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

understanding of political matters, n fortunate forGwynedd that Davydd and not you shall rule in Lie*' lyn's stead."Gruffydd caught his breath. "Just what do you want from me.This was not going as she'd hoped it would. Gruffydd was fun ^ but so far he was keeping his voice as low as hers; they'd yet to a attention. Moreover, she was finding it harder than she'd exp'iected<provoke a quarrel in cold blood, to insult without the excuse ofang*

585"There is no mystery, Gruffydd. You remember that davi , n, at CnciethCastle, that day you deliberately baited Lle^^'S that crazed stallion? I knew that was not mischance, knew whlTyou hal in mind, letting a poor dumb brute do your killing for you I ^could not prove it... until now." y )Ust couldGruffydd was on his feet before she could finish speaking "That's a lie, an accursed Norman lie!" 8Joanna rose, too. Heads were turning now, swiveling in response to Gruffydd s shout. From the corner of her eye, she saw Llewelyn and Ednyved entenng the hall. But she saw, too, that Senena was hastening toward them. She reached out, put a hand upon Gruffydd's arm as! seeking to placate him, and said softly, "As I said, I have proof One oSffiESL? me'confessed he found a splked bu" -d- *eShe got no further. Gruffydd's outrage, his sense of injustice and mjury overrode all else, swept aside the last shreds of his restra nt He d always suspected Joanna of trying to poison Llewelyn's mind against,m, but in his worst imaginings he'd never expected her to concfc so latant, so brazen a lie. Had she been a man, he'd have already exacted his vengeance. But his was a society in which women were not tote subjected to violence. Even now the ingrained discipline of a iLtime held, and he dld the only thing he could do, flung the content o his wine cup into Joanna's face.utterJOanndnaah8a?Prd; ^ 1Jln8efhad to feign a^r. "You're a lunatic, an u v The h . I ^ Cried' baCking ^ fri8htened by his ury _The hall was in pandemonium; through a roaring in her ears she in IT! rTg' S3W a Wur °f shocked faces' * registering Scheed he t I*? ^ jUSt ^And then LleweVhal h s la h ^?' T She f°rg0t the PretenSC' for§ot she had sprune Sd pu'reTete!" """^ ^ ** 3rmS With 3 heartfdt' "Th-?he sZ°nU're n0t !!Urt?" He W3ited °nly for her to shake her head before or yl found" t0 C°nfr0nt,hiS S0n' "A" y°Ur Hfe IVe made «cuses not even bT80"8 CXplain '^^ ^ deran8ed behavi°r- I can-Cer^ BT"^ timeS 1Ve OVerl°°ked ^ temP«s, your unde s. But no more. This time you'll answer for what you've done "^ But it was not my fault!"^uniableT1" 1S/ ^ "? Y°U/re alWayS the in'Ured innocent' never ace«1s wi h h'y°Ur °Wn aCti0nS' It/S 3S " y°Ur Cntire history be& and'*» yl rs a^VT ^ 8P6nt EngHsh PriS°nS- Wdl' that was thiyears ago/ Gruffydd, and my patience has at last run out "Vi*hTmen,aorUUgging frantkally 3t Gruffydd's arm- "Do not argue mm, love, Ibeg you. Do not say what you may later regret!"

586Gruffydd ignored her, did not even hear her. "Your patience? What of mine? You talk of making excuses for me. What do you think I've had to do for you? I've watched for years as you shamed yourself, shamed us all, watched and could do nothing about it. I do not know why this last surrender surprised me so.You're so eager to stay in the good graces of the English King that nothing else matters to you . . . least of all, pride. I once accused her"he pointed toward Joanna"of bewitching you, and you denied it. But how else explain your actions? You demean yourself before the English King, allow de Burgh andPembroke to humiliate you, to""That is enough, Gruffydd!""What do you call it, if not humiliation? You can posture all you want, boast that you're a brother sovereign of the Scots King, but the truth is that you've shackled us to the English throne, made us vassals of John's son. And yet we're likely to look back upon your reign as the Golden Age of Gwynedd, in comparison with what would befall us under Davydd! Christ, Papa, you must see him for what he is, a craven weakling, a pampered milksop who'd panic at the first hint of trouble, and yet you'd have him over me! You'd forsake your firstborn, abandon our ancient laws of inheritance, and all to please aNorman-French bedmate!""I do see Davydd for what he is, and I see you for what you are, irresponsible and willful and foolish beyond belief. You talk of governing Gwynedd, and yet you cannot even govern your own temper. You're a child, Gruffydd, a child at two and thirty, and it is time you faced the truth. I would never have turnedGwynedd over to you. Should evil befall Davydd in my lifetime, I'll chooseTegwared then, or even Adda's son. But not you, never you, for you'd blunder into a war you could never win, destroy the work of a lifetime in less than a twelvemonth."Gruffydd was stunned. "You'd do that? You'd truly choose Tegwared over me?""Yes." Llewelyn's voice was very cold. "If it came to that, I would.In the silence that followed, Gruffydd could hear the ragged, la' bored sound of his own breathing; it seemed so loud to him that he feared others, too, might hear. Senena was plucking again at his sleeve/ her eyes were wet with tears. "Beloved, please. Come away now.""Not yet." His voice sounded strange to him, as if coming from a distance. "So you do not think I'm fit to rule? Well, go ahead, have Davydd acknowledged by the English, by the Pope, the Marcher lordsThe Lord Jesus Himself can anoint him, for all I care. For it will avail yo naught, old man. Your power stops this side of the