Footsteps in Time by Sarah Woodbury Page B

east. David had a moment’s pang of fear that he
was gone forever, defecting again to Edward. Uncle Dafydd had
already done that twice. It was the kind of thing none of those
loyal to Llywelyn could forget or forgive, no matter how sincere
Uncle Dafydd seemed now.
    Father introduced David to more of his
men, many of whom had walked or ridden to Dolwyddelan from every
corner of Wales. David stayed at his side, and when he wasn’t with
him, he was with Math or Bevyn. Father had decreed that David was
to captain a company of men: foot, archer, and horse. It wasn’t
that David felt ready, but as Prince of Wales, it was expected, and
anything less from him would have invited comment and implied a
lack of trust in his son on Prince Llywelyn’s part.
    Their third morning in
Dolwyddelan, Goronwy strode into the hall, a messenger at his side.
“He’s coming,” Gorowny said. Nobody had to ask who ‘he’ was. “He
has reached Llansanffraid, hampered only slightly by the weather,
but has not attempted to force the Conwy, as it continues to snow
even along the coast. He’s halted the majority of his men, but sent
his laborers along the path he intends to follow south, clearing
the forest and rousting the common folk in his path.”
    “ Total war,” David said,
from his seat on the dais.
    “ What’s that, my lord?”
Math said from his position by the fire.
    “ Edward seeks to destroy
not only our army, but to completely subjugate our people by
terrorizing the countryside, hoping to drive men away from their
allegiance to Father.”
    “ It won’t work,” Father
said. “It only emboldens us.” He paced in front of the dais.
“Edward understands neither me nor my people. We have held on to
what is ours since November, and we will not give it up. Not
without a fight.”
    Struck by Father’s
emotion, David threw out the ending of the speech that Patrick
Henry had given at the start of the American Revolution and which
David had memorized for school. Translated into Welsh, it sounded
even more poetic, and his voice rang a bit louder than he intended
as he recited the words: “ Is life so dear,
or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and
slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may
take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me
death !”
    Math gazed at David, his
eyes bright but Father clenched his fist and banged it on the
table. “Yes. That is it exactly. If I cannot have one, I will take
the other.” He strode down the hall to the front door and flung it
open. “We will watch them.” Father turned back to his men. “And
when Edward comes, we will be ready.”

Chapter Nine
    Anna
     
    A nna took a deep breath and knocked on Gwenllian’s door. Before
she could knock a second time, Mari, Gwenllian’s nanny, whipped the
door open. Her color was high. Beyond, Heledd suckled the baby, but
it looked like she was squeezing her so tightly it was a wonder
that Gwenllian wasn’t crying. Anna had walked in on a
fight.
    Mari sneered at the sight
of her, but at the last second she seemed to remember who Anna was
and, if possible, got even redder. She curtsied. “Excuse me, my
lady. I’m clearly not wanted here!” Mari brushed past Anna into the
hall.
    Anna turned to watch her go and then
looked back at Heledd.
    “ I’m sorry, my lady,”
Heledd said. “We’ve had a difficult day and, I confess, we missed
your help with Gwenllian. The only time she didn’t cry was when she
nursed, and Mari believes I should not nurse her as much as I do.
She says it spoils her. She says she won’t return until I apologize
for disagreeing with her.”
    Anna wasn’t really listening to
Heledd. She was thinking about how to get the baby and her nurse
out of the castle at midnight, when Anna caught the last of
Heledd’s words.
    “ She said she wouldn’t
return?” Anna didn’t think the nanny to a princess of Wales could
choose to abdicate her responsibilities like that.