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delightfor a touch of jealousy had been roused in him by Rhiannon's response to the king's admirationshe was reluctant, although she admitted it would be the best thing to do. She felt more vulnerable in London, as if the wild countryside, which could shield her, was farther away and left her more at Henry's mercy. Simon, too, said he thought it would be best, but he did not urge her beyond that simple statement. In the end Rhiannon's conscience overrode her fear, and she agreed. |
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She hoped Henry would be too busy or too angry to accept the offer Simon delivered. The king, however, had a similarity to Rhiannon beyond his love of music; he also tried to run away from his problems. He was delighted with the suggestion and closed with it at once, sending the strongest assurances of his pleasure in her willingness to come to him. He greeted her with great kindness and even made a jesting reference to the necessary freedom of songbirds. |
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Nonetheless, Rhiannon felt choked and smothered, and she sang of the sorrows of the Rhiannon whose namesake she was, how the jealous women of her husband's court accused her of murdering her babe and smeared her with a pup's blood, and of the bitter sorrow and unmerited punishment she suffered until her husband's long faith in her was vindicated when the truth was exposed. |
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By chance the song fitted Henry's mood exactly, but for once he was as interested in the meaning under the tale as in the artistry with which it was told. "If Pwyll believed in her, he was a fool to yield to the demands of his barons," Henry said, after he had complimented Rhiannon on her singing. |
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"He did not do so," Rhiannon replied. "They bade him put her away, and he would not. It was for the sake of peace in the land and ease in the minds of his liegemen that he agreed to Rhiannon's penanceand, remember, she agreed with him and did the penance, |
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