"But I want you to," the boy protested, and squatted down beside Gruffydd. "I do not remember you, not at all," he confessed, after some moments of companionable silence. "I was too little when you leftI'm six and a half now."

He paused, waited expectantly. "Do you know who I am? I'm Davyddyour brother."

Gruffydd's hand jerked; the coin fell into the straw. Davydd at omscrambled to retrieve it. "Here, you dropped your penny."r 461.

Gruffydd ignored Davydd's outstretched hand Getting hastily to jus feet, he stared at the boy His brother Joanna's son "I do not want it," he said roughly, saw Davydd's mouth quiver, saw only a small child, bewildered and hurt But then Davydd stepped forward, and the lantern light fell full upon his face, upon the slanting hazel eyes Accursed cat eyes John's eyes Gruffydd drew an uneven breath "Jesus wept, you even look like him1 You may speak Welsh better than she does, but you've still got his eyes, his blood God grant that I never forget it "

Gruffydd was badly shaken, and he took refuge now in rage, rage that would enable him to blot out memory of that moment, however fleeting, when he'd identified with Davydd's pain If he ever gave in to weakness like that, he was lost, and so was Gwynedd This was Joanna's son, John's grandson "Go away," he said "You had no right to do this, to seek me out I do not want you here "

Davydd stood rooted "Why are you so angry with me7 What have I done7 I've never hurt you"

"You've never hurt me7 I spent four years in an English prison because of you, you and your mother' Why do you think John wanted me as a hostage7 Because he means to make you Prince of Gwynedd, a puppet English Prince to dance to London's tune1"

Davydd was struggling not to cry "I did not want you to be a hostage1 I was glad you were coming home, gave you my penny And my mama was glad, too, when the English let you go, she told me so You say such strange things, and they make no sense Papa is Prince of Gwynedd So why would the English King want me to be Prince7 And I m Welsh, how could I ever be an English Prince7"

"No, you are not Welsh," Gruffydd said bitterly "They may give you a crown, but they cannot give you that Welsh you'll never be "

Davydd gasped "I am so Welsh1 You take that back1"

'Ask your mother, your Norman-French mother She was born in England, the daughter of the English King If I mate Math to a spaniel, 'he pups will be neither alaunt nor spaniel, but mix-breeds, curs Nei- er or>e nor the other That's you, too, neither English nor Welsh, and vu'd best learn to live with it "

a YDD was alone in the stables Gruffydd had gone, taking his lantern, the dark was not friendly Davydd still clutched his penny, now he ^ 8 it away, into the blackness beyond him, and moved closer to Math " ^^ 8row^eks were an exasperating but expected part of the rites of pasrugh boyhood, and it baffled Llewelyn to have a son so sedate,464 I.

so unlike himself. This sudden glimpse into bavydd's mind was a revelation, therefore, the first intimation he'd ^ tjiat this son could b special.

"Your brother Gruffydd is back in the h^ j^t's g over and talk to him," he suggested, not noticing when Davydd lagged behind.

"Papa . . . Papa, will Gruffydd go away ^Kam?"

Llewelyn turned, smiled reassuringly att^e boy "No, lad, he'll not go away.

Not ever again."

Davydd stopped on the steps of the d^is stoOd watching as his father crossed to Gruffydd. Davydd's sister^ ^ere already there, clustered around Gruffydd in an admiring circ]e At fae sight of Elen in Gruffydd's lap, Davydd felt a sharp surge of a hitherto unfamiliar emotion, jealousy.

Something nudged his leg, and he looke^ down to see Math, gratefully wrapped his arms around the dog's ruff ,,j wish you'd bite him," he whispered, but without any faith that M^^ would. Gruffydd would give him bones and win him over. Why sh^uld ^aih be any different than Papa, or Elen and Gwladys? They all tl^o ht Gruffydd was wonderful, that he could do no wrong. He was the onl one in all of Dolwyddelan who was sorry that Gruffydd had con1e uome.

He heard his father say, "And you actuaU refused to write the letter? You turned John down?" He soundec) SQ amused, so proud, that Davydd felt tears prick his eyes. Never had ^e fglt SO alone. But at that moment he saw his mother. Joanna was stancjine by one of the hall screens. She, too, was watching Gruffydd a^j T jevvrelyn. Davydd's unhappiness had honed his insight, and the loc^ on his mother's face gave him sudden, surprised comfort. He was not: ai ne after all. Mama was sorry, too, that Gruffydd was back.7"

-Ji_ ABER, NORTH WALES.

M/1215.

"I.

should you be at John's beTLT^Yn1? *? "" ^ SUmmns! WhJ a lackey of the English King* * ^ f Nrth Wales' *

It was suddenly very still in the hall T i i surprise, turned thoughtful brow "welyn swung around I do not see myself as Ior,n'^77 T Uptm hJS e'dest Son' "For t, princes of WaTe^a "stlsof fh /' r"! ** ^ b' ^^^ that the rights in summoning ^ to his^ ourt to " ^ ^ John iS Within Ws is the price we must pav or th ""^ Ur aths of homage' Tha'

^^.ni^^2r^^^Mfaftea^ I have to do it nonetheless" P d that J like if ^ But "I would not."

GwyZdUd,WOUld'" UeWe1^ S3id -enly, "^ you were Prince of Pleas'"'8 ^ flickered- "J ^uld think a Prince could do as he ^S^-^^rs: ^^Jm?:^-^^;~---=-i: Xh *-r^"rr^"'to ^ * -*> ''"