Chapter One #2
Kress immediately nodded. “The Earl of Ellesmere,” he said.
“The House of de Shera is older than nearly any other house in England. It predates any Saxon families, or even the Northmen settlers. Legend says that the House of de Shera descends from a lost Roman legion. I have fought alongside the younger de Shera brothers long ago, Atilius and Fabius, but never Tatius. He remains at his castle, The Paladin, up near Chester. I hear that he rarely comes forth.”
William held up a hand as if to beg patience while he answered questions that were not even yet spoken. “I traveled north several months ago at the request of Tatius,” he said. “That was the trip where I asked you to remain in London because the king was at Westminster.”
Kress nodded. “I recall, my lord.”
William wandered over to another chair that sat facing the hearth, lowering his aged body into it.
“I will be honest, Kress,” he said. “Tatius is not a man who should hold the earldom. He is a poet, a man of gentle hobbies, but he is a drunkard. He does not take pressure well. He has younger brothers who essentially rule the earldom and the armies, and I suspect that they would like nothing better than to be rid of Tatius or, at the very least, have the man out of the way so they can rule unencumbered. It is not an ideal situation, but Tatius is the only brother unmarried and he is the earl. He asked if I knew of the child of Owain Dant y Draig, having heard of her existence from the warlords of Gwynedd. It was he who suggested the betrothal and I agreed.”
Kress cocked his head curiously. “He knew of her? How would he even know?”
William sat back in his chair. “Her birth was no particular secret when it happened, I suppose,” he said. “Men heard of it. That is why Owain panicked when he thought of the child being used, or stolen, or worse, and rightly so.”
“And he asked you to keep her hidden?”
“He did,” he said. “But I was not surprised when Tatius brought her up. Rumors of the child of Owain and Nesta have abounded for years, and The Paladin is very close to Wales. His summons was to confirm those rumors and ask for her hand in marriage if she was still alive.”
“And she is.”
William nodded. “She is,” he said. Then, he lifted a hand to emphasize his point.
“De Shera has an army to protect her, making it the best of all solutions, as the girl is of marriageable age. Moreover, Tatius needs to breed sons if he is to hold his earldom and preserve the de Shera bloodlines. Can you imagine the lineage of a son with royal Welsh and ancient Roman bloodlines?”
Kress lifted his eyebrows at the thought. “He would be an impressive beast,” he said. “But why marry this Welsh princess to an ineffective earl?”
William’s yellowed eyes glittered in the firelight.
“Because Cadelyn is the hereditary ruler of Rhos and although her parents are gone, she still holds their properties in Wales, properties that I have been guarding since she was very young. Though her father died many years ago, he asked me to not only protect his child, but to protect her lands. Conwy, Colwyn Bay, and a place called Mynydd Tywyll, or Mountain Dark. It is the last great Rhos stronghold. It was Owain’s wish, should she ever marry, that it be at Mountain Dark.
With Tatius inheriting Welsh powerful properties, the ineffective earl will not be so ineffective any longer. ”
“So we are to take her from Castle Rising to Mountain Dark?” Kress asked.
William shook his head. “Not directly,” he said.
“You are to take her from Castle Rising to The Paladin, where de Shera is. Then, you will escort the betrothed couple to Mountain Dark where the lady will be married in front of her Welsh brethren. It will cement an extremely powerful alliance with the Welsh from the north and create a power struggle, one that will weaken Llywelyn – and John – significantly. Right now, Llywelyn is the most powerful prince in Wales and John knows it. But introduce the fabled child of Rhos and Pengwern, and the Welsh will be divided. A divided Wales is a weak Wales.”
“And a weak Wales is a weakened John,” Kress finished, understanding the situation now. “That will keep his power in check.”
“Exactly,” William said, taking another drink of his wine.
“Therefore, the four of you will depart for Castle Rising on the morrow. I will send word ahead of your arrival and de Shera will be expecting his bride this summer, so do not delay. Get to Norfolk, collect the woman, and depart for The Paladin, but above all, protect Cadelyn of Vendotia with your life.”
Kress cocked his head. “Cadelyn of Vendotia?”
William nodded. “That is the name given to her at birth,” he said.
“It is how her father referred to her. Vendotia is what the Romans used to call the land of her ancestors. She is the last of her kind, Kress, but I will tell you this – I’ve seen the girl twice in her lifetime and it is clear that d’Aubigney washed the Welsh out of her.
He raised her as an English ward and only told her of her true heritage a few years ago.
D’Aubigney seemed to think she wants nothing to do with the Welsh, which may be a problem considering this marriage is meant to cement an alliance with them.
She may not be happy to see her escort that has come to take her to her betrothed. ”