Stephen Lawhead - Taliesin

“And she thought about this for a long time, and was still thinking when Arawn awoke and spoke to her. When she did not answer, he spoke to her again and a third time, saying, ‘Woman, why do you not speak to me?’

“ ‘I tell you the truth,’ she answered, ‘I have not spoken this much for a year under these circumstances!’

“ ‘My lady,’ he said, ‘I Believe we have talked continually.’

“ ‘Shame on me,” the queen replied, ‘if from the moment we went between the sheets there was either pleasure or talk between us, or even your facing me-much less anything more than that!-for the past year.’

“ ‘Gods in heaven and earth,’ thought Arawn, ‘what a unique man I found to befriend me. Such strong and unwavering friendship shall be rewarded.’ And he explained all that had happened to his wife, telling her the entire adventure.

“ ‘I confess,’ she said when he had finished, ‘when it comes to fighting temptation and keeping true to you, you had a solid hold on a fellow.’

“Meanwhile, Pwyll came to his own realm and began to query his nobles about how their fortunes had fared during the last year. ‘Lord and king,’ they said, ‘your discernment has never been so good, never have you been so kind and amiable, and never more ready to spend your gain for the good of your people. In truth, your rale has never been better than this past year. Therefore, we thank you most heartily.’

“ ‘Oh, do not thank me,’ replied Pwyll, ‘rather thank the man who has accomplished these things in my place.’ He saw their astonished looks and he began to tell them the entire story, saying, ‘Here it is, just as it happened.’

“And thus, because of his living in the Otherworld for a year and ruling it so successfully, and bringing the two realms together by virtue of his bravery and valor, he came to be called Pwyll Pen Annwfn, that is Pwyll, Head of the Otherworld, thenceforth.

“Yet, though he was a young and comely king he had no queen. And he remembered the beautiful lady who had been his queen in the Otherworld and he pined for her, taking long walks in the lonely hills around his court.

“One night just at twilight he was standing atop a mound gazing out over his realm when a man appeared to him and said, ‘It is peculiar to this place that whosoever should sit on this mound shall undertake one of two things: either he will receive a grievous wound and die, or he will see a wonder.’

“ ‘Well, in my present state, I care not whether I live or die, but it might cheer me to see a wonder. Therefore, I will sit upon this mound, and come what may.’

“Pwyll sat down and the man vanished, and he saw a woman mounted on a magnificent white horse, pale as the moon as it rises over the harvest fields. The woman was dressed in fine linen and silk of shining gold and was riding toward him at a slow and steady pace.

“He went down from the mound to meet her, but when he reached the road at the bottom of the hill, she had gone far away from him. He pursued her as quickly as he could on foot, but the more he pursued the further away she got. He gave up in misery and returned to his caer.

“But he thought about this woman all night long and he said to himself, ‘Tomorrow evening I will sit once more upon the mound and I will bring the fastest horse in my kingdom.’ He did that, and once more as he sat on the mound he saw the woman approaching. Pwyll leaped into the saddle and spurred the horse to meet her. Yet, even though the lady held her great steed to a slow and stately amble, when Pwyll reached the bottom of the hill she was already far away. The king’s horse gave chase, and though it flew like the wind it did not avail him. For the faster he pursued her, the more distance lay between them.

“Pwyll marvelled at this and said, ‘By Lieu, it does no good to follow the lady. I know of no horse in the realm swifter than this one, yet I am no closer than when I began. There must be some mystery here.’ And his heart filled with such misery that he cried out as one in pain, ‘Maiden, for the sake of the man you love most, wait for me!’

“Instantly the horsewoman stopped and turned to him, removing the silken veil from before her face. And she was the most beautiful woman he had ever beheld in mortal flesh, more fair than a whole spring full of flowers, than winter’s first snow, than the sky of high summer, than the gold of autumn.

“ ‘Gladly will I wait for you,’ she said, ‘and it were better for your horse if you had asked it long ago.’

“ ‘My lady,’ Pwyll said respectfully, ‘whence do you come, and tell me, if you can, the nature of your journey.’

“ ‘Lord,’ she replied in a most gentle manner, ‘I journey on my errand and I am pleased to see you.’

“ ‘Then welcome to you,’ Pwyll said, thinking that the beauty of all the maidens and ladies he had ever seen was ugliness next to her beauty. ‘What, may I ask, is your errand?’

“ ‘Well you might ask. My principal quest was seeking you.’

“Pwyll’s heart leapt inside him. ‘That is a most excellent quest in my estimation. But can you tell me who you are?’

“ ‘Can and will,’ she said. ‘I am Rhiannon, daughter of Hyfiadd Hen, and I am being given to a man against my will. For I have never desired any man until meeting you. And if you reject me now, I will never love anyone.’

“Pwyll could not Believe his ears. ‘Fair creature,’ he said, ‘if I could choose from all the women in this world and any other, I would choose you always.’

“The maiden smiled, and her eyes shone with such happiness that Pwyll thought his heart would break. ‘Well, if that is your answer, let us make a tryst before I am given to this other man.’

“ ‘I will pledge whatever you want,’ said Pwyll, ‘and the sooner the better, I say.’

“ ‘Very well, lord,’ the maiden replied, ‘come to my father’s court where there is to be a feast, and you can claim me there.’

“ ‘I will do it,’ he promised, and returned to his court where he called his warband and together they rode out, reaching the court of Hyfiadd Hen just as night came on. Pwyll greeted Rhiannon and her father and said, ‘Lord, let this be a wedding feast, for as king of this realm I claim your daughter for my wife if she will have me.’

“Hyfiadd Hen frowned mightily, but said, ‘Very well, so be it. I put this court at your disposal.’

“ ‘Let the feast begin,’ said Pwyll, and he sat down with Rhiannon by his side.

‘ ‘But no sooner had they sat down than there arose a commotion outside and into the hall came a large, noble-looking fellow dressed in rich clothing. He came directly up to Pwyll and saluted him. ‘Welcome to you, friend; find a place to sit.’

“ ‘I cannot,’ replied the man. ‘I am a suppliant and must do my business first.’

“ ‘You had better do it then.’

“ ‘As you say, lord, my business is with you; I have come for a request.’

“ ‘Ask it then, and if it is in my power I will grant it gladly, for this is a joyous day for me.’

“ ‘No!’ shouted Rhiannon. ‘Oh, why did you respond so?’

“ ‘Och, he has already done so, and in the presence of the whole court,’ said the stranger. ‘He is honor-bound to grant my request.’

“ ‘Friend, if friend you are, tell me your request,’ said Pwyll, feeling sick at heart.

“ ‘You, sire, are sleeping tonight with the woman I love most, and I ask for her to be my wife and for this feast to be my wedding feast!’

“Pwyll fell silent. There was no answer he could give that would not break his heart.

“ ‘Be silent as long as you like, my lord,’ snapped Rhiannon angrily, ‘there is only one answer to be given.’