Bertrice Small - A Memory of Love

"King Edward is scarcely a fool, my lord," Rhonwyn told her father. "It is you, I'm thinking, who is foolish. Why will you not pledge your fealty to him? If you did, perhaps your bride could come to Wales, and you would have many sons. But nay, you will niggle and haggle to gain an advantage you will never obtain from this king. He is a hard man like his grandfather King John, although he can be quite charming. Nonetheless, Tad, he will have his own way, and you and your allies will eventually cost Wales her freedom, I have not a doubt."

The prince looked extremely disgruntled by her words. "You still speak your own mind, Rhonwyn, I see," he said. "The English shall not have Wales as long as I live. I swear it on the true cross!"

"Words come easy to you, my lord, but 'tis actions that count," Rhonwyn said scathingly.

Rafe was fascinated by the combative relationship between lather and daughter. He knew that ap Gruffydd had had next to nothing to do with her upbringing, but he had not realized before just how bitter Rhonwyn was toward the prince of the Welsh. Absently Rafe took her hand in his and, raising it to his lips, kissed each fingertip. "Let us retire, wife," he said low. "We will have a long day tomorrow."

Ap Gruffydd sipped on his wine thoughtfully, but when his daughter and her husband had crawled into their bedspace, he said to Morgan ap Owen, "He manages her well, and she does not even realize it. She must indeed love him, Morgan."

The captain of Cythraul smiled his reply.

Oth was gone before the dawn, and Rhonwyn and her party followed him two hours later. They had borrowed several of Gwilym's old instruments, for it was likely they would have to perform. Dewi and Rhonwyn were skilled in such arts, but Rafe was not. When they camped that night she taught him how to keep time with a tambourine and cymbalum, which were a type of bells. Dewi was adept on the pibau, or bagpipes, and the pibgorn, a reed instrument. Rhonwyn would play the Telyn-a Celtic harp-as well as the lute, and sing.

They traveled from dawn till dusk for two days. On the morning of the third day they reached Aberforth Castle, meeting Oth but an hour after they sighted the castle, and they drew their mounts into a wooded area off the road to await him. Seeing them, he stopped.

"She's there," he said, "and in the dirty, stained gown they took her in, for the leman of the master will not loan her a clean garment. These are wicked people, my lady. Be careful. I shall ride on to meet with your father and tell him what I have learned."

"Into the lion's den," Rhonwyn said, and kicked her mount forward.

They rode down the road, across the heavy wooden drawbridge beneath the portcullis, and into the castle courtyard, asking for the steward when they stopped.

"You must go into the hall," the stable boy said. "He will not come out here, for who are you but a ragtag and itinerant bunch?"

"Will you watch our horses, you handsome fellow?" Rhonwyn said, favoring the lad with a broad smile and chucking him beneath the chin. She bent, allowing him a generous view of her breasts. "We'll make it worth your while," she purred.

The boy swallowed hard, scarcely able to look away from her bosom. Without a word he took the reins and nodded, blushing beet red when Rhonwyn pinched his cheek and blew him a kiss.

"Must you be so damned bold?" Rafe muttered as they mounted the steps to the porch and went through the door of the castle.

"Men like bold women, for they always assume that bold women are bad women," Rhonwyn told him. "I may have to do things that I would certainly not do otherwise, Rafe, but you must trust me."

"Aye, my lord, follow her lead," Dewi said. "She's a clever lass and more than once got us out of a scrape as we made our way home through France."

In the great hall they asked for the steward and were directed to his chamber. Knocking, they entered, and Rhonwyn immediately spoke up.

"Greetings, my lord steward. I am Anghard, and these are my two companions, Dewi and Rafe. We are musicians and thought perhaps that you might have a need of a night's entertainment."

"It is not often we get travelers in this place," the steward said, a hint of suspicion in his voice. "Where are you from and where are you bound for, Anghard?"

"We have no real home, my lord steward, but we have at last been in Shrewsbury and now make our way to Prince Llywelyn's stronghold, for we hear he is a lover of music and generous to boot. We have spent the last two nights out-of-doors and would welcome a night beneath a strong roof with a fire and some hot food." She smiled at him.

"I can save you a long trip," the steward said, "for the prince will be here in a few days' time. He is coming to visit my master, Rhys ap Daffydd, lord of this castle. We will give you a week or more of shelter, Anghard, and you and your companions will entertain us, eh?"

"With pleasure, my lord steward, and I thank you for your generosity," Rhonwyn said.

"Go into the hall," the steward told them. "You may sleep there and eat at the lord's tables below the salt. If you play well, there may be a little something else for you as well."

"Thank you, my lord steward," Rhonwyn said, bowing as she backed from the room.

"You are a devious woman," Rafe said as they returned to the hall. "I should have believed you myself did I not know you."

"We must find the perfect place," Rhonwyn said to Dewi, "and then you must make certain my alborium is ready to be used. We'll watch for servants while you prepare it, for if it is learned we have brought weapons into this lord's hall, we may be killed for our daring."

They found a niche in a dark corner and, drawing a bench before it, shielded Dewi as he prepared Rhonwyn's bow for use when the proper time came. When all was in readiness they rested, waiting for the main meal of the day when they would certainly be asked to entertain. In midafternoon the servants began to come into the hall with platters and bowls. Rhys ap Daffydd, his leman, his captain, his brother, Ifan, and Katherine came into the great hall and took their places at the high board. The tables below the salt began to fill, and Rhonwyn and her companions found seats at the very last table.

At the high board a plethora of dishes was served, but below the salt there was bread, a pottage, and some hard cheese with only beer to drink. Rhonwyn looked toward the dais, seeing that Katherine, while pale, was hardly cowed by her captors. She has more courage and strength than I believed, Rhonwyn thought proudly. She found, though, that she was angered by the fact that Rhys ap Daffydd had not had the decency to find his captive clean clothing. Katherine wore, as Oth had told them, the milk-stained gown she had been taken in. You shall soon pay for all your wickedness and deceit, Rhonwyn silently thought.

When the meal was over, the steward came forward and said to his master, "My lord, three traveling musicians have asked leave to entertain you in exchange for shelter and food. Anghard and troupe, come forward at once!" He waved his hand in their direction.

Rhonwyn and her companions arose and came before the high board, playing and singing as they gamboled along. The men were dressed in spring green tunics that came to just above their knees and chausses striped in blue and green. Rhonwyn was garbed in a darker green tunic that was extraordinarily short, coming to just below the tops of her thighs. Her chausses were also striped, but in gold and green. She had loosed her hair, and it flowed down her back, hiding her alborium that was affixed there, the string of the bow hidden by the tunic's dark colors as it rode across her chest. In her hair were silk flowers of many hues. Her tunic had a bateau neckline, and she wore nothing beneath it. When she bobbed low her breasts were quite visible to all, and the length of the garment, or rather lack of it, offered a bold view of her tight, round buttocks. She was every bit the picture of an entertainer with an easy and loose virtue.