Andras burst from the arched doorway and into the courtyard, followed closely by Abbot William. The moment the two men appeared, the image of Sarpedon wavered and dissipated back into the liquid depths of the well.
Andras rushed to her side. "Undine! What has happened? Are you ill?"
"I-I saw something." She pointed. "There, over the well."
Both men turned to look at the offending structure. Abbot William walked over to it. CC flinched as he bent over its open mouth and peered down.
"There is nothing here now," he called over his shoulder.
"Come." Andras put a strong arm around her waist. "Let me help you into the dining room and out of the sun."
Abbot William gave the well one last look before following them.
"Bring the princess some wine!" Andras ordered one of the servants, helping CC onto a bench.
The servant reappeared almost immediately. CC's hands were shaking so badly that she spilled some of the wine. Drinking deeply, she tried to steady herself, while she wondered how much, if anything, she could dare tell the two men.
"What exactly did you see?" Abbot William asked. He was studying her with an expression that verged on gleeful.
CC felt a tremor of foreboding. It was like he reveled in her fear. "I'm not sure," she said slowly. "I had just stepped into the courtyard, and I glanced at the well. There was something there, floating over the top of it. The figure was dark, like a shadow, but it seemed to be in the shape of a man."
"Could it not have been the shadow of an oddly shaped cloud?" Andras said. "The day is bright and you had just entered the courtyard. Perhaps your eyes misjudged."
CC summoned up a relieved laugh, glad the knight had given her an acceptable answer. "You're probably right, Andras. It just startled me. I think fear and my imagination must have temporarily caused me to see something."
"Of course." Andras patted her back awkwardly.
CC could still feel the priest's eyes on her, but he remained silent.
"I had planned a small surprise for you, Princess," Andras said. "You so enjoyed the view last night that I had a few things packed into a basket for us. I thought we could break our fast outside, near the ocean you find so intriguing. But perhaps now would not be a good time for such exertion."
"No!" she reassured him quickly. "I'm feeling much better. It was ridiculous of me to be so frightened of a little shadow. Fresh air and a view sound wonderful." Just the thought of being near the water again made CC's heart race—and if Sarpedon was close by, surely she would be safest away from the monastery's enclosing walls and near the lush land that was the domain of the goddess.
"If you are sure." Andras's face brightened at the prospect. "I will take care not to overtax your strength."
He called for the servant to bring a basket that had already been prepared, but before they could leave the dining hall, Abbot William spoke with a sly sharpness.
"Princess Undine, before you go, I must ask you about the interesting design that decorates your gown. Do you know what those symbols represent?"
CC looked down at the fabulous dress. It was made up of several layers of material that felt like an intriguing mixture of silk and gauze. She smiled at the familiar coloring that so accurately represented her mermaid's tail. The topmost layer of material was covered with silver needlework. CC had noticed the intricate embroidery before. It was a repeating pattern of symbols interwoven with birds and flowers. Now that she studied it, she could see that amidst the land creatures and symbols Gaea had woven dolphins and starfish. She ran a finger reverently down one long, silver-threaded sleeve.
"No, I don't know what they represent. I just know that they are beautiful."
"Let us not forget that beauty can hide many things," the priest said cryptically.
CC beamed a smile at him. "Well, wouldn't you say this dress hides much less than your robes?" She laughed and pointed at his voluminous skirts. "I think you could probably hide a small person under there."
"Undine!" Andras's voice had a hard edge to it CC had not heard before. "It is unseemly to say such a thing to Abbot William."
CC didn't allow her smile to falter, but as she studied Andras's handsome face, she felt a twinge of unease. For a moment she had forgotten where she was, which was definitely not twenty-first century America. Women in medieval Europe didn't kid around with uptight abbots, or if they did they probably ended up flayed or boiled or… She bit her lip.
"Oh, Andras, you're right. I guess I'm still a little nervous about what I thought I saw in the courtyard." She turned her set smile on the priest. "I do apologize, Abbot William; I certainly didn't mean to offend you."
Abbot William waved his hands dismissively. "There is no need to apologize, Princess. I understand that young women sometimes say things that are fraught with several meanings, even if they are unaware of it."
CC's eyes widened at the abbot's rudeness, but her smile didn't waver. "That is such an interesting observation, because I've noticed that men sometimes read double meanings into things that women say, even when none are intended. I think that could be why there seems to be such confusion between the sexes. I'll have to be more careful in the future so that there are no such misunderstandings between us." She turned back to Andras and took his arm. "Are you ready? All this excitement has made me very hungry"
Andras smiled and patted her hand. His façade of good-guy-boyfriend was securely back in place. "Of course, Undine." He bowed his head reverently to Abbot William. "I look forward to our evening game of chess, Father."
"I, too, my son," the priest said. Then he added, as if it was an afterthought, "Princess Undine, about the symbols on your gown. They remind me of runes that I have seen on pagan shrines." He made a dry sound in his throat that CC assumed was supposed to be a chuckle. "But, as you said, you would know nothing of that."
"That's correct," CC said truthfully. "I know nothing about runes or pagan shrines."
"Then you would have no objection to joining us for vespers this evening?" His eyes were bright, and he watched her reaction closely.
"I'm sure the princess would be happy to attend evening mass," Andras said quickly.
CC had to grit her teeth to keep from telling the knight that she preferred to speak for herself. Instead, she met the priest's probing gaze evenly. "That would be lovely; thank you for inviting me."
"I shall look forward to seeing you there," Abbot William said.
Chapter 13
Andras didn't choose the path they had taken the evening before; instead he followed the road. It angled steeply down, then took a sharp, right-handed turn before it wound back toward the sea. All the while they walked he talked about the history of the island and how there had been a monastery on this site for more than four hundred years. CC struggled to listen to him. Most of her attention was focused on the nearness of the sea and the call it had on her body. She did try to look attentive when he explained that he was so well acquainted with the monastery and Abbot William because the land had belonged to his mother's family for centuries. When his mother married his father, the land had passed to the Lord of Caer Llion, and, naturally, the most senior priest from his father's barony had to take over the running of Caldei Monastery.
"Oh, that's why you and the Abbot know each other so well," CC said, trying to appear interested.