by Eagle Lady
Roydon frowned at him, “Stefan?”
The knight looked back at him straight-faced, although a glimmer of amusement sparkled in his eyes. “It’s my position as your vassal and commander of your guard, my lord.”
The earl’s frown intensified. “Are you all conspiring to ruin my day?” When no one answered him, his expression turned thoughtful. “We shall see who laughs last.” Roydon turned away and led the way towards the nearby guarded gateway. “I am, as you say, your lord.”
Stefan smiled ruefully, but both Aguilus and Sir Ivan felt a twinge of worry as they followed the earl into the Tower complex.
The whole guard had been turned out to receive the earl. All other traffic stopped, as the soldiers lined up on either side of the gateway, their captain at their head.
Roydon brought his horse to a halt beside the officer, his stance tall and commanding atop his steed, as he run his steely gaze over the honour guard. “A smart turnout, captain,” he nodded his approval at the soldier.
The captain visibly glowed at the earl’s praise. “Thank you, my lord. May I welcome you to the Tower, sir?”
Roydon inclined his head, but before he could move on the captain spoke again, a slight hesitancy in his voice. “His Majesty has left word that he will receive you as soon as you arrive, my lord.” The politely veiled order was not lost on the earl.
Roydon stared at the soldier for a moment then he nodded curtly. “Have one of your men show my people to their quarters, then arrange to have my baggage delivered to my chambers.”
“I will also send someone to show your Lordship…”
“I need no guide, captain!” The earl’s words were intentionally harsh, his mind dwelling on the king’s urgent summons. Certainly he had not expected to be kept waiting, but neither had he thought that word would be left for his immediate presence before the king. The soldier had obviously been ordered to escort him before His Majesty. Something was not right but he absolutely refused to be taken to the king under guard! He decided to compromise by giving the captain an alternative option to his obviously awkward and unwanted instructions. “I would however appreciate it if you notify his Majesty of my arrival and that I will attend him as soon as I stable my mount.”
The captain’s worried look disappeared with the earl’s additional words and he turned to an officer standing behind him. “Get up to the audience chamber and let them know that the Earl of Eagle Rock has arrived and will attend his Majesty in a few minutes.”
As the man strode away Roydon turned to the mounted men behind him. “Rafe!” he addressed the leader of his men-at-arms. “As soon as you have settled in, I want two guards on duty outside my chambers,” at the man’s positive reply, he continued. “Stefan, Ivan, Aguilus you come with me.”
So saying the earl set spurs to his horse and led his three companions into the convoluted maze that made up the Tower. At last they drew up outside the royal stables where they dismounted to be met by a grizzled older man. “Need help with the horses, my lord?” His voice was low and almost musical.
The earl smiled in recognition. “Still here I see, Karl.”
“Aye, my lord, head groom now. It’s good to see you again, sir.”
Roydon nodded at him. “Your people can look after those two,” he indicated Ivan’s and his squire’s horses. “The warhorses we will take care of ourselves. They are dangerous and I want no one to go near them,” he ordered, an undercurrent of steel in his voice.
“It shall be as you wish, my lord. I will show you to their stalls.” The groom led the way into the long stone building where the king’s, as well as some of his nobles’ animals, were stabled. Four stalls were put at their disposal, two at the front of the stables and two at the back for the warhorses. While the castle grooms saw to the riding horses, Stefan and Roydon quickly unsaddled and rubbed down their destriers, letting them lose in their stalls after providing them with feed and water. Once satisfied that the horses were comfortable, the earl led the way outside.
Sir Stefan looked up at the sun. “It is nearly midday and it’s not advisable to keep the king waiting, Roy,” the knight paused significantly. “Especially as we don’t know what’s going on.”
The earl nodded, his face serious. “This imperious summons is not like him, but I will find out soon enough what the problem is.”
“We. I am coming with you.”
Noting Stefan’s stubborn stance, Roydon acceded curtly. “As you wish, Stef, but…” he left the thought unfinished and turned to the younger knight. “Ivan, take Aguilus to my chambers and stay there until you hear from me. Seeing the boy about to dispute his orders, the earl turned a stern stare on his son. “You will obey my orders and mind Sir Ivan, Aguilus. Do you hear me?” The earl did not sound too pleased.
Aguilus bowed his head in contrition. “Yes, sir,” he whispered. He had nearly questioned his lord’s orders in his eagerness to see the king.
“We will speak later.” Roydon’s tone warmed and he caressed the boy’s cheek with his knuckles. “For now, heed Sir Ivan.”
“Yes, Father.” Aguilus attempted a small smile.
“Ivan, keep the boy safe for me until I find out what is happening. Rafe will send you guards soon.”
“I will not fail you, my lord.” Ivan drew Aguilus to him, one hand on the boy’s shoulder, the other on the hilt of his sword.
“We might be exaggerating all this, Roy. The king might just be anxious to see you. There is no reason to think otherwise.” Stefan tried to relieve the worried look on Ivan’s face.
“We are at court Stef, at the Tower. That is reason enough. Let’s go, we have kept the king waiting too long as it is.”
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The ante-room to the king’s audience chamber teemed with people, as usual. Mostly courtiers and their ladies, dressed in their best, desirous of catching the king’s eye, or minor barons and knights hopeful of gaining an audience.
The colourful crowd shifted and conversations muted when the earl of Eagle Rock appeared and paused at the entrance to the room. Even if his massive stature and commanding presence had not drawn attention, his half armour and travel stained appearance, would have drawn the eye. Dressed all in black, as was his norm, he seemed as out of place in that crowd as a fox in a chicken run. Sir Stefan’s tall presence at the earl’s left shoulder, enhanced rather than detracted from the earl’s awe inspiring, dangerous appearance.
Almost as if by magic, a path opened up through the crowd between the earl and the huge doors at the other end of the room. Portals guarded by four soldiers armed with pikes. They were not decorative either; no one could gain access to the king unless sanctioned by one of his aides.
No one except the earl of Eagle Rock, apparently. The moment they saw him, two of the soldiers pulled open the doors to the audience chamber. “The Earl of Eagle Rock, Your Majesty,” one of them intoned in a loud voice.
Roydon, followed by Stefan, crossed the room amid avid murmurs and speculations. He nodded to the guard but paused when his friend was barred from following him into the room. “Sir Stefan is with me.”
“I am sorry, my lord. Our orders only allow you admittance,” the soldier’s voice was courteous but firm.”
Stefan fell back reluctantly. “I’ll wait for you here, Roy,” there was a wealth of meaning in his words.
Roydon continued on into the room as the door clicked shut behind him. The audience chamber was big, rectangular, with the king’s throne-like chair set on top of a three stepped dais at the far end. The dais was located at the end of the room on purpose, so that supplicants had to walk the whole length of the room to get to the king. For the same reason, the earl knew that the dais sat under the long narrow windows with the same intention. During the morning and early afternoon, the usual audience times, the light fell uncomfortably on those who approached the king down the long room.
Conscious of the eyes that followed his progress towards the dais, not the least of which were the piercing grey
eyes of his sovereign, Roydon kept his face carefully blank, his pace steady and his head high. He had already examined the room, now he kept his gaze steady on the man seated on the chair upon the dais.
The large room was practically empty. Apart from the king’s chair, only a big square table with two chairs occupied a corner to the left of the dais. At this table, two dark clothed men, scribes apparently, had been busy shuffling documents, now they stared at the earl. At the foot of the dais stood three men; one Roydon recognised as one of the king’s aides, the other two, dressed like wealthy merchants, he did not know.
Apart from the king himself, that only left the four soldiers of the king’s bodyguard. The soldiers stood upon the dais, two on either side of the royal chair though slightly further back. Immobile, hands on the hilts of their swords, they too, like everyone else in the room, stared at the imposing figure that strode across the room. But pride shone in the soldiers’ eyes for the man that walked towards them. Unconsciously they straightened their postures even more, for this was their lord.
Over twelve years ago, when the earl headed the king’s army, he had created from his own trusted men, the unit of the King’s Bodyguard. Ever since, these personal guards came from and were trained at Eagle Rock. Only the best and most loyal men were drafted to the special unit and then sent south to serve the king. They had foiled more than one assassination attempt and doubtless discouraged a good many others. The earl knew them all well; he and Stefan had trained them and their current eight companions, just a few months past.
Reaching the foot of the dais, the earl of Eagle Rock dropped to one knee and bowed his head in obeisance to his sovereign.
“Everyone out!” The king’s muted growl had everyone rushing from the room except his guard, they would need specific instructions.
Roydon looked up to find King Henry staring broodingly at him. The fact that he still knelt demonstrated the depth of displeasure and anger that the king felt towards him. Yet he had done nothing to merit it. Roydon could not speak or rise until his liege gave him leave, but he locked eyes with the king and stared boldly back. He had nothing to be ashamed of.
“You imprudent cur! Even on your knees you are as arrogant as when you sit on your horse.” Henry leaned forward in his chair, anger blazing from his eyes, and did Roydon detect hurt, betrayal? “Why have you taken over a month to answer my summons?”
“I have received no summons from Your Majesty.” Roydon spoke softly, his voice grave.
“And yet you are here,” the king rose from his chair. Of no more than average height but broadly built, he towered over the kneeling man from the top of the dais. “How do you explain that, Mountroi?”
This sounded serious. It had been a very long time since the king had called him by his family name. “I have come on a personal matter, Sire.” Even though he had to bend his head back, Roydon maintained eye contact. Now was certainly not the time to make his request. “No royal messengers have come to Eagle Rock,” he repeated, the sincerity in his voice unmistakeable. “But I am here now. What is it Your Majesty wishes of me?” Roydon asked simply. “My sword, as always, is at your disposal.”
Henry gave a disgruntled grunt and sat back down, apparently mollified by his vassal’s words. “Rise.” A scowl now marred the king’s face. “The disappearance of the messenger will have to be looked into. No one has dared to attack a royal messenger in a long time.”
“I had some trouble with a band of outlaws in a forest north of here. They might be to blame,” the earl volunteered as he rose to his feet.
“I trust you dealt with the ‘trouble’?” A spark of interest appeared in the king’s eyes.
Roydon nodded grimly, “We accounted for more than half their number. Then I ‘encouraged’ the local baron to see to the rest and clean up his lands.”
“Good. Good.” Henry sat thoughtfully for a moment, his fingers drumming on the arms of his chair. Then he turned to the guards behind him. “Leave us,” he ordered. “Wait outside.”
Roydon waited until the men had left. “You trust me now, Sire?”
Henry looked up startled. “Don’t be ridiculous, Eagle. I was angry at you. Your loyalty has never been in question.” The use of the informal mode of address, a shortened version of his title that Henry had taken to using since he succeeded to the earldom, relaxed Roydon. “How may I be of service, Sire?”
Henry did not answer; instead he waved towards the table. “Pour us a cup of wine; you look as if you need one.” The king left the dais and took a seat at one of the chairs by the table.
Henry also looked as if he needed a drink, thought Roydon. He looked older than his two score and three years, his face deeply lined and haggard, tired. Not tall, he nevertheless had a tough, firmly muscled physic. Thinning, reddish hair, cut very short, covered his head, but his eyes were what dominated the king’s otherwise unremarkable features; deep set and intensely grey, indomitable and fiercely commanding. In a roomful of men no one would mistake him for other than what he was; a king that had brought peace and stability to his country with his strength of character and unconquerable spirit. A man that Roydon felt proud and honoured to serve.
“The message Your Majesty left at the gate was not conducive to my taking time to either refresh myself or change into more appropriate dress.” The earl’s tone sounded bland. “For a moment I thought the guard was going to arrest me, he certainly wanted to escort me here. I dissuaded him.”
“You would! Yet you still stopped to stable that devil horse of yours.”
Henry had lost his anger now, but Roydon still detected a certain unease, as if he were unsure of how to proceed, but he also revealed that he had kept track of his movements. “Black is a warhorse and bad tempered to boot. He would cause serious injury to anyone who went near him. Only I control him.” Roydon handed the king his wine and then sat in the other chair at Henry’s indication.
The earl waited patiently, sipping his wine, while the king stared thoughtfully into his cup. Eventually Henry would tell him what he wanted. It was unlike the king to be so reticent about his wishes especially after the urgency of the summons; Roydon’s concerns were steadily mounting.
“Your wife has been dead for over a year now?”
The king’s question took Roydon by surprise. He nodded slowly, unsure if Henry just made conversation or planned to go somewhere with this.
“How are the girls?”
The king was just making conversation, Roydon decided. “My daughters are well, Sire. At the moment they are staying up North with their grandparents. Lord Reinhart and his lady like to have them for a couple of months each year.”
“I see, but no male heir,” Henry seemed to be thinking aloud.
There would be no better opportunity than this, given that the king himself had brought up the subject, Roydon decided to bring up the reason for his visit. “As a matter of fact, Sire. I wanted to…”
The earl did not get a chance to finish his sentence; the king seemed to have come to a decision and he launched into a new topic of conversation. “I have been approached by a diplomatic envoy from a small country at the entrance to the Mediterranean sea. They wish to form an alliance with us. The terms they offer are extremely advantages, in both trade and the protection of our ships in those dangerous waters.” Henry paused as if waiting for the earl to say something.
Roydon had no idea what the king wanted from him. He was no diplomat, so unless Henry wanted him to go down there and invade the place… The earl nodded, to see if that got him a bit more information.
“All the terms have been agreed to on both sides, except one, to which I have agreed to in principle.” The king had lost all his uncertainty now. His voice sounded sure and determined, more the strong and confident ruler that Roydon knew him to be.
“I congratulate you, Sire. This alliance will obviously bring great prosperity and wealth to our country.”
“Yes it will, just as soon as you give me your consent.”
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Baffled, Roydon looked at Henry, one eyebrow raised in query. “You want my consent, Sire? What has any of this to do with me?” Roydon sat, intrigued but relaxed in his chair, the now empty goblet cradled in his hands. “I don’t understand.”
“One of the conditions of the alliance requires a marriage between our peoples to strengthen the agreement.” Henry leaned back in his chair, although he remained tense, his eyes unblinking on the man seated across from him.
Roydon felt as if a deluge of freezing water had suddenly been poured over him. His huge frame tensed in his seat and his hands closed convulsively around the metal cup, easily crushing it, totally unaware of his action.
“You are asking me to marry a foreigner in order to reinforce an alliance?” The earl’s words, when he could finally trust himself to speak, came out clipped and unbelieving.
“I am not asking!” Equally cold and curt the king’s sharp rejoinder cut through Roydon’s incredulity like a knife and his temper flared into life.
Angrily the earl flung himself from his chair, only to grip the edge of the table with both hands, as he tried to control his rioting senses. Now that he had new hope of finding his lady, now that he felt deep inside that he would find her, that they would be together, fate tried to thwart him, again. He would not do it!
Letting go his punishing hold on the table, Roydon turned back to the king. His anger barely leashed, he spoke through stiff unyielding lips, trying to maintain a semblance of civility. “I’ll not do it, Sire. Find another to strengthen your alliance. You have plenty of nobles who would jump at the opportunity.”
Henry had expected a negative reaction to his edict, which was why he had emptied the chamber, to allow the earl to voice his objections in private. But nothing could have prepared him for this angry and unequivocal refusal straight to his face. It was something he would not tolerate, even from his favourite earl.
All the same, Henry still tried to make allowances for the earl’s behaviour. Reigning in his irate displeasure, he attempted to reason with the solid block of angry nobleman staring down at him. “You will have to marry eventually to get your heir. Marry now and you do me and your country a service that I will not forget.”