A Dishonorable Knight(62)

Scanning the room himself, Gareth knew that these men were thinking the same thing. Not many Welshmen would choose to die for a man who claimed the English throne when the next year a new contender may appear with a better claim. Someone cleared his throat and Lord Stanley's eyes narrowed. Before Stanley could say anything, Gareth's father spoke.

"The Welsh will fight for Wales. Should Henry Tudor swear to grant us more rights and freedoms than we've enjoyed under previous English kings, he will find his supporters here innumerable."

Lord Stanley's face flushed and he angrily asked, "Must he bribe you as mercenaries then? Will the Welsh not fight simply for the rightful ruler of all Britain?

Morgan smiled. "There are many men who would claim Richard is the rightful heir. Or the Princess Elizabeth herself. You will have a hard time convincing Welshmen to risk their lives for just another Englishman."

"But he is the grandson of Owain Tudor--a Welsh statesman. You all know that," Stanley argued.

"Yes," Morgan replied calmly. "But will he act like Owain Tudor's grandson? Will a Welsh king of Britain mean a Welshman will be equal to an Englishman? Will it mean the concerns of Wales be given equal consideration to those of England? Will a Welsh grandson mean Welshmen in English government positions?"

Stanley sat back, his elbows on the arms of the chair, his fingers steepled in front of his mouth as he studied Morgan.

"What I am saying, Lord Stanley, is that his name could be Llywelyn and the men of Wales would not die for him without some assurances that Wales will benefit."

Lord Stanley nodded slowly and seemed to be considering something weighty. Finally he dropped his hands from his mouth as he sat forward. "You may rest assured that Wales will benefit should it support the true king."

When he seemed to have nothing else to say, Morgan looked at the men around the room and then said, "My Lord Stanley, surely you must realize that we cannot convince the farmers and shepherds with such a simple answer. Nay, even I in my conviction that Henry Tudor is the rightful king remember all too clearly how assurances can lose their priority once a goal such as the throne has been reached."

Lord Stanley clenched his teeth tightly. "Are you implying that I will not keep my word or that my stepson will so quickly forget the very people who helped him gain his birthright?"

In a calm, even voice that Gareth remembered so clearly from evening stories in front of the fire, Morgan replied, "Lord Stanley, if you will reflect on my words, I'm sure you will see I meant no disrespect. No one in all of Britain dare doubt your sincerity and no one here dare doubt your stepson's appreciation. Rather, we all know that running a kingdom is a terrific responsibility that requires a king's constant vigilance. In light of that, it would be perfectly understandable for King Henry to be overwhelmed by his responsibilities and be forced to relegate the task of appointing Welsh officers to the future, rather than trying to do everything at once." Gareth had been the subject of his father's rational logic too many times while growing up not to see that Lord Stanley was doomed. "All I ask you to understand is that the Welsh people are not as patient as their rightful sovereign is and they may misinterpret advance planning as forgetfulness. If His Majesty could see fit to perhaps deliver his assurances of change personally, he will be amazed at the number of men who will pour from the mountains of Wales to carry him to England."

Lord Stanley was visibly torn. "Perhaps he could send letters to you local lords and inform you of his plans for Wales."

Morgan smiled warmly. "That would be excellent. In the same missive with his instructions for our troops, of course."

Lord Stanley paused. "Of course."

Gareth breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he was not in Lord Stanley's shoes. Morgan always had a way of making you agree to things as if they had been your idea in the first place. With that the meeting was quickly concluded and the men stood to leave, some pausing to speak to Lord Stanley, others milling about uncertainly. Gareth wondered if they were still unconvinced of Stanley's promises, but he had no idea what had occurred before his arrival. His thoughts were interrupted by Morgan. "We thought you were dead or taken, son. 'Tis good to see you here and unharmed. Did you run into trouble?"

"Almost. We were accosted by a troop of English soldiers who were asking about Aberystwyth. We had to detour to make it look like we were heading to Cardiff."

"Why Cardiff?" Bryant asked.