[Medieval 03] • Sword of Liberty

(The Medieval Sagas Book 3)In 1274, Edward the First ruled England having inherited the crown from

his father, Henry the Third. Across the border to the west, the smaller

country of Wales was ruled by Prince Llewellyn ap Gruffydd, a direct

descendant of Llewellyn the Great. Tensions were strained

between the two countries and minor conflicts were commonplace between

the lesser nobles but when Edward found out about Llewellyn's proposed

marriage to Eleanor du Montfort, the daughter of his deceased father's

greatest enemy, he was incensed and in 1275 arranged for her ship to be

intercepted as she traveled from France to be with the Welsh Prince.

Eleanor was imprisoned causing the relationship between Edward and

Llewellyn to deteriorate even further and in 1276, war broke out between

the two countries. In 1277, Edward led a huge army into Wales

and captured the Welsh harvest on the island of Ynys Mon, forcing the

Welsh Prince to surrender before any major battle was fought. Later that

year, the two men signed the treaty of Aberconwy where Llewellyn

surrendered control of most of the country in return for keeping the

lands of Gwynedd and the title, Prince of Wales. Edward was satisfied

and released Eleanor from prison to fulfill her marriage vows to

Llewellyn and for the next few years, an uneasy peace existed between

the two monarchs. Despite the treaty, the people of Wales were

still unhappy being ruled by an English monarch and especially the

construction of English castles at Flint, Rhuddlan, Builth Wells and

Aberystwth. Subsequently an undercurrent of resistance steadily grew

until finally in 1282, a full scale rebellion against Edward's rule

forced the English King to invade Wales once more, only this time with

full scale conquest as a goal. Despite some initial setbacks,

Edward's army was ultimately victorious and after several battles

throughout Wales, Prince Llewellyn was killed at the battle of Orewen

Bridge.Edward finally realised the threat the Welsh posed and embarked

on an unprecedented building programme across the country, including the

enormous castles at Caernarfon, Conway and Harlech, not just as

bastions of military strength but also as a signal to the Welsh about

the futility of opposing his might. These castles formed the

backbone of his defences in Wales, an unassailable system of fortresses,

each designed to mutually support each other against any threat from

the Welsh. They were a symbol of his might, a system of

invincible fortifications and in effect an impregnable ring of steel

unassailable by any living man......... ........or so he thought.......!