by H A CULLEY
Ignoring his wounded squire, Edgar struck at the man in front of him, who parried the cut with his dagger. In some ways a dagger was a better weapon in a confined space as a sword is too cumbersome. Rather than attempt another cut, Edgar thrust the point of his sword past his opponent’s guard and into his chest. The man screamed, dropped his weapon and clutched at the wound. Edgar had no time for niceties; he thrust the man aside and rushed into the earl’s chamber to find that he was too late. The noise had wakened the earl and he had already killed the third assassin.
When he had rushed into the room, Edgar had nearly tripped over a body. It proved to be that of Moray’s squire who had been killed by the first man into the room. Thomas was obviously upset by the youth’s death but he thanked Edgar fulsomely for saving his life and then asked after Patrick and Alexander. Edgar rushed back to see how Patrick was, only to find Alexander cleaning the wound with some left over wine and getting out Patrick’s wound kit preparatory to sewing his brother up.
‘It hardly needs it, Sir Edgar, it looks worse that it is,’ he said matter-of-factly, ‘but it’ll keep it clean. Anyone else hurt?’
Edgar couldn’t help thinking that the boy was hoping someone was so that he could demonstrate his sewing skills again. He seemed very composed for such a young boy. Leaving him to it, Edgar went out to check the man with the chest wound but he was dead.
‘Pity, I’d have liked one of them alive to question, though I have little doubt that they are Edward’s agents, despite the truce,’ Thomas said with a grim smile. ‘I’ll miss my squire, he was a nice lad. His father is a good friend too.’
‘I’m sorry, my lord.’ He paused. ‘what will you do now, you only had one squire I think?’
‘My needs are simple but you’re right; I will need a squire. I’ll have to take one from one of my knights, I suppose. He won’t like it but there’s no alternative.’
‘Could you make do with a body servant for now?’
‘You’re proposing your page, Alexander?’
‘He’s a good boy with a sensible head on his shoulders, and as you’ve seen from the way that he took care of Patrick, he’s very capable for one so young.’
Thomas nodded. ‘That’s very good of you, I owe you my thanks; and I shan’t forget that you saved my life tonight.’
Alexander was immensely proud to be asked to serve the Earl of Moray and really annoyed his brother by going on about it and calling him ‘Limpy Pat.’ Eventually Patrick had had enough and carried out his initial plan, though this time he hid his clothes so Alexander couldn’t find them. The boy had spare hose and an under tunic but no over tunic. He was mortified at the thought of having to wake the earl improperly dressed, so he apologised contritely and promised not to cheek his brother again. Patrick didn’t believe a word of it but he relented and gave him his clothes back. However, Alexander was late in bringing the earl his shaving water and had to endure his silent displeasure. He resolved to try really hard not to provoke his brother again.
When they left Avignon in January 1324, the embassy had made some progress with their submissions to the Pope. Their aim had been to get His Holiness to acknowledge Robert as King of Scots and declare that Scotland was an independent realm. Robert also wanted him to lift the interdict and to rescind his own excommunication. The latter was something that he thought he had achieved several times before but it seemed that, no sooner was he absolved, than the sentence was re-imposed.
Pope John had welcomed the truce but urged both sides to sign a lasting peace treaty. He had agreed to address Robert as King of Scots in his reply but, until a proper treaty was signed, he refused to lift the interdict or Robert’s excommunication.
When they had left Ouistreham, Edgar’s little fleet had sailed into the Atlantic, having taken on a cargo, and sailed through the Bay of Biscay into the Mediterranean to unload at Marseilles. As the port was only fifty miles south of Avignon, the embassy embarked there for the long journey home.
Patrick was dreading it. The sailors told him that it would take at least two months to get home, depending on the winds. They depressed him further by telling everyone about the severe storm that they had endured crossing the Bay of Biscay. In the event, the notorious bay was calm with just enough wind for them to make steady progress until they entered the English Channel. This was the most dangerous stretch of water because of the number of pirates but those ships that they did see gave them a wide berth.
When they arrived back in Berwick in March 1324 they learned the joyous news that Queen Elizabeth was expecting another baby in three months’ time. Everyone prayed that, this time, it would be a boy.
They got their wish. In June the queen was delivered of not one but two identical twin boys, which they called David and John. Having waited so long for an heir, now Robert had two and no-one could agree on which was the true heir. Some said that the first born took seniority whilst others held with the French rule that the last out was the first conceived, and was therefore the elder.
The question of the succession was resolved in 1326 when two year old Prince John contracted a fever and died.
Chapter Fourteen – The Treaty of Corbeil
1324 to 1326
Edward had been furious with the Pope for addressing his reply to Robert’s submission of 1323 to him as King of Scots and a major row between Edward and Pope John developed. Throughout 1324 and 1325 both Robert and Edward played the diplomatic game, one trying to get him to rescind his recognition of Robert as king and the other to get the interdict and excommunication lifted.
When Edward issued an invitation in 1325 for Edward Balliol, the son of King John, Edward the First’s puppet King of Scots, to return and, with his help, retake Scotland, Robert was furious and came near to breaking the truce. However, Balliol didn’t come, so tempers cooled and the two kings returned to diplomatic manoeuvers.
The last three years had been good to the de Powburn family. The truce meant an increase in maritime trade and a breeding programme for livestock without threat of losses due to war. Simon and Bridget had another baby, a girl, in 1326 and Edgar and Catriona had another boy in the same year. Catriona had been annoyed when Edgar and Patrick returned without Alexander, especially as the boy chose to stay with Thomas Randolph as his body servant after the earl had engaged a new squire.
Geoffrey and Abigail got married eventually in 1326 but Millicent had beaten her elder sister to it by marrying one of her brothers’ sea captains in 1325. It might not be what Simon and Edgar had hoped for but she had made it very clear she didn’t want to marry a knight or a noble, despite her brothers’ status, and so it was a suitable match for her.
Patrick saw Alexander occasionally when Thomas Randolph came to Duns and Simon and Edgar went over to hunt with him or just to dine there. They were there when a messenger arrived from the king in June 1326. King Charles the Fourth of France had fallen out with Edward of England and had approached King Robert stating that he wished to renew the alliance between the two countries.
‘It seems that Robert wants me to lead an embassy again to negotiate the terms of a treaty of alliance with King Charles’ representatives at a place called Corbeil, just to the south of Paris. It regret that I will need to prevail upon the two of you to furnish me with ships to get there, only this time I think we will need rather more escort vessels as the English will try to prevent us reaching France if they can.’ He looked from one to the other.
‘Once again, I would be grateful if one of you came with me.’
‘Your turn this time I think, Simon. I don’t think Patrick is that keen to go sailing again, or to give his brother another good laugh at his expense.’
Patrick, now eighteen, blushed at the memory of his last voyage and Alexander grinned.
Rollo, who was now twenty and looking forward to knighthood the following year, though it beneath his dignity to show any emotion but secretly he was thrilled at the prospect of seeing France and visiting Paris.
‘Ver
y well,’ Simon agreed. ‘Do you have any idea when we will leave and how long we are likely to be away, my lord?’
‘I want to leave as soon as possible so that we have every chance of getting back before the autumnal gales start. Can you get your ships ready to sail by the end of this month?’
‘I’ll have to adjust our commitments to free up the necessary number of ships, and I’ll need to convert some merchantmen to fighting cogs; plus we will need to recruit more archers.’
He thought for a moment. I think we can be ready in three weeks, my lord. That takes us to early July. Does that suit you?’
‘It’ll have to. I’ll meet you at Berwick at the beginning of July.’
When they had arrived back at Lamberton Simon broke the news to Bridget, who took it better than he had expected.
‘Well, I suppose that I have been lucky to keep you by my side in recent years but come back in one piece, and bring Rollo back alive too.’
‘Ah, I’ve been thinking about that. I’m going to ask The Earl of Moray to knight Rollo before we go. He’s approaching twenty one and he’s more than ready for the accolade. I have been thinking that I should start to engage a small mesnie now. We can easily afford it, after all.’
‘If you think so, Simon. I must confess I would feel safer with more than you and four serjeants to protect us.’
‘I will need a squire and Ian is nigh on fourteen, so I’ll engage him, if his father is happy. I’ll need a squire for Rollo, and one or two more pages for you too. With the ships to prepare, I’ve a feeling I’m going to be busy.’
The next day Simon rode to Berwick to start putting things in motion there, then rode to Duns to ask Randolph if he would knight Rollo. The earl readily agreed and then asked what Rollo would do for a squire.
‘I don’t yet know, my lord. I have a page who is ready to become a squire to replace Rollo and I know that there are two lairds to the north of here who have sons who are of an age to be pages but I know of no-one with a suitable son to be a squire, especially at such short notice.’
‘My wife has a thirteen year old page who might do Rollo well. He’s an orphan and I’m his guardian, so there is no problem there. His name is Duncan Murray and, as his name suggests, he hails from Moray originally.’
Duncan proved to be a slight, gangly boy with an impish grin. Simon suspected that he might have a mischievous streak but he could hardly turn the earl’s offer down. He would be Rollo’s problem in any case.
Needless to say, Rollo was delighted and a week later he spent his night of vigil in Duns church before being given the accolade by the earl. As his sponsor, Simon presented him with his sword whilst a delighted Duncan Murray strapped on his gold spurs. Simon also gave Rollo a courser as his war horse, a rouncey for Duncan and a packhorse, together with armour and weapons. Rollo, in turn, presented Duncan with a dagger to mark his elevation to squire. Simon then turned to Ian Logan and gave his new squire his dagger and later gave him a jennet and a padded gambeson with his badge of three white bears’ heads on a red shield embroidered on it.
He gave also gave Rollo a surcoat of red with the bears’ heads on the chest and Duncan a gambeson like Ian’s. He now had the makings of a mesnie and felt very grand as they rode back to Lamberton with Rollo carrying his banner.
~#~
In the second half of July they arrived in Paris and were guided to a large house in the southern suburbs near Corbeil. Except for Thomas Randolph, who had been there before, everyone was struck by the size of Paris, which was so much larger than Edinburgh. But, like Edinburgh, it stank of faeces, dead animals left to rot and overpoweringly of unwashed humanity.
The squires, of whom there were a dozen in all, were eager to go and explore once they had unpacked, looked after the horses and cleaned their master’s kit for the day. Simon knew that the older squires would be searching for either brothels or taverns or both, and some of the younger ones too, given half a chance. However, they were in a strange city and so he made them all promise that they would stick together. If that meant that the youngest ones, like Ian and Duncan, got an early education about sex and drinking, well better that than be left on their own to get lost and be killed by robbers.
Simon and some of his fellow knights decided not to join the others at a brothel but to seek out a respectable tavern. They spent the night having a decent meal, imbibing quite a lot to drink and playing games of chance. He had prudently only taken a small purse with him; flashing a large purse around would only invite unwanted attention. Nevertheless, his luck was in and he left the tavern quite a bit richer than when he had entered. The problem was that the two Frenchmen who had lost, and lost heavily in one case, weren’t very happy. When they exited the tavern the two Frenchmen were whispering urgently to each other in a way that rang alarm bells with Simon, despite the amount he had drunk.
‘I think we are likely to be attacked on the way home,’ he said in a low voice to his fellow knights. There were six of them, all wearing swords and one had brought his mace, saying he felt naked without it on his belt.
As soon as they left the tavern Simon felt several pairs of eyes watching them. They had made a mistake in not leaving when the Frenchmen did, now the two bad losers had had thirty minutes or so to round up their friends.
Suddenly a quarrel came out of the darkness and, missing his head by a fraction, thumped into the wall behind him.
‘Crossbow!’ he yelled as he ran back into the tavern followed by his companions.
‘What do we do now?’ one of the other knights asked. They all looked to Simon for instructions. Although he was one of the youngest there, he was a laird and the others were household knights used to following orders.
‘Well, we can’t get into a brawl. That would just bring discredit on our mission here. We need to either get out of here unnoticed or get hold of the city watch somehow.’
The tavern keeper was just as keen to get rid of his troublesome customers as they were to sneak out but, when Simon checked the back door, he saw two men in the alley who were obviously watching for their exit that way. Just as his companions were beginning to mutter about skulking like cowards and were close to deciding that they wanted to make a fight of it, despite Simon’s advice, the door opened to admit four boys who were obviously quite drunk. Simon wasn’t surprised to see that Duncan appeared to be the leader.
Although Simon had instructed the squires to stay together, the eight eldest had shaken off the younger ones and the latter had decided to embark on a tour of the taverns of Paris. Simon was angry with them for not staying together but, at the same time, he was very glad to see them. Having dunked their heads in water a few times and made them drink a lot of it to sober them up, Simon sent them in search of the city watch.
Half an hour later they returned without having found the watch but they said that they had been all round the tavern and they were certain that there was no one there any more. Cautiously the knights searched and confirmed what the boys had told them. Nevertheless they scouted ahead and checked every alley and junction on their way back to their lodgings.
Thomas Randolph decided that it was too much of a risk to allow his men to go out drinking again and confined them all to the house. Luckily the negotiations only took a week before the Treaty of Corbeil was sealed and the earl announced that there would be a celebration feast at the royal palace at the western end of the Isle de la City to celebrate. Having been cooped up for a week it came as no surprise that everyone was determined to get drunk. That didn’t apply to the squires who acted as cup bearers to their masters, although several managed to drink a little wine.
Luckily Alexander remained completely sober and alert. The tables were arranged in a u shape with Thomas, the Abbot of Melrose, who was his fellow ambassador, Simon and the captain of the Moray mesnie sitting at the top table near King Charles and the knights of the escort and Rollo lower down on the side tables. Ian became aware that a man sitting amongst them seemed to be taking an un
due interest in the earl and the abbot so he whispered his observation in Simon’s ear the next time he filled his goblet.
Simon glanced at the man when he changed his attention from the lady on his left to the very pretty one to his right. Ian was right, he was almost glowering at the two guests of honour and he got a prickly sensation in his spine. When the entertainment started – nothing bawdy to the disappointment of many of the men, just a troubadour and some tumblers – the man got up from the side table and started to wander round the back of the seated diners until he was behind those at the top table. As there were servers and squires moving about, his presence didn’t stand out.
Suddenly the man pulled a dagger from his sleeve and raised it ready to plunge it into the neck of King Charles. Simon had been waiting for such a move and, although he was half a dozen places down the table from the French king, he leaped to his feet, sending his ornately carved chair crashing backwards to the ground, as soon as the man had produced his dagger. By the time he had raised the weapon Simon was sprinting towards him, knocking squires out of the way. As it started its downward journey towards the king’s neck Simon crashed into the assassin, knocking him to the ground and landing on top of him.
The man was winded so it was an easy matter for Simon to wrest the blade from his grasp. Unfortunately the guards who were on duty around the hall hadn’t seen what had happened and, when they came running to the scene of the disturbance, all they saw was a man with a dagger behind their king. For a moment it seemed that Simon was about to die but a premonitory voice called for them to halt and they stopped with their spear points pricking Simon’s neck and drawing blood.
The man who had spoken was Philip de Valois, the king’s nephew. As Charles was childless so far, Philip was a strong claimant to the throne, the other one being Prince Edward of England through his mother, Isabella of France.
