Cai poured me a cup of mulled wine, and bade me drink it all with his blessing.

At the height of this glad time appeared those who had come to pledge fealty to Arthur. Some were lords, and some were the sons of lords who wished to join the Cymbrogi. There were several young Pictish nobles among them who had come also, seeking Arthur's peace and allegiance. One of these was a youth named Medraut.

The petitioners came into the High King's council hall, where he sat to hear these requests. One by one they were given leave to plead their cause and, it being a day of holy celebration, each was granted the thing desired.

And then came Medraut.

He boldly approached the High King's seat and knelt down at once. With humble, downcast eyes he made his petition. 'Wonderful Pendragon, I seek fosterage in your noble house.' He spoke well, without the slightest hint of the thickness of the Pied tongue.

Some in the hall drew breath sharply on hearing this, for it was an affront to the High King's generosity. They thought the youth ill-advised in taking advantage of the holy celebration to ask such a thing. But Medraut was canny; he knew that he would in no wise be refused on this day above all others. And, once having given his word before all his nobles, Arthur would never take it back.

In this Medraut was right, but it won him no friends. No one liked to see the High King's generosity and fairness abused in this way. Many grumbled against him from that very moment.

'Fosterage is no small thing,' said Arthur cautiously, 'and not lightly to be entered. What is your name?'

'I am Medraut ap Urien, Lord of Monoth.' Where this might be I had no idea, and I had lived all my life in the north.

'Come to me when our celebration has ended, Medraut. Better still, bring your father and we will discuss this between us.'

The youth was not to be put off. 'For the sake of your celebration, Exalted Lord, I plead you not to refuse me.'

The Emrys looked on and observed what was taking place. 'Oh, that was well done. Do not play gwyddbwyll with this one,' he warned goodnaturedly, and added, 'and do not lend him your knife.' He flicked my new knife with his finger and moved off.

I studied the youth more carefully. His skin was pallid and wan, as if he never moved about in the sunlight; his hair was black and flowing, hanging down in his dark eyes, and curling over his shoulders like a woman's hair. He was slender and graceful of movement and manner; when he walked, he trod only on the balls of his feet, not the heel. He was fine-featured, delicate as a maid, but in the main not unpleasant to look upon. Some of the younger women of Arthur's court found him handsome enough, I believe.

Arthur the High King also observed the youth before him and, thinking no ill, acquiesced to his wish. 'I do not refuse you, man. In exchange for your fealty, I grant you fosterage until such time as I deem you ready to take your place in the world.'

On hearing this, Medraut fell upon his face before the High King. 'Lord and Pendragon,' he said, 'I offer you fealty and honour and loyalty. As long as my body holds breath, I am your man.'

Arthur accepted Medraut and bade him to join the celebration. 'A bed will be found for you and you will be made comfortable. Now then put aside this talk, come and feast with us and enjoy this glad and holy day.' Then he rose and declared the council at an end, whereupon all made way to the hall to continue the feast. It fell to me to rind a place for Medraut to sleep – no simple task, for every chamber and bed was already well filled.

In the end, and at considerable trouble to myself, I arranged for him to sleep in the stable with some of the grooms. When I explained the arrangement he grew indignant. 'You think me beneath you, slave!' he demanded body.

'I did not say what I thought of you,' I replied, bristling. I confess I knew little of him, but that little I did not care for. I thought him arrogant and petty for binding Arthur with his word and manipulating the High King's generosity. 'I am a fosterling like as you are.'

He glared. 'I am a noble!'

'I take you at your word.' Indeed, we had only his word for any of it.

'Watch your tongue, serving boy! I am Arthur's man now, I could have you dismissed.'

He boasted to no avail, I did not fear him. 'You are the Pendragon's fosterling,' I corrected him coolly.

'Knowing this, you think to humble me – is that it?'

'I think only to obey my lord in completing the task he has given me.'

'You are instructed to taunt me and humiliate me.' He sneered suspiciously.

'I am instructed to find you a place to sleep,' I replied. 'If this humiliates you, then perhaps you have chosen the wrong house to honour with your presence.'

He was so conceited he did not even heed my scorn. 'I wantyour bed,' he said slyly.

'My bed, but – '

'There!' His laugh was short and sharp as a weasel's bark. 'I will have your bed and you will sleep in the stable.' His eyes glittered as if he had made a triumph.

'If that is what you wish – ' I began.

'It is.'

'Then so be it.' I walked away, leaving the young tyrant gloating and chortling to himself over his shrewdness.

Tyrant, yes. Breath-stealing, his audacity. I could not believe his impudence – nor how quickly he had insinuated himself into Arthur's intimacy. Of vanity he had no lack.

I did not see him again until after that night's feasting, when he came to me demanding to be shown to his chamber – he assumed I commanded such accommodation. The two Picti noblemen were with him. 'But this, my lord Medraut, is my chamber,' I told him, spreading my hands to the hall, now filled with smoke and the loud voices of those still making merry within. 'And there is my bed.' I pointed to one ash-dusted corner of the great hearth.

Two warriors were already wrapped in their cloaks and happily snoring in slumber. 'Look you,' I said, 'your companions are already abed. Best not to wake them when you tumble in.'

Medraut's face went rigid with fury. 'Liar!'

'It is the truth,' I replied flatly. 'My own bed was given over to another days ago. I have been sleeping in the hall since then.'

It was a fact. My sleeping-place had been occupied by a lord since the nobles began arriving for the Christ Mass. I had been sleeping in the hall on one of the benches, or wrapped in my cloak in a corner.

I do not know how much of this the two Pied with him understood, but one of them smiled and laughed and clapped Medraut on the back. 'Come, let us sleep in our cups!' he cried, and the Picti lost interest and wandered off.

'If you require nothing further, I am going to the stable.' I said when they had gone.

'You deceived me, slave!' He was livid.

'You invited the deception,' I snapped. 'If you thought me a slave, why assume I had better quarters than the stable?' He scowled but he could not answer.

I left him standing there and went out into the cold winter's night and made my way across the yard to the stable. The sky was clear, the moon well up and bright. Upon reaching the door I turned suddenly and thought I saw someone sliding along the palace wall across the yard. But it was late and my eyes were tired from the smoke and lack of sleep.