A Dishonorable Knight(71)

Chapter 16




"Well, that does it for me," said Cynan with a yawn. "I am about to fall asleep on this miserable bench. I've had one too many nights of the late watch." Standing, he gave Elena a sleepy bow and said, "Don't let him keep you out all night." He turned and stumbled through the milling people.

"So much for my friend who never slept and was always up for a new adventure," Gareth said wryly.

Elena smiled and leaned forward. Gareth imagined she was weary herself and would like to retire, but he had promised Cynan that he would try to discover where her loyalties lay and they might not have much time alone again before they returned to England. While he racked his brain to think of a way to approach the subject, a breeze brought the fresh scent of the sea and he was seized with an inspiration. "Would you like to see the docks before we retire?"

Elena looked at him dubiously. "Are they safe?"

Gareth smiled. "Don't worry, they're not at all like those near London. Aberystwyth is still for the most part a large fishing village. The most excitement you're like to see is a late fisherman unloading his catch. Besides, what have you to fear? You are accompanied by Sir Gareth, knight of the realm. You think anyone with evil intent dare approach us?"

Elena laughed and said teasingly, "Nay, not with your hair sticking up all over your head like an ogre's!"

Gareth's hand flew to his unruly hair, but he could feel nothing unusually messy. When he saw the teasing look in his companion's face, he joined her laughter. "Well, what do you say?"

"That sounds lovely."

Gareth was surprised by her polite answer. Although she had been astoundingly cooperative of late, her early rudeness and haughtiness had so influenced him that he was constantly surprised by any other attitude from her.

They stood and she followed him through the crowds of people. As soon as they reached the edge of the marketplace, the throng rapidly diminished until they were walking alone down moonlit streets, the faint rush of the sea audible.

"This seems bigger than a large fishing village," Elena said as they made their way toward the ocean. The further they walked from the marketplace, the louder the sound of the water grew.

"Well, in size, yes, it is large, but not in attitude. The folk here consider themselves all family of sorts and they're not very tolerant of people disturbing their home with mischief and mayhem." Gareth glanced sideways at Elena. She was nodding her head slightly.

They came around a bend in the street that opened onto a rocky beach and the weathered docks.

"I've never seen such a sight," Elena whispered, coming to a stop on the edge of the sand.

"I'd have thought you'd seen everything in Britain, traveling with King Richard."

"All I ever get to see traveling with Richard is the inside of musty hunting castles and the filthy streets of London."

"Likes to hunt, does he?" Gareth asked, struggling to direct the conversation towards the current politics as they walked along the beach.

"I think he just uses hunting as a way to make himself look strong and powerful in front of his nobles. You'd think his success at achieving the throne would have made him confident enough in his power, but he seems to be constantly trying to prove himself."

"Maybe that's because he knows he doesn't belong there." Gareth said.

"His claim is a strong as any others. I think he's just nervous by nature. He's always fiddling with his dagger or his cuffs. Always smoothing his hair. It's too bad his wife died. She always had a calming influence on him." Elena bent to pick up a shell. "If it hadn't been for Anne, I don't think Richard would have ever succeeded in his bid for the throne."

"Perhaps that would have been for the best." Gareth felt as if he were walking on the rocky beach barefooted, so carefully was he trying to tread.

"Why? One man on the throne is as good as another. There is really very little difference between kings."

"How can you say that?" Gareth burst out.

Elena laughed at the outraged look on his face. "Come now, Gareth. How is Richard really any different from all of the previous kings?"

"Well, he ignores the rest of England while he lavishes attention and money on the northern part of the country where his cronies live."

"And that is worse than Henry VI's lunacy or his father's outrageous justifications for laying siege on France?"