by Griff Hosker
It was winter and I took more servants and spare horses than I would normally have done. The incident with the stag had shown me how fragile was the King’s life. He needed more guards but we just had the ones led by James of Corfe. As we headed for Carlisle I spoke with Sir Richard and James. “There will be men who excel on the battlefield. I cannot watch everywhere. Find those you think could serve the King. He has but one knight and a handful of men. It is not enough.”
James asked, “Lord, should the council not choose them?”
“Who would you trust to guard the King? A Council appointed by lords and bishops or men you have seen fighting on a battlefield?” He nodded. “All that I ask is that you consult with me or Henry Youngblood or Ridley the Giant.”
“Why lord?”
“For we have been doing this for twenty years. I have been betrayed before now and all of my men know the signs. I look a man in the eye when I speak with him.”
One thing which worried me, on the way south, was the lack of information from Chester. The Earl had lands which were close to the Welsh. He should have known what was going on. Was this some game being played by the King of Gwynedd?
When we reached Chester, the King had learned how to campaign. We had slept out in tents once or twice on the way south and the wind and the rain had swept in from the west. He had learned how to use a latrine and sleep on the hard ground. He understood the benefits of extra blankets and a cloak wrapped around it all. These were little things which we took for granted but for the King they were new. They helped to make him a better man. Worse days would come.
Ranulf de Blondeville, the Earl of Chester, had been the step father of Prince Arthur. That alone meant he held me in high esteem despite the fact that I was younger than he. He had another side to him, however, he had wished to be Regent of England. Had the first regent been any other than William Marshal then he might have opposed it but the Earl had been the greatest knight since my great grandfather. I knew that he still harboured ambitions. However, he made us welcome and we sat before a roaring fire in his castle of Chester.
“I thank you again, Earl, for your intervention in Skipton. I confess that I would never have appointed that knight to the manor.”
“It is done now, lord.”
“Aye we have a more urgent threat in the south.” He smiled at King Henry. “Your first campaign, your majesty. The Welsh are treacherous but I am sure that we can end this conflict peacefully.” He smiled, “My nephew John has married the daughter of Llewellyn. We now have an alliance and I am certain that we can persuade him to put pressure on his allies.”
The King asked, “Then why, Earl, have you not done so before? You might have saved English lives and I could have been saved a long ride across England.”
“I am sorry, my liege, but it was one of your council of Regents, Hubert de Burgh who acted and sent you an unnecessary missive. I would have dealt with it myself.” I now remembered that there was ill feeling between the two men. That explained much. “Besides I have much on my mind. I swore an oath when Prince Arthur was murdered that I would go on Crusade. I leave in a month. That is time enough to make a peace. I have sent emissaries to King Llewellyn. He will meet us at Powys.”
Henry looked at me for he was uncertain of the geography and he trusted me, “It is in the Kingdom of Powys closer to the centre of Wales.”
The King nodded, “So you are saying, Earl, that we do not need to fight the Welsh?”
“I pray not. The King ordered his men to return some of the land they took in the first campaign. He will see sense. However, we take the fyrd with us. Their numbers will attest to our determination.”
The King nodded but I was not convinced. The fyrd were more often than not a liability rather than an asset. At the feast thrown in Henry’s honour I spoke with Gonville de Blondeville. He liked me and I trusted his judgement. “What is happening here in the borders?”
“Earl, this has been going on since before you took Skipton. It has only come to light now because William Marshal appealed to the Council.”
“You are saying the Earl knew of this?”
“I am saying that he has had much on his mind. He has no son and he sees the crusades as a way to atone for whatever ill he has done and father a child. When he can see Calvary then he believes that he will be able to have a son of his own.” He nodded to Alfred, “You have two sons. Can you imagine life without them?”
I confess that I could not. They were my future. I was proud of both of them as I was of my daughters but sons could inherit castles and titles. Daughters could not. When the Earl died who would be Earl of Chester? I began to see the motives of the Earl. He was not disloyal but he did not have the interests of the King at heart. Had he been appointed Regent then he may have been a better advocate for England. I would need to speak with King Henry privately. This was a world he did not know. We tarried too long in Chester. The fyrd and the knights took almost two weeks to muster. Time was passing. Eventually all was ready and we left.
The Earl of Chester, whether deliberately or accidentally, prevented me from being alone with the King. He rode with him as we headed for Powys. The army we took appeared large but that was an illusion for the Earl and his knights would be leaving for Southampton once we had met the Welsh King. He had ships waiting to take him to Crusade. The fyrd who trudged behind us would return to their farms and King Henry would be left with my handful of knights. I did not like the situation. Had I made a mistake? Should we have gone to London first?
Sir Edward and my son, Alfred, rode next to me as we headed through the drizzle filled day. The wet seemed to permeate all the layers of clothes which we wore. Our hoods covered our heads and our horses plodded at the pace of the poor farmers behind us. “Look, my lord, it matters not that most of the knights will be leaving us. If we have to fight the Welsh then you know that knights are not the answer.” Edward was low born. The son of a hawker he had been a man at arms with me in Sweden. He had never fought in a tourney. He knew not the rules of war and of chivalry. He just knew how to fight. “David of Wales and our archers are more than a match for the Welsh archers. If they hide in their rocky crags then David of Wales and his men will winkle them out.”
“Edward is right, father. My fears are somewhat different. I have left my bride of less than three months at home and we come to fight for land which is not even England.”
I nodded. I understood my son’s position. What he did not understand was the wider world. “William Marshal is not just Earl of Pembroke. He rules Ireland for the King. What if the Irish rebel while the Earl is in Wales? There may be plots here which we do not understand. The King is young. Perhaps we can have the Marcher Lords join to force Llewellyn to be less belligerent.”
Even as the words came out of my mouth I knew that it was unlikely. The lands of Pembroke, Gower and Glamorgan were English islands surrounded by resentful Welsh. Many Marcher lords would seek arrangements with Welsh Princes and would happily see their peers destroyed. Welsh politics were like a snake pit. I began to agree with my son. The Tees Valley and its people were worth fighting for and not Wales.
The problems of taking the fyrd from their homes in late winter soon became apparent. I saw the King taking note. Not only did they slow us to a crawl, the further from Cheshire we travelled the greater were the desertions. It did not help that many of the lords would be following the Earl to the Holy Land. We reached Powys Castle after a slow ten-day ride from Chester. Our horses and surcoats were bespattered and besmeared with mud. I wonder, now, if that had been King Llewellyn’s plan all along. He and his lords had gleaming mail and clean surcoats and, when we reached the castle, we looked like a ragged band of brigands. King Henry, however, showed his nobility.
“King Llewellyn, it is good that we meet thus. This is neither your land nor mine. Where is the Prince of Powys these days?” Henry was a clever King. He knew that King Gwenwynwyn ab Owain Cyfeiliog had been the last King of Powys and William Marshal, th
e Earl Marshal, had taken his son, then but a child, Gruffydd ap Gwenwynwyn to London where he could be protected.
I saw an angry tic in the old Welsh King’s eye but he smiled, “Gwenwynwyn ab Owain Cyfeiliog is dead and I watch over his son’s kingdom for him. I am as a father to the other Welsh princes and I am here to prevent bloodshed. Come. Let us retire into the castle for I am sure that you would appreciate a bath and warmth. Our land can be a little harsh.”
King Henry had shown the Welsh that he might be young but he would not be pushed around. I saw now that Ranulf, Earl of Chester, had bought his own security by tying his family to that of the Welsh King. We would get no help from him. In fact, I began to wonder at the delay which suited the Welsh and not the Marcher lords. Had we been kept away so that the Welsh could gain more ground?
Only the senior lords were admitted to the castle. My knights and those brought by the Earl had to camp. I knew that Edward and Alfred would use their time wisely. They would discover which of the knights who would accompany us were to be trusted. Egbert and William would share my chamber and that was no bad thing. I did not trust the Welsh King. If there was murder in this castle he could wash his hands of it and say it was the result of another’s treachery. Sir Robert, his squire and their servants were given a large chamber which was attached to that of the King. He would be safe. I was confident that King Henry would be able to navigate the tricky waters of negotiation. I would be close but we had spoken at length in Stockton. It had only been the last half month or so when we had been apart.
After we had stripped off our mail and washed we donned clean clothes. “William go to the King’s chamber. Ostensibly you go to ask if the quarters are satisfactory but, in reality, I wish you to find out if he is happy with the way the Earl is conducting these negotiations.”
“Aye lord.” William, Alfred and the King were close. More importantly the King trusted my sons. The Earl of Chester would have spies watching the young King as would the Welsh. A lowly squire would not be seen as a threat.
Egbert had envisaged that there might come a time when we were not fighting and would need to be presentable. He had two spare tunics. One was brand new. I had worn it just once, for the weddings. “Which of these, lord?”
“The newer one. The Welsh King thinks to embarrass us. When William returns I will have him clean my scabbard and sword.”
Egbert nodded. “If you let me have your spurs, lord, then I will polish those too.” My men from high to low were loyal and, more importantly, knew how to think.
William was away some time. He was grinning when he returned, “This is like a nest of rats and mice, father. As soon as I left I was followed. I know not where they thought I was going but I took the two of them on a merry chase. It gave me the chance to explore the castle. When I reached the kitchens, I rounded on them and asked where were the King’s quarters. They were confused and had to lead me all the way back here for the King is but two doors away. I suspect they think me stupid. Let us keep it that way.”
“Good lad and what did the King say?”
“He is disappointed with the Earl. Like you he does not trust that he will do that which he said.”
I nodded, “Prince Louis did England no favours by offering the crown of England to the Earl. He did not accept but it planted a seed there. I think the Crusade is to take him from England. He believes there will be rebellion and he can profit from it. Go on.”
“King Henry is adamant that he will not give away any land. The Welsh King thinks he is a boy but he is determined to show the world that he has grown under your tutelage.” I nodded. “He asks that you sit close by him when he meets the King.”
“And the Earl?”
“King Henry is no fool lord. He will say that as the Earl is on his way to the Holy Land his adviser should be the Earl who will be at his side should war come.”
That was clever. If the Earl was playing a treacherous game then that would be reported to the Welsh King and any threat made by Henry would have substance. In addition, even the Welsh feared the Earl of Cleveland. “You have done well. Clean my sword and scabbard. Egbert has your tunic from the wedding. We will look presentable this night. I will send for Edward and Alfred.”
I did not wish to risk dirtying my tunic and so when I reached the gatehouse to the keep I asked one of the sentries to fetch my two lords. At first, they feigned ignorance of my words but I knew that they spoke English. I had a number of Welshmen in my ranks and I could speak a little Welsh. I repeated my words in Welsh but with a harsher tone. They nodded and one scurried off.
While I waited it gave me the chance to look at the castle. It was Welsh built but they had stolen ideas from the Norman castles of England. The keep was a large one and the gatehouse was two large rounded towers. The castle was built upon a hill and the camp for our men, not the fyrd, was in the huge outer ward. It could be taken but it would be costly.
Alfred and Edward arrived and I headed back into the castle. I took them to my chamber. Egbert bowed and, taking the spurs, said, “I will take these into the corridor lord. I can clean them there.”
He was clever. If the Welsh thought to overhear our conversation then his presence and the cleaning of the rowels on the spurs would mask any conversation being overheard.
I told them what the King had said. Alfred nodded, “He is wise not to trust the Earl. His knights speak of nothing save the Crusade. The Earl cares nothing for Pembroke. His lands will be safe. I fear he plays a game to gain a throne. He now has an ally in the Welsh King. We know that Louis of France supports him and there are many Frenchmen in the Holy Land. If we fail in the marches then the King’s position will be weakened.”
“And what of the knights who do not accompany the Earl?”
“There are some knights from Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester and Jocelyn de Braose leads the knights of Gower.” I waited.
Sir Edward said, “I trust not the men of de Clare. He fought with Prince Louis. It is only because his lands are threatened that he is with us.”
“And de Braose?”
“Although his family sided with Prince Louis I like Sir Jocelyn. He is young, like me, but he has fought against Deheubarth. He does not like the Welsh for his land is surrounded by enemies. He can give us valuable information.”
Sir Edward said, “You think we will have to fight?”
“I am sure of it. The Welsh King has shown his hand. He thinks that he has power over the Earl of Chester. He can have his allies make war and take more land. He is called the Great by the princes who once were kings. He sees his Kingdom as the whole land of Wales and not just a rocky stronghold in the north west of the land. He plays a good game of chess. He sacrifices pieces and thinks ahead. He would crown himself lord of a land which does not yet exist. He will give King Henry assurances and hope that the King goes timidly back to London.”
“But we will not?”
I shook my head, “I am afraid not. You will be kept away from your bride a little while longer.”
Edward put his arm around my son, “She has a new home to build. Women like to build nests and if you are anything like your father then your son already grows within her!”
Edward could be a little too plain spoken at times and I saw my son blush.
I changed the subject and asked my two knights to have our men at arms and archers speak with those in other conroi and battles. They were good judges of character. When they left Egbert returned. “You eat with the other servants, Egbert?”
“Yes lord. The King’s two servants, Paul and Matthew also eat with us. We will eat with the servants of the lord of this castle.”
William asked, “Who is that?”
“I suspect that it is King Llewellyn himself. Keep your ears open, Egbert. Sometimes servants can be indiscreet. Let us hope these Welsh ones are.”
Although the feast was a celebration and there was no official business I saw the game being played. The Earl and the King were trying to mould the
King. They thought him young and impressionable. They tried to ply him with drink and they attempted to have him make indiscreet comments about the Council. I knew that they were wasting their time. We managed to annoy them as soon as we arrived for the young King insisted that I sit at his right hand. He sat next to the Welsh King. It left the Earl of Chester to my right. He had to speak with Sir Robert. I had come to trust Sir Robert and knew that he could be relied upon to say little and learn much. As the evening wore on he became more frustrated and I saw Llewellyn become more irritated. Finally, Llewellyn asked outright what King Henry intended.
King Henry gave the most innocent smile imaginable and said, “Surely, King Llewellyn, that is for our formal discussions on the morrow. Here we are in our cups and this is a social occasion is it not? Tomorrow I will let you know my demands and we will all have clear heads and minds.”
That proved to be the end of the attempts by the Welsh to delve into the King’s mind. A couple of Welsh harpists and singers entertained us. The singers were tuneful enough and they played their harps and rotes well but as I did not understand the language they were largely wasted on me. Instead I studied the warriors in the hall. One day I would need to fight them. I looked at their faces and their devices. Ostensibly from Gwynedd I was under no illusions. There would be warriors from Powys and Deheubarth here. They would be spying out our forces. King Llewellyn was playing a clever game. He sought a throne which did not exist. It was the throne of Wales. Even before the Romans came it had been a confused tangle of tribes who fought each other more than they fought the Romans. The first King Henry had maintained that anarchy and it had allowed him and his knights to conquer much of the south. England now had the best land in Wales. Powys was the only jewel left and as its future king was a guest of King Henry then we would have that soon enough.