Читать книгу Child of the Phoenix - Barbara Erskine - Страница 23

‘I don’t want to go!’ Two days later Eleyne was confronting Rhonwen with clenched fists. ‘I didn’t like him. What can he teach me? You teach me all I need to know.’

Rhonwen took a deep breath. ‘You have to go – ’

‘I don’t. My father doesn’t know about it, does he? He would not approve. Nor my mother.’ She pursed her lips primly. For two days she had pondered why Einion’s lessons had to be secret. This seemed to be the only explanation.

Rhonwen took another deep breath. ‘Eleyne, they are for your own good.’

‘Why? What is he going to teach me?’

‘I don’t know exactly – ’

‘Then how do you know it will be good for me?’

‘I just know. They are secret things, Eleyne. Even I may not know them. But you are special, as Einion told you. You are the descendant of the ancient kings. You have the Sight.’

‘And he is going to teach me about what I saw? About the history of long ago?’

Rhonwen shrugged. ‘I suppose that may be part of it.’

Eleyne paused. At last her curiosity was beginning to overcome her inexplicable feeling of dread. ‘You will come with me, won’t you?’

‘I don’t know.’ Rhonwen looked away evasively.

‘You must go with her.’ Cenydd had appeared silently, pushing through the curtained doorway and pausing in the shadows, a frown on his face. ‘You cannot let her go alone.’

Rhonwen went white. ‘You don’t know what we’re talking about.’

‘You are talking about Einion Gweledydd. I warned you, Rhonwen!’ he sighed. ‘I told you not to do it.’

Eleyne looked from one to the other, confused. ‘Rhonwen?’

‘Take no notice, cariad. Cenydd is jealous. He wanted to teach you himself.’

‘And so I shall!’ Cenydd smiled at her fondly. ‘As soon as I return. I am summoned to Aber,’ he added to Rhonwen in a low voice. ‘There has been renewed fighting in the border march.’

‘And Gruffydd?’

‘He is still at Degannwy. Prince Llywelyn has sent Senena and the boys to join him there and he has kept Dafydd at his side.’

Rhonwen swore softly. ‘So, Dafydd consolidates his position! We have to do something to help Gruffydd – ’

‘Dafydd has a new embarrassment on his hands which could help.’ Cenydd smiled. ‘It seems that the prince has captured de Braose.’

Eleyne’s attention was caught by the name. ‘Isabella’s father?’

‘Exactly.’ Cenydd laughed out loud. ‘It will be interesting to see how the negotiators handle that one. I suspect Llywelyn still hankers after the de Braose alliance. It neutralises Sir William, for all he rides with the king at the moment, and with the marriage formalised Prince Llywelyn will have an ally in mid-Wales.’

‘What will happen to Gwladus now that Sir Reginald is dead?’ Eleyne asked suddenly. ‘Will she come home?’

‘She will marry again, cariad,’ Rhonwen said gently. ‘Don’t look to see her here. I doubt if she would want anyway to come back beneath her mother’s roof.’

‘And she’ll want a younger man this time, I’ll warrant!’ Cenydd laughed quietly.

‘Then I shall pray for her sake she gets one. But we will not discuss that now.’ Rhonwen scowled at him.

‘Will they bring Sir William to Aber?’ Eleyne had missed the interchange. ‘I would love it if he came with Invictus.’

‘I don’t know, child,’ Rhonwen frowned again. ‘I doubt if they’ll bring him north. He will probably buy himself his freedom before we know it. We shall have to wait and see.’