The Good Knight (A Gareth and Gwen Medieval Mystery)

King Owain’s temper, and then even colder still as another thought struck her. “What if the man who ordered King Anarawd’s death is Owain Gwynedd?”

Chapter Four

    T hey were still arguing about it two hours later as they led their horses down the road towards Caerhun. Every man walked, while his horse had a dead man flung over it, even Meilyr’s borrowed horse, Gwen’s pony, and Gareth’s Braith. As Gareth had hoped, Gwalchmai had convinced the castellan at Dolwyddelan to help and had returned at the head of a half dozen carts, one of which now held Anarawd, lying in state. Gareth held his horse’s reins in his right hand and was sorely tempted to clasp Gwen’s hand in his left, but refrained, even though it would have assuaged some of the ache in his heart.
    Too soon.
    “Why would he have contracted with Anarawd for his own daughter if he was going to kill him before the wedding?” Gareth said, exasperated that Gwen was suspicious of the one person he was certain couldn’t have ordered the ambush. “His daughter doesn’t even inherit King Anarawd’s domains now.”
    Gwen wrinkled her nose, clearly not wanting to admit he was right, but nodded her grudging acceptance. “All right. I can’t argue with that, though I submit he could have changed his mind. My question then is, if not King Owain, who? Who knew King Anarawd’s travel plans? Who benefits from Anarawd’s death, commands enough power to order it, and is secure enough in his own dominions to withstand King Owain’s displeasure when he eventually finds out? Because he will. You know he will.”
    “Our culprit might not know King Owain as well as we do,” Gareth said. “He might not realize the extent of his determination and reach. Arrogance is not in short supply among our nobles.”
    “I guess I have to grant you that too,” Gwen said, with a laugh.
    “The first item, however, isn’t too hard to figure,” Gareth said. “Anarawd’s list of enemies was long. He’s fended off the English barons in Deheubarth for years, and in addition, while his Welsh rivals aren’t too many to count, they’re numerous. He controls rich farmland in the south, not to mention herds, mines, and trade routes.”
    “It’s the other two characteristics that will narrow the possibilities,” Gwen said. “Who has the power and the reach? That’s why I suggested it could be King Owain.”
    “For now, we must look beyond him.” Gareth glanced at Gwen. “And you mustn’t even hint of your suspicions to Prince Hywel.”
    “Why ever not?” Gwen said. “He’s used to the machinations at court. If I don’t bring it up, he will. Given his position, and for his own survival, he has to suspect everyone, even his own father.”
    “That may be true,” Gareth said. “It is certainly why he recruited you and who knows how many others to spy for him. But let him come to this on his own, if that’s what he’s going to think. It serves you not at all to impugn his father’s name.”
    “I still don’t agree,” Gwen said. “He needs those of us he trusts to see the arrow flying towards him before it hits. If I tell him what I suspect, he’ll trust me later when it counts for more.”
    Hywel was many things: reckless, brave, impractical, creative, imaginative, and intelligent. But also could be dreadfully irresponsible about other people’s thoughts and feelings. Except when it came to serving his father. To him fell the lot of the younger son, always passed over in favor of his elder brother Rhun—for attention, for honors—always trying to live up to the pre-set standard. And admittedly, Hywel didn’t often fail.
    But he didn’t tug his father’s heartstrings like Rhun did and Hywel knew it. He’d always known it. Gareth didn’t know if it was because Hywel’s mother, whom King Owain had apparently loved, had died at his birth, or because he and his father were far too much alike. Both of Gareth’s parents had died from a wasting sickness when he was five years old, so what he knew about families he’d learned from watching others.
    In addition, Hywel was Owain Gwynedd’s bastard second son. While the Welsh accounted a man legitimate if his father acknowledged him, the lords of Wales had a growing sense that the Welsh royal family must bow more and more to the dictates of the English Church. An illegitimate son might become king if no legitimate son was available, but King Owain had legitimate sons, with more, undoubtedly, in the