Elle nodded. “Would you not protect such a place fiercely?”
“I would,” he said. “But you were content whilst there were English soldiers here. Brython was quiet. The trouble came after you purged the soldiers.”
“I know,” she said. “But it was time for the English to go. This is no place for them.”
“But the English have it now,” he reminded her. “Ihave it now. Did it occur to you that had you never sent the English away, you would not have lost the castle?”
She shook her head. “Nay,” she said truthfully. “I thought we could hold it. I tried.”
Curtis’ grin returned. “You held out for a month against the most feared warlord on the marches,” he said. “That is quite an accomplishment.”
She couldn’t give in to his humor about the situation. “But it was not enough in the end.”
His smile faded. “Nay, it was not,” he said. “But here is something else you might not have realized. The truth is that this is a very valuable castle, and even if I decide to go away and leave it to the Welsh, there will be other English warlords who will try to take it. They may not be so kind to you or your beliefs. Youdounderstand that, don’t you?”
Elle lowered her gaze, nodding reluctantly. “I do,” she said. “I understand that it will always be coveted.”
“Precisely,” Curtis said. “Therefore, it is best that you and I protect it together.”
She looked at him with some surprise. “You and I…?” she stammered. “You…youwould protect Brython?”
He nodded. “It is clearly important to you,” he said. “My lady, this marriage will be for peace. For an alliance. What kind of peace would we have if I disrespected your beliefs and treated your people like slaves? We would have a fight on our hands every single day, and that is not something I wish. I grew up on the marches. I speak your language and I know the historyof your country. My father insisted that all of his children did because he felt it was important for us to understand the viewpoints of others. I want to understand your viewpoint, but in return, I also want you to understand mine. Only then can we live in true peace.Onid yw hynny’n gwneud synnwyr?”
Does that not make sense?
He spoke Welsh flawlessly. It was the first time Elle had heard him do it. Somehow, that elevated him in her eyes. The fact that he could speak her language meant something. It was a difficult language to learn, yet he had taken the time to do it. That told her he meant to communicate with the Welsh on their level, in their language. Perhaps he’d been forced to learn it, but he could have easily forgotten it or dismissed it. He didn’t even have to let her know that he could speak it. But he had.
To her, that was a show of respect.
“Ydy, mae’n gwneud hynny,” she said softly.
Yes, it does.
He smiled, and for the first time since their association, Elle smiled in return. He had a very handsome smile of straight teeth, with slightly prominent canines, and the gesture made her heart do strange things. It fluttered in a way she’d never felt before. She could feel her cheeks growing warm.
It was a most unusual reaction.
“Good,” he said. “I will tell you my viewpoint and what I’d like to accomplish here. And our children—if we have any—will be children who understand their Welsh heritage and their English heritage. They will be of two worlds.”
Elle had heard that before. “Your father told me that,” she said. “He said they would be the seeds of peace.”
“They will,” he insisted. “My father was right. But I want to understand where you come from and how you envision your countrymen. I want to know how you see this land ten years from now, or even twenty years from now. Will you tell me?”
Elle nodded because he seemed genuine. “I will,” she said. “But you will not like some of my opinions.”
“I can only know that when you tell me.”
“I will tell you that I do not want the Saesneg in Wales.”
“And I will tell you that it is not your decision to make, nor is it mine.”
They were heading into one of those circular arguments again, and she didn’t want to do that. After last night, he had left her feeling defeated that she couldn’t win an argument or dominate him with her wants.
Weakly, she smiled.
“I think we have a long road ahead of us, my lord,” she said. “You may as well know that I have strong views on things. I will not be afraid to tell you.”
His smile returned. “I would hope that you are not afraid,” he said. “I never had much use for women who are submissive. I come from a family of fiery women.”
