He could think of nothing to say to that, and so they stood there silent, with the eyes of half the court on them. He caught a scent of something, standing this close to her. Herbs, he thought. Lavender and rosemary and something else, and the fragrance soothed him until Edward’s voice reached them.

“Lady Gwenllian of Ruardean, we bid you welcome.” The sound of Edward’s voice caused her to sink into a deep courtesy, but the king took little heed. “We are told you request a private audience with our Queen and she will happily receive you after our business here is done.”

The king paused and turned to Burnell, and Gwenllian rose out of her courtesy. From the look on her face, Ranulf guessed that she had requested no such audience with the queen. From the look on de Vere’s face, it seemed likely that she had requested a private audience with the king. And from his own recent private audience with the king and de Vere and anyone else who truly mattered in Edward’s court, he did not think it likely that Gwenllian of Ruardean would like whatever might happen next.

Burnell raised a sheaf of parchments and spoke. “The case long debated on the matter of Morency, its title and lands, granted to Ranulf Ombrier in the year 1267 by the late King Henry but claimed also by Gwenllian of Ruardean by right of marriage to Aymer, late of Morency, that same year but by proxy–”

Edward dismissed all this with an impatient wave. “Yes, we are familiar in all the facts of consequence. We are to understand the case has lingered for a dozen years?”

“It has, sire.”

“And there is no issue from the marriage?”

“Indeed not, sire.” Burnell was hiding a smirk.

“And the lawyers rejoice and clerics grow old while you quarrel. We trust both parties would welcome an end to this dispute.” He looked inquiringly at Lady Gwenllian. “You wished to press your claim while here at court, did you not?”

She opened her mouth to speak but seemed too shocked at the suddenness of it to summon a response. Blinking in confusion at the king, and then at de Vere, her glance skidded over Ranulf before she finally nodded. She drew a breath as though to gather herself and talk, but the king spoke before she could.

“Very well, we have conceived a just solution that satisfies both families as well as it satisfies us. The right ruler of Ruardean is Lord Walter, gone these many years in the Holy Land, and he did promise his daughter to Morency and wished to wed her fortunes to that estate. We see no reason why this promise should not be fulfilled, and so we shall be most happy to attend the joyous nuptials of our beloved and faithful servants, Gwenllian of Ruardean and Ranulf of Morency.”

CHAPTER 10

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