Authors: Griff Hosker

Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Genre Fiction, #Historical, #Military, #War, #Historical Fiction

Northern Knight (23 page)

"Should I know them?"

"You know all that I know. I have no secrets to tell you on my deathbed." He looked at me searchingly, "When will you fetch it?"

"How do you know that I shall?"

He laughed, "Because of all of your father's oathsworn, I know you the best. That is the last true secret I hold, Alfraed; I know your heart and you will travel east and bring back this stone. You will do it even though you do not know what to do with it once it returns. It will gnaw away inside you until you travel back to the lemon tree. The only thing I do not know is when."

"Perhaps I do not know when either."

He nodded, "That I can believe. Then leave it to
wyrd
. That will decide when." We rode in silence and then he said, "The Vikings you defeated believe that there are three witches called the Norns and they sit in a cave spinning webs. They are complicated webs and our lives run through them. The Norse believe that they are the ones who decide what we will do. Perhaps the Norse are right. It may be that they decide what you will do. I know it is not Christian to believe such things but I have seen strange things in my life and some cannot be explained away by a priest." He shook his head, "Do not worry about this stone. If you are meant to fetch it then you will. The decision will not be yours."

And he was right. Wulfstan was incredibly wise. In the end it was not my decision.

Epilogue

It was September when I was summoned to London with Sir Edward and our squires, now augmented by Hugh of Gainford. I knew not the reason save that the letter, from the Earl of Gloucester, spoke of fulfilling our oath to the Empress. As we made our way south I wondered what it would entail.

"Perhaps we are to guard her now that she is to become the next Queen of England."

"I would not relish that prospect, Edward. I have a young family. If we have to guard the Empress then it will take us many miles from my home. The Empress would not relish the north. I suspect it will be another journey back to Normandy. I know that she has many enemies there."

Not least the brothers Blois, eh Baron?"

"Exactly." The two brothers, Stephen and Theobald, were now like a thorn in my side or, more appropriately, a nagging ache in my tooth which came and went but the threat was always there. A thorn I could remove but not this nagging spectre of Norman enemies.

The journey south was swifter than the one north had been and this time we were to be accommodated close to the royal apartments in the Tower. Our star, it seemed, was on the rise. Perhaps this was the influence of the Empress. I had no doubt that there would be a chilly reception from the Earl of Gloucester.

The Earl greeted me stiffly when we met. He had still to forgive me for my outburst in Chester. Some men did not enjoy the truth. I preferred honesty. I had learned that, while the best of the earls, Robert Fitzroy was still acutely aware of his position. He might be the illegitimate son of Henry but he was the most powerful man in England. I had questioned his judgement. "It is good to see you Alfraed. You did well to defeat those raiders."

I nodded, "And Hugh here is the last of his family. His father and brothers fell."

He looked at my new squire. "I am sorry for your loss."

I took the bull by the horns. "I have made him my ward until he comes of an age and can take over the manor of Gainford."

The Earl's eyes narrowed, "That would be a decision for the King."

I smiled, "Then I shall broach the matter when we meet. I take it I am to see him this visit. If not why was I summoned?"

I could see that he still rankled with my attitude after the battle in Wales. "You are right; he does wish to speak with you. We will go and see him now for he has a task for you to perform." He looked at the squires. "You four stay here. This is for your masters only."

Edward and I followed the Earl as he hurried through the castle to reach the King. He was with the Empress and she looked tearful. There were others in the room and, when we entered, they were peremptorily dismissed; all except for a priest whose hand was poised over a wax tablet. King Henry looked much older since the last time I had seen him but he looked genuinely pleased to see me. Perhaps his son had not told him of my words. That would make sense for he would not want his father to know of a rift between us.

"Baron! My strong right arm from the Northern Marches returns. Bishop Flambard speaks well of you and I have heard that you destroyed a large warband which would have laid waste to the north. That was nobly done!"

"Sir Guy of Gainford and all of his family, save his son, Hugh and nephew Gille, died. I took it upon myself to watch over Hugh until he becomes old enough to manage the manor himself."

Unlike his son King Henry did not dismiss the idea out of hand. "How old is he?"

"He has seen sixteen summers."

I saw a pained look come over the face of Empress Matilda and King Henry said, "What do you think of him?"

"He has a good heart and a strong arm. He will make a good lord of the manor and the people there love him still. I have my steward watching over the manor for taxes and for their well being."

"Good! Then I shall confirm this." He nodded to the priest. "Father Abelard, make a note of that. And now, gentlemen," he smiled, "I have a task for you. Tomorrow week we travel back to Normandy." He leaned forward, "This news is for your ears only, "My daughter and heir, the Empress Matilda, is to be betrothed to Geoffrey the eldest son of Count Fulk of Anjou."

Once more my heart fell but I had known, all along, that the Empress could never be mine. However this was just confirmation that the King had made a decision. "Congratulations, my lady." She nodded and dabbed her eyes.

"She is a woman, Baron, ignore her tears. They mean nothing. As you and Sir Edward here are Knights of the Empress you will act as her bodyguards until the announcement is made. There are those who plot and plan still to prevent a safe succession. King Louis still puts forward William Clito whom the French King has had made Count of Flanders." He rubbed his hands. "This alliance will protect our southern borders and make us more powerful. Now we can take on France and Flanders."

I saw a thin smile on the Earl's face. He could only gain from this. A thought came to me, "Your majesty, what of Count Fulk?"

He smiled, "The Count, it seems, sees his future in the Holy land. Once the marriage has taken place and his son established he will leave for his lands in Outremer." He lowered his voice. "He has ambitions to be king and there he can achieve those ambitions."

I could now see why there was urgency and why the marriage had been arranged. King Henry could not afford to have enemies to the south and the north of Normandy as well as the French in the east. I nodded, "I will need to send a message to my family to tell them I will be absent for a while."

He waved an absentminded hand, "Just so long as you keep the secret from your wife. Now you may escort the Empress to her quarters. All this sniffling and weeping is annoying!"

Once we left the hall the Empress said to Sir Edward, "I would speak with the Baron alone Sir Edward."

He smiled, "I understand and cheer up, my lady. It cannot be as bad as you seem to think. At least it is not his father to whom you have been betrothed!"

I know that Edward meant well with his joke but it set her off to weeping again. He shrugged and fled down the empty corridor. Matilda threw herself upon my shoulder and began to weep. This was not the place for such a display of emotion. "Where are your rooms?" She pointed to a door at the far end of the walkway. I took her and led her inside. Her ladies, Judith and Margaret, looked up as we entered. The Empress waved a hand and they left.

She looked up at me with red rimmed eyes. "You do not understand. This is far worse than you can possibly imagine."

I smiled, "I know you do not wish to be married again to someone chosen by your father but surely you expected this. What is wrong with this Geoffrey of Anjou? Is he so ugly that you cannot bear to look upon him?"

She stepped back, "Alfraed, this Geoffrey of Anjou has seen thirteen summers, I am twenty five. I am almost old enough to be his mother! He is a child and he behaves like one. At least the Emperor was a man. I am now to look after a child all so that my father's lands may be protected."

Now I understood. The tears were for a loveless life with a man half her age. She was going from a cold man who did not love her to a child who knew not what love was. She threw herself at me again and this time I enfolded her with my arms. I held her sobbing body tightly until she stopped her tears.

"Fear not, my lady. I swear that I shall be by your side and I will do all that I can to help you."

She smiled at me. "And you are the truest of all knights. Even in my darkest hour I know that I can depend upon Baron Alfraed of Norton who will put me first always. You are my hope in the darkest of nights." She leaned up and kissed me softly on the lips.

I would not be travelling to Constantinople to fetch back a relic. I would be travelling east to Normandy to give away the woman I loved to another. Such was my fate. Perhaps Wulfstan had been right. I was not the master of my own destiny.

Wyrd
!

The End

Glossary

Angevin- the people of Anjou, mainly the ruling family

Battle- a formation in war (a modern battalion)

Breeks- Trousers

Cadge- the frame upon which hunting birds are carried (by a codger- hence the phrase old codger being the old man who carries the frame)

Conroi- A group of knights fighting together

Demesne- estate

Destrier- war horse

Fess- a horizontal line in heraldry

Gambeson- a padded tunic worn underneath mail. When worn by an archer they came to the waist. It was more of a quilted jacket but I have used the term freely

Gonfanon- A standard used in Medieval times (Also known as a Gonfalon in Italy)

Gruffudd ap Cynan - King of Gwynedd

Hartness- the manor which became Hartlepool

Maredudd ap Bleddyn- King of Powys

Mêlée- a medieval fight between knights

Musselmen- Muslims

Outremer- The Frankish kingdoms in the Holy Land.

Palfrey- a riding horse

Pyx- a box containing a holy relic (Shakespeare’s Pax from Henry V)

Sea fret- a coastal mist

Seggesfield- Sedgefield

Strategos- Byzantine general