Page 32 of Wolfehound (De Wolfe Pack Generations #11)

She mulled over his words because they were bringing about more questions. “Did you know who I was even then?”

“I knew.”

“Did you know my mother? My father?”

He shook his head. “Nay,” he said. “Your mother died long before I met you and I was not near your father when he was killed. I did meet your uncle, however. Dafydd. And I knew your cousins.”

“What cousins?”

Liam faltered, realizing she’d not been told about the others.

He couldn’t very well refuse to tell her now that he’d brought it up.

“There were other children, Bria,” he said, trying to be gentle.

“Children of your Uncle Dafydd. You were the only offspring of Llywelyn, at least the only one we could find. There were rumors that you had an older sister named Catherine, but we never found evidence of her. I suspect she ended up like you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Adopted by another family to keep her safe.”

That revelation seemed to stun Cambria. “A sister,” she breathed. “I have a sister?”

He shrugged. “Possibly, but we may never know,” he said. “But your cousins—two boys and several girls—were taken away, much as you were. The girls were sent to priories and the boys sent to Bristol Castle. Before you ask, I do not know what has become of them. That was a long time ago, sweetheart.”

She was greatly torn hearing that there were other family members out there.

Truthfully, that had never occurred to her.

“I was just lamenting to my mother over the fact that we have no other family than my father’s brother, who has no use for him,” she said.

“Now I find out that I actually have cousins and possibly a sister? That is astonishing.”

He could see something of hope in her expression and quickly sought to kill it.

“I know this all comes as a great surprise to you, but know this,” he said.

“If you are thinking to contact these family members, do not. They are more than likely well guarded, by royal guards, and if you try to contact them, your secret will be revealed and everything we have worked so hard for will be ruined. Edward will demand your capture, and because I will not allow it, I will be forced to go to battle against the king. I will lose my position, my father will lose his position, and my entire family, more than likely including the House of de Wolfe, will be forced to go to battle to protect you. Men will die because of this and I know that is not what you wish.”

She was looking at him in resentment and horror. “I did not say I wished to contact them,” she said. “You need not be so dramatic.”

“I am not being dramatic, but truthful,” he said. “You must never think that any contact with your cousins would be a good thing. It would bring about your downfall, so put any thoughts of familial contact out of your mind forever.”

Feeling scolded, Cambria lowered her head. “You need not be so cruel,” she said. “I had no intention of trying to contact anyone.”

“I did not mean to be cruel, but rather stress to you the seriousness of the situation.”

She nodded, though she was still looking at her feet. “Considering what was done to Llywelyn, I believe I am well aware of the seriousness,” she said quietly. “Thank you for answering my questions, Liam. I appreciate it.”

Liam knew he’d been somewhat harsh with her, but as he’d said, it was to stress the seriousness of the situation.

She couldn’t go off and contact cousins or other family members and she had to understand that.

She was Cambria de Royans, and that was what she would remain.

Soon, she would be Cambria, Lady de Wolfe, and hopefully thoughts of cousins and dead fathers would simply be committed to memory.

But Liam was hoping a new crop of problems wouldn’t spring up now that she knew the truth of her background.

He could only pray that her curiosity was at an end.

“You are welcome,” he said, reaching out to take her elbow politely. “But I would not tell your father that you know. It might put your mother in a bad way with him. She was not supposed to tell you.”

She looked at him then. “I’m glad someone did,” she said. “I’m proud to know who I am. I think I’m even proud of my father, who fought for something he believed in. That must be the greatest battle of all—fighting for something you believe in. Not many people can say that.”

Liam began to walk her back toward the hall. “That is true,” he said. “But I did hear something else about him long ago, something I overheard soldiers speaking of.”

“What did you hear?”

“That he and your mother, Eleanor, were a love match,” he said. “That is rare, especially in political marriages. It must have destroyed him when she perished giving birth to you.”

Cambria was quiet for a moment. “Would it destroy you if that happened to me?”

“I would not want to live.”

He was deadly serious. Cambria was gazing at him, seeing the intensity in his expression, and it touched her. All of these years of a budding relationship, of a carefully orchestrated courtship, and all it had managed to do was solidify that which already existed.

Love.

She’d loved him from the start.

She’d love him until the end.

“Nor I,” she murmured. “If anything happened to you, I could not live. You are the air I breathe, Liam. Take away my air and I am dust.”

He smiled at her, putting a big hand over her small hands around his forearm, but he was prevented from replying because of some commotion near the gatehouse.

Off to their right, the noise of soldiers shouting captured their attention and they turned to see another party entering through the gatehouse.

The banners of the Earl of Warenton were front and center as they came in beneath the double portcullises, kicking up dirt and creating a general commotion.

They could also see, quite plainly, when Carlton and War headed in the direction of the incoming party.

“More guests,” Cambria said. “It must be the Earl of Warenton. Papa said he had invited him.”

Liam nodded. “Aye,” he said. “That is who it is.”

There was a brief pause. “He knows, too, doesn’t he?”

“About you?”

“Aye.”

“He knows.”

Cambria didn’t say anything for a moment. When she finally spoke, her tone was full of awe. Perhaps even disbelief.

“The fact that such important men would go to all of this trouble just for me is bewildering,” she murmured, tightening her grip on his arm. “I was only a babe, just a little girl who was the offspring of a great enemy. Why should they go to so much trouble simply to save me? I do not understand.”

Liam knew the reason but wasn’t sure he should tell her.

However, he didn’t think it would be good to withhold it.

They had just spent several moments of complete honesty, the only real opportunity they’d ever had as adults, as a couple about to be married, so now wasn’t the time to refrain from telling her what he knew.

Perhaps it would ease her curiosity, but he was more afraid that it might do some damage.

What, he didn’t know, but he didn’t have any choice as he saw it.

“All I know is what I heard,” he muttered. “You must understand that men like your father or William de Wolfe did not confide in me. I am no one to them. But I did hear that de Wolfe sent you into hiding as revenge against Edward for sending his son into Wales to be killed.”

She looked at him with surprise. “How would that be revenge?”

“Because Edward wanted you sent to a priory,” he said.

“You were to live out your days at Sempringham Priory, which is not far from here. The priory is in your father’s demesne and that is why he was charged with your protection.

There is another woman at Sempringham right now that bears your birth name and is, for all intents and purposes, Gwenllian of Wales.

De Wolfe’s vengeance against Edward is in letting the real Welsh princess—you—live a normal life, married to an English knight, and bearing English sons. ”

Cambria thought on that. “I see,” she said after a moment. “Then I was a pawn.”

“You were. But you are also marrying the man you love, and that does not happen to most pawns.”

He had a way of putting it into perspective that made her realize her life could have been much worse.

After a moment, she nodded, accepting his explanation.

Truthfully, the entire day had been so momentous that she wasn’t sure she could handle one more revelation, or tale, or complaint or tragedy.

She’d had all she could take. When she saw her father and Liam’s father speaking with Scott de Wolfe, she suddenly felt quite weary.

She needed to be alone and process everything.

“And I do love him, very much,” she said. “But… but would you mind if I did not go with you to greet Warenton? I should like to rest before the feast tonight. I should like to be at my best.”

Liam smiled and lifted one of her hands, kissing it. “If that is your wish,” he said. “May I escort you to the keep?”

Cambria shook her head. “Nay, I can find my way,” she said, forcing a smile. “You must go greet our guest.”

“Are you certain?”

“I am. I will see you this evening.”

He kissed her hand again. “You certainly will.”

Keeping the smile plastered on her lips, Cambria let go of his arm and turned around, heading toward the keep, but with each successive step, her smile faded. What a day it had been. Her head was spinning with all of it.

You are the daughter of a Welsh prince.

You are a pawn.

You are marrying the man you love because of it.

There is a woman bearing your name, and your confinement, at Sempringham Priory.

God help her, it was all so much to take. But this wasn’t the end of it.

Not even close.