by Mike Dixon
'I went to visit my father at work. You know how the secretaries are crammed together in one big room. It's circular and has a vaulted ceiling. You say something and people opposite can hear as loudly as if you were standing right next to them. My father works with bits of wax stuffed in his ears so he won't be disturbed.'
'And you heard someone reading out a list of names?'
'More than that. When they had left for dinner, I went across and saw it. The security is as bad as ever. I don't know why Cunningham doesn't do something about it.'
Steven produced a sheet of paper.
'These are the names. I wrote them down while I was waiting to see you.'
'Have you written them anywhere else?'
'No, Sir. I never write anything down unless I have to. I remember everything. I've worked out ways to do it and not make mistakes.'
'What else can you tell us?'
'Queen Margaret has been talking to the Scots. They've been travelling by ship from Edinburgh. That way they can land at Greenwich and return home without being seen. She went to Greenwich Palace to meet them.'
'How do you know?'
'I went with her.'
'As a servant?'
'No. She treats me like I'm the royal mascot. She took her dogs to Greenwich too.'
'Do you know what the queen and the Scots spoke about?'
'No, Sir. I wasn't there. The dogs were though. She gave them as a present for their queen. Maybe she'll do the same with me if I'm not careful.'
The duke allowed himself a chuckle. Steven liked the way things were going. He felt more relaxed with Robin and the duke than with Cunningham and the queen. The duke was honest and so was Robin. With Cunningham, you never knew if he meant what he said. Margaret was so moody you never knew how she would react.
The business part of the meeting came to a close. The duke asked about his parents. He wanted to know if Steven's mother approved of his association with Queen Margaret. Steven said it was hard to say because he didn't see his mother much and they never talked about what he was doing.
***
Edward checked his armour. It had got a bit knocked around during training and he needed to make sure everything was in place. Some people left that to their squires. His father said you shouldn't. You should do it yourself and not rely on others. A broken strap or a loose coupling could mean the difference between life and death.
He wondered about the young man who had come into the garden during training. He was with Maud's father who was captain of the guard. That was an important position but not nearly as important as his main role. Sir Robin was a senior advisor to his father. Not many people knew that but Edward had been told. He needed to know because, if anything happened to York, Sir Robin was one of the people he should go to for protection.
There were things that Edward knew and a lot that was kept secret from him. He was the Duke of York's son but that didn't mean he was told everything. Edward had no problems with that. His father was strict and a bit dull but he was very good at what he did. People said he would make a great king if he ever got the chance.
It seemed to Edward that the chance might come sooner than later. York and Salisbury were recruiting men in the Scottish marches. These were the lands bordering Scotland. The people there were tough. They had to be. There was a lot of cattle rustling and cross-border raiding. Many families were neither Scottish nor English. They didn't think in such terms. Their allegiance was to a lord and they changed lords whenever the fancy took them.
The northerners would be formidable if turned against the south. The southerners were soft in comparison. They were bigger and fatter because they ate better but that didn't make them stronger. The small, wiry northerners would dash into battle even when greatly outnumbered. They would fight when others ran away.
Edward picked up his breastplate and examined a dent made when one of the boys struck him with a mace. The blow had knocked him to the ground and his ribs were bruised. They would heal and the blacksmiths would hammer out the dent so it didn't show. That was the sort of thing that happened in fighting and you had to get used to it.
As well as the dent, there were marks left by arrows. He'd not been wearing the breastplate at the time. They had put it against a wall and shot at it with a longbow. The breastplate was shaped to deflect arrows and they wanted to see if it worked properly. The result was impressive. The arrows bounced off leaving no more than scratches.
Then they used a crossbow. The steel bolts made more impression than the arrows but were deflected in much the same way. You would be safe wearing the breastplate but someone nearby might get hit by missiles spraying off you.
The same could not be said for cannon balls. Nothing would make you safe from them. It wouldn't matter how many breastplates you wore. If you were hit by a great ball of iron, you would pass into history. Edward wondered about the much smaller balls fired by handheld cannons.
The Earl of Warwick had recruited a special brigade from Burgundy. They were armed with the new weapon. It was like a tube mounted on two legs that folded away. It was easy to carry and light. You could get it into the thick of battle and blast away at short range.
Edward wondered if the damage caused by a hand-cannon was any worse than that caused by a mace. He suspected it wasn't. It didn't matter. The new weapon had caused panic when the Burgundians used it against the French. Any weapon that could do that was worth having. Battles were won when the enemy broke ranks and fled. A fleeing enemy was far easier to cut down than one that stood its ground and stayed to fight.
He hoped the ferocity of the northerners and the explosive power of the Burgundians would be enough to panic the Duke of Somerset's men into flight. He was the enemy they would have to face. Queen Margaret had got him released from the Tower and they were running the country together. Edward's blood boiled whenever he thought of Somerset. The man was traitor and arsehole rolled into one. The sooner England was rid of him the better.
***
The bluebells were in flower and the sun was shining. It was a pleasant spring day but there were few people in the royal park. In more peaceful times, families from London came to Westminster to admire the flowers. Now, the park was off-limits to anyone not sanctioned by the palace.
Feelings were running high. Somerset and the queen were deeply disliked by the Londoners. There was talk of secret alliances with the French and the hated Scots. Some even claimed that Somerset was the father of the baby prince and the pair were planning to murder the king.
Alice and Harald went for their daily walk in the park as usual. It had become a ritual. They went whether they had anything private to discuss or not. Today they had a lot to discuss and it was very private. Harald had learnt that Cunningham had sent Steven to Leicester on a secret mission. Alice was anxious to know more. Steven was deeply involved with the queen and it was very worrying.
'Have you no idea what it's about?'
Harald shook his head. 'All I know is that Cunningham sent him to Leicester. I don't know why he went. I don't even know if it was his final destination. I suspect my colleagues don't know either.'
'Is the queen involved?'
'Not to my knowledge.'
'She took him to Greenwich.' Alice's voice tensed. 'Do you know why? People are talking about it.'
'Steven informs me that he went as the royal mascot.' Harald suppressed a smile. 'He didn't elaborate.'
'It's said she fancies younger men.'
'Who?'
'Margaret. Who else do you think I'm talking about? You must have heard the rumours.'
'I suspect they refer to our son.'
'Well. Is it true?'
Harald remained calm. 'My love. I have no way of telling. All I know is what Steven tells me and that's not much. I see him even less than you. He drops into my office for a chat. I can hardly engage him in a personal conversation. The acoustics are appalling. There are twenty or more people working in that confined space. Everyone can hear what's bei
ng said …'
He rambled on. Alice wished he would show more concern for their son. Perhaps he was concerned and didn't want to worry her. Steven was keeping very dangerous company and the omens were frightening. Sexual liaisons with royalty were fraught with danger. They were difficult enough when the royal person was male. When the royal person was the queen, they could be deadly. Having sex with the queen was treason. Men had suffered the horrors of a traitor's death for cuckolding the king.
'What do you think he's up to?'
The words escaped her lips.
'Who, my love?'
'Steven. Of course. Is he having sexual relations with the queen. If he is then what's his reason? He surely doesn't find her attractive.'
Harald's pace slackened. 'I have asked myself that very same question.'
'And what answer did you reach?'
'Our son has a very complex character.'
'Harald. That is hardly an answer.'
'No. But it's a start. Our son did not have an ordinary upbringing and he has not grown into an ordinary young man. As a child, he was dragged from pillar to post as we tried to escape Beaufort's men. Then I got a job with the Normandy garrison and he grew up as the son of a senior officer in an army of occupation. You will recall that I interrogated prisoners of war and spies. Steven used to sneak in and sit behind a screen while that was happening. Commanded Gough encouraged him. He saw exceptional talent in Steven and wanted to see it developed …'
'Harald.' Alice cut him short. 'Where is this leading?'
'Our son has a deep fascination for espionage and affairs of state. I suspect it surpasses the sexual urges that dominate the behaviour of most young males.'
'Are you saying he's associating with Margaret for some sort of political advantage?'
'I can't think of any other reason. If Margaret wants him for sex, I doubt he will resist. You will not understand Steven if you think of him as just another sixteen-year-old.'
Alice took a deep breath. Harald's assessment of their son was appallingly frank. She wanted to think otherwise but found it difficult to refute. There was a frightening ring of truth in what he said. Steven had always been a loner. As a small child he loved to mix with other children but never made close friends. He was never King Arthur in the games they played. He always wanted to be Merlin. That told you a lot about Steven.
It was impossible to say what he was doing. In all probability, he was spying for York. His sympathies were unlikely to lie with Queen Margaret and the House of Lancaster. Margaret was a vindictive woman. Her fury would know no bounds if she ever discovered that her favourite was an enemy agent. Alice feared for her son's future.
End of Part Two
Part Three
England slips into civil war as the Houses of York and Lancaster fight for control of the realm. Duke Richard of York is charged with treason and Edward joins his father in the struggle that follows. Maud Perry has her eyes set on Edward. Steven Gascoigne is trapped in his role as a double agent.
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Acknowledgements
Photographic images in this publication come from a variety of sources. Those of places were taken by me. Those of people derive mainly from "living history" re-enactments, available at http://commons.wikipedia.org and licensed for reuse under terms specified at http://creativecommons.org/licences .
Les Baux-de-Provence Medieval Festival (France): attribution Mike Dixon (Ch. 1, 3, 9)
Rougement: attribution Membre de Rougement (Ch 10)
Tewkesbury Medieval Festival (UK): attribution Andy Dolman (cover, Ch 8), Antony Stanley (Ch 12)
I confirm that in using these images I am in no way implying that the author of licensor endorses either me or the use of the work. The images were adapted by me and inevitably suffered degradation. Any defects are due entirely to me. Visit http://commons.wikipedia.org to view the images in their original form. Use tags: medieval, festivals, fairs, markets, displays, costumes ...
Living history re-enactments bring the past to life in a way that words cannot convey. They are not merely good entertainment; they have contributed immensely to our understanding of history. I am hugely impressed by the high standards.