I rose to my feet and pulled two gold coins from the purse on my belt, tucking them under the wooden foot of the crucifix. I hoped that the next time the priest said Mass he would catch their gleam and I hoped he would not spend the money in the local alehouse but use it to embellish his plain little church in some way, to the glory of God. Out in the churchyard Maredudd was standing beside his father’s grave, staring over the churchyard wall at the restless waves that washed the pebbles on the shore.

I walked up behind him. ‘I will release you from your fealty, Maredudd, if that is what you want. You are your father’s heir and your place is now here.’

When he did not turn I knew he was going to accept my offer. His voice was gruff as he replied. ‘I do not want to leave your service, my lord, but my duty lies here, especially as Dai has become a Yorkist.’ He did turn then and his eyes were moist. ‘But I would be grateful if you would take Evan into your retinue in my place. He is young and obviously fit and he learns fast. I will be able to deal with Dai more easily if Evan is not here.’

He did not expand on his last remark, nor did I wish him to do so. How he tackled the rift in his family was his affair. ‘I will take Evan if he is willing to swear allegiance,’ I said. ‘And the pension will remain the same.’

We rode back to Tŷ Cerrig in meditative silence.

28

Jane

Pembroke Castle & Tenby

AFTER THE DISASTER OF Jasper’s defeat in the Marches there was a false peace. Bereaved families mourned their dead, tended the injured, welcomed home the living and then went back to their tasks in home, field and workshop. Meanwhile we heard that Edward of York had consolidated his flimsy grasp on power at a place called Towton in North Yorkshire, snatching a desperately fought victory in a long and bloody moorland battle, which was reported to have claimed over twenty thousand lives. My mind could not envisage fatalities on that scale. It was said that the streams ran red with blood for days. Scarcely a village in England can have been spared casualties. King Henry, Queen Marguerite and their young son fled from the field on horseback, struggling for days over snow-covered hills until they reached Scotland; forced into exile from their kingdom. As for their scattered forces – those men from the towns and villages who had fought under their royal standard and survived – they had no choice but to swear allegiance to a new and unknown king or face a short and brutal existence as outlaws.