"Indeed not," he said indignantly. "I would never act to cut Elen off from her family. I did tell her that I did not want her to go into Wales this summer, but only because war seems imminent. I know how homesick she is, but I had to put her safety first."

"Yes," Joanna agreed slowly. "Of course." If this youngster was not speaking the truth, he was as skilled an actor as any she'd ever seen at Christmas mummeries. And Elen had ever been capricious and headstrong. But however Joanna sought to rationalize, one fact still stood out starklythat some seven months after her marriage, Elen was not happy with the husband they'd chosen for her.

At that moment there was a sudden stir; Henry and Llewelyn were reentering the hall. Joanna hastened toward her husband. Gruffydd and Ednyved were also converging upon Llewelyn. He met with all three ot them in the center of the hall, gave them the bad news they could already read in his face.

"Shall I tell you their terms for peace? I am to yield up the castles took from Fitz Warin and de Hodnet. But Pembroke gives up nothing, gets to keep my castles of Cardigan and Carmarthen." y, Gruffydd swore under his breath. "What did you tell them, Papa^ "What do you think I said?" Llewelyn paused, looked directly^ Joanna. "You'd best go and bid your brother farewell. I told him we leaving Ludlow within the hour." r^g{[ Joanna was dismayed, but she knew better than to argu Llewelyn sounded like that. She nodded, did as he said. ^ ^er Henry gave her no chance to speak, took her arm an j toward the window recess. "Joanna, you must talk to your must get him to see reason."557 "Henry/ there is nothing I can do "

"[ do not want war with the Welsh, you must know I do not But I choice, Joanna Cardigan and Carmarthen have too much strate- ^3 portance to leave them in the hands of a Welsh Prince Surely you ? see that "

"Yes of course I can Why should a Welsh Prince have any right to t]es on Welsh soil?"

Henry had vivid blue eyes, a drooping left eyelid that gave him a wsv appealmgly vulnerable look But both eyes opened wide now, h vved so much hurt that Joanna was at once remorseful "I am sorry, Henry I do love you," she said softly "But I love my husband, too, and I am so very tired of always having to choose Henry watched as she moved away, back to Llewelyn When Hubert de Burgh joined him, he said, "I never meant to hurt my sister, Hubert I was so sure I could make her understand You said she would "

"It cannot be helped, my liege It is no easy thing to be a King, to tind the courage to make difficult decisions You must be strong, lad, must"

"I am1" Henry cried, stung "I'll do what must be done But that does not mean I have to like it "

GWENWYNWYN'S two young sons had been living in England as wards of the crown On the same day that Llewelyn rode away from Ludlow, Henry ordered the boys to be brought to his court at Gloucester in hopes of winning away from Llewelyn the allegiance of the men of Powys He then sent the Earls of Pembroke and Salisbury into Wales While Llewelyn sought to cut off their supply lines, Gruffydd sprang a lethal ambush in a hilly pass of Carnwylhon But Pembroke and "I were able to fight their way free, began to lay waste to the counfrvside of Dyfed Once more, Wales was at war a[rELYN S Slege f BuelU CaStIe WaS m lts second week The Welsh had Waj.S ^en able to cross the deep wet moat, to breach the outer curtain for it was not easy to say. "I did not find those qualities in Gruffy0567 trust you not to repeat that to anyone else But I trust you, too, to remember it "

"Llewelyn1" Ednyved was leaning over the wall embrasure "De graose wants to talk, says he'll send his son out if you'll warrant his safety "

"Agreed " Llewelyn looked at Davydd and then grinned "Tell him I'll even invite him to dinner1"

THE tents of English kings were opulent, even sumptuous, spacious enough for privacy as well as comfort Llewelyn's tent was of a more modest scale, for even if he'd had the resources to indulge himself, no Welshman could have respected a commander who went to war with feather mattresses and silver plate Llewelyn contented himself with a pallet, and when dinner was served, he and his guests sat in a circle on the ground, just as his men did around their campfires If Will de Braose thought Llewelyn's accommodations spartan, it did not show in his face The Marcher lords tended to be a hardy lot, as robust and tough-minded as the Welsh they fought and befriended, and Will ate with gusto, even knowing that he was being served one of his own beef cows As much as it irked Gruffydd to hear Normans pervert his tongue, it offended him even more to hear one speak such fluent Welsh, and he was hard-pressed to manage even a semblance of politeness He would never understand how his father could bnng himself to eat and drink with their enemies, never "It scarcely seems fair to repay your hospitality with what I have to Ml you now " Will reached for another piece of bread "But my father and I thought you had a right to know Your daughter Gwladys is within the castle "

There was a moment's silence Then Llewelyn laughed derisively and Gruffydd spat, "Liar1"

"My son speaks bluntly, but true which is more than you do Do you think I'd besiege Buellt without first making sure of my daughter's whereabouts, her safety7 Gwladys is many miles to the north, at my curt on the isle of Mon "

Will did not seem at all abashed He shrugged, said with an unrePentant grin, "Well, you cannot blame a man for trying, can you7"

Llewelyn shifted his position with unwonted care, neither mutton at nor a lanolin ointment had done much to ease his discomfort "You'd t be here lest you had an offer to make What is it7"

'Seven hundred head of cattle if you ride away on the morrow "

That was a fair offer But there was more to consider than profit,562 w 563.

more at stake than cattle. "I'll think about it," Llewelyn said noncommittally. He'd noticed that Will kept glancing over at Davydd, had noticed, too, that it was making the boy uncomfortable. "You do know my son Davydd?" he said pointedly, but Will did not take up the challenge.

"I suppose I was staring," he conceded calmly. "It's just that he looks so much like his mother. It's not often a blood kinship shows so plainly as that."

Gruffydd set down his wineskin. "I always thought Davydd looked verily like John, God rot him."

Will's eyes cut toward Gruffydd. "I'll drink to that, to John, King of England . . . and of Hell."

Even in the subdued lantern light, Llewelyn could see the color rising in Davydd's face. It did not surprise him; if Joanna at thirty-two could not resolve her relationship with John, how could Davydd at fourteen? For his son's sake, he acted to end the conversation. "I'll give you my answer on the morrow."

But Will did not move. "You must have hated John even as much as I did. Christ knows, he gave you reason enough!"

Llewelyn looked over at Davydd, then nodded slowly. "Yes, I hated John."

Will leaned forward. "Then . . . then how could you live in contentment with John's daughter?"

Llewelyn was astonished. But as he studied Will's face, he saw that the younger man had not meant to offend. His grey eyes held Llewelyn's own; he seemed truly to want to know. Llewelyn had no intention, however, of answering a question so intensely personal. "I fail to see," he said coolly, "how my marriage is of concern to you."

Will's eyes flickered; he was the first to look away. "You're right, of course. It is not my concern. If my curiosity has led me astray, I apologize."

His smile was self-mocking. "If there is one thing we de Braoses pride ourselves upon, it is that we never offer an unintentional insult!

Llewelyn was not taken in by Will's nonchalant disclaimer. He did not know Reginald's son well at all, but one thing he did not doubt, that the mere mention of John had touched a very raw nerve indeed. It was Davydd who told Will what he wanted to know. Davydd could not bear to have his mother associated in any way with the cruelties of the tn glish King, and he said abruptly, "My lady mother and King John were estranged for the last four years of his life."

Gruffydd opened his mouth, but for once discretion prevailed, welyn had risen, and this time Will took the cue and rose, too. J were exchanging ironic courtesies when one of Llewelyn's men du under the tent flap. ) >.

"My lord, one of our scouts has just ridden in, says it is urgent that he speak with you."

The man was unshaven, begrimed, had obviously passed a full day jn the saddle.

He knelt before Llewelyn, but wasted no further time on protocol. "My lord, I bear evil tidings. The English King and the Justiciar marched out of Hereford at dawn this morn, heading toward the Gwy Valleytoward Buellt."

"How large an army?"

"Too large, my lord. Mayhap twice the size of ours."

Llewelyn turned aside. He heard Gruffydd cursing softly, damning the English to a particularly vile quarter of Hell; rarely had his son's sentiments so perfectly mirrored his own. It was at that moment that VVill de Braose did something as provocative as it was impolitic. He laughed.

He at once regretted it, found himself the focus of icily measuring eyes. His hand dropped instinctively to his sword hilt, but he put greater faith in hisprivileged status, a guest at Llewelyn's hearth. "Need I remind you that you swore to my safety?"

"No, you need not. Just be thankful a Welshman's word is not as worthless as you Normans claim." Llewelyn turned to the closest man, said curtly, "Escort de Braose back to the castle."

Will did not press his luck, held his tongue. But no one objected. Not even Gruffydd had seriously considered harming him, for it was understood that there were promises that could be broken and promises that must be kept; John might not have been so hated had he not blithely broken both kinds.

Once Will had gone, they could give vent to their disappointment, their rage that their prize was to be so rudely snatched from their grasp. But they could not long afford to indulge their anger, not with an English army less than a day's march from Buellt. "Give the order to break cairip," Llewelyn said grimly. "We are done here. De Braose has won this time."

ApTER raising the siege of Buellt, Henry and Hubert de Burgh continued "orth, feeding their troops with Welsh cattle, burning and pillaging. By Ptember 30, they had reached the border castle of Montgomery. Soon ereafter, they made use of their ultimate weaponthe Church of me- Llewelyn was excommunicated again, and warned that if he did capitulate, his subjects would be absolved of all oaths of allegiance.

wh Llewelyn was not a man to repeat his mistakes; he'd learned n to fish and when to cut bait. He sent word to Henry that he and )564.

II.

the other Welsh Princes would come to Montgomery on the eighth of October, submit themselves to the English crown.

OCTOBER 8 was a Sunday, God's day. An autumn sun shone upon the surrounding hills with a mellow warmth, burning away the mists that had shrouded the valleys for days and revealing blazing oaks, maples dappled in russet and saffron. But the day's beauty only deepened Davydd's forebodings. His unease intensified with each mile that brought them closer to Montgomery. He could think of nothing but the tales he'd heard of his father's surrender at Aberconwy. How could he watch as Papa humbled himself to Henry? What would the English demand of Papa? Would men blame him, too, remembering he was Henry's kin, half Norman?

When the sun-silvered waters of the Severn came into view, Davydd could endure no more. Urging his mount forward, he reined in beside Llewelyn. "Papa, do you have to do this? Is there no other way? Why can we not withdraw up into Gwynedd?"

Llewelyn signaled for his companions to drop back. "Whilst it is true that my own domains are not endangered, that cannot be said of my allies. If we do not come to terms with the English, Maelgwn and Rhys Gryg and Owain risk losing all. And although Gwynedd is not yet threatened, my influence in Powys and Deheubarth is. By making peace now, we can still salvage something from this debacle. Henry has agreed to restore to the other Princes the lands they'd lost to Pembroke, and to"

"But what of you? You'll have to yield up those Shropshire castles, and Carmarthen and Cardigan, too! It's not fair, Papa, you know it's not!"

"I cannot pretend that I like losing those castles, Davydd. But I do not see that I have a choice . . . just the dubious consolation that we Welsh take as a tenet of faith, the understanding that no matter how grievous our troubles are, they can always get worse."

"Jesii, Papa, how can you jest? You've told me how John sought to shame you, to"

"Is that what you fear, another Aberconwy? Ah, no, lad. This is no life-or-death struggle; we're talking about a couple of castles, a loss face, no more than that. Most importantly, Henry is not John."

Davydd was still dubious, but upon their arrival at Montgomery discovered that his father was right, an astute judge of men. *v ^ Henry would later reveal his fair share of human failings, vindictive ^ was never among them. He was genuinely glad to accept Llewe ^^ submission, had no intention of turning the occasion into an ugly 565 lesson for the Welsh. Llewelyn was his sister's husband and therefore entitled to err. Henry pardoned the Welsh with artless generosity, with an ingenuous simplicity that was both his strength and his weakness, that he would never entirely outgrow.

Nor did Llewelyn's foes gloat openly over their victory, Pembroke because his antagonism toward Llewelyn was impersonal and thus without rancor, and Hubert de Burgh because he was dangerously dependent upon Henry's goodwill.

The Archbishop of Canterbury had already restored Llewelyn to God's grace, lifted the Interdict from Wales. All that remained to be done was to acknowledge the supremacy of the English crown, and this Llewelyn did, kneeling and pledging oaths of homage and fealty to the sixteen-year-old King.

It was nowhere near as painful as Davydd had expected, and he watched with great relief, grateful that Henry had not his father's vengeful nature, that Llewelyn's English alliesChester, John the Scot, Jack de Braosewere there to lend moral support.

As Maelgwn and Rhys Gryg came forward to swear fealty to Henry, Llewelyn crossed the hall, moved toward his son. "You see?" he said. "No lasting scars."

Davydd nodded. "I'm learning, Papa," he said, and Llewelyn grinned, "I'm counting upon that, Davydd." But as he glanced about the great hall, his smile faded. "Where's Gruffydd?"

"He walked out, Papa."

Llewelyn said nothing, for what was there to say? How long, he wondered, would he keep expecting more than Gruffydd could deliver? How long ere it stopped hurting?

HENRY and Hubert de Burgh were planning to erect another castle at Montgomery, and construction had already begun at the new site, a mile to the south of the existing motte and bailey. As he wandered aimlessly about the bailey, Gruffydd heard the boisterous sounds of eh