Kingdom of Dragons

by Anna St George

  “Yeah,” said Trystan. “It’s haunted.

  Pryderi rolled his eyes. “He’s a strange old fellow with odd habits.”

  “He’s a wizard! He practices magic,” said Trystan.

  “Will you shut up!” said Pryderi.

  “Does he really practice magic?” asked Gwen.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” said Pryderi. “You can’t believe everything you hear and you don’t believe in all that stuff do you?”

  “I do,” said Trystan.

  Pryderi grimaced. “You would.”

  “Why do you use a dragon symbol? I’ve always thought them to be evil creatures.”

  “Well Gwen, dragons have been part of the myths and legends of the Isles for hundreds of years.”

  “Yes, I know. But why?”

  “Well they represent a fierce creature and only the superior could subdue it,” said Pryderi. “And I do know of one tale that tells of two dragons in a battle; one is red and one is white. Apparently the red dragon symbolizes Wales and the white the Anglo Saxons. I guess they were known to be one of the most fearsome creatures to mankind and they were overcome by the Welsh.”

  “And you said Lord Wylde has the emblem of a white dragon.”

  “Well, red and white he has both Welsh and Anglo Saxon ancestry from his father.”

  “Oh, of course,” said Gwen.

  “Look, there’s our road,” said Pryderi. Just to the left was a neat dusty road that swept upward into green meadows, past an ancient forest and the hills beyond. “We’re not far now,” said Pryderi.

  They moved onto the road surrounded in meadows of green and after a while the road was lined by trees on both sides as they rode deeper into a road lined with fir trees and they rode in silence except for the occasional singing of birds in the nearby trees. Gwen wondered as they rode along if anyone else lived out there for it seemed lonely and barren of life. “Does anyone else live out here? It’s seems so barren.”

  “The caretaker of Dinefwr and his wife who is the housekeeper, the stable master, the cook and of course Lord Wylde. There aren’t many. It’s a lonely place,” said Pryderi.

  Gwen was feeling rather tired and the moon was now clear in the sky above them and she was most anxious to reach Dinefwr and she peered around each winding corner expectantly hoping to see some sign of Dinefwr but there was nothing but the road ahead and another corner to move around. They rode along this winding road for some time when suddenly the road sloped upward and Gwen noticed the mist seemed to thicken and the trees closed in and the local wildlife made strange noises. Then Gwen suddenly noticed strange patches of what seemed like burnt ground where the trees were gone. The ground looked like it had been totally singed and Gwen thought perhaps a house had been burnt to the ground but there were odd patches like this as they got closer to the castle. “How much further is it?”

  ““Speaking of Dinefwr, there is the castle now,” said Trystan.

  Gwen looked up and all she could see was the mist above the trees but after a moment or two she spied the shape of a few spires and the mist thickened again covering her discovery and painful curiosity. She sighed with regret and kept watching and every now and again the ghostly silhouette of a castle appeared as they moved closer and then suddenly without warning two giant dragon statues filtered through the mist and Gwen gasped and Pryderi and Trystan laughed.

  “We’re at the gates of Dinefwr. Don’t worry they’re only statues,” said Pryderi.

  Gwen cringed as she rode past the two large statues. They were large detailed statues and every bit as frightening as she imagined dragons to be with fierce eyes and large teeth, scales like armour and long pointed tails and outstretched wings. The eyes seemed to study her and Gwen kept looking back at it until it disappeared into the mist. “

  “We’re at the bridge and you should see the castle just about . . . now.”

  Gwen paused and waited and she sighed with frustration when nothing appeared. “You know I’m beginning to believe this place doesn’t exist!” At those words the castle appeared out of the mist again like some fearsome creature. There it was in all its magnificence and splendour staring back at Gwen. And how they managed to reach its gates without little inclination was a total mystery. It was now in clear view. She surmised an awesome Gothic structure with magnificent walls of dark coloured stone resting on the hills with dark spires elevating into the sky. It had several towers, arched windows and the soft mist lingered around it. It was the kind of castle where legends were created.

  Gwen said nothing for nearly a minute. “It’s amazing and I agree with you. It is very eccentric.”

  “So is its owner,” said Pryderi as they entered the long narrow bridge leading to the front of the castle. They were a long way up and a mist moved around the road and as Gwen looked over the side of the bridge she could see nothing below but mist and she suddenly felt like she was floating in the air as they moved over the bridge. The mist encompassed her removing all sense of direction as they rode the length of the bridge and Gwen thought they would never get to the other side but suddenly a large wooden door appeared. It had unique carvings around it of a knight and dragons and with intrigue Gwen dismounted the horse. They had reached the front of the castle and a stable master and his son came to greet them and take the horses and the caretaker opened the front door. “Welcome to Dinefwr,” he smiled warmly.

  “I’m here to see Lord Wylde,” said Pryderi.

  “Of course sir. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen you sir. Come inside out of the cold. The caretaker’s eyes scoured the visitors and he ushered them into the hall and they moved inside and instantly the warmth was relaxing and Gwen spotted a simple wooden chair and felt like she could collapse in it for the night. He closed the heavy wooden door with a loud clunk that echoed off the stone walls. Then he headed down a long dark corridor and Gwen and the others followed behind him.

  They waited in silence and Gwen’s eyes drifted upward to the vaulted ceilings and the walls which were decorated in brilliant swords and tapestries of rich dark colours and the dragon emblem of Wales. There were three candles on a side table and Gwen thought she would just about faint for sheer tiredness when the caretaker returned. “Follow me,” was all he said and the three tired travellers followed him down a long dark winding hallway and Gwen could see a faint light and she could hear the rippling sound of embers burning in a fireplace and she could feel the warmth before they entered the room.

  It was a large open room, and Gwen thought it seemed dark and oppressive with very little light and Gwen noticed a staircase winding around to the second floor with dragon sculptures on the posts. There were dragon banners and a dragon painting on the wall and suddenly Gwen saw Lord Wylde seated in a large chair by the hearth with a cat on his lap. A fire was roaring away heartily and Gwen saw that the sides of the fireplace had dragons sculpted into it with delicate work and the dragon’s eyes seemed to study her carefully and at that moment Lord Wylde spoke without looking up at them. “It’s good to see you Pryderi. How is your father?”

  “He’s fine sir.”

  “Is he still in France?”

  “Yes, sir.” He is. Probably not much longer now.”

  “Of course, the kingdom situation is heating up through the breath of the dragon. It won’t be long now. The kingdoms of Britain are in turmoil as the Dragon Lord’s take their place.” His head turned and he saw Gwen and he quickly rose to his feet. He stared at her momentarily and Gwen studied him as well and just as Pryderi said, he was very eccentric. He was tall and slim and he wore a dark leather fur trimmed cloak over dark trousers and he was in fact handsome for an older man of which Gwen calculated he was in his forties. His hair was long and Gwen was certain that if she let her hair out of the braided twist his hair would be almost as long and it was a nice dark brown colour flecked with grey tones. He had nice high bony cheekbones, a clean shaven face, and a pair of mystical blue eyes; dragon’s eyes. She knew the ladies of his time would hav
e been seeking his attention.

  He grinned at Gwen warmly and as he grabbed her hand she noticed a chunky gold ruby ring on his left hand and around his neck he wore a thick gold chain with an unusual misty blue stone in the middle that reminded Gwen of the eye of a dragon. He kissed her hand softly all the while his mysterious eyes were examining her and finally he spoke. “What a delightful creature! You are beautiful mi’lady and I say lady for I calculate that you are indeed the daughter of a Lord. I never would have guessed from first glance in those fitted suede trousers and nicely fitted jerkin that reveals such a scrumptious figure, but upon closer inspection of your demeanour, the way you stand so straight and tall and your fair immaculate skin, I can see you are indeed a highborn lady of fine breeding.” He seemed very impressed and Gwen blushed. No one had ever before told her she was a delightful creature or that she had a scrumptious figure. Merry would certainly laugh for sure when she tells her.

  “Thank you sir. You’re very kind.”

  “Ahh, the angel has a sweet voice,” he replied.

  “Allow me sir to introduce, Lady Gwendolyn of Berwyck, daughter of Eustace Godwyn, Earl of Northumbria. And this is Lord Elidir Wylde, Earl of Dinefwr.

  “A pleasure sir,” she curtsied.

  He bowed like she was a queen and Gwen blushed again. “The pleasure is mine, Lady Gwendolyn,” he said dramatically as if he was an actor in a play. “Well, I am truly honoured,” he bowed. “Gwendolyn, what a lovely name and you are very lovely my dear. It has been a long time since anything as lovely as you has crossed the threshold in these halls and I’m sorry there was no formal reception mi’lady. If I had known you were coming I would have greeted you with a most elegant display of splendour. You see Pryderi’s father and I are like brothers. No formal receptions between us.”

  “You don’t have to apologize sir.”

  “Oh but I do, and I promise I will make it up to you. Shall we proceed to the dining hall?” he asked holding his arm up for Gwen and she rested her delicate hand over his long bony fingers.” He kissed her hand again and winked and Gwen noticed Pryderi and Trystan were smiling with amusement. Each room in the castle was unusual with odd trinkets, statues and carvings and dark tones and the dining room was no different and Gwen walked into a room that had a long wooden table with high backed chairs made of dark wood and several candles glowed throughout the room and Gwen couldn’t help but think of Sir Trystan’s description of him as eccentric as they took a seat at the table “You must all be famished after such a long journey. How did you manage such a journey on horseback, Lady Gwendolyn?”

  “Quite well,” Gwen responded as they headed to the dining hall. “My brother Daniel taught me how to ride when I was very young.”

  “Ahh, yes, and are you the youngest?”

  “Yes, I am.”

  “I am the youngest of four brothers. My eldest brother fled to Spain to marry the woman of his dreams, the second brother died of a fever and my third brother was killed in the last crusade. So I have been left to walk in my father’s footsteps. Who would have thought the youngest would be the one to carry on the family title?”

  “Interesting indeed sir.”

  They were seated in the dining hall and Gwen was impressed as she surmised the table setting of roasted meats and vegetables, fresh vines leaves and carrots and roasted onions, fresh herbs and spices. It all smelled divine and there was a flask of mulled wine and Gwen collapsed into the chair with gratitude and listened to Pryderi and Lord Wylde talk of old times. And as she listened to this old Lord/knight talk of wild adventures she was impressed with such a man who had a passion for life and she began to wonder why he never married and how he ended up as a supporter of Luther Wyvern.

  “I’ll never forget the time your father came here. It was almost twenty five years ago now and he came to stay and back in those days Dinefwr was known for its lavish feasting and entertainment. My father for the first time in his life began to see the importance of my presence in the family. You see, I would be his heir as my eldest brother had run off and the other two had died prematurely. A few nights after Pryderi’s father arrived I held a ball here in the Great Hall and he and I stood on the battlements and watched as the young ladies arrived in their horse drawn coaches, beautiful ladies from the seven regions of the kingdom. They all looked exquisite and it was one of those magical nights you never wanted to end. The moon had a magical glow about this particular night as if it was watching over the hearts of men to touch them with an enchanting song of love eternal.” Gwen listened with delight and it showed in her eyes with a soft glow. “It was the first time Pryderi’s father met his mother. And it was also the first time I met the lovely Lillian Wyvern.” Gwen looked at Pryderi and he smiled warmly. “Yes, Pryderi’s father, Aneurin first saw Rosalyn as he stood on the battlements and she stepped out of her coach like an enchanted princess and I knew from the sparkle in their eyes that this was no ordinary glance. This was something powerful that only the magic of love could create. And Pryderi has heard this story every time he comes to visit but he never seems to bore of me telling it.”

  “Please do,” said Pryderi. “You have such a beautiful way of telling it.”

  “Well, they stared at each other for several moments and he nudged me and said, who is that delightful creature that has just bewitched my heart? Well I grinned with amusement for Aneurin was one hard nut to crack. He was very handsome and all the ladies seemed to fall for him but his heart had never gone to anyone in particular and even with all the chivalrous flirtations he enjoyed amongst the ladies of Wales and the English courts. Being the Prince of Gwynedd, he would be one fine catch to some fortunate lady. That night they were introduced and it was as if the angels of heaven themselves were smiling on them. They danced all evening and he wouldn’t let her out of his sight. The following day as she readied to leave, they made promises to see each other again, and I wondered if he would keep his word.” He smiled at Gwen warmly and took a sip of his wine and she waited for him to continue but he did not.

  “Then what happened?” asked Gwen.

  “Well, everyone had an enjoyable time and went home the next day. But alas as our words often do, they test us and this was no different in that respect. The promise he made was tested for his father kept him busy and he was sent to France for a time when his father was establishing a merchant contract. But as destiny often does it throws us in the right direction when we’ve been seemingly going the wrong way and he met up with her again. They felt just as strongly for each other and married within six months. The rest is history. So you see my dear, the walls of this castle have seen the light of love lit many times. That was only one example.”

  “Really?” said Gwen with a blushing glow. “How romantic. And what about the Lady Lillian?”

  “Not every romance has a happy ending,” he said sadly.

  “I truly am sorry,” said Gwen feeling his pain for this was a theme common in the lives of many she knew.

  “You see young Gwendolyn, I met Lillian Wyvern for the first time that night but the odds were against us. I came from a clan of lion supporters and she is the sister of Luther Wyvern. And I can assuredly tell you that he was very much opposed to the idea of his sister wedding into the Wylde clan.”

  “The Duke of Redforte?” questioned Gwen with wide eyes.

  “Yes,” he replied. “I tried my hardest to prove myself worthy of her hand. I competed in tournaments and trained as a knight. But nothing would impress her brother. Eventually we took vows in a secret ceremony at Cardiff as consent for marriage was never officially approved and it didn’t stop her brother from taking her away. He and my father never saw eye to eye. They hated each other and he swore several times he would kill my father and well eventually my father was killed in battle. If I got methodical about it I could take apart every step of what happened and point my finger at the duke and claim him responsible for my father’s death but it wouldn’t bring him back and it wouldn’t have secured me
Lillian either.”

  “But you were a supporter of the Duke?” asked Gwen boldly remembering what Pryderi and Trystan had told her.

  “Yes, that’s correct. I laid down my family crest and joined the Black Duke after Luther took Lillian away. It was a choice that gave me many enemies but there were many reasons I chose to do such a thing, and one of them I can tell you was the hope of taking his sister home as my wife but he wouldn’t relent. He never gave us consent and so I came back here in defeat unable to release her from his grip. My love for Dear Lillian will always live in my heart.”

  “How very sad and what happened to Lillian?”

  “Her brother married her off to one of my worst enemies, Sir Wolf Ulric and I came back here to look after Dinefwr and devote myself to my studies.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry for me, my dear,” he smiled whimsically. “Now eat up and drink your wine. It will help you sleep.” And as Gwen picked up the goblet she suddenly heard a loud roaring noise coming from somewhere underneath them. It was loud, rumbling, roaring. “What on earth is that?” she asked and she looked around.

  “Just the wind,” said Lord Wylde.

  “Oh,” said Gwen but she knew it wasn’t the wind.

  “It wasn’t windy when we came up the road,” said Pryderi. And Gwen was glad that he too noticed something odd about the noise.

  “It’s a strange place,” said Lord Wylde. “The wind rises up without warning. Perhaps you should all get some rest. You look tired.”

  “What about the reason you called me here?” asked Pryderi. “Why did you want to see me?”

  Wylde laughed. “There’s plenty of time tomorrow. Why don’t you go and get some rest. It’s almost midnight.”

  They finished the meal and as they left the room Lord Wylde pulled Pryderi back.” Rhaid i mi gael gair gyda chi/ I need to speak with you.”

  “Wrth gwrs/Of course,” replied Pryderi. “Pryd/When?”