Here Be Dragons - 1 Sharon Penman (paper ebook reader .TXT) 📖

but a day's hard ride from Nottingham. I should like to visit with my lady mother. Have I your permission to leave the court?""I see." John subjected his son to a thoughtful, probing scrutiny. At asthe said, with obvious reluctance, "If that be your wish."Until that moment Richard had not admitted to himself just how uch he wanted to get away. "Thank you, Papa," he said, adding as Usually as he could, "It'll not be dark till well past nine. I think I'll make e °f the hours of daylight remaining, and leave now."John merely nodded. But as Richard reached the door, he said sudn'y/ "Richard. . . you do mean to come back?"

378Richard's hand tightened on the door latch. "Yes, Papa, of course I do."Wondering if he had a choice. Wondering, too, if he truly wanted one.John moved to the window, watched Richard cross the bailey. He did not like this request of Richard's, not at all, but something in his son's face had warned him not to refuse. Not once had Richard met his eyes, not once.Mayhap he should have tried to explain, to make Richard see why it had to be done. But why was it not obvious to Richard? Of what earthly value were hostages unless men knew they'd be sacrificed if need be? Now when he demanded hostages from Huntingdon and de Clare, from all those he suspected, they'd take great care to please him, to stay loyal. They'd learn from Llewelyn's fatal mistake.He glanced over at the gallows. A moment later he was at the door, shouting for a messenger. He had not long to wait; he'd never been obeyed with such haste as he was in these hours after the hangings."I have a message for you to deliver, one of great urgency. You're to leave now for Wales."The courier paled, guessing what was coming. "Wales, my liege? Llewelyn ab lorwerth?"John was indifferent to the man's alarm. "Yes. I want you to tell him of the hangings. I want him to know that his hostages are dead."jlDOLWYDDELAN, NORTH WALESAugust 1212I OANNA had moved a stool close to the bed, an for more than an hour she watched Llewelyn as he slept. His was sleep of utter exhaustion; he'd not stirred for the past three hours, even when Joanna removed his boots. The longer he slept, the m difficult it was for her to keep still. The urge to awaken him was bee

379jng all but overwhelming, for they'd been apart for more than a fortnight, and never had her need to talk to him been so urgent.But she dreaded it, too. What if she could not make him understand? In warning her father of the conspiracy against him, she'd been thinking of Llewelyn's safety as much as John's. Hers had not been an act of impulse. It was born of despair and fear and an anguish of spirit that only one who'd faced her choices could ever understand. If she did nothing, there was a very real possibility that her father might be walking into a lethal trap. Yet if she warned him of the danger, she might be taking from Llewelyn his only edge, the advantage that might spare his life, his realm. For she knew that if her father won this war, Llewelyn would die.In the end, she'd sent the most trusted of her servants to John, because she could not do otherwise, because she loved her father, because there was a chance that her warning might stop a war. But now she had to tell Llewelyn what she'd done, and she was not at all sure he would forgive her.Llewelyn's lashes flickered, and she leaned over, kissed him on the mouth. He opened his eyes, smiled at her. But then he glanced down, saw how shadows were chasing sunlight across the floor rushes."Why did you not awaken me ere this, Joanna?"As he sat up, she slid her arms around his waist. "Do not get up, not yet."There was nothing either of playfulness or seduction in her voice; she sounded so plaintive that he turned, held her close for a moment."I do not understand it, Joanna. I know John gave the command to gather atChester on the nineteenth. Three full days ago. Yet my scouts report no movement on the roads, nothing." He had his boots on by now, and as he rose to his feet, Joanna's hand tightened convulsively on his arm. He gave her a quizzical look, and her fingers unclenched; she le' him go.He picked up his sword and scabbard, buckled it at his hip. "Did I 'ell you the latest word from the south? Rhys Gryg has taken and burned Swansea.""Does it matter, Llewelyn? My father is not leading his army §a'nst Rhys Gryg or Maelgwn. It is Gwynedd he means to invade. It is y°u he means to destroy."^ He glanced toward her, but said nothing. She knew she should ^Ve kept silent. That was not what he wanted to hear. He truly be-God d *is Was a war he could win' He had to believe that- she wou'd to ^ *e could believe it, too.rr,^ lewelyn had reached the door. But something in Joanna's face him pause, come back to her. "I know how you're hurting," he

380said, and Joanna put her arms around his neck, clung tightly. She'd rarely seen him look so tired; his dark eyes were bloodshot, swollen from lack of sleep, and his skin was rough and scratchy against her throat. She did not mind, but Llewelyn rubbed his chin, said ruefully, " expect you'll want me to shave ere we go to bed tonight?""That depends upon what you do have in mind," she said, and he grinned."After a fortnight apart, need you even ask?"Joanna managed an answering smile, but it was as strained as her banter.Mayhap she should wait, not tell him until after they made love. But the longer she delayed, the harder it would get. And if he ever