"Thank you," Rhonwyn said, jumping up and hurrying from her chamber. It simply would not do to have the prince and his wife arrive and have neither she nor Edward be there to greet them. She ran down the stairs, hearing Enit coming behind her.

In the hall the servants were running back and forth with wine and plates of fruit and cheese for the high board. The fire was built higher. Edward dashed in, his handsome face streaked with dirt. Seeing his wife, he gave her a wave and bolted out again, heading to his own chamber to change his clothing.

"They're at the foot of the hill, lady," Alfred said as a young lad ran in to whisper to him.

Rhonwyn swallowed hard. There was nothing for it. She would have to greet the prince and his wife alone. She walked from the great hall, down the corridor a short distance, and out the door of the castle to stand a moment on the stairway landing, even as the lord Edward and his wife rode into the courtyard. Then she glided down the staircase, reaching them as the prince dismounted and lifted his lady from her horse.

Rhonwyn curtsied gracefully and low. "My lord Edward, my lady Eleanor, I bid you welcome to Haven Castle."

The prince raised her up and looked directly into her face. "So you are ap Gruffydd's wench," he said.

"I am, my lord," Rhonwyn replied.

"You are not at all what I expected. The Welsh are dark, are they not, lady?"

"Most are, my lord, but my mother descended from a race who were known as the Fair Folk. While I resemble ap Gruffydd in features, I have my mother's coloring."

"You are far prettier than ap Gruffydd," Prince Edward said with a small chuckle. He turned away from her a moment. "Mon coeur, this is the prince of the Welsh's daughter and the wife of Edward de Beaulieu, the lady Rhonwyn." He turned back to his hostess. "My wife, the lady Eleanor."

Rhonwyn curtsied again, then rising, said, "Will you not come into the hall and be refreshed? There is both food and wine awaiting you and water with which to wash the dust of your travels away." She led them into the castle.

In the hall Edward de Beaulieu came forward and bowed to the royal couple. "Forgive me, my lord, for not being here to welcome you, but I was in the orchards when I was informed of your arrival. As I would not greet you in the clothing I have worked the day in, and as there was little time to change, I had to leave my wife to see to you both." He bowed to the prince again and kissed the lady Eleanor's gloved hand.

"Your wife did you proud, de Beaulieu. And I was happy to be greeted by so fair a lady," Prince Edward said graciously.

Rhonwyn nodded to Alfred, who hurried forward with a tray holding four of the silver goblets with the green stones. He offered one to the prince first, and then to his wife, his master, and his lady.

"To the king," de Beaulieu said.

"To the king," his companions repeated, and they drank their wine as the prince's retainers filed into the hall.

"You will stay the night," Edward de Beaulieu said.

"We will," Prince Edward said. "Can you feed this lot of mine? There are twenty of them, and they carry oatcakes if you cannot."

"There is more than enough food at Haven for your men, my lord Edward," Rhonwyn said quickly. "I usually have the cook prepare too much, to he honest with you, but then the poor who come to our door are more easily fed. We had at least a half an hour's warning of your arrival," she said with a twinkle in her eye.

The prince burst out laughing. "You are nothing like your father, lady," he said jovially.

"You could not have given me a greater compliment, my lord Edward," she replied. "Ap Gruffydd is not a man whom I would emulate."

"You speak harshly of him, lady," the prince remarked.

"I mean him no disrespect, my lord Edward," Rhonwyn said. "He is a dilficult man, but he did me a service when he arranged my marriage with my own Edward."

The prince nodded, and then his wife said to Rhonwyn, "Have you children yet, Lady Rhonwyn? We have had four, although we lost our daughter Joan shortly after her birth. Still, Eleanor, John, and Henry are fair children, and I am grateful to God for them."

"We were only wed in April," Rhonwyn answered the prince's wife.

"And you are not yet with child? You must pray to Saint Anne, lady, for she will not fail you." The princess smiled warmly at Rhonwyn. "I can see you care for your husband. The children will come. They always come from love."

The castle cook had worked a miracle, and when the dinner hour came, the food began to appear upon the tables above and below the salt with great rapidity. Bread and fruit had already been set upon them earlier along with small wheels of cheese. Now came roasted venison, enough for all. There were platters with capons in lemon sauce, and trout broiled in wine upon beds of cress, lampreys in Galytyne, a large dish of mortrews-a meat dish made with eggs and bread crumbs-and Rhonwyn's favorite, blankmanger. There was lettuce braised in wine and boiled peas; loaves of freshly baked bread and sweet butter. Apple beer was served, but at the high board where the prince and princess sat with Edward de Beaulieu and his wife, there was wine.

"You have no priest?" the prince asked.

"He has gone to Shrewsbury to visit friends at the abbey," his host said smoothly.

"I wished him to be here when I spoke with you on a certain matter," the prince said. "King Louis of France is preparing another crusade for next year. My wife and I intend to go. I have spent the summer traveling about, visiting various lords to ask who would go with me. Will you, Edward de Beaulieu?"

"Is it safe for you to leave England, my lord Edward?" his host asked, concerned.

"With my uncle de Montfort dead and buried, there is none who would oppose my father, or me. Once I become king, may it be many years hence, I cannot indulge myself. I am not my great-uncle, Richard Coeur de Lion. To rule England, I must be in England. Now is my chance to help retake the Holy Land and drive the infidel to hell and beyond. Will you come with me, Edward de Beaulieu?"

"I will go with you, my lord Edward" came the reply.

"And I, too!" Rhonwyn said enthusiastically.

The lord of Haven laughed softly. "My wife has a warrior's heart," he explained.

"But I would go with the prince!" Rhonwyn said earnestly, and before her husband might speak further, the princess spoke.

"I am going with my husband, my lord. If your lady wishes to go, I see no reason why she cannot come, unless, my lord, you do not wish her to come."

"Oh, Edward, please!" Rhonwyn begged him. "I do not wish to be separated from you now."

The emerald eyes were shining with excitement, and he suddenly realized that he did not wish to be separated from her either. "It will be a hard life, wife," he said.

"I have lived a hard life, my lord," she replied.

He sighed. "You must swear to me that you will obey me implicitly if I let you come with me," he warned her.

"I promise," she swore.

"I will be happy to have the lady Rhonwyn and her servant as part of my train," the princess said graciously, "if, of course, you let her come with us," she quickly amended.

"She may come, my lady Eleanor, and I thank you for your most gracious invitation to include my wife among your women."

"Thank you both!" Rhonwyn said excitedly.

How the hell did ap Gruffydd sire such a daughter? the prince wondered to himself. Fair of face and obviously good of heart. There would appear to be no guile in her. She seems content with de Beaulieu, and I am glad, now having met her.

He was pleased his host had agreed to come with him. It proved that Edward de Beaulieu was loyal to Edward Plantagenet. While he spoke as if his father would live a great deal longer, the prince knew it wasn't so. His father was over sixty now, and there were things his mother had told him that others did not know. But if the worst happened and his father died while he was on crusade, his mother, Queen Eleanor, was strong enough to hold the country together until his return. And if he died on crusade, he had two young sons in England whom his mother would protect with her own life. The dynasty would continue. He was content knowing that.

The prince and his wife departed the following morning, their business at Haven completed successfully. The two Edwards had discussed when and where they would meet. The lord of Haven had promised to bring with him one hundred soldiers whom he would feed, equip, and house at his own expense. He would also attempt to raise a group of ten mounted knights, but he quite honestly told the prince he could not guarantee it.

"Do your best," the prince said. "Every man who comes will be guaranteed forgiveness of all his sins by the church when we return to England. I have this on the authority of the archbishop of Canterbury himself, de Beaulieu. Those who die on this crusade will be guaranteed entry directly into heaven and will not have to go to purgatory. The pope has promised it."

The royal couple then rode from Haven Castle, taking the Shrewsbury Road.

When they had gone, Rhonwyn said enthusiastically, "I must begin more serious practice with my weapons if I am to be ready when we go on crusade."

The prince and his wife were scarcely gone when another visitor arrived at Haven. Rafe de Beaulieu had not been happy to learn of his cousin's marriage. Now as he entered the great hall he was greeted by the sight of Edward kissing the hand of a beautiful young girl. Surely this couldn't be the bride.

"Cousin," he said loudly, grinning as the couple broke apart. "And who is this pretty wench? Are you already bored with your wee Welsh wife, Edward? And where did you find this glorious creature?"