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Page 344
and broken. To this the king made no answer other than a slight smile. The bishop sighed. He knew that Henry would order the church surrounded so that de Burgh could be starved out; however, that was outside the jurisdiction of the Church. Roger could plead for mercy as a man, but he could not fight for it as a prelate.
The explosion that had taken place two days before Henry released de Burgh was the signal that freed Simon and Rhiannon; however, there was no particular urgency about leaving. The news was important, but it would bear no fruit for several weeks. There was plenty of time to inform Llewelyn. Thus, time was spent in a round of farewell visits and in packing. Rhiannon found her baskets far fuller than they had been when she came. Aside from what she had purchased herself, Alinor and Joanna had loaded her with gifts and there were even items from Gilliane at Tarring.
Tearfully Rhiannon tried to tell them that she did not expect to be married to Simon. All smiled on her and kissed her and assured her the gifts were for her in remembrance, not for Simon's wife. They all wished for the marriage and would pray for it, but their love was for Rhiannon herself whether she married Simon or not. Helplessly, Rhiannon did what she could, bestowing rings and necklets on each of the women she desired for sisters, except. . . . To Alinor she gave the length of cloth that Kicva had woven because Alinor had called it a wonder and Rhiannon felt it was the most precious thing she had that Alinor would be likely to use. She had feared that Simon's mother would protest, but she did not. Instead she had smiled and folded Rhiannon in her armsa most unusual gesture, for Alinor saved. her embraces for infants and for her husband.
"I know just what to do with it, my love," Alinor said.

 
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