A Sister's Crusade

by Ann Turner

  The decision was made that when Simon was well enough to travel, he would return to England – his fighting days as a soldier of Christ were over. He continued to have dark days of despair when he would not talk to Aubrette and refused all medicines, throwing jugs, cups and food across the infirmary in fits of uncontrollable anger. Other days, he would just lay in temperamental silence on his bed staring upwards, refusing to co-operate with anyone that came to change his dressings. Aubrette would leave him alone, having learnt to allow these bursts of temper. She was sure that these were just reactions to the realisation that his life was now headed in an alternative direction – one he had no wish to be part of.

  King Richard visited Simon, shouting angrily at him to recover and to stop wasting the time of the physicians. He would then relate to him how the battles were progressing. He was confident of pushing on to Jerusalem before winter set in again and he was certain that he would be victorious.

  After Richard had departed, Simon began to think of his future. He had wanted to see Jerusalem while in the Holy Land and it galled him to realise that he would not set his eyes on this fabled city that was coveted by so many faiths. Without realising it, the king had sewn a seed of an idea in Simon’s mind and he became obsessed with the possibility.

  When Aubrette came to him to change his dressings, he was sitting up waiting for her. This pleased her immensely. She saw that his uninjured eye was bright with excitement and his face was animated by the plan jumbling around in his mind. Aubrette commented on this pleasing change in his demeanour as she picked up a freshly laundered bandage, before pouring water from a jug into a bowl by his bedside.

  ‘I want to see Jerusalem before I am sent home,’ he began, directly.

  She paused, surprised by this sudden admission from him. ‘You know that can never happen now that you have been injured. Anyway, you are not well enough for such a long ride.’

  He frowned. ‘Jaffa is not so far from Jerusalem and we have marched many more miles from Acre to here. It is not impossible,’ he insisted.

  ‘It took many days to march here and you were harried constantly by the enemy – and you were uninjured then.’

  ‘I want to see Jerusalem. I did not come this far to fail and I want you to arrange it, Aubrette,’ he said, unfazed and determined.

  ‘How can I do that? I cannot just take two horses away and we both ride out as if on a pleasurable excursion.’ she exclaimed. Then seeing the light shining in his face for the first time in weeks, she knew she could not disappoint him, he would relapse back and the hard work bringing him back from certain death would have been for nothing. ‘I shall speak to people and see what can be done, but I cannot see how this can work.’

  Simon gripped her arm, his pale face alight with anticipation. ‘Do this for me and when we arrive home in England, I shall marry you,’ he urged.

  Aubrette turned white in astonishment and sharply withdrew her arm. ‘Do not promise so, for how can I be sure you would keep such a promise?’ she gasped.

  ‘I will marry you,’ he repeated.

  Aubrette turned away, perturbed. How could Simon tear and shred her emotions like this? There was nothing she wanted more than to be with him for the rest of her life and being his lawful wife would mean everything to her. Her sons would know their natural mother! But what he had asked of her could be impossible to pertain. If she failed, would Simon turn away from her and everything that had happened to both of them over the years? Would he seek comfort from another woman and leave her to live a life alone, while a strange woman raised her sons in her place?

  Later that evening, after Aubrette had prepared the queen for her lonely bed, she thought back to Simon’s words. How could she arrange such a feat? It could risk the lives of those who participated, which would anger the king. She had experienced his anger and seen his temper let loose on those who displeased him many times. However, the thought that she would become Simon’s wife was enticing – enticing enough for her to attempt to make this happen. She would become his wife and finally, truly become the mother of her two sons.

  Joanna saw that Aubrette’s mind was on other topics, as she carefully folded Berengaria’s dress. She knew something was troubling her, and came and sat beside her.

  ‘What ails thee?’ she asked, and Aubrette retold Simon’s wish.

  Joanna sat back, surprised. ‘It’s a big task for you to achieve alone. What possessed him to think you could arrange this? Does his brain still function wisely after what happened to him? Let me think about this and I shall speak with my brother. He is fond of Simon and can deny me nothing.’ Her eyes sparkled with mischief.

  The next day, Aubrette admitted to Simon that she was still struggling with his wish. He repeated his promise to marry her when she achieved his desire. She then asked whether he would marry her if he never was able to see Jerusalem. Simon was silent for several moments and then reiterated his promise to marry her once more. Still, she left him disturbed. He had to think of his reply, and it had not been answered immediately.

  Several evenings later, Aubrette received a command to an audience with the king. She was allowed entry by the guards outside and entered to see him sitting at a table, swiftly writing a letter. She stood waiting, feeling uncomfortable in his presence, until he had finished writing. After sealing the letter, he turned to Aubrette. She curtsied.

  ‘My sister has spoken with me about my bastard brother. He is a courageous soldier; his bravery and leadership shall be missed when he leaves us, but I am glad he survived. I too wish to see Jerusalem, but only when I can ride through the city gates as its saviour. His desire shall be challenging logistically, but I rise to challenges and shall take him there. It must be during the night, as it will be safer under the cover of dark. I have spoken to my connections and my spies, and it can be arranged. They shall wait with fresh horses at selected locations on the route. You shall come as his attendant, along with two of my most trusted knights. The fewer of us to travel, the safer we shall be. It is difficult to accomplish, but when have I backed away from a challenge? For the love I have for Simon, I shall not fail him. Tell him to be prepared to leave at short notice.’ He turned away.

  This was her cue for dismissal. Instead of returning to bed, she ran through the camp to the infirmary tent where Simon still remained. Once there, she went directly to his bed. He was lying awake, staring upwards as usual. Startled at her breathless arrival, he looked at her face and noticed that it was shining with pleasure.

  ‘It is arranged, Simon! I’ve arranged it!’ she announced, triumphantly. ‘I spoke to the Dowager Queen Joanna and she spoke to the king, and he will take you to Jerusalem soon! The king wants me to come with you as your attendant. I’ll see Jerusalem, too! This is so exciting, I’m going to see Jerusalem!’

  Simon was speechless and emotional, covering his face with his hands. He did not attempt to stop the tears of joy that ran down his face, moistening the bandage over his injured eye, realising that his own half-brother wanted to see his wish granted. Aubrette sat by him and they talked excitedly about their expedition to the Holy City. She only left when she was told to leave and was bustled out to allow Simon to sleep, to get his strength for his forthcoming journey. It would be an arduous trip for him to endure, but he promised he would be well enough for the ride to Jerusalem.

  The next day, Aubrette arrived at Simon’s bedside and found a complete change in him. He was sitting up, he looked alert and everything about him exuded a new confidence. The news that he was to see Jerusalem had done much to improve his well-being, and she showed him a leather eye patch she had made for him. For the first time since his return to the camp, he laughed, removing the bandage. Aubrette tied the patch in place around his head and stood back to admire his new appearance. She had her chores to attend to during the day, but found time to come back to him. The positive change in him pleased her greatly. He no
w openly talked about the battles in which he had fought, the killings he had witnessed on both sides, and sights that no man should ever see.

  He went on to tell Aubrette how he and Hugh had once been in a frenetic charge at the enemy. The king on Great William had ferociously gone on ahead, hacking down all in his path and leaving his men behind to fight. Within moments of each other, they had both been unhorsed. Usually this would have resulted in certain death, but they had both continued to fight the Saracens back to back, with their swords swinging, crunching through bone and slashing outwards into soft flesh. They were united against the enemy, protecting each other. All prejudices about Hugh were forgotten instantly in the intensity of the moment.

  Chance had it that Hugh was able to grab the reins of a Saracen’s horse while Simon pulled the rider down, driving his sword into the mans throat. Hugh sprang quickly into the saddle, he wheeled the horse round to make his escape, intent on leaving Simon behind to face his fate, before hesitating, he looked back at Simon, reached down and hauled him up behind him. Together, they galloped back to the camp. This was the one and only time Simon would admit to being grateful of Hugh’s presence. Working as a team, they had saved each other’s lives. Aubrette was astonished that her husband had showed such bravery and honour.

  Richard and his sister became embroiled in a furious argument about the excursion to Jerusalem. Joanna insisted that she should accompany Aubrette as a chaperone, as she was currently the only female on this enterprise. Richard refused, repeating that the fewer who made this trek, the safer they would be. With their usual Plantagenet passion, brother and sister fought like cats. While Richard should have been planning battle tactics and conversing with his captains about the next assault on the enemy, he and his sister were hurling insults and plates at each other.

  Eventually, it was Joanna who was forced to back down. She was indignant at being left behind, and insisted that Aubrette instead give her a full description of the expedition to Jerusalem. She wanted to be able to see in her mind’s eye all that Aubrette saw.

  One of the king’s pages came to Aubrette and related a message for her to be ready to attend his master that evening. The page, unable to hide a smirk of amusement, assumed that the king intended to bed this woman. Only Aubrette knew the true meaning behind the cryptic message. The adventure was to be tonight.

  Later, she carefully helped Simon to dress. Resigned to the fact that she was not to go, Joanna had acquired a cape, a tunic and a pair of men’s hose for Aubrette to wear for the long night ahead. Aubrette felt very uncomfortable with the woollen hose encasing her legs, chaffing the inside of her thighs, and the leather shoes were too big and heavy on her feet. On her head, she wore a hijab with her long hair tucked up inside it. Everything was done to hide her femininity.

  With Simon leaning heavily on a staff and assisted by Aubrette, they slowly left the infirmary to the cheering of other inmates. They approached the king’s tent, but Simon stopped to look up at the sky as the sun was beginning to set. She could see his excitement growing with every minute. It was an infectious excitement, and Aubrette felt it. King Richard then strode from his tent, dressed in a disguise. This was a secret journey and he would travel incognito. Anyone seeing the troupe of riders would mistake them as Muslim travellers. Two knights, Sir Bradburn and Sir Jeremy, walked behind him and would be accompanying the small party. Aubrette was to ride with Bradburn.

  Richard slapped Simon on the back in a friendly greeting, making him sway to one side, still weakened from his injuries. He would not, however, allow his frailness to stop him attaining his ambition.

  ‘Tis a good evening for a ride, so how about we make a start now? It’s a long ride and we only have this night.’ He said with jollity.

  It had been agreed the king’s warhorse, Great William, would remain at the camp, as he was as familiar as his famous owner and would have been instantly recognised. Instead, a sturdy horse was lead to a mounting block and, with some difficulty, Simon was helped onto its back. The king then swung effortlessly up behind him. Bradburn mounted his own horse and Aubrette cautiously stepped onto the mounting block. With his assistance, she slid her leg over the broad back of the horse to sit in front of him. She had never sat astride a horse before and it felt peculiar and uncomfortable, but she felt safe as her knight put his arms either side of her to take up the reins. They all wrapped their hijabs over their faces to protect them from the night air and to hide their features on the chance they were challenged. They waited until Simon felt comfortable and then the small party trotted away from the camp, to head in the direction of Jerusalem.

  In the fading light, as the sun slid below the horizon, they headed south eastwards on a dusty road. There was a long ride ahead of them. They would skirt the Saracens’ camp, riding through the cover of a forest. They would ride in single file and would have to ride in virtual silence, with the king and his knights speaking only when necessary so as to disguise their nationality. Jeremy had inherited a dusky complexion from his mother who had been born in Damascus, and he would therefore lead the party. He would be able to converse with any Saracens if they were challenged. They would pretend to be pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, in order to pray and leave gifts for the needy there. Aubrette had been instructed to keep her head down. If questioned, she would be introduced by Jeremy as a mute, an idiot boy, who could not be trusted to ride his own horse.

  Silently they wove their way through the trees; riding swiftly with all alert for any signs of a lookout party, and Aubrette realised she was holding her breath, for fear of the travellers being discovered. She felt afraid of what would happen should they be captured, they would all surely be executed.

  Once they knew they had safely passed the enemy camp undetected, the travellers returned to the open road. The first change of horses was waiting with a loyal king’s man, hiding in the shadows of one of the many hills. Simon was helped from Richard’s horse and then assisted to mount the fresh animal. Aubrette, Bradburn and Jeremy quickly switched horses, and they continued with more changes of mounts on the route towards the Holy City. It was dark and the only light came from the moon in the starlit sky. Aubrette felt the rhythmic movements of the horses between her legs, their long and steady gait, their long manes brushing her face and the cold air rush past as they rode at a steady gallop. Bradburn would occasionally say a few breathless words in her ear to reassure her that they were fine. She could see the king’s horse just ahead of them and could make out the shape of Simon, who appeared to be swaying as they rode. She worried that it could be a strain for him and that he was not well enough to endure this. After all, they still had to make the long journey home once Jerusalem had been reached.

  The night air grew colder and, even with her cape wrapped around her, Aubrette felt the chill and shivered involuntary. Bradburn felt her tremble and leant forward in his saddle, so that his body was closer to hers in an attempt to keep her warm. She was grateful for this.

  After hours of travelling, she lost count of how many horses she had sat astride, her head lolled from side to side, her eyes became heavy with tiredness, her body wilted over the neck of this latest horse in utter and sheer weariness, her legs were sore and ached astride the broad bodies of every horse and she decided she could not face much more of this. Suddenly, King Richard gave a shout.

  ‘Look!’ He pointed. In the distance, The Golden Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount, ethereal and shining magically in the moonlight, was coming into view, with its towers, minarets and smaller domes rising as dark edifices against the star-studded sky. From their vantage point, looking down towards the Holy City, they could see small pinpricks of light illuminating inhabited houses. This startled Aubrette into full consciousness and she sat upright on the horse, feeling Bradbury adjust accordingly.

  Even in the inky blackness of night, with the only light coming from the luminous moon and the myriad of stars, the
dome was impressive. Aubrette imagined how it would look in full daylight with a brilliant sun shimmering off the golden tiles.

  A scout had ridden ahead of them the previous day without detection, and found a suitable hidden site close to the city wall for the riders to rest. The scout had left secret signs for Richard, Jeremy and Bradburn to follow. The riders found the marks, riding in a tight group close to the wall, before reining in their horses and dismounting. Bradburn lifted Aubrette down. She felt stiff from the long ride in the saddle, her entire body was aching and her legs trembled visibly. It made walking towards the king very painful for her.

  Richard, along with Jeremy, was helping Simon down from their horse. He was exhausted, shaking and completely fatigued from the long ride. Both men supported him and they turned to look up and over the city wall at the golden dome rising above them, dominating all else. He had tears running freely down his face as he took in the view, and he laughed shakily. The impact of his injury had left him more emotional, prone to lapses of despondency and melancholia. However, the sight he had so desired to see moved him.

  ‘Thank you for this.’ His voice was tight with brimming emotion. Aubrette came and stood by his side, as Jeremy stood back. She took his hand, feeling his fingers close around her hand and squeeze it tightly.

  ‘No, thank you for wanting me to come with you,’ she said.

  The king was silently gazing in awe around the walls, looking upwards at the golden dome transcendent above them. ‘One day soon, I shall go through the gates and it shall be mine,’ he murmured, wondrously, to himself.

  The air was cold, but alive with the sounds of the night. Insects chirruped and buzzed, and wolves could be heard howling to the moon in the distance. From the other side of the wall, dogs barked noisily, a horse whinnied and one of the horses that had brought the riders here answered back.