duty. There are a few small store cupboards but I felt I needed help to search them properly.’

  ‘Had a proper search been made before everyone retired for the night?’ Fidelma pressed.

  ‘It is the duty of the commander of the household guard to make certain the rooms are secure before the King and his lady retire for the night,’ Luan replied, glancing at Enda. ‘I am sure Enda would have ensured no one was hiding in these rooms.’

  Fidelma turned to the young warrior.

  ‘I made the search, lady,’ he volunteered in a dry voice. ‘There was no sign of any intruder when everyone in the sanctuary retired.’

  ‘Eadulf and I will make another inspection shortly,’ Fidelma said. ‘We need to check for ourselves, having learnt some methods of evading searches, no matter how well conducted.’

  Eadulf was a little impatient as he asked: ‘I should make an examination of the body unless there is a physician that you wish …?’

  Colgú was distracted. ‘The new physician is not due to arrive for a few days. You know we have been without a physician in the fortress for some weeks.’ He glanced to Fidelma. ‘I know Eadulf is not considered a fully qualified physician, and the law—’

  ‘Eadulf has served us countless times in the capacity of an adviser on medical matters,’ Fidelma replied quickly, seeing a dark shadow cross Eadulf’s face. ‘We should use him.’

  ‘Then I will go immediately and make some observations,’ Eadulf cut in, in irritation. ‘I presume that there is no other objection?’

  ‘It is widely known that you have studied the healing arts at the northern medical school of Tuaim Drecain. But you did not complete the training before you decided to journey to Rome to study more about the latest Roman interpretations of the New Faith,’ Colgú pointed out. ‘But, if Fidelma has no objections …’

  Fidelma looked at her brother in surprise.

  ‘Eadulf’s knowledge has proved essential to my success in resolving many a frustrating case. You know that. He often carries the traditional lés or medical bag on his journeys, and that has been of great service.’

  ‘As you say,’ Colgú said slowly, ‘Eadulf’s opinion, in these matters, is always highly valued. It was just that it occurs to me that our laws say no unqualified physician is allowed to practise.’

  ‘In this case, I doubt any objection can be raised if Eadulf examines the body,’ Fidelma returned pointedly.

  ‘Then Enda can accompany you and Eadulf to view the body. I and Gelgéis will wait here.’

  Eadulf and Enda left the room, but Fidelma held back when she caught sight of a perplexed look on Luan’s face.

  ‘You have something on your mind, Luan?’

  ‘Will you step outside a moment, lady?’ he asked.

  Fidelma glanced quickly across to see that her brother was deep in conversation with Gelgéis. She stepped out and closed the door behind her.

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘Well, a thought did occur to me,’ Luan admitted, lowering his voice to almost a whisper. ‘It is a thought I don’t like, but …’ He ended with a shrug.

  ‘All thoughts are useful, Luan.’

  ‘Cera served as an attendant to Princess Gelgéis. She was also the youngest of the female warrior troop and she told me that it was a tradition for the youngest to act as attendant to the princess as patroness.’

  ‘I heard this when the duties of the Daughters of the Storm were explained to me,’ Fidelma replied patiently. ‘What point are you making, Luan?’

  ‘Two things. Firstly, how was she able to be out of her own room in the middle of the night? Secondly, what was she doing in the fothrucadh, which had been locked and secured?’

  ‘Do you have any conclusion?’ Fidelma asked quietly.

  The warrior looked nervously around: ‘I said that I did not like the thought.’

  ‘Like it or not, explain it, and why you came to it.’

  ‘We are all thinking that this was some attempted assassination of Colgú or the Princess Gelgéis or both.’

  ‘It is logical and the first thought that occurs,’ Fidelma agreed. ‘But why don’t you agree?’

  ‘My thought was, what if it was not Colgú and Gelgéis who were the intended victims of the attack? What if it was Cera, who was the victim?’

  ‘I don’t follow you.’

  ‘What if Cera had been passed the keys to the fothrucadh, next to the royal bedroom?’

  ‘You speak in riddles,’ Fidelma said impatiently. ‘Are you saying that she was attempting to assassinate my brother and his wife? Then who killed her?’

  Luan hesitated a moment before responding. ‘The last person securing the sanctuary was the commander of the household guard.’

  THREE

  ‘What are you implying, Luan?’ Fidelma asked quietly.

  ‘What I am saying is that the last person to go up into the sanctuary, to make his check when everyone had retired, was the commander. We know he had some sort of relationship with the girl Cera. He also had access to the keys of the rooms. Maybe something went wrong between them.’

  ‘Something went wrong?’ she repeated.

  ‘They were always practising martial arts with naked blades. But I think there was more going on than just practice.’

  Fidelma hesitated. ‘We will talk of this later, Luan,’ she said quietly but firmly. ‘Not a word to anyone else about your thoughts. Now, I shall see what Eadulf can tell me about his examination of the body.’

  They came to the top of the stairs into the sanctuary and paused by the first door. Fidelma called out to Dar Luga, and to Eadulf, who had preceded her, to announce her arrival. It was but a moment or so before the plump, matronly, but now anxious-looking, woman opened the door. For Fidelma it was disconcerting to see the usually smiling, plump former cook and now banmhaor of the fortress, standing with pale, drawn and almost distraught features. Fidelma noticed that there seemed to be a misty hue of sweat on her pale face. For a moment or so it seemed Dar Luga was hesitant in recognising her.

  ‘I am glad you have come, lady,’ Dar Luga whispered. ‘Who would have done this to such a young girl?’

  She backed into the room so that Fidelma could enter. Fidelma saw Eadulf was on his knees behind a figure lying across a wooden bench. Enda was standing at a door on the other side of the room, which Fidelma presumed was the entry to the main bedchamber. Luan had followed her in and now stood by the door that opened to halfway down the passage behind. A quick glance confirmed that the room was a typical bathroom. The far wall contained a window comprised of several panes, which she guessed, once dawn came, would prove to be of coloured glass. An unusual stone construction in the corner showed a means of heating water, and nearby was a large wooden tub in which to immerse oneself. Fidelma realised that she would have time to examine the room later. Now she turned to Dar Luga.