Here Be Dragons - 1

by Sharon Kay Penman

  T 529 Qpportumty to raid into Cheshire with impunity, you are offering to make peace? Why?" "I'll not deny that your absence would enable me to seize an advantage But lf would be short-lived You're right, we have been enemies, but by geography, not by choice We each wield a great deal of power If we joined together, how much greater that power might be, great enough to protect our common interests, to give us a formidable say in the King's council " "Yes," Chester said slowly, "it would indeed " Although he was sure he already knew the answer, Llewelyn took care to observe the formalities, asking, "Well7 What do you think7" "I think," Chester said, "that we ought to talk " GRUFFYDD was utterly wretched at Worcester The suffocating sensations of confinement had come back to haunt his sleep He awoke in an English bed, craving Senena's warmth, dreading the daylight hours when he must mingle with men he despised, speak their alien tongue, watch as his father humbled himself before John's son As he crossed from sun into shadow, he paused, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the loss of light He was not sure what drew him so often to the priory church, but on three different occasions he'd found himself standing before the High Altar, before the tomb of the English King It gave him a curious kind of comfort to touch the cold marble of John's coffin Once he'd even spat onto it, knowing the gesture was childish and not caring in the least But as he moved now into the choir, he came to an abrupt halt, for he was not alone Two young boys were standing by John's coffin, a lone wall sconce spilling light onto their bowed heads, one bright as flame, the other black as jet His brother Davydd and the boy King Having offered a prayer, Henry carefully crossed himself, then reached out, ran his hand over the smooth surface of the tomb Davydd, to°, started to touch the coffin, but so tentatively that Henry said encouragingly, "Go ahead Papa would not mind You're his grandson, you have the right " At that, Davydd drew back My grandfather, he thought, and it did "ot seem real to him, not at all "Do you miss him7" he asked, and Hei*y nodded I did not see him all that often, but I always knew I would sooner ater Now, when I think that I'll never, never get to see him again, Betimes it it scares me " Uavydd gave Henry a look of sharp pity "You must miss your er/ too Why did she go7" He did not mean to be rude, but he

  520 found Isabella's mysterious departure very disturbing; it made him wonder if his own mother might not one day go back to England, leave him as Isabelle had left Henry. "I do not know," Henry admitted. "She" His head came up "Davydd," he whispered, "someone is watching us. Over there, see?" Davydd peered into the shadows. "It's my brother," he said, but the sudden tautness in his voice and stance communicated to Henry an inexplicable sense of unease. "Let's go," he urged, tugging at Davydd's sleeve. Davydd wanted to go, too, but he did not want Gruffydd to think he was running away. He circled around to the far side of the coffin. "Do you like your brothers, Henry?" Henry smiled at the silliness of the question. "Of course I do. I like Richard and Oliver best, and I love my little brother Dickon; he's nine, like you." "We Welsh have a saying about brothers," Davydd said, so loudly that Henry flinched. "Gwell ceiniog na brawd." "What does that mean?" "Better a penny than a brother." "I do not understand." "Gruffydd does." "Not so loud," Henry cautioned, "lest he hear you. I do not like being watched. Think you that we can slip out without him seeing us?" "No," Davydd said, but then he sighed. "It's all right. He's gone." One of the monks was moving sedately up the cloister walkway, toward the south door of the church. He stumbled backward as Gruffydd burst through the doorway, his box of candles spilling onto the cloister tiles. Gruffydd did not offer assistance; he'd not even noticed the man. He continued rapidly up the walkway, not pausing until he neared the Chapter House. At this time of day it would be empty/ would be a good place to be alone. He was reaching for the latch as the door swung open and his father and the Earl of Chester emerged onto the walkway. Llewelyn had often deplored his eldest son's sense of timing, but never more than now. "Were you looking for me, Gruffydd?" Gruffydd shook his head. They'd been laughing together; he even thought he'd heard his father call Chester by his Christian name, call him Ranulf as if he were a friend, a comrade-in-arms. "You know my son, of course, Ranulf," Llewelyn said, an Gruffydd stiffened. Ranulf. So he'd not imagined it. Ranulf. "Indeed. I was present at Dover Castle the day he defied King J° I've never forgotten it, for that was one of the most courageous a I've ever seen." In Chester's considered opinion, it was also one is a* of*6

  r 527 jjiost foolhardy, and he might have said that to Llewelyn But h (-jj-uffyddhe knew instinctively that this was one young man ^t. never learned to laugh at himself . "You might as well be the first to know," he said, and smiled . lord father and I have pledged to forget past differences, to act as t from this day forth " He heard Llewelyn's indrawn breath, and krv 'ples, his anger had turned inward, and he felt suddenly sick 'ost track of time when the creaking of the door jolted him upright,

  522 Wr 523 he'd hoped Chester would have the common sense to leave him al0n The door opened wider. Not Chester. Morgan. Llewelyn's mouth twitched, in what was almost a smile. "You i ways know when I have need of you. What have yousecond sight?-, Morgan shook his head. "Gruffydd has gone." Llewelyn closed his eyes again, then felt the priest's hand on h' shoulder. "What can I do, Morgan? He's my son. Christ Jesus, but vhat can I do?" 5 DOLWYDDELAN, NORTH WALES April 1220 JOANNA was accustomed to having her bedchamber appropriated whenever her husband required a particularly private meeting place. She was not accustomed, however, to being present at such times, and was attracting more than her share of curious, covert looks. When Ednyved sauntered over to her window seat, she murmured, "If I tell them I'm here at Llewelyn's bidding, will they stop staring at me as if I'm a Norman spy in their midst?" "Even after fourteen years in Wales, do you still know so little of our ways? They've never thought of you as a Norman spybut rather as an English one." Joanna bit her lip, but once more he'd won; she was unable to suppress a smile. She gestured for him to join her in the window seat, ma velingnot for the first timehow unlikely and yet how dear a "ien this man had become. Not that he'd changed any; he still had a stia tongue, a sardonic eye, and spared none the cutting edge of his h11"1. But now she caught the glint of amusement behind the heavy ' ' caught the echoes of affection. Now she knew that Ednyved vva* .^ ally, that he alone of her husband's friends did not want to see Gm - as Prince of North Wales. "Did Llewelyn tell you why he wants us all here like this. "You know Llewelyn better than that, Ednyved. When he's truly troubled, he keeps his own counsel." And Llewelyn was troubled, that loanna knew. So did Ednyved. They shared that awareness with no need of words, then glanced expectantly toward the door. But it was not Llewelyn. At sight of her son, Joanna half rose. "Davydd, you'd best come back later, after your father's council is done." "But Papa told me to come, Mama. He said I ought to be here." Davydd glanced uncertainly about the chamber. He knew all in the room very well, but he was somewhat self-conscious nonetheless, and was grateful when his mother slid over, made room for him beside her in the window seat. As flattered as he was to be here, he was nervous, too, as nervous as the first time Llewelyn had taken him hunting. Gruffydd had spoiled that memory for him; Davydd still flushed sometimes, remembering Gruffydd's scorn when he missed his target, shot his arrow a full foot over the roebuck's withers. But Gruffydd was not here now to mar his pleasure in this, his first inclusion into the world of politics and statecraft, into the world of men. "What does Papa want to tell us?" he whispered, and Joanna shook her head. "I would that I knew!" Llewelyn entered as she was speaking. He stood for an unusually lengthy time in the doorway, as if reluctant to enter, and once he was in the room, he seemed in no hurry to begin. He crossed to the table and picked up a wine cup, only to set it down untasted. The people in this chamber were those closest to him, those who'd celebrated his triumphs and endured his defeats, those who had the right to know what he meant to do. His eyes moved slowly from face to face. His brother Adda. Rhys. Morgan. Ednyved. Joanna. He could only hope they'd try to understand . . . and try to forgive. His gaze lingered the longest upon his son. Dav
ydd was now in his twelfth year, poised for entry into the uncharted terrain that lay between boyhood and manhood. A child and yet not a child, this youngest s°n of his. When he

  finally spoke, it was to Davydd. "What can you tell me, Davydd, about the English laws of inheritance?" Flustered to find himself suddenly the cynosure of all eyes, Davydd durted out, "The eldest son gets all," only then to be seized with °ubts, with the sinking sensation that he'd misfired another arrow. But s «ther nodded, as if satisfied. L|e You/re right, lad. That is the crux of it, the heart of the matter." agteVelyn/S eyCS Ieft the boy' shifted toward the others. "I think we'd all e 'hat ours is a more just way. We do not leave younger sons to gain am

  524 their bread as best they can; we divide a man's holdings equa]i amongst all his sons. But Scriptures say a kingdom divided against its ]i shall be made desolate. Is that not so, Morgan?" He did not wait for confirmation. "I've ofttimes spoken to you my grandfather, Joanna. But I've not said much of his brother. The was naught but envy and dissension between them, a sharp rivalry th lasted the whole of their lives. And when my grandfather died, his son fought for Gwynedd, not against the English, but against each other My father was slain by his own kindred." He turned away from the table, moved toward the center of the room. "Ours is a bloody past, but no bloodier than that of Powys and Deheubarth. There, too, a prince's death inevitably brought about the same slaughter, brother against brother. Verily, a man reading our history might well conclude that Cain and Abel, too, were Welsh That is the ugliest of our legacies, that the sons of our princes must seize power over the bodies of their brothers. It is not a legacy I want to leave my sons." "What you say is true, Llewelyn. It is not in man's nature to share a kingdom. And because it is not, Welsh princes love their brothers not Indeed, had I been born whole of body, the affections of our boyhood might not have survived the ambitions of our manhood. A disquieting thought, that, but who is to say? Yet there is nothing to be done about it Our ways are not always easy, but they are ancient and revered, and above all, they are ours." "You're wrong, Adda. There is something I can do. Amongst God's Commandments, which one says that the laws of Hywel the Good cannot be changed?" A shocked silence greeted so blasphemous a suggestion. Why were men so set upon clinging to the past at all costs? Why did the phrase "as it's always been done" give them such false comfort? Llewelyn's was an old and familiar impatience, made all the sharper now by his anxiety, and he said abruptly, almost defiantly, "I do not expect you to agree with me. But so be it. I summoned you here to tell you that I have decided to bequeath my realm to one son, as the English kings do. Davydd heard his mother whisper, "Oh, dear God," and there was so much fear in her voice that he was suddenly afraid, too, both or w his father would say next and of shaming himself before an audience adults. He sat very still, scarcely breathing, thinking not of crowns an kingdoms but of Gruffydd, the firstborn son, the Welsh-born son, best-loved. ^ "Our people love you well, Llewelyn. But in this you ask too ^ I do not think they'll willingly forsake a custom so deeply rooted m ^ past, accept in its stead the practice of our enemies. To men rea

  525 concept of equality amongst sons, such a change would be both alien and offensive " Even before Morgan had finished speaking, both Rhys and Adda ere noddmg in vigorous agreement Ednyved, too, looked exceedingly Hubious "There's truth in that, Llewelyn It will not be easy " "I know," Llewelyn conceded "That is why it must be done in my 1 fehme People will need time to come to terms with it, as with any new Hea But I think they can be made to see that it is for Gwynedd's good Surely none amongst you can argue that it benefits a kingdom to have it split asunder by civil war " "The common sense of what you say cannot be denied," Adda said, and then smiled thinly "But men heed other voices than reason I see, however, that your mind is set upon this, upon naming Gruffydd as your sole heir, and so" "No," Llewelyn said "Not Gruffydd Davydd " "Me7" Davydd gasped, sat suddenly upright, then flushed as he realized they were all staring at him Joanna reached over, squeezed his arm, but her eyes never left Llewelyn's, he had seen such a look upon her face once before, the very first time he'd kissed her Ednyved was smiling, but Rhys and Adda looked appalled, and Morgan, who understood, looked neither surprised nor judgmental, just unutterably sad "Do not speak of this yet, not even to your wives," Llewelyn said before either Adda or Rhys could recover, could burst out with impassioned arguments upon Gruffydd's behalf As he'd hoped, they were constrained by Davydd's presence Ednyved now cued the others by nsmg, they reluctantly followed suit 'Papa " Davydd was still dazed "Papa, I'll make you proud, I will " ' You'd better," Llewelyn said, and the boy gave him a radiant smile He looked slight, almost frail, when compared to Gruffydd at the same age Although Davydd was still quite young, Llewelyn did not think it likely he'd ever approach Gruffydd's uncommon height, and he could never hope to match Gruffydd's strength But he'd once puncred his hand upon a nail, and when his playmates panicked, he Calmly walked a half-mile for help, with the nail protruding from his " m And Llewelyn had known for several years now that of his eight chl'dren, Davydd had by far the best brain u Uavydd was the last to depart Joanna stood for a moment with him n the porch, not speaking, just sharing Then she turned, went back ne chamber where Davydd had been born, where Llewelyn Wa'ted her Tk ^'ddl 6V k°tl1 move^ toward each other at once, came together in the e °f the room "Beloved, what can I say7 I know that my joy is

  526 your painknow, too, how very difficult a decision it was. In truth, Llewelyn, you are a remarkable man." Llewelyn tightened his arms around her. "No," he said, his voice muffled in her hair. "No, I am a man who is going to lose his son." LLEWELYN had dreaded nothingnot even his surrender to John at Aberconwyas much as he dreaded telling his son. And it proved to be even more of an ordeal than he expected. Gruffydd listened in unnerving silence, never taking his eyes from Llewelyn's face, eyes filled with such stunned disbelief that Llewelyn found his throat tightening, his own eyes stinging. "The cantref of Meirionydd has been mine since my cousin Hywel's death. I am giving it now to you, Gruffydd. Also the lordship of Ardudwy. And in time, mayhap even" "Why?" "As I told you, lad, Gwynedd has to be kept intact. It is the only way we can hope to resist English incursions, to" "Why Davydd? Why Davydd and not me?" "Davydd is the nephew of the English King. That will afford him some degree of influence at the English court, for Henry gives great weight to blood ties. And they are of an age, have taken a liking to one another. That, too, might one day work to our advantage." "I know you love her. But you loved my mother, too. I am your firstborn. And lest you forget, I was four years as an English prisoner for you, Papa, for you!" Some of Gruffydd's control cracked. "Does that now count for nothing?" Llewelyn flinched, but he did not relent. "I know you suffered on my account. But I cannot allow that to unbalance the scales, not when so much is at stake." "Do not do this to me, Papa. All my life I've sought to please you, to make you proud of me. And I... I thought you were!" "I am proud of you. There is no man in Christendom I'd rather have by my side in a battle." Llewelyn drew a constricted breath. "But I cannot let you rule in my stead. I cannot let you destroy yourself in a war you could never win." His voice changed, steadied. "And I cannot le you destroy Gwynedd. I will not prove my love by the loss of Wels independence." "What independence? You've turned Wales into an English fief,an yourself into an English lackey!" "I know what I've taken from you, do not begrudge you your a ger. But your bitterness will change nothing, Gruffydd, and that is you must try to understand, to accept."

  r 527 "Must I indeed' I think not, my lord Prince, I think not1 You're not |Ugt denying me my birthright I have a son of my own now, or have you forgotten7 What of Owain, what of his right7" Gruffydd was blinded by tears, but they were tears now of rage He turned away, and Llewelyn caught his arm "Gruffydd, wait'" Gruffydd wrenched free "Tell your woman and her half-breed son to savor their victory whilst they can1" Llewelyn made no further attempt to hold him "When your anger cools, I hope you will remember what I am about to say nowthat you will always have a place at my court, m my life, in
my heart " Gruffydd was already at the door "Rot in Hell," he said, and sobbed "Rot in Hell'" AS Joanna and Llewelyn left the abbey, crossed the stone bridge into Shrewsbury, Joanna felt uncomfortably conspicuous It seemed strange to her that they should be ndmg so peacefully along a route Llewelyn had once followed in war Llewelyn, however, did not share her selfconsciousness He was indifferent to the stares of the townspeople, had been amused that they should be staying in the very abbey guest-house once fired by Welsh arrows As they turned onto the street called Altus Vicus, he nonchalantly pointed toward the High Cross, telling her that was where he'd accepted the surrender of Shrewsbury "Of course, that wall was not there then," he said, gesturing toward the structure in progress, stones were being mortared in horizontal layers under the supervision of masons, while men hoisted buckets of rubble up onto the scaffolding to fill in the space between the inner and outer faces of the wall "The citizens of Shrewsbury can thank me for their new wall In the past, the crown was never willing to put up the money needed to wall the city in " "So you're saying you did the townspeople a favor by attacking fhem?' Joanna was delighted by Llewelyn's laughter, for she'd heard it 50 seldom in the past month, not since Gruffydd had left the court "I as so proud of Davydd yesterday," she confided, seeing again in her md s eye the ceremony in which Henry formally took his nephew un- r the protection of the English crown, acknowledged Davydd as Lle- /n s heir "Henry seemed to enjoy it, too He has quite a liking for felt r^' cannot walt feH nis coronation on the seventeenth I think he cheated before, not being crowned at Westminster like our other Kiiigs" ),e lr other kings, if you please, Madame," Llewelyn objected, but s sirulmg "Should you like to attend the coronation, Joanna7"