‘Something in you died with him,’ said the Princess quickly before her grandmother said it.

‘How well you understand! I thank God for you, my child. You are such a comfort to your parents.’

Then they talked of the Queen. ‘I doubt not,’ said the Queen Mother, ‘that she will be pregnant again soon.’

‘Dear Mother! I think she should not bear so many children. It weakens her.’

‘It is too much. Edward should realise that it is hardly likely he will get a son now. His boys are never strong. I thought Alfonso looked very frail when I last saw him. He is such a darling boy. I have the widows doing vigil for him but what good does it do!’

‘It did nothing for the others,’ said the Princess.

‘It is my belief,’ said the Queen Mother conspiratorially, ‘that Alfonso will never come to manhood.’

The Princess nodded solemnly.

‘Well, we have you, my love.’

‘My lady, suppose poor Alfie …’

‘Dies?’ said the Queen Mother. ‘Alas, I think that very likely.’

‘And the Queen only has girls …’

‘I think that equally likely …’

‘And I …?’

‘My blessed child, you are the eldest daughter. I’ll swear you are every bit as good as a man. It has always maddened me … this desire for boys. As though they are cleverer than we are. Have you noticed that? Why, your grandfather used to say I was worth ten of his ministers.’

‘And so it proved.’

‘Your grandfather used to say I could have governed the country as well as he could.’

It would not have been politic to say: ‘And his was not very good government,’ and the Princess was excited because she saw that she had her grandmother’s support and everyone would agree that that was well worth having.

‘Then, my lady, if all this should happen, do you think that I could years and years hence become the Queen of England?’

‘It could come to pass, my child, and I believe that would not be such a bad thing for this country.’

‘But if I go to Aragon to marry this man …’

‘Ah, then, my dear, it would not be so. Your husband would want the crown and that is something the people would never have. No, you would have to be here … and you will have to show the people that you are strong and able. Secretly I believe the King thinks so. Look how he has honoured you.’

‘But this is what I want to talk to you about. There is news from Aragon. They want me to leave England at once. Oh, my lady, what am I going to do?’

‘It must be stopped,’ said the Queen Mother. ‘I will speak to your mother and the King.’

‘I could not bear it if I were sent away. Not to see you, my lady … and the others.’

The Princess was watching her grandmother closely. The old woman pressed her lips firmly together.

‘Certainly you must not go … yet. You are far too young.’

The absurdity of this did not matter to either of them. When the Queen Mother made a statement it must be true, however much the facts disagreed.


* * *

The King was quite ready to be persuaded that his daughter was too young to leave her home. Though he did cover himself by writing to the King of Aragon that it was ‘The Queen, her mother and our dearest mother who are unwilling to grant that she may pass over earlier on account of her tender age.’ He did, however, add that he agreed with this.

The Aragonese were suspicious. To speak of the tender age of a bride-to-be who was in her eighteenth year when so many girls were sent to their bridegrooms at the ages of twelve and thirteen did seem rather strange.

A coolness sprang up between the ambassador of Aragon and the King’s Court which disturbed Edward and as conditions abroad necessitated the friendship of Aragon, he would have to be careful and not let them think that he wished to break off the contract.

Meanwhile the Queen had become pregnant once more.


* * *

Llewellyn continued to mourn. The baby was left to the care of nurses and he never wanted to see her. He would ride out into the mountains because he wanted to be alone with his wretchedness.

They said of him: ‘If he goes on like this he will die of melancholy.’

His brother Davydd, hearing of his state, came to see him again.

‘Do you not see how misguided it is to set store by such ephemeral joys?’ he asked.

‘Who would have thought she would have died?’ mourned Llewellyn. ‘We had so little time together. How could God have been so cruel?’

‘God is sometimes cruel to a man in order that he may fulfil his destiny.’

‘Destiny! what is my destiny without her!’

‘There was a prophecy by Merlin.’

‘A false prophet.’

‘Take care, Llewellyn. It is small wonder that Heaven strikes you such blows if you blaspheme in this way.’

‘Heaven can strike as many blows as it wishes. I cannot feel any more. I care nothing of what happens to me.’

‘You are not finished yet, Llewellyn. The future is before you.’

‘I care not for it. I shall never know happiness again.’

‘There is happiness to be found outside family life. Give yourself a chance to find compensation.’

‘You do not understand, Davydd.’

‘I understand full well. If you stay here brooding you will die of melancholy. Let me tell you, brother, I could raise an army. We could go against the English … together. Edward is lulled to a feeling of security. He thinks he has beaten us. Llewellyn, why do we not show him his mistake?’

Llewellyn was half listening. He was thinking: Edward kept us apart. Edward captured her and kept her from me. We could have had more life together. I hate Edward. I hate the world. I hate God.

‘We could … together … defeat him. We could bring Wales back to the Welsh. Llewellyn, don’t you see it is your opportunity. It is God showing you a way out of your misery. Llewellyn, you are stunned with grief now, but if you would give yourself a chance you would grow away from it. Oh, I know you will never forget her. I know what you have lost. But you have still to live. You have to go on living. You cannot for her, but you can for Wales.’

For Wales! For the magnificent mountains, the valleys and the hills. The honour of Wales. Wales for the Welsh. And perhaps one day Merlin’s prophecy would come true. Davydd was in earnest. He could not trust Davydd. He had deceived him once.

He was astounded. For a few minutes he had stopped thinking of the Demoiselle.

Now he was listening to Davydd.

He did not care what became of him. Perhaps that was the best way to go into desperate battle.


* * *

The Aragonese were determined. They would wait no longer. The Infant wanted his bride. If she did not come to him it was likely that he would look elsewhere; and he would certainly not regard as an ally one who had treated him as the English King had in withholding his daughter.

Tight-lipped, Edward explained to his daughter. He saw the stony despair in her face. Then he broke down and embraced her.

‘My darling child, what can I do? You are promised to Aragon.’

There was nothing she could do. There was nothing the Queen Mother could do. The Princess was promised to Aragon and there was no real reason why she should not go to her bridegroom.

The Princess was on her knees praying. God must do something that would prevent her going. She could not go. All her plans would have foundered if she did. She did not want to be the Queen of Aragon, she wanted to be the Queen of England. Her mother was pregnant again. If God sent a son this time she would take it as a sign that He had deserted her.

Something will happen, she kept telling herself. Something must happen.

Then came the startling news from Wales. Llewellyn and his brother Davydd had risen against the King. Edward was furious. He had believed the Welsh problem was settled. He had given Llewellyn his Demoiselle and looked forward to years of peace on that border. Now the brothers were in revolt.

He would trust no one to subdue them. He would go himself.

He told his daughter that he was going to Wales. She clung to him and said, ‘You are going and I shall have to go away. It may be that we shall not see each other again.’

‘That must not be,’ he said. ‘You shall come with me to Wales. You and your mother and your brothers and sisters shall be lodged in a safe place, but where I can see you between battles. My dearest child, it seems you must go to Aragon, but not yet … not yet. I can hold them off for a bit.’

‘It sounds as though they are an enemy,’ she said half tearfully, half joyously, because he betrayed his love for her so blatantly.

‘Anyone who takes my dearest daughter from me is an enemy,’ he said.

‘For a while then, I shall forget,’ she said. ‘I shall try to be happy. I shall not think that soon I have to go away. For the moment I can be with my beloved father.’

The Queen was also eager to go to Wales. The superstitious belief clung to her that if she bore a child in a different place, she might have a healthy boy.

Thus it was that they travelled north and the King put his family in Rhudlan Castle while he went on with his armies to subdue Llewellyn and his brother Davydd.


* * *

Edward had made Rhudlan his place d’armes and there he also kept the provisions for the army. It was a great comfort to him to have his family with him. How much less exacting war could be if, somewhere – as safely away from the fighting as possible – he could have them installed. It meant that when there was a lull in the battle and circumstances warranted his taking a little respite, he could be with them.