Daughter of Time (Prequel to The After Cilmeri Series)

Daughter of Time (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 HondduRiver 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.