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

flowing hair, * did not look like a proper Norman to her, more like a Norse pirate leftain. She'd forgotten the aura of danger that clung to Gruffydd.en as a boy he'd had it, and he was no boy now, was very much a man.Neither Llewelyn nor Gruffydd seemed to want to end their em-

460brace. When they finally moved apart, both had tears in their eyes and both were laughing. Only then did Joanna start down the stairs."Welcome home, Gruffydd," she said, and smiled at him.Gruffydd did not return her smile. She was his father's wife, he could not forget that. But he could not forget, either, that he'd forfeited four years of his life because of her, because she would see her son as Llewelyn's heir."Yes, Madame," he said softly. "Gwynedd is indeed my home."GRUFFYDD entered the stables, set his lantern upon a stall gate, and knelt, holding out a savory beef bone. Math's tail twitched; he snatched the bone from Gruffydd's hand, retreated with it into the shadows. Gruffydd rose, but made no move to go. The raucous celebration of his return had not died down with the day's end, and after three years of solitary confinement, Gruffydd was overwhelmed by all the noise, the press of people. He'd once seen a young deer on the loose in Shrewsbury; he could better understand now the panic a woodland creature might feel in such alien surroundings, and he was not eager to return to the hall, to take center stage again. Gruffydd did not feel like a hero, not at all, just very tired, confused, and curiously let down.The stable door creaked and he glanced up, saw a small boy peering in at him.But he did not mind sharing his solitude with a child, and he gave the boy an encouraging smile."See that alaunt in the corner? Math was my dog once; I was sure he was the best dog in all of Christendom! I truly hated to leave him, and whenever I'd get too homesick, it would help to think of Math, to think how he'd welcome me home." Gruffydd settled back upon a bale of hay. "But I was gone four years.He does not even remember me."The child came closer. He was a thin youngster, with a thatch of untidy black hair, a shy smile, and a smudge of dirt on his nose. "Here, he said, thrusting something into Gruffydd's hand. "This is for you.Gruffydd held it up toward the lantern light. "A penny?""It's my lucky penny.""Then I cannot keep it, lad.""But I want you to," the boy protested, and squatted down beside Gruffydd. "Ido 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."

r461Gruffydd 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 eyesGruffydd 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 toLondon'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 inEngland, 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 v°u'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 toMath "^°^ 8row^e<^ l°w m lts throat "I do not want your bone, ' Davydd said, but the dog growled again He'd find Mama, that's

462r463what he'd do. Mama could tell him if there was truth in what Gruffy,^ said.The great hall was overflowing with people. Davydd had to squirm his way between them, trying not to tread upon the long, trailing skirts trying to avoid jostling elbows, spilling