The Good Knight (A Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mystery)

guess I have, at that.”
    “How would you like to do a bit more?”
    Gwalchmai’s eyes brightened and Gwen hastened to head him off before he got too excited. “Nothing dangerous.” She pointed a finger at him. “Nothing that draws attention to yourself. Just listening and reporting, like you’ve just done.”
    “And what are you going to do?” Gwalchmai said.
    “Find Hywel.” Gwen stretched, loosening her muscles from too much bending among the weeds, and headed towards the kitchen door.
    Gwalchmai called after her. “Don’t do anything stupid!”
    Gwen raised a hand to indicate she’d heard, though she didn’t answer. She hoped she’d done the right thing with Gwalchmai. Maybe if she gave him a small task, it would keep him out of bigger mischief.
    She’d passed through the kitchen and hall, looked in Hywel’s office, and was coming down the steps into the courtyard by the main gate, still searching for Hywel, when Gareth came through it.
    “There you are,” she said.
    He reined in and dismounted. When she reached him, he caught her around the waist. She gazed up at him, stunned at how natural his greeting felt.
    “I have much to tell you,” he said, overriding her confusion.
    “Did you find something?”
    “Lots of somethings.” He turned her towards the hall, his hand still resting at the small of her back. It felt right there.
    But then Cadwaladr and Cadell appeared in the doorway. Cadell pointed his finger at Gareth. “Seize that man!”
    “What? No!” Gwen stepped directly in front of Gareth, as if that could protect him from this unexpected onslaught.
    Nobody else moved. Even Prince Cadwaladr gaped at Cadell in astonishment.
    “I’ve heard that before,” Evan said from somewhere to Gwen’s right. “Not going to make that mistake again.”
    “Not on anyone’s orders but the King’s,” another man said.
    The two men-at-arms did move closer to Gareth, to protect him, Gwen hoped. Gareth’s arm had slipped around Gwen’s waist, and she pressed back against him.
    Cadell had his own supporters, however, his own teulu , and they moved from all directions, pushing through the men of Aber’s garrison, to surround Gareth and Gwen. One of them grabbed her arm and yanked her away from Gareth while two more pinioned his arms behind his back. It was that first evening all over again.
    “What are you doing? He’s done nothing!” she said.
    Madog strode from the entrance to the barracks. “Let go of the girl.” His command carried across the courtyard. “And unhand Sir Gareth.”
    Cadell, however, outranked him, and thundered down the steps. “I’ve done a complete search of the castle! Moments ago, one of my men found Anarawd’s seal among that man’s possessions!”
    “What?” Gwen spun around to gape at Cadell.
    “Let it go, Gwen,” Gareth said. “We know why I had Anarawd’s seal. And we can prove it. This means nothing.”
    Cadwaladr caught that this was his opportunity to humiliate Gareth once again, even it wasn’t he who had orchestrated it. He strode up to Gareth and put his face right into his. “Nothing?! How dare you! The King of Deheubarth is dead!”
    “It is you who are nothing,” Gwen said, before Gareth could speak. As soon as she spoke the words, she knew she shouldn’t have said them out loud, but she couldn’t take them back. To have Cadwaladr assisting Cadell when they were both in the wrong…
    Cadwaladr froze, his face a rigid mask. Without responding to Gwen or even looking at her, he threw out his hand, dismissing Gareth. Cadell’s men, now augmented by several of Cadwaladr’s, hauled him away. Madog watched, impotent, his jaw clenched and his shoulders shaking with suppressed anger. Then Cadwaladr whirled on Gwen. “You would do well to mind your place.”
    “And what place is that?”
    Cadwaladr’s eyes bulged. “Silence!” He backhanded Gwen across the face. She staggered, her hand to her mouth and tasting blood.
    “I know the truth and so does Prince Hywel. It will come out!” She spat the words, even if they were as far from the truth as it was possible to get, and ran past him, heading towards the stables. She was so furious and hurt she couldn’t see straight. Others had described to her an anger that made a red haze before their eyes but she’d never experienced it. That, and the contrast from light to dark as she crossed the threshold meant she didn’t see Hywel standing directly in her path until she ran into