," said he, "there is the castle wherein I saw
the damsel whom I best love." And he went forward into the castle and
into the hall, and there he saw Kynan the son of Eudav, and Adeon the son
of Eudav, playing at chess. And he saw Eudav the son of Caradawc,
sitting on a chair of ivory carving chessmen. And the maiden whom he had
beheld in his sleep, he saw sitting on a chair of gold. "Empress of
Rome," said he, "all hail!" And the emperor threw his arms about her
neck; and that night she became his bride.

And the next day in the morning, the damsel asked her maiden portion. And
he told her to name what she would, and she asked to have the Island of
Britain for her father, from the Channel to the Irish Sea, together with
the three adjacent islands to hold under the empress of Rome; and to have
three chief castles made for her, in whatever places she might choose in
the Island of Britain. And she chose to have the highest castle made at
Arvon. And they brought thither earth from Rome that it might be more
healthful for the emperor to sleep, and sit, and walk upon. After that
the two other castles were made for her, which were Caerlleon and
Caermarthen.

And one day, the emperor went to hunt at Caermarthen, and he came so far
as the top of Brevi Vawr, and there the emperor pitched his tent. And
that encamping place is called Cadeir Maxen, even to this day. And
because that he built the castle with a myriad of men, he called it
Caervyrddin. Then Helen bethought her to make high roads from one castle
to another throughout the Island of Britain. And the roads were made.
And for this cause are they called the roads of Helen Luyddawc, {124}
that she was sprung from a native of this island, and the men of the
Island of Britain would not have made these great roads {125} for any
save for her.

Seven years did the emperor tarry in this Island. Now, at that time, the
men of Rome had a custom that whatsoever emperor should remain in other
lands more than seven years, should remain to his own overthrow, and
should never return to Rome again.

So they made a new emperor. And this one wrote a letter of threat to
Maxen. There was nought in the letter but only this, "If thou comest,
and if thou ever comest to Rome." And even unto Caerlleon came this
letter to Maxen, and these tidings. Then sent he a letter to the man who
styled himself emperor in Rome. There was nought in that letter also but
only this, "If I come