by Griff Hosker
“He is in the Great Hall. When I said that you had been sighted he asked to be brought there. He wishes to speak with you alone. I shall see to your men. It is good to see you again.” The smile was the smile of the boy who had ridden behind my saddle for many years.
I was shocked when I saw the Duke. He looked older than I was. He was pale and he was thin. As soon as I entered he waved a hand and all those within the room left, closing the huge doors behind them. On the table was a jug of wine, ham, cheese and fresh bread with a platter of butter. There was also a large book and, in the corner, a bowl of water on a stand and a cloth.
“Eat first, Alfraed, and I will talk. We have known each other too long to waste time on pleasantries.”
“Very well, my lord.” I took off my coat and rinsed my hands in the bowl of water which stood in the corner.
As I was drying them he began to speak. “I am dying Alfraed. The doctors do not know what is wrong with me but I know my body and I know that I am dying. I am dying by inches. I suspect I will take some time to die and that I will just waste away. If I had more strength then I would ride at the head of my oathsworn in a glorious charge! I would fight the French and show Louis that I am not finished. Then my death would be remembered and would have honour.”
He had become excited and began to cough and splutter. I noticed traces of blood in his sputum.
I put down my goblet. “My lord, take your time and I beg of you not to get excited. I know not what ails you but excitement cannot help. I am here to help and I will listen to what you say. If I can do anything to aid you then I will do so.”
“As always, you are wise. You have ever been my rock. First you were there to protect my wife and her father, then me and now my son. You are, indeed, the Angevin guardian angel. And I need you now more than ever.”
“Henry said that King Louis is conspiring again.”
“Aye he is. When your son and many of the young lords went to the Holy Land it made King Louis more ambitious. He saw the civil war in England, which took my son and my guardian angel away, as an opportunity to regain the Vexin and the other disputed lands. War is not yet come but it will be as surely as the sun will rise tomorrow.”
I washed down the bread and ham with some of the wine from Chinon which I knew the Duke favoured. “How stand your castles?”
“It is not the castles I worry about. It is the men inside them. When we were betrayed on the northern borders I realised that I did not have as many loyal knights on whom I could rely as I had thought. I had planned to ride forth with my army and show our enemies that we were still a force to be reckoned with. This illness has ended that hope.”
“And what do you wish of me? I am yours to command but you know that I must make sure that your son becomes King of England. I swore an oath.”
He smiled, “You are like steel, Alfred. You never bend and I am relying on that. Firstly, I intend to make my son the Duke of Normandy. If he is Duke before I die, then no one can deny him that title. He is a good leader. That is due, largely, to you. That done I wish you to swear an oath now, in this room, that you will protect my son and his claims to Normandy, England and Anjou.”
“I am already sworn to…”
“Listen to me Alfraed, I want the oath to include Normandy and Anjou!” He coughed again and wiped his mouth with a cloth. He drank some of the wine. “I know you Alfraed. If you swear this oath, then my son will inherit all that I wish. Will you swear?”
He was a clever man and I was being manipulated. This oath would ensure that I stayed in Normandy and defeated Louis. He also knew that I could not refuse. I was the Knight of the Empress and King Henry’s Champion. I could not walk away. I nodded, “I will so swear.”
He smiled, “With any other man I would have a whole conroi of witnesses but I know that if you swear, here in this room, on that Holy Bible, that it will be set in stone and I will be able to die happy.”
I walked over to the Bible. “Do not speak of dying, lord. I will swear but I need your help to unravel the complexities of this conspiracy.”
“I have no intention of dying sooner than the Good Lord intends.” I put my hands on the Bible. “And place your sword on the Bible too, Alfraed. I know the pommel stone comes from the sword of Harold Godwinson. Let us call upon all the forces at our command!”
I did so. “I swear by my sword and the Holy Bible that I will do my utmost to ensure that Henry FitzEmpress becomes King of England, Duke of Normandy and Count of Anjou.”
The relief on Geoffrey’s face was such that he looked younger. Some of the pain left his face. “Good. Now we can send for my son. I have not yet told him of my decision.”
“Before you do that what of your second son, Geoffrey, and your youngest son, William? What is there for them?”
“William is too young. Henry will decide what he can inherit. As for Geoffrey, I gave him the title of Count of Nantes and he has abused it already. He is and always was a puling, whining child. I will give him some castles in Poitou. He is not a likeable boy. He does not yet know how to lead and to rule.”
I did not like that but I could do nothing about it.
“And will the Empress attend the ceremony, lord?”
“She has been invited but, as yet she has not replied. As the priory is close to hand perhaps she intends to arrive just for the ceremony. She keeps largely to herself.”
“I think she would wish to see her son crowned.”
“I would have thought that too but I long ago gave up trying to fathom the minds and actions of women. They have always been a mystery to me. Go, fetch my sons and my lords. They shall hear this from my own lips. When you return stand by my right-hand side.”
I went to the door and was amazed at the crowd standing in the antechamber. I gestured with my hand and said, “The Duke will see you now.”
I did as he had asked and stood at his side. I admired the strength which Geoffrey, Duke of Normandy, showed that day. He stood and smiled. He spoke strongly and warmly. He showed that he was a leader. I know not what it took out of him but he spent the next day confined to his chamber.
“Today is a momentous day. Today is the day when I relinquish my title of Duke of Normandy.” There were gasps from some of his knights. “It came to me through my wife and her father. I now pass it on to the grandson of Henry, King of England and Duke of Normandy. Henry, my son, is now Duke of Normandy!”
There was a ripple of conversation. Geoffrey wisely allowed it to subside naturally.
“I will revert to my title of Count of Anjou and I will retire to my home there. To ensure that all is done well I have appointed Alfraed, Earl of Cleveland, to ensure that my wishes are obeyed and my dictates followed.” He paused, “Whether I am alive or dead I call upon all here present to swear to obey the Earl’s commands.”
He had not said that to me and I could see that some of those present, not least Geoffrey, Count of Nantes were both shocked and surprised. He was just a couple of years younger than Henry and his face reddened. Unlike Henry he had not yet learned to control his emotions. Henry kept an impassive face.
“The Bible is there. Each man will swear to support the Earl of Cleveland and my son, Henry, upon pain of banishment!” He raised his voice for the last part and his voice echoed around the Great Hall.
One by one, led by Henry, they came to swear. The last was Geoffrey, Count of Nantes, and he glared at his elder brother and then me.
The Count of Anjou sat, “The Bishop of Rouen, come forth for you shall arrange the coronation. We will also hold a tourney to celebrate and I will present a golden crown to the winner. I want you to invite the kings and princes of all the lands which border us to come to the coronation and the tourney.”
The Bishop nodded but Henry said, “Including England?”
The Count of Anjou smiled, “Especially the King of England! At least he is King of England for the time being but we shall see, eh Earl?”
“Indeed, my lord. Indeed.”
Chapter 3
I stood aside as the Count’s sons went to speak with him. I slipped out of the Great Hall. I had much to think on. I found James and my men at arms not far away.
“Lord.” They looked expectantly at me.
“Come, there is news you must hear.” I took them out of the castle and headed for the ‘Adela’. It was the one place we could speak safely. I made sure that Captain William was there when I spoke. I told them the news although I withheld my oath. That was both personal and private.
“What does it mean for us, lord?”
Wilfred, my sergeant at arms, was one of my veteran men at arms. He had followed me since the earliest days. He led them in the absence of a knight and he, above all the others, could see that this was a stone thrown into a pond. The ripples would keep on going. The concern showed on his face. He was an Englishman and this was a Norman fight.
“It means, for one thing, that we will not be heading back to England any time soon. The coronation will take some time to organize. Captain William, when you return to Stockton I will give you a letter for John and another for Sir Harold. He can tell my knights.”
“Aye, lord.”
“I also need every man here to keep his eyes and ears open. There is treachery afoot. I need to know what Stephen the Usurper intends as well as his son Eustace. I want you men at arms to frequent the ale houses.” I smiled as they grinned, “A hard task, I realise. I wish you to listen for gossip. There will be those who wish Henry harm. We need to be forewarned of any danger. I would rather find that the news was just gossip rather than finding Henry dead. We have seen it happen before. Our King, Henry, was murdered. I would not have the next King killed before he can be crowned.”
They nodded. James said, “We will not let you down, lord.”
“The Count of Nantes is also to be watched. He is unhappy with the announcement. And another word of caution. You will be targets every bit as much as the young Duke. I am under no illusions. There are many who would dearly like to stick a knife between my shoulders too. James, you will be closest to me. You need to watch the faces of those who are close to me. Look at their eyes and for any hidden gestures. No matter how trivial their actions are you should tell me.”
“Aye, lord.”
I went back, with my men, to the castle. I smiled for they were a protective circle around me and they glowered at any who looked askance at me. The Count had retired although many of his lords stood around and talked of the momentous news. Of Geoffrey, Count of Nantes, there was no sign. My men went to their quarters but I kept James with me. He was an extra pair of eyes.
Henry came directly to me. “I knew nothing of this Warlord! I swear!”
“I know. Your father wanted me alone when he told me. He fears treachery and he fears for your life. I swore to protect you. There is no change there but my oath means I must stay close to you. Have you bodyguards that you can trust?”
He smiled, “I have now. The first thing I did when I returned here last year was to acquire men like your own men at arms rather than knights. Knights can be bought for a parcel of land. I have knights that I trust but I keep my men at arms closer. I already had William of Le Havre and Philippe of Aix. They helped me choose the other eight. I have ten men who follow me.”
“And your brother? Where is he?”
“He disappeared. He is my blood and I will make sure that he wants for nothing.”
“Your grandfather imprisoned his brother in the White Tower. If you are to be king, then you may need to be ruthless.”
“That is not your way, Warlord. I hope it will not be mine. Besides all that I have at the moment is the Dukedom.”
“Do not worry. If you have Normandy then, when your enemies here are defeated, we can go to England with a mighty host and defeat Stephen, once and for all.”
A tall knight strode up to us. He waited, expectantly, to be introduced. Henry smiled, “Ah, Warlord this is a knight you should meet. Raymond of Mortain is a doughty knight. His manor lies in the heart of Normandy and he knew your son well.”
“William and I were friends. I miss him for he was a good knight. I do what I must. You have had a great responsibility thrust upon you, Earl. The young Duke will have many enemies.”
I smiled, “I fear the only time I will not have many enemies is when I am dead and my enemies stand around my grave feigning friendship. I seek only to serve the Empress and her family. I swore an oath to protect before even Henry was born.”
“I have heard of the Knights of the Empress. You are the last one, I believe?” I nodded. “I do not understand the title the young Duke afforded you What was it… Warlord?”
“In England I control a small enclave in a sea of enemies. I make my own rules, laws and decrees. Until Henry becomes king then it is a title I will bear.”
The Bishop came over, “My liege, I have much to do and I am not well versed in the organization of a tourney.”
Baron Raymond gave an exaggerated bow, “Then allow me to offer my services. My uncle served with your father, Duke, as a tourney knight and I have fought in tournaments before now. Allow me to aid the Bishop in this endeavour.”
“Gladly, Raymond. You would be doing me a service.” As the two of them left he added, “Although why my father wishes a tournament is beyond me.”
I smiled, “That is how we became friends, Henry. Your Uncle, the Earl of Gloucester, and I defeated many knights in tourney organized by your grandfather. Your father had me train him and some of his knights. They became successful and won acclaim.”
“Then perhaps I should fight in the tourney.”
I shook my head, “That would play into your enemies’ hands. The hustle and bustle of the mêlée is a perfect place for an assassin to strike. No, you shall watch with your father and applaud. You will see which knights perform well. That is another reason your father does this. You will be able to judge the martial abilities of the men you will lead in battle. A good leader in a mêlée will be a good leader on the field of battle.”
“Will you compete?”
“I have not brought my household knights. No. Besides it would be an opportunity for your father’s enemies to undermine his plans.”
“His enemies? It will be a coronation!”
“I like not the idea of inviting his enemies to the coronation. I know why he does it. He wishes you to be acknowledged as Duke but it allows your enemies close to you. When the time is closer I will have to see what I can do to make you safer.” I looked around. The Great Hall was thinning. This was news and they could not wait to spread it. Soon the word would spread beyond the borders of Normandy and Anjou. “Tell me, who is your squire?”
“I have none at the moment. When I returned from England, I knighted Robert for he had done me great service.”
“And now is not the time to begin training one.” I turned, “James, you will be the Duke’s squire until we have trained another. Choose one quickly, my lord and James can help to train him. Go to our chambers now and remove your surcoat then come back here and you will follow the Duke. You can be as a bodyguard.”
Henry looked appalled. “But this is my castle! Surely I am safe here.”
“As safe as your grandfather was when he was murdered? I pray you go now, James.”
“And what of you, Warlord? What will you do for a squire?”
I smiled, “You have ridden far with me and yet you have forgotten some of the things I taught you. My men at arms are trained and fight as knights. They have no title but they are as doughty in battle as any ennobled knight. I have some younger men at arms. I will choose one and he will play the part of squire. Believe me they will all seek the post. Squires eat better than men at arms.”
“I had forgotten and you are right.”
“We will need horses for us all. I did not bring mine for I knew not why your father summoned us.”
“Tomorrow you shall choose. We have a fine herd just north of here. The grazing is good in the cou
ntry around the valley. My stable master is here. Jean is a good man and he will ride with you to choose.”
“I will send Wilfred. He is a good judge of horseflesh. From now on I stay as close to you as I can. Your father might as well have had a target sewn on to your surcoat for while they might wait for him to die you are young and hale. If others wish to take your title then you will have to be killed.” I looked around. “Where are your bodyguards now?”
“I am safe here!”
“You were safe here when you might be leaving to become King of England. Now you have your father’s title. From now on keep two of your men with you at all times. They need not stand at your shoulder. In fact, the best way is for them to blend into the walls where they can watch men’s eyes and hands. I will stay with you until you retire.” I hesitated. “You sleep alone?”
“You mean do I have a woman?”
“I do.”
“There are women I use from time to time. Is that a problem?”
“So long as they are the same women.” A thought struck me. “And have you given thought to a wife?”
“A wife?”
“Your grandfather only had one son and he died on the White Ship. My son is now in the Holy Land and his children lie dead. You need sons as your father begat sons. You cannot have a child who will rule after you unless you are married.”
For the first time in a long time he looked confused, “But where would I find a suitable bride? Amongst my enemies? There are many young women in England and in Normandy but my father taught me that a leader must look to make his lands greater through marriage. It is why I had not given thought to such a matter.”
“Then give thought now for your father has now taken away many choices you might have made yourself. Your ship is now set on a course so tight that any deviation invites disaster.”
I was used to retiring early. Henry was not and the first cock had crowed before he was ready for his bed. James and I escorted him to his chamber. James would act as chamberlain and sleep behind the door. I retired to my room. Despite the lateness of the hour and my tiredness I found sleep hard to find for my mind was a maelstrom. I had thought that making Henry someone who could be king was my life’s work. Geoffrey of Anjou had now doubled that work.