What a perfect ending! I have never read the Truthful Harp - I actually have it on order, so I will rectify that shortly. But the whole chapter is a perfect segway to LA's writing, whatever form it takes. I very honestly sometimes cannot tell your writing from his, except for the occasionally more adult take on things, and the additional description and detail is some scenes (which I appreciate), you capture his spirit in a way that I didn't even think would be possible.

Also, I have so enjoyed getting to know you better, the conversation and discussions, and I hope that continues! It's so rewarding and fun. And again I really appreciate and will consider your suggestion that I try to write a story myself...I'm sure it would be a daunting task, but maybe I will tackle it sometime soon.

Thanks again and looking forward so much to your long post-King novel! You're a wonderful writer.

I love your writing in this chapter, again LA himself could not have done better with Fflewddur's character and comments. I like Baeddan's argument in favor of the strategic importane of the cantrev, and I like Fflewddur's rebuttal of that argument. And I admired and sympathized with Anwen before, but I love her now! She has so much insight...and has a bit of bard in her herself, obviously.

Such a well written, heartwarming and sweet chapter.

Oh this is hilarious and sad at the same time. Poor Fflewddur, he's finding out there are many more important things than good looks... I remember having some similar conversations with various dates over the years, LOL. It's really sad when you realize you have absolutely nothing in common with a person, no matter how attractive they might be otherwise. You captured the humor and pathos of the moment so well - poor Fflewddur initially so stunned by her beauty that he could hardly think (I could feel and sympathize with his embarrassment), then the disappointment and hurt when he saw her boredom when he tried to tell a story (this was probably the worst for him, given his personality) followed by the sad realization that she was exceedingly dull herself, at least for his taste. I'm glad Anwen isn't going to try to force this one on him, again she is an impressive and insightful lady. It sounds like she is describing Braith as the ideal spouse at the end ;-) I know, I know, let's not go there again, LOL.

Another great chapter!

Poor Fflewddur, I can really feel for him. I admire his persistence, but he is so obviously unsuited to this role, is performing it only out of a sense of duty, and feels so trapped in every aspect of his life. I guess all of that should be obvious based on what we already know about Fflewddur, but still, you have described it perfectly. I’m glad he had the courage to remember he is the King with Baeddan, no sense being miserable /and/ being bossed around by your underlings.

This love story is so bittersweet, awkward and painful. It’s almost as sad as your other gloomy chapters, but in a different way of course. I don’t believe Braith when she says she doesn’t love Fflewddur, and I think he loves her too, as much as they have loved anyone to this point in their relatively young lives. Being incompatible with someone doesn’t mean you can’t love them, as I know from my own painful experience. I agree they are very different personalities, and also given their society’s expectations, any sort of relationship or marriage at this point in their lives certainly wouldn’t work. However, I hold out for the possibility that it could be something that happens way down the road for them, assuming Fflewddur does avoid the trip or make it back from the Summer Country (I think you mentioned this was in your long term plans) and assuming Braith isn’t married with nine kids of her own by then. She seems too smart for that! I think that at a later point in his life, she would be exactly what he needs – someone to ground him and talk sense to him when he is on the throne in his middle aged years (assuming Anwen has passed on by then) and when his barding excursions have lessened a bit in frequency and duration! Oh, and when he wants children of his own. Maybe none of this has entered your mind, since Fflewddur may have other love interests based on your other stories and maybe you have another plan for him altogether. But this seems like an interesting, or at least a satisfying, possibility.

Nicely done, a much appreciated light note after a few somber chapters! I am glad to see Anwen is recovering a bit, as you alluded to before. And I'm a bit surprised that Fflewddur made it through a whole year buckling down the necessary studies and training, without chucking it all and heading out to try barding. I noticed a small Easter egg here - maybe just a jellybean - Anwen saying "you will manage, and become quite a respectable king." Echoes of Fflewddur's comment to the companions, in TBo3, after playing a song that reminded them all of home, that he "might try to settle down and be a respectable sort of King." But I'm glad he didn't, at least not completely.

The second half of the chapter was hilarious, I don't know what kind of coronation I would have expected for Fflewddur, but this fits the bill nicely. I'm glad he showed mercy to the bird - obviously a freedome loving creature after his own heart, HeHe. I think I would enjoy Kingdom Fflamm than most in Prydain! :-)

Looking forward to the next chapter.

Wow. The broken strands metaphor at the beginning is so LA, so appropriate in a story that started off with the three O’s...and you’ve worded this version so beautifully and so appropriately. Poor, poor Anwen, I hate that this is how she ends up, just a shell of her former self, going through the motions. I get the feeling she won’t be around much longer, unfortunately. The whole scene with Cadwallon is so special, with so much resonance, and helps explain how Fflewddur came to be such a fighter...as Doli said, “his sword is worth ten. Or six, at least.” ;-). I love Cadwallon’s line about death, and that if you think overmuch about it, it will drive you mad...it reminds me of Gwydion talking about Gwyn the hunter, “do not listen overmuch to the echoes. Others have done so, and wandered hopeless ever since.” And of course I love how you tied this battle in with Taran’s origin. To think that Fflewddur’s brother saved his young life, the symmetry is beautiful.

I’m hoping you get the Chapter 7 text fixed quickly!

Well, you made me cry, I guess that is what you were aiming for...Poor Fflewddur but even more, poor Anwen. What a terrible fate for her. The sorrow of this chapter is almost too much to bear, but on the positive side for your writing, again it all rings true, I can’t tell the difference between LA’s Fflewddur and yours at this point, it all seems part of the same story. Just wondering, is Godo another mythical character? The Flame of Godo has a realistic sound to it, and I know you do your homework. And bringing Gwyn the Hunter at the end just sealed it, the whole thing just reverberates with sadness. As tough as it was, very memorable writing. And once again, I can’t stand it for Anwen, she deserved so much better.

Well I knew the bad news was coming, but I didn’t know you were planning it in waves... ;-) Hmmmmm how to describe this chapter. Bittersweet, maybe? Your writing is as good as I’ve now come to expect, crisp, perfect in tone, and great character development. For a medieval mom, Anwen seems like quite a sweetheart, and knows her son a little better then I thought she might. I remember the line from the books, his first harp “was an old pot one of the minstrels had left behind” - you homed right in on that, didn’t you? ;-) Perfect augmentation of that story, it rings so true. I think it’s very nice and very skillful how you weave this story into LA’s narrative with no rough edges.

I’m glad to see Braith make another appearance, I hope it’s not the last - she really cares for the lad, doesn’t she? Maybe what I guessed in my last message wasn’t too far off? As Tom Petty said, it’s good to be King...maybe she will be his Cinderella someday.

Another great chapter!

OK this chapter is so good it’s ridiculous. From hogs in festival hats, you had my full attention! The humor rings so true and is so delightful, and you have Fflewddur so perfectly captured, like you said yesterday, it’s like seeing an old friend again. The whole scene with Baeddan is precious, don’t ever tell me you aren’t a great writer again! It take a lot to pull off what you did there, to make something so simple so perfect. I’m sure gwythaints would be useful in my instruction, but apparently not enough for Fflewddur HaHa! I think part of your success here is you did your homework; you obviously understand a good deal of the underlying history and lore required to make such an “instruction tale” believable.

And beyond that, Fflewddur’s visit with Braith is so sweet and so poignant. Most young gentry would probably have taken advantage of the young lady at some point - but not Fflewddur. He may be a notorious exaggerator, but he has the noblest of noble hearts, and all he really wants is a friend to talk to - and a little freedom.

This was my favorite chapter yet, so well written. The spirit, humor, style and word craft is perfect. LA would be proud!

You will need to fill me in on the Mabinogion story, I don’t have a clue.

Uh oh...I have a very bad feeling about what’s about to happen here. And I’m thinking now, of course, given the nature of the three, that this is what they had planned all along...of course they knew Fflewddur would act rashly, break his shoulder, not go to war...and be around to aid a certain assistant pig-keeper, many years later.

That’s my current theory, anyway. Also, is it true that Gwydion was Math’s nephew, and not his son? He became High King upon Math’s death, yes? Great chapter!

This is simply fantastic. Reading CW’s “Daughter of the Sea”and your other stories has left me with a taste for more “Prydain for Adults” shall we say, and your writing here meets that description, but is so true to LA’s style and spirit. I’ve recently delved back into the Chronicles again, and while they are as wonderful as I remember, I feel that our imaginations and remembrance as adults almost add more than was there, extra timbers between the spars. I feel like Taran felt sitting down with Dallben at the end of The Book of Three, and feeling like home was still home, but a little smaller than he remembered. But reading your stories, and CW’s, make me feel that the house and garden has grown larger, with more room for an adult to roam. I’m so looking forward to reading more of this story!

Aaand we have the perfect wrap-up, with this gosh-darn absolutely accurate depiction of his playing with the kingdom kids, a thing I've always loved mentally embellishing. You KNOW every child in that place adores him. I often imagine, after he's got his truthful harp, that whenever he goes back home he entertains the kids by telling them wild, outrageous stories, snapping strings right and left while they crow and howl and call him out - and naturally the whole time he pretends not to know what's happening and insists that he's telling the absolute truth.

I feel like cheering myself as he saunters off to the Council - even knowing how well he fares there, it's just such an uplifting scene. In just a few chapters you've created a lovable and human group of subjects to help underpin the overall happy and optimistic outlook on life Fflewddur always displays. "the hearts of his people were great" - indeed.

I'm sad that Anwen is gone, but that the last person he sees as he leaves is Braith is a lovely full-circle image. Perfect ending to a story I am still just bowled over by and SO glad you posted. Welcome wholeheartedly to the author circle; I hope this is not the last I will see from you.

Again, the woman is the voice of wisdom. Rather a common theme in Alexander's books, so it is delightfully apt to see it here.

As an aside, I do love your handling of Fflewddur's dialog. His bluster feels exactly out of the books. "fresh as a spring leaf! energetic as a honeybee!" I keep expecting to hear strings popping and twanging and having to remind myself that his lie-detecting harp has not yet arrived on the scene.

I never considered his realm just becoming a free commot. That actually makes a surprising amount of sense. Taran should give it some thought when he gets around to it.

Oh, poor Fflewddur. I do think it's totally believable he would want more than just a pretty face; a creative and intelligent man needs someone who can at least hold her own in a conversation with him, and the bard is too romantically-minded (I mean that in the classical sense) to be satisfied with anything less. And yet it's so hard to think of him being alone indefinitely. I begin to enjoy that Other Idea of Yours more and more.

Anwen knows her boy pretty well. It's too bad there isn't a younger, unrelated version of her waiting to be snapped up. But maybe she's busy with troubles of her own currently...

BAWL again here, for the sake of unrequited romance and the prosaic realities that prevent it - though it's all quite believable, even the notion that the girl takes the upper hand and is more honest about the whole business than Fflewddur is with himself. My inner Eilwen can't regret that they get at least one good makeout session in, however more painful it makes the parting. ;)

Poor boy, no real satisfaction anywhere in his life at present.

I did love him storming off with monosyllabic answers to Baedden's inquiries. Backbone, man!