Written by Jenny Hein (Gwyn)

Gwyn sat in front of the tiny mirror and watched as Juanita put the finishing touches to her appearance. The maid had been a useful addition to their household in Aragon. It was all very well to have a sojourn here, but being at any court was easier with a local person to advise on the right clothes to wear, the right people to speak to and the potential trouble to avoid. Juanita was an inveterate gossip, but a loyal one and a fount of knowledge on all manner of subjects.

Normally Juanita would also chatter away about her lover. If everything she said were to be taken at face value, he was a paragon of virtue – kind, gentle, loving, considerate… Gwyn could well recognise such strength of feeling. She only had to look at Owain to feel it herself.

However, there was growing doubt in her mind about the situation. Normally open, Juanita was careful never to speak his name. She was evasive whenever Gwyn tried to ask. And tonight she seemed distracted. There was something definitely wrong here and Juanita was sensing it too.

Gwyn told Owain about her impressions when Juanita was gone. Owain gently reminded Gwyn that she couldn’t single-handedly solve the world’s lovers’ difficulties. Gwyn retorted that she had no intention of doing so. “Just the ones I know. Besides, I just want to ensure she isn’t being misled. She’s such a sweet girl.”

Owain sighed. That was his Gwynyfar. Always going in where angels fear to tread. He just had to make sure he could pick up the pieces afterwards. But she was right. Juanita was a sweet girl and a little too trusting.

Being able to change into an owl had its advantages. Gwyn could pass unremarked and was able to see clearly in the dim light. That was just as well, for Juanita had been careful about being seen and would have been hard to follow in any other guise. Gwyn settled into a perch outside the house and listened to the conversation.

Her keen owl’s hearing picked up the nuances that Juanita was missing. It was as she suspected. Juanita’s young man was making the assurances that young men had made to vulnerable maids since time began. Juanita, like all young maids, desperately wanted to believe him. Which meant that any efforts Gwyn made to persuade her otherwise would be wasted. She would simply have to learn for herself. If owls could sigh, she would have.

Flying back towards her lodgings, Gwyn came across a group of people, led by a determined young lady. They were heading the way she had just flown. The subject of the murmuring voices alarmed her and she circled around them to head back to where Juanita was. Not for the first time, Gwyn regretted the fact that her clothes didn’t change into feathers. It took her precious time to find a suitable opening and it would have been considerably simpler if she could have just knocked and spoken to the lovers.

Instead, she flew at them to attract their attention. Then it became a confusion of voices raised in alarm, then panic at potential discovery. Juanita claimed this to be a perfect time to declare themselves, something hotly denied by her young man. Then there was more alarm and voices raised in accusation and defence. Gwyn was never quite sure at what point in the confusion that the first claim of witchcraft was made.

To make matters worse, one of the group saw her perched in the rafters and remembered the owl that had circled them. At that point it was easy to claim a familiar that had given a warning. Despite Juanita’s protests of innocence, the maid’s fate was sealed. Gwyn herself barely avoided getting caught.

Back at their lodgings, Owain managed to persuade Gwyn to wait until they’d actually heard the news, before charging off to defend Juanita. As he pointed out, Gwyn didn’t need any accusations against her to add to the turmoil. He also managed to quiet her enough that she wasn’t pacing the floor when they did hear the news.

Unfortunately, it seemed that their standing in the court wasn’t as good as Gwyn had assumed. When she grew tired of being referred to various officials, she sought an audience with the King of Aragon.

By this time, Owain had discovered that Juanita’s young man was engaged to a young lady of higher social standing who was quite enamoured of him. She was quite determined to prove that there was no reason for him to seek out Juanita unless she had cast a spell on him. For his part, the young man came from a quite wealthy family, who were equally determined that they increase their social standing with the match. Both families had everything to gain from Juanita becoming the scapegoat of the situation.

Equally unfortunately, the King of Aragon had been involved in some rather costly wars in recent years. He had no intention of crossing what had become a significant financial interest. Of course, the king didn’t actually explain this to Gwyn. He simply stated his regret that she was inconvenienced by the loss of her maid and assured her that Juanita’s trial would be just.

Gwyn knew what that meant. If she survived being thrown into a pond, she would be burnt at the stake. There was no true justice for anyone accused of witchcraft. She would either die innocent or die guilty.

This time, it was difficult to stop her striding around their rooms, venting her outrage. “I can’t even get Juanita to see the danger she is in. She is still firmly of the conviction that this man is going to save her, that he couldn’t possibly allow her to be convicted of something he knows to be untrue.”

“Where is he now?”

“Rumours say that he’s been sent away to his family holdings. He certainly hasn’t been to see Juanita, but that doesn’t seem to make any difference to her. She simply thinks that he’s being prevented somehow. If he truly loved her, he would find a way.” She stopped pacing and half-smiled at Owain. “You tried to storm a nunnery for me.”

Owain took Gwyn’s hands. “And was stopped by some very determined women. I should have tried harder. If I’d known you weren’t there…” He kissed her hand. “My love, you can’t single-handedly stop all the injustices of the world.”

Gwyn kissed the hands on hers. “No, but I’d like to stop a few of them, if only one by one.”

Owain smiled at her. “That’s one of the things I love about you. Why don’t you go and see Juanita again. I have an idea.”

Gwyn didn’t think she wanted to hear any more about how Juanita’s brave Alvarez was going to save her. Instead she went to the church to pray. It was there that Don Juan Carlos Vega y Galino found her.

“What would one such as you expect to gain from prayer?” he asked Gwyn.

Gwyn rose to meet his challenge. “Guidance.”

“God created the curse of Vampirism as a punishment for disobedience, Gwyn. As long as you chose to walk this Earth an Undead husk, your immortal soul will be trapped in Purgatory, unable to return to Him. Prayer won’t help you, only the True Death can save you now.”

She knew it somehow annoyed the Templar that she was devout, though she’d never understood why. “What do you want?”

“If you believe God listens to your prayers, then perhaps I’m His answer. I understand you need my help.”

“I can’t imagine why you should think that, unless you can free an accused witch.”

“I thought you might need my help because I saw one of Lady Lillane’s mighty progeny on her knees in prayer. However, I must have been mistaken. Forgive my error. I’ll leave the fate of this accused witch in your capable hands. Such a mundane, mortal problem should barely stretch your abilities, Child of Lilith. Farewell.”

The Templar turned and left the church before Gwyn could reply.

At Juanita’s trial, Gwyn’s testimony as to her good character held little weight against a local family. The presiding Judge determined that Juanita would be tested the following day. That left Gwyn little choice.

“I can’t break her out of prison. She wouldn’t come. She is still convinced that Alvarez is going to save her in time. The silly girl is as likely as not to return to find him.”

“Oh for a love as determined to believe the best of me.”

Gwyn looked at him, startled at first. “You’re teasing me. I had no reason not to believe my family. Besides, I won you back.”

Owain refrained from telling her that it would have been simpler if she’d realised she didn’t have to. He didn’t want her to feel guilty about what had happened to them. And, after all, he had little to complain of. It was a good life.

“So what do you want to do?”

Gwyn looked at him, worried. “I can see only one solution, but I am reluctant to take it.”

“I will not feel offended if you add her to our family. I doubt it will be permanent. Juanita is a romantic. I’m sure we will be able to find her a suitable husband and settle her somewhere safe. And if not, it’s about time you had a maid. You should keep some appearance of being a noble lady.”

Gwyn threw herself into his arms. “I keep complicating our lives.”

“And it would be dull if you did not.”

Gwyn went to see Juanita. As she expected, the maid was still determined to see the situation out, though Gwyn could see the fear behind her brave smile. She decided not to try and explain the consequences of her offer. There was time to reverse it later, if things worked out well.

That was how she made the suggestion to Juanita. She told her that she had a potion to protect her. Forestalling her protests, Gwyn told her that she would feel better if Juanita had some other protection than relying on Alvarez. “If he comes, then this will be merely humouring your employer. If he doesn’t, I will come for you.” Put that way, Juanita had little option but to accept the drink Gwyn offered her.

The following day broke bright and fair. A perfect day to drown a witch. The little procession made its way to a pond outside the city walls. Alvarez made no last minute appearance. Juanita did not float. Owain arranged a Christian burial for her body, and then he and Gwyn left the city, clearly displeased with the turn of events.

Which left the hard part for the journey home – explaining it all to Juanita.