Chapter Sixteen
Llywelyn
At long last: Brecon.
I'd entered the keep earlier in the afternoon with Goronwy, pleased as always that I'd taken it from Bohun. Humphrey had been several steps behind us, escorting Meg and Anna, and he'd craned his neck to see what changes or improvements I'd made to his grandfather's domain. I'd had to rebuild some of the craftsmen's sheds in the bailey, damaged by fire when we took the castle, as well as make extensive repairs to the several of the walls. The latest problem was that the Honddu River slid by right under the southeastern castle walls and was undermining the stone foundation. The spring floods hadn't helped.
"I'm glad that you made it without mishap, my lord," Tudur said, striding up to Goronwy and me.
I clapped him on the shoulder. "I'm glad to see you too, friend. You have news for us?"
"I do," he said, "though your young man-at-arms, Bevyn, whom you sent ahead of you to warn of the traitor in our midst only adds to the uncertainties."
I glanced at Humphrey, who pulled out a chair for Meg at one of the tables and then sat across from her with a chess board. I'd watched him carefully since Lacey left, not wanting to give away the fact that I knew of Lacey's potential betrayal. It was a test of a sort. So far, he'd not passed it.
"Has he played the game of kings with her before?" Goronwy asked.
"Not that I'm aware," I said. "Maybe I'll stick around to sweep him off the floor when she's done with him."
Goronwy smirked. "You do that, my lord. I'll make sure the men are properly settled in their quarters." He paced away and I turned to Tudur.
"What did you find? Whose ring was it?"
"Owain confessed it was his, but he'd given it to Dafydd many years ago."
"As I feared," I said. "Dafydd sent a messenger out of Gwynedd."
"That is all we know, for now, my lord," Tudur said. "The question remains: to whom did Dafydd send him?"
"And did he reach his destination?"
"And why did he die? Because he was a loose end that needed tying?" Tudur said. "To destroy any link between Dafydd and our unknown man? Or to prevent him from reaching him."
"We'll think on it," I said. "Dafydd has much to answer for, even without this."
A commotion from the kitchen caught my attention. One of my new boarhound puppies burst through the doorway, followed by Anna. The puppy ran under a table and I scooped the girl into my arms.
"Careful, cariad," I said. "He bites."
"He's nice," she said. "Can I have him, Papa?"
"He'll be bigger than you someday. Perhaps we'll find you a kitten instead."
Anna put her arms around my neck and squeezed. My heart melted. I carried her to Meg and sat down to watch the chess match. "Is everything in order?" Meg said, her eyes still on the board.
"Yes," I said, shifting Anna in my lap. "We should hear soon if Lacey reached your grandfather, Humphrey. Then you can go home."
Humphrey looked up, met my gaze, and looked down again.
I allowed a few heart beats to pass. "Do you have something to tell me, son?"
Meg's hand hovered above a pawn. Humphrey didn't answer, so she picked up the piece and gently moved it into position. Humphrey continued to stare at the board, not meeting my eyes. Then without warning, he upended the chess board, sending the pieces scattering across the table and floor.
"God damn them to the seventh level of a fiery hell!" Humphrey surged to his feet and I matched him, afraid of what he might damage next. Meg reached for Anna and I handed her over before moving to confront Humphrey.
"Control yourself," I said.
Humphrey sputtered. He fisted his right hand and slammed it into the wall behind him.
"Please believe that you are among friends, Humphrey," Meg said. "Just tell us."
Humphrey massaged his right hand with his left. "John asked that I aid him in some plot against you," he said through gritted teeth. "I didn't-" He stopped. "I sent him away."
"But didn't feel the need to tell me of it?" Llywelyn said.
"No! I did not!" Humphrey said. "Nor uncover the details, beyond that it was not for my grandfather that he was working."
"Not your grandfather?" Meg said. "Isn't John his man?"
"He is," Humphrey said.
"Was." Hywel strode across the hall towards us. "I followed him, as you requested, my lord. But instead of taking the turning to Huntingdon, he continued past it, on north."
"What did you say?" Humphrey spun around to face Hywel, his face draining of color. "Why would he go north?"
"I don't know," Hywel said. He turned to me. "My lord, I apologize, but I didn't want to risk my men by taking them further into England. We turned back and informed the Earl of Hereford of his grandson's imminent arrival at Brecon."
"Did you tell of him of his wayward servant?" Meg asked.
"I did," Hywel said, "and he claimed no knowledge of his destination. Lord Bohun said, however, that he would attempt to find out more and would report those findings to you, my lord."
"Did he?" I said. "A new spirit of cooperation indeed among the Bohuns. It is without precedent." Humphrey glared at me, but when I matched his gaze, he soon looked away. Once again he'd not comported himself as well as he might have, and he knew it. He bent his head and sagged onto his bench.
The others left, Anna crawled under the tables to find the wayward chess pieces, and Meg and Humphrey resumed their game, though neither player's attention was on it. Although I could have chastised Humphrey further, Meg was all he needed.
"Why didn't you tell us, Humphrey?" She moved a castle forward and didn't look at him.
"Where do my loyalties lie, my lady? I am your prisoner."
"Are you?" she said. "It looks to me the only prison you inhabit is one of your own making."
At her words, Humphrey abandoned any pretense of playing the game. "You're speaking of honor again."
"You knew the right thing to do," Meg said, "but you didn't do it. We are enemies, yes, but not in this and not today."
"It would serve my house if Lord Llywelyn were dead."
"And it is worth the loss of your soul to see that happen?"
"I have killed men," Humphrey said, "but only in battle. These machinations and subtle plotting are beyond me. I know that worries my grandfather, who is a master."
"All you have to worry about, Humphrey, is your own actions," Meg said. "It may be your destiny to lead men in war, perhaps even against my lord. But it's not your nature to sneak around in the dark. Prince Llywelyn has been open in his dealings with you, and as you yourself are a knight, he expects the same in return."
"I know it. It was not clear to me that stopping a plot perpetrated against him by another was also my duty."
"And now?"
He held her gaze. "I still don't know that it is."
Meg nodded. "That's honest anyway."
Humphrey tipped his chin in my direction. "Your prince knows subterfuge well. My grandfather has told me."
Meg glanced at me and her eyes twinkled. "I believe it. He'll tell you that the ends justify the means at times, but he'd also say that he accepts responsibility for his actions. A lord must understand himself and his motives, whether for good or ill."
"I can do that," Humphrey said. "I will do that."
"Then you will be a man of whom your grandfather can be proud," I said.
Humphrey gazed at Meg for another count of ten, then stood, bowed, to both her and me, and left the room.
"You think that of me, do you?" I caught a stray hair that had come loose from Meg's wimple and tucked it behind her ear.
"I know it."