‘Prince Brynach, Princess Wenna,’ he bellows, swaying and teetering as he acknowledges them with a dangerously low bow, ‘my Lords,’ he inclines his head, ‘my Ladies…’ He closes his eyes and smiles as if in rapture. The assembled company laughs. His eyes spring open again, ‘And all you lowly beggars at the bottom of our fragrant heap…’ this is met with good-natured booing and hissing, ‘pray, take a moment from filling your bellies,’ there is a cheer, ‘slaking your thirst,’ this followed by a louder cheer, ‘or putting your hands on the nearest arse!’ A comment met with loud laughter and some chastising replies from the women in the room. ‘Take a moment, I beseech you,’

‘Get on with it!’ comes a shout from the throng.

Hywel scowls, ‘Stop your noise, and stop debauching for one short minute, is all I ask, you lice-ridden, pox-marked scoundrels!’

‘What happened to “Lords and Ladies”?’ someone wants to know.

‘They left hours ago!’ shouts a soldier reclining on a bench.

Another puts in, ‘They ran for the door when they saw Hywel get up to speak.’

‘Stop your cursed interruptions!’ Hywel roars. ‘Charge your goblets, tankards, beakers, whatever comes readily to hand’—here he pauses to reach out and cup the nearest bosom to make his point. The room fills with laughter again. ‘A toast!’ he declares, a little more seriously now. ‘A toast to the finest prince a man ever had fortune to serve. Who has delivered us from war. Who has provided this magnificent feast. Who will, one day, I am certain of it, be an even better swordsman than I am! Prince Brynach!’ He raises his goblet, wine spilling from it.

‘Prince Brynach! Prince Brynach!’ the crowd takes up the toast and drinks to their savior. And as they do so, all eyes turn to look upon him. And find him standing not with his princess, but with me.

TILDA

Tilda sleeps more soundly than she has done in weeks. Months. Thistle lies next to her on the bed, a furry bolster. Through the window the first light of dawn is beginning to lift the sky, bringing streaks of scarlet and vermillion as it does so. There is a curious stillness to the new day. Tilda gets up and peers through the frosted panes, gasping at what she sees. Snow. Inches deep, come secretly and silently in the night to transform the landscape.

So beautiful. As if the world has been born again. I have to go out in that.