Here Be Dragons - 1 (91 page)

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cepting Davydd as his liege lord. As soon as Llewelyn is dead, he means to lay claim to the crown."
"I know that, and I know, too, what you fear. But you're seeing Davydd with a mother's eye. Do not underestimate the lad, Joanna. He is stronger than you think."
"I am not saying Davydd is weak! I am saying he is young, too young. He's just nineteen, Ednyved, and Gruffydd is thirty-two, with years of battlefield experience. Can you honestly tell me you believe Davydd could hold his own against Gruffydd?"
"Not now," he conceded. "Not yet." A silence fell between them He watched
Joanna pace, finally said, "I can think of only one way to solve the problem
Gruffydd poses. But I doubt you could bring yourself to do it, not even for
Davydd. Hire men to arrange a killing."
Joanna recoiled, and he said dryly, "You see? I knew you could never do it."
"Neither could you." Joanna moved toward him. "But you've given me an idea, Ednyved. What if Gruffydd were banished from Llewelyn's court, banished from
Wales?"
He looked thoughtful, nodded slowly. "Yes, that might well give Davydd the time he'd need. But you'd best think this through, Joanna You're talking about causing Llewelyn a great deal of pain."
"I know." She shook out her crumpled veil, stared down at the bloodstains.
"Will you help me, Ednyved? If not for Davydd, for Gwynedd?"
"Yes," he said. "I'll help you. How?"
"I do not know yet," she admitted. "But I'll find a way. Somehow I'll find a way."
JOANNA'S mission to Shrewsbury met with surprising success. She was able to patch up another peace, to stave off a confrontation between Llewelyn and the
English crown. But she was not sanguine about the long-term prospects of this truce, suspected it would be of fleeting dura tion, for Hubert de Burgh was not content with his acquisition of Mon gomery Castle, was casting covetous eyes upon the neighboring We commote of Ceri.
Gruffydd reacted with predictable fury to Llewelyn's announ^ ment of a truce, and after quarreling bitterly with Llewely1' withdrew from his father's court for several weeks. Joanna usual y corned his absences, but for the first time she found herself waltl"glvto patiently for Gruffydd's return. She had finally hit upon a plan/Jl e

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be successful bv its VP>"«= , , sr-i - "*«; ssri^sss*
A MIDDAY SUn Was sfalti -»-. i_ , Aber's great ha,, In te^nt^? ?7? ^ ^^^n floor of Davydd Benfras was replied h
^f ^ W3S m Progress
All around hum men w£ ^^T^" ^ on h» ^rite Lp grees of enthusiasm, rubb^°
tdd. /"I "^ Wlth dlffeg de-
mg harnesses, wh.tthng v^S*? ^T ^ 8°°Se Srease' -endWomen were chumlng b^«er
1 ' T^' tOyS f°r chlldren abo^r^t£^b^^^
rarely had Joanna been so t^nsT Sh* Pe^ ^T^^ tranqu>"'ty, but woo, upon a trestle table, w^e cutfn " f ^ ^ H/d Spread a length of could not keep her mind or^ ^"f ^ a §OWn ff Cathenne But she away from Gruffydd ' haXld' COuld not keep her eyes emng li^slTaS^ ^nnro^T cC"^8 '^ SCt the sharP«« cup, then ,mgered to till and r ^ U8ht ^ 3 br"4 the moment F.rst she'd had t J°anna s nerve« grew more taut bv
*ehaU,not wantm^ ^"h"d to ""' **<***ydd'S S°n °^ «o leave
*nZ^Twltt^
sGfnirx-^^ -rtweaked -
;^^s5~^r -
fjly ^used that Senena ^^^ "^ K ^ 3nd Joanna ^s
50 desplsed na' tc*o, had adopted the style of a people she
3$p£^tttttt
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CSTe«° hme' ^ust ^ she k^elr f SUjre!hat GrUffydd str^ ^1 :Uffydd ^s hke
L,ewe,^rn^Tehyn ^ °CCaS'°nally Stra/ed "S women, he was hke LJeS^. .
he C0tlld have hls Plck of very ^omanf nu^rous, ever-chant^ fn °' " * at he Seemed to have no DfiW'th *e wife who 0^^ f ^^ ^ W3S COntent «th one
^l°afsh- a« -y itt^oufd7b?^ h^' ^ ^ aS ft^
3 e«« ana,ogy, JcMnna .^^ ^^ ^ ^ ^^

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maned male lion, awesome to behold but actually dependent upon h' less flamboyant mate, the rangy lioness who did the hunting. Seneria of the watchful cat-eyes, Senena who was more calculating than her tem pestuous husband, and thus more dangerous. But no, she was bein unfair now, letting her dislike of Senena lead her astray. How could sh blame the woman for being loyal to her husband, her children? Thev had three now: nine-year-old Owain, six-year-old Gwladys, and a second son born just that spring, named after
Llewelyn.
Joanna frowned, brought her mental ramblings to an abrupt halt Why was she going on like this? Yes, Gruffydd was a caring husband, a loving father. What of it? Why was she culling out his virtues from amongst his failings, searching for those few traits she might justifiably honor?
After some moments of conjecture, she thought she knew. It was as if she were seeking to reassure herself, to show that she was not acting out of malice, that her hatred of Gruffydd played no part in what she was about to do. Well, mayhap her motives were not as pure as she'd have liked, but she'd not be lying when she answered to the Almighty for this, when she avowed that she could see no other way, no other choice.
At last Senena was moving away. Joanna laid her scissors down, stood up. Her eyes searched out Ednyved. He nodded almost imperceptibly, started toward the door. Joanna braced herself, then crossed the hall, sat down beside Gruffydd in the window seat.
Gruffydd could not hide his surprise. "Yes, Madame?" he said coldly, warily.
"I thought you might want to congratulate me. I did avert a war, did I not?"
This was so unlike Joanna that Gruffydd's suspicions kindled like sun-dried straw, and he responded with uncommon caution. "No, you did not. You did but delay it. You did my father no service by you! meddling, for Hubert de Burgh will take our restraint as weakness. Hell be all the more likely now to move into Ceri, because we failed to hai him at Tre Faldwyn ... or as you Normans call it, Montgomery."
"I'm sorry you take that view. But I cannot say I'm surprised. AKe all, you have such a limited understanding of political matters, n fortunate for
Gwynedd that Davydd and not you shall rule in Lie*' lyn's stead."
Gruffydd caught his breath. "Just what do you want from me.
This was not going as she'd hoped it would. Gruffydd was fun ^ but so far he was keeping his voice as low as hers; they'd yet to a attention. Moreover, she was finding it harder than she'd exp'
iected<
provoke a quarrel in cold blood, to insult without the excuse ofang*

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"There is no mystery, Gruffydd. You remember that davi , n, at Cncieth
Castle, that day you deliberately baited Lle^^'S that crazed stallion? I knew that was not mischance, knew whlTyou hal in mind, letting a poor dumb brute do your killing for you I ^could not prove it... until now." y )Ust could
Gruffydd was on his feet before she could finish speaking "That's a lie, an accursed Norman lie!" 8
Joanna rose, too. Heads were turning now, swiveling in response to Gruffydd s shout. From the corner of her eye, she saw Llewelyn and Ednyved entenng the hall. But she saw, too, that Senena was hastening toward them. She reached out, put a hand upon Gruffydd's arm as! seeking to placate him, and said softly, "As I said, I have proof One o
SffiESL? me'confessed he found a splked bu" -d- *e
She got no further. Gruffydd's outrage, his sense of injustice and mjury overrode all else, swept aside the last shreds of his restra nt He d always suspected Joanna of trying to poison Llewelyn's mind against
,m, but in his worst imaginings he'd never expected her to concfc so latant, so brazen a lie. Had she been a man, he'd have already exacted his vengeance. But his was a society in which women were not tote subjected to violence. Even now the ingrained discipline of a iLtime held, and he dld the only thing he could do, flung the content o his wine cup into Joanna's face.
utterJOanndnaah8a?Prd; ^ 1Jln8efhad to feign a^r. "You're a lunatic, an u v The h . I ^ Cried' baCking ^ fri8htened by his ury _The hall was in pandemonium; through a roaring in her ears she in IT! rTg' S3W a Wur °f shocked faces' * registering Scheed he t I*? ^ jUSt ^
And then LleweVhal h s la h ^?' T She f°rg0t the PretenSC' for§ot she had sprune Sd pu'reTete!" """^ ^ ** 3rmS With 3 heartfdt' "Th-?
he sZ°nU're n0t !!Urt?" He W3ited °nly for her to shake her head before or yl found" t0 C°nfr0nt,hiS S0n' "A" y°Ur Hfe IVe made «cuses not even b
T80"8 CXplain '^^ ^ deran8ed behavi°r- I can-
Cer^ BT "^ timeS 1Ve OVerl°°ked ^ temP«s, your unde s. But no more. This time you'll answer for what you've done "
^ But it was not my fault!"
^uniableT1" 1S/ ^ "? Y°U/re alWayS the in'Ured innocent' never ace«1s wi h h'
y°Ur °Wn aCti0nS' It/S 3S " y°Ur Cntire history be& and
'*» yl rs a^VT ^ 8P6nt EngHsh PriS°nS- Wdl' that was thiyears ago/ Gruffydd, and my patience has at last run out "
Vi*hTmen,aorUUgging frantkally 3t Gruffydd's arm- "Do not argue mm, love, I
beg you. Do not say what you may later regret!"

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Gruffydd ignored her, did not even hear her. "Your patience? What of mine? You talk of making excuses for me. What do you think I've had to do for you? I've watched for years as you shamed yourself, shamed us all, watched and could do nothing about it. I do not know why this last surrender surprised me so.
You're so eager to stay in the good graces of the English King that nothing else matters to you . . . least of all, pride. I once accused her"he pointed toward Joanna"of bewitching you, and you denied it. But how else explain your actions? You demean yourself before the English King, allow de Burgh and
Pembroke to humiliate you, to"
"That is enough, Gruffydd!"
"What do you call it, if not humiliation? You can posture all you want, boast that you're a brother sovereign of the Scots King, but the truth is that you've shackled us to the English throne, made us vassals of John's son. And yet we're likely to look back upon your reign as the Golden Age of Gwynedd, in comparison with what would befall us under Davydd! Christ, Papa, you must see him for what he is, a craven weakling, a pampered milksop who'd panic at the first hint of trouble, and yet you'd have him over me! You'd forsake your firstborn, abandon our ancient laws of inheritance, and all to please a
Norman-French bedmate!"
"I do see Davydd for what he is, and I see you for what you are, irresponsible and willful and foolish beyond belief. You talk of governing Gwynedd, and yet you cannot even govern your own temper. You're a child, Gruffydd, a child at two and thirty, and it is time you faced the truth. I would never have turned
Gwynedd over to you. Should evil befall Davydd in my lifetime, I'll choose
Tegwared then, or even Adda's son. But not you, never you, for you'd blunder into a war you could never win, destroy the work of a lifetime in less than a twelvemonth."
Gruffydd was stunned. "You'd do that? You'd truly choose Tegwared over me?"
"Yes." Llewelyn's voice was very cold. "If it came to that, I would.
In the silence that followed, Gruffydd could hear the ragged, la' bored sound of his own breathing; it seemed so loud to him that he feared others, too, might hear. Senena was plucking again at his sleeve/ her eyes were wet with tears. "Beloved, please. Come away now."
"Not yet." His voice sounded strange to him, as if coming from a distance. "So you do not think I'm fit to rule? Well, go ahead, have Davydd acknowledged by the English, by the Pope, the Marcher lordsThe Lord Jesus Himself can anoint him, for all I care. For it will avail yo naught, old man. Your power stops this side of the grave. Once yo°

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dead, I'll take what is rightfully mine I'll take Gwynedd and I'll take
// niv vengeance *
Llewelyn had gone very white "Do you think I'd let that happe^,?, Gruffydd forced a laugh "How can you stop me' You'll be sajpej gone to God, remember7"
A muscle had begun to jerk in Llewelyn's cheek "Courage sucH a yours is not always a blessing, Gruffydd Sometimes it can be a curs^ " He no longer sounded angry, sounded oddly dispassionate and distant and then, as Gruffydd puzzled over the cryptic meaning of his words' he raised his hand, said, "Seize him "
Llewelyn's household guards looked utterly appalled, but they did not hesitate, at once surrounded Gruffydd, drawing their swords Gruffydd's reaction was as instinctive and as explosive as his white stallion's had been, he made a dive for the window seat, for his sword But although the sharpening stone still lay untouched, the sword was gone, for Ednyved did not believe in taking undue risks and had quietly appropriated the weapon Trapped in the window seat, Gruffydd drew his dagger, turned to face his pursuers They advanced wanly, nervously aware that Llewelyn's command had been to seize him, not to slay him, and they made no attempt to stop Senena when she darted between them
"Gruffydd, you cannot fight them' Beloved, save yourself, I beg you1"
Gruffydd had friends in the hall, had men sworn to him With a bitter sense of betrayal, he saw now that none of them was going to come to his aid, that they'd not go against Llewelyn He knew Senena was right, but he knew, too, that he could not yield "Senena, I cannot " he said huskily, and then, "Christ, no1 Owam, get back1"
His son had entered the hall unnoticed, had stood transfixed until the scene erupted in violence The boy did not understand what was happening, saw only that his father was in danger, and he sprinted forward, crying, "Papa'"
Sobbing, he began to flail out at the men encirc'ing Gruffydd, until Llewelyn grasped him by the arms pulled him away Even then, he continued to struggle
There was no sound in the "all but that of his sobs No one moved And then
Gruffydd's shoulders Dumped, he dropped the knife into the rushes
"You win, Papa What now7 Are you going to do Davydd's killing °r nim7" That was sheer bravado, though, for Gruffydd felt certain ewelyrt would never put him to death "I can only tell you what I told JOH that I'll not beg "
Llewelyn released his grandson, watched as Owam ran to his far Alun," he said, still sounding like a stranger to Gruffydd, one

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remote and unrelenting and beyond reach, "you are to escort rrtv Deganwy
Castle. He is to be confined there until I personally gj n to orders to the contrary. He is to be well treated at all times, and hi ^°U and children may join him there. But he cannot be trusted, and i closely watched. If you fail me, you'll long regret it. You underst H
"Indeed, my lord." Alun gestured, and Gruffydd found his being forced behind his back. He no longer resisted, for he had $ much pride to let himself be dragged, bound and helpless, from the h But at the door he halted, his voice rising in a defiant shout. "You've' bought Davydd some time, no more than that! You'll have to kill me u man, and I doubt that you can do it, that you" His guards shoved'h forward; the rest of his words were cut off by the closing door.
Senena had stood very still. Now she turned, crossed to Llewelyn and dropped to her knees before him, a supplicant's posture belied bv the blazing grey eyes. "Gruffydd will not beg, my lord, but I will. You must not do this.
Confinement will kill Gruffydd, you know it will. He's your son, your firstborn son. Let him go. We'll leave Wales, I swear it, will never return.
Just let him go."
"I cannot do that. He would never accept exile, and you know it, Senena."
Senena rose to her feet. "It would have been a greater mercy if you'd killed him, then." Reaching for her son, she said, "Dry your tears, Owain. We go to
Deganwy Castle to be with your lord father."
A path cleared at once; no one seemed to want to touch her, even to meet her eyes. Head high, she started toward the door, leading her son by the hand. But she stopped as she reached Joanna, and then whirled, spun around to face
Llewelyn.
"Do you want to know whose fine hand brought about my husband's downfall? She did it, your so innocent and right loving wife! She sought Gruffydd out in the window seat, deliberately goaded him to violence, to his ruin. None of this need have happened if not for her.
AFTER seeking Llewelyn in their private chamber and the chapel Joa" was at a loss as to where to look next. But as she approached the stat> a young groom came hurrying out at sight of her. ., "Madame, how thankful I am to see you! My lord Prince f{K\°dg me to saddle his chestnut palfrey, then ordered me to go, saying e it himself. And when I tried to tell him that I was right glad to serve ^ he lashed out in a fury, told me to get out, to ..." The groom trai e ^ in despair. "My lady, I did not mean to displease him, do not even what I did. And now he's so wroth with me .
. ."