The Oath

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Near Chepstow

The ship was an old cog, a round-bellied sow in the best of weather, Sir Ralph of Evesham thought to himself. He hated sailing.

Sir Hugh le Despenser led the way to the gang-plank, and from thence out to the rear of the vessel. There was an ill-fitting door here, that squeaked loudly as it opened, giving access to a small cabin. Sir Hugh walked in, leaving the door wide for Sir Ralph, and went to stand at the window. It was an opening covered with a sheet of waxed parchment that allowed a yellowish-grey light into the chamber, leaving it brighter than it would have been, while keeping the worst of the wind at bay.

‘Sir Ralph,’ he said, ‘we must sail as soon as practicable. We shall take some few men with us. You, I would prefer to remain behind.’

He studied a forefinger, then thrust it into his mouth and worried at the stub of a nail. His nails were already bitten back to the quick, leaving half the bed exposed, and when Sir Ralph glanced at his hand, he saw that there were little red crescents about each nail where he had chewed down too far and made them bleed.

The sight was repugnant. No man should so lose control of himself that he made such a display of weakness. ‘What do you want of me?’ he asked.

‘Today the King will send two friars to meet with the Queen and try to negotiate for the lives of all aboard this ship.’

Both men knew what that meant. The Queen would not have any desire, surely, to murder her husband, nor would she have much against the inoffensive Baldock. She had only ever harboured a detestation for two of the King’s friends: Bishop Walter Stapledon, and Sir Hugh le Despenser. Those two she hated with all the ardour of a lioness who has witnessed the death of her cub. Stapledon had aided others to curb her authority and power, while Despenser had taken away her husband. She would want to see Despenser suffer for all the insults he had offered her in the last six years or more.

‘The friars will return here. We are to try to make our way to Ireland, if we may, and the friars will join us there, with fortune. We would ask that you serve the friars and ensure their safety.’

‘I shall do so, if it be the King’s desire.’

‘It is.’

‘Where shall I bring them afterwards?’

Despenser took his finger from his mouth with an expression of pain. He stared at it a moment, then looked up at Sir Ralph, and for a second or two, Sir Ralph could swear the man had forgotten he was there.

‘I didn’t mean for this, you know,’ he said. ‘I never intended to hurt the king. I love him.’ He put the finger back in his mouth, and turned to face the window.

Speaking with a low, thoughtful tone, he went on: ‘It all began as a simple way to support him. They put me into his household to watch him, you know. Thomas of Lancaster, Walter Stapledon and the others all wanted the King observed so that he could be controlled. But Bishop Walter and I disagreed with the whole idea when it became clear that Earl Thomas wanted to control him. What right did we have to keep an eye on him all the time? None. So soon after I was made Chamberlain, I began to learn how to help him. He is a kind man, you know?’

He turned as though seeking support. Sir Ralph had little idea what to do, so he nodded his head. It seemed sufficient, and the King’s closest adviser turned back to the window.

‘I gradually began to win his trust. And we discovered a closer friendship, too. A mutual affection. It was little more than that, I swear. But we have similar interests; fascinations. Why should we not? And I have enriched myself, but that is no crime. All before me in the same position have taken what they can, just as I have, and just as any will do after I am dead. Any man who doesn’t enrich himself when he may, is a fool.’

‘I think I need to join my men.’

‘I’m finished, aren’t I?’ Despenser said suddenly. He turned from the window and seated himself in a little chair. ‘There’s nothing we can do. If we raise a host of men from Ireland, will we be able to bring them back here? I doubt me that. And if we do, there will be a bloodbath, and the people of England would never forgive me, nor the King, for the waste of English blood. That bitch has managed all without killing a single man. She landed without dispute, runs about the country without hindrance, and soon she will be here and will have taken the whole kingdom.’

‘If the King were to hold his banner against her, perhaps her allies would refuse to fight him,’ Sir Ralph said. ‘Just as during the Marcher Wars. The Lords Marcher would not lift their standards against his. All submitted.’

‘That was then. This is now. She has already put money on my head, did you know that? The impudence of the bitch! She dared to offer money for my capture, yet she is the invader. But her men are all from Hainault, and they will obey her, the daughter of the King of France, rather than bow to King Edward of England on his own land.’

‘Perhaps so.’

‘So I will be exiled. I’ll have to go to the Holy Roman Empire or beyond, to avoid her clutches, and those of her brother. I shall become a wanderer without home or property. And Mortimer, her lover, will win all he wants. His family has beaten mine at the end.’

‘You want me to bring the friars where, when they have had their negotiation with the Queen?’

Despenser stared at him, and now Sir Ralph was sure that there was genuine desperation in his eyes. Sir Hugh had wanted him to understand him, to understand his position.

‘Take them to Cardiff. My people hold that town, and it should remain safe a little longer.’

And with that Sir Hugh le Despenser stood and went to the window again, saying nothing more.

Sir Ralph waited for a dismissal, but when it was clear there would be none, he walked from the room without speaking further. Sir Hugh was obviously convinced that he would be caught and slain, just as others had been before him.

Fourth Wednesday after the Feast of St Michael[22]

Outskirts of Bristol

After riding steadily, it was a relief for Baldwin to see the city ahead of them as they came out of the trees. For all his vigilance, there had been no sign of a man following them, and he began to wonder if his alarm and suspicion had been justified, but then the memory of the bearded assailant at the inn came to his mind, and he urged his horse and his companions on to greater efforts.

It was a great problem that horses could not cover more than a man on foot in a day. The King’s Messengers were aware of that: a man on foot was expected to cover thirty to thirty-five miles, which was the same as a man on a horse. It was only at times of extreme urgency that a messenger would be given free passes and the right to demand a change of horse at every twenty miles or so. Other men had to accept the fact that if they wanted their mounts to survive a long journey, they must allow the beasts to rest at regular intervals.

Their journey had not been easy for the last day or so. From Salisbury, as they pressed on, they had come upon a number of men who were being arrayed and counted for the King. More and more were filling the streets and lanes, no matter which road they took, and it was growing dangerous. Baldwin could understand the quizzical looks he received from some of them, but it was unpleasant nonetheless. Many of them clearly wondered where he was going, and why. Some believed he could be a messenger for the Queen and Mortimer, and would have had him arrested and held, and it was only his belligerence as he demanded to speak to their commanders that ensured his release at the various stopping points.

‘We will be there by noon,’ Baldwin said, gazing at the city.

‘It will be an immense relief to be home again,’ Redcliffe said. He had not survived their journey unscathed. His face was more lined and fretful, his complexion more sallow and unhealthful, and now he sat on his horse with his fingers tapping at the reins as though keeping time with music only he could hear.

The sight of his distress was enough to convince Baldwin. ‘We shall wait here and rest our mounts. We are near enough, there is no need to force the beasts on without account for their health. They have brought us far enough already today.’

‘There are more, look!’ Jack called out as the three swung sore legs over their saddles, pointing down into the valley before them.

Baldwin stared, shaking his head. ‘The sight of so many men marching to their doom is a terrifying one,’ he said.

There must have been more than a hundred of them. All clad in fustian and other cheap cloths, a mass of brown, green and faded red clothes, walking with their heads hanging, weapons of all types over their shoulders, dangling from slack hands or sheathed. Baldwin could see them as though they were walking only a yard from him: brown faces anxious and alarmed, boys of fourteen, men of fifty, all drawn along by that same responsibility to their lord. All knowing that they must stand in a line and defend each other against the force arrayed against them. Many must die, because with cheap helmets and little steel protection, they were mere targets to the arrows and lances of the professional killers who stood opposing them.

‘It is a terrible sight,’ he breathed.

‘Nay, Sir Baldwin,’ Redcliffe said, and now he had a gleam of excitement in his eye. ‘These are courageous men, all of them prepared to fight and die for their King! What could be more glorious than that?’

Baldwin turned to face him. ‘When they have chewed on a battle, and have survived, then you can tell me that they will enjoy their glory. Most will not. War is a hideous grinding of men and bodies, not a cause for celebration. These men will soon face Mortimer’s knights and squires, and when they do, they will learn what it is to endure pain.’

‘You have fought, Sir Baldwin. War is sad, I make no doubt, but the fact is, these fellows will have the honour of serving their King and their lord. There is nothing better for a man than that.’

Baldwin shook his head. He had served, and those were battles which served a purpose, for they were to defend the Holy Land from the depredations of the Saracens. When he had been at Acre, fighting alongside the Knights Templar, he had fought for the protection of God’s holy land, and to serve the pilgrims who wished to visit it. He had seen warfare at close hand, and had killed his foes. Yes, and seen his friends hacked to pieces, pierced by arrows, slammed against the walls by enormous ballista bolts or splashed across masonry by a mangonel’s rocks. There was nothing pleasant, honourable or good about such a death.

Afterwards, of course, all that sacrifice had been made irrelevant by the self-serving greed of the French King and Pope, who had agreed a pact between them to have all the Templars arrested and all their valuables and treasure confiscated. The Templars had been branded heretics and, worse, accused of devil-worship and other atrocities, and many were tortured and killed.

‘Those fellows know they are fighting in a good cause,’ Redcliffe said.

‘Perhaps. But many more will not know why they fight, nor for whom,’ Baldwin said firmly. ‘This war, if it comes, will pit brother against brother or father. It will be a woeful battle that seeks to put another’s interest between members of the same family.’

‘The answer to that is easy, Sir Baldwin. The foul enemies of the King must surrender, as they did before during the Marcher Wars.’

‘I have taken my oath for the King. I do not need reminding of the duty of his knights and men to protect him,’ Baldwin said. ‘Jack, do you bring the food bags. We shall have a little bread and cheese.’

He was tempted to say more to explain the horror of war, but when he looked at Redcliffe, he thought he saw a cynical twist to the man’s mouth. Baldwin suddenly had the feeling that Redcliffe was jesting, and that thought made him wary. Who would dare to joke about fidelity to the King at a time like this? But no, he told himseslf, he was merely being over-sensitive. To him, warfare was no joking matter.

He held out his hand and took the satchel from Jack, but his eyes were drawn back to the lines of men marching in the dust.

‘You feel sorry for them?’ Jack asked quietly.

Baldwin looked at him, and rested a hand on his shoulder. The boy had also seen battle, and had shown himself valorous. ‘Do you?’

‘I feel sorry for all of us,’ Jack said.

‘That is good,’ Baldwin said heavily. ‘They serve, and it is good that they answered the summons – but I hope and pray that Mortimer and Isabella will come to their senses and stop before we have more bloodshed!’

Bank of the River Severn

Bernard was not happy. It was clear in the way that he scowled ahead, eyes always studying the ground as he searched out any possible dangers.

They had waited the previous evening with all the other members of the royal household, watching as the King and his closest guards boarded the ship and moved away from the shore into the middle of the River Severn, where the sails began to fill, and the ship rolled slightly as the wind caught at them.

There they had remained on the banks of the river, Bernard keeping watch, Pagan and Alexander moodily hunkered down beside a fire, casting glances at the two religious until a large boat arrived. Despenser had arranged for it to take them across the river, which was very broad here, and before too long they had managed to get horses, packhorses and friars on board, and were crossing to the other side, where they camped for the evening.

It was very curious. Over on the Welsh shore, almost as soon as the King had gone, his men began to disappear. When Edward boarded, there had been 200 men there, but when Ralph left to supervise the loading of his goods on the ship, that number had already halved, and when he looked back at the banks from the river as they coasted along, he saw only a few men, all standing about the fire Pagan had abandoned. The others seemed to have faded away into the trees to escape the Queen when she arrived.

They slept the night on the eastern bank, one standing guard through the watches in case a man from the Queen’s host should happen by, since they had no idea where her forces were yet. All were glad when the sun finally appeared.

Not that it was visible for very long. The day was dry, which was a blessed relief after the last days of rain and misery, but the sky was overcast before they had broken their fasts, and all wrapped themselves tightly in cottes and jacks before they mounted their horses, Sir Ralph tying his kerchief about his neck to keep the worst of the cold from his throat.

‘Where shall we find her, do you think?’ Bernard asked as they set off.

‘Last you heard, she was at Gloucester, wasn’t she? I’d wager she was somewhere between there and Bristol,’ Sir Ralph said. ‘The speed she has followed us, she cannot be far.’

Bernard absorbed this with an expression that matched the skies. ‘So we should walk into her before long.’

‘I fear so.’

‘Where are we heading?’

‘First to Bristol, then we shall see what we can hear of her.’

Bernard nodded and dropped back a little. They were all riding at a moderate pace now, and Sir Ralph checked to see how the friars were coping with the speed.

The pair were of a similar age, between eight-and-twenty and thirty, and both had the reputation of being well-versed in the practice of negotiation. One, Brother Mark, was very short and had a goitre that clearly gave him trouble, but his blue eyes were bright with intelligence. His tonsure was very wide, and the hair fringing it was pale brown. The other, Brother Daniel, was a little taller, but his features were marred by a thick scar that cut across his cheek and left his nose broken. His brown eyes were full of merriment, Sir Ralph thought.

Seeing his glance, Brother Daniel grinned broadly. ‘Don’t worry about Brother Mark here. He’ll fall off soon enough, and unless you tie him up, he’ll keep on denting the roadway every few yards, but he won’t feel it.’

‘The danger, Sir Ralph, is that this fool should fall on his arse,’ Brother Mark said. ‘It would irreparably damage his brains if he were to do that.’

For all their banter, the pair appeared perfectly comfortable on horseback, and Sir Ralph guessed that both were quite wellborn. ‘Let me know, Brothers, if you need to take a little rest,’ he said. ‘I would prefer to hurry our pace for we have some distance to cover.’

‘The faster, the better,’ Brother Mark said. He had the look of a man who was keen to undertake his task. ‘We should meet Queen Isabella before there is any bloodshed.’

‘God willing,’ Brother Daniel intoned.

‘God willing,’ Sir Ralph repeated.

He understood Bernard’s discontent; he felt much the same himself. The idea of riding into their enemies’ camp was not one which appealed to his own sense of self-preservation, and yet the Queen herself was very keen to honour the rules of chivalry. Men who were arrived in order to negotiate should be welcomed with offers of safe conduct. That, at least, was what he hoped.

They reached a hill overlooking the city of Bristol some time before noon, and Sir Ralph gazed ahead in search of signs that the Queen was near. Certainly the vills outside the city looked dead, and he suspected that the peasants had fled before the Queen’s mercenaries could arrive and begin to lay the area waste. The city itself looked secure for now.

‘I think we should go to the city and learn where she is supposed to be,’ he said.

Bernard nodded. ‘Why not? That’ll put off the moment when we actually have to greet her and hope she doesn’t lop off our heads before she hears us out.’

‘Thank you, Bernard. I needed that reminder,’ Sir Ralph said.