Free SirenSong by Roberta Gellis

arrangement and how his half brother David, hearing of
his rebellious attitude, had made him a prisoner. But David’s power had gone to
his head, and in 1241 he contended the ownership of the border fortress of Mold
with Henry. David had agreed to submit the matter to arbitration, but he never
appeared before the arbitrators, among whom had been Richard.
    Mauger noticed William’s expression and hurried on, skipping
the charges and countercharges that followed, the brief war in which Henry had
an easy triumph because the Welsh princes who were supposed to be subject to
David supported Henry instead, and came to the terms of the peace. Before he
thought, William sighed and shook his head.
    “You did not think them just?” Mauger asked.
    Too cautious to fall into the trap of saying the king was an
idiot, William replied, “Just or unjust has little meaning in dealing with the
Welsh, I fear. I thought the terms would make trouble, and King Henry thought
better of certain things himself. The king forgot that all brothers are not
Richard of Cornwall. He realized what he planned would never work and took
Gruffydd into his own hands.”
    “Yes, and his captivity was light in the beginning, for he
gave his parole, but last spring he violated that oath and tried to escape and
since then the king has kept him prisoned in the Tower of London.”
    William knew that too. He and Richard had visited Gruffydd
several times. Personally, he did not like the man and had never liked him.
Nonetheless, he could not help but be sorry for him. Gruffydd was suffering no
hardship, his confinement being eased with every luxury he requested and even
the presence of his wife, but it was still confinement.
    “So what has changed?” he asked Mauger. “The king has held
Gruffydd thus since last June.”
    “It is said,” Mauger replied, a faint note of triumph at his
superior knowledge in his voice, “that David has written letters to the pope
complaining that the terms of the treaty of 1241 were extorted from him by fear
and force, and he has also sent rich bribes to incline the Holy Father to give
him permission to set aside those oaths.”
    William mouthed an obscenity. This, if it was true, was
news, and most unpleasant news.
    “There is more,” Mauger continued with satisfaction. He was
delighted with oversetting his neighbor’s normal calm. “I have heard rumors
that there is a plot to free Gruffydd, and if I have heard, the king has
certainly heard also—”
    “Free Gruffydd! Who would wish to do that?”
    Mauger shrugged. “That I cannot say, but the king is
furious. If it were to happen, David could say Gruffydd was loosed apurpose to
torment him, and take it as a cause to violate the treaty. In any case, these rumors
have set the king to looking about him on all sides for any man who has any
connection with the Welsh. You were squire to Rannulf of Chester and served
many years near Wales.”
    “But so long ago—”
    “Likely I am wrong,” Mauger agreed smoothly, “but it can do
no harm for you to mind your tongue in front of this Raymond and keep as much
business private from him as you can. The most innocent things can be twisted
awry by someone who comes to find wrongdoing or looks at things with a poisoned
eye.”

Chapter Four
     
    Shortly after William left Marlowe, Alys and Raymond
followed him. What Alys had started to point out to her father at breakfast,
and then thought better of, was that Raymond could not go around the farms on
his own. He spoke not one single word of English, and the serfs and villeins
spoke no word of French, nor understood it either. Within the keep, most
servants, like their masters, were completely bilingual. On the farms, however,
only English was used. Thus, the opportunity for misunderstanding between a
young man of high estate—Alys was more and more convinced that Raymond was no
simple knight—and serfs who were accustomed to being protected from interlopers
was too great to be