“Carloman is having a prayer breakfast on Friday to honor Gripho’s pending knighthood,” Boniface said to Odilo. “I would be delighted if you join us.”
Sunni reached out to rearrange Trudi’s hair and flashed Odilo a signal from their family’s battle code, meaning beware. She did not look to see if he caught the warning.
“Ah, my apologies, good priest,” Odilo said. “Had I only known in time. I am hosting a boar hunt on Friday. I thought it would be useful to engage the visiting knights in a pursuit where they can kill animals rather than each other.”
“A noble gesture,” Boniface said. “Carloman thought that prayer might accomplish much the same thing.”
“I’m sure it will. Please give Carloman my respects and thank him for the invitation. My prayers will be with you.”
Boniface bowed and made a hasty retreat.
“Prayer breakfast?” Odilo asked.
“Boniface is trying to ensure that the Church is the center of Gripho’s elevation,” Sunni said. “He sees Gripho as a symbol. A Christian knight of Bavarian blood is an enormous boon to Boniface. He believes that it will sway nobles and commoners alike to Christianity.”
“Is Gripho willing to be used for such a purpose?”
“I’m not sure he can help it,” Sunni said. “To break with the Church at this point would be suicide.”
“But the boy doesn’t support this, does he?”
“No. But even if Gripho doesn’t participate in person, Boniface can still use his knighthood to sow the seeds of Christianity.”
“Perhaps Gripho could join us on the hunt?”
“He already tried to refuse Carloman, and Charles nearly threw him from the rampart. There are, however, a number of visiting knights who are grumbling about the breakfast. They think of knighthood as separate from the Church and already feel they spend too much time in front of the altar. I think the idea of a hunt is wonderful. A brilliant stroke! Trudi and I would love to join you.”
“Milady?” Odilo asked Trudi.
“Of course, I’ll join you,” she said. “A gold solidus on the first boar.”
“You hunt?” Odilo asked.
“Would you have me watch you have all the fun?” Trudi retorted with a smile. “Sunni can handle the watching part.”
Odilo laughed and shook his head. Trudi played with her pendant.
Sunni smiled.
***
News of Odilo’s hunt spread quickly. Many knights and visiting dignitaries seized the chance to avoid Carloman’s breakfast. Hunoald of Aquitaine put up a wager for the largest boar killed. Ateni of Provence boasted that he would bring home three. Radbod of Frisia who, as a pagan, had been uncomfortable with Carloman’s invitation from the beginning, jumped at Odilo’s offer. And Liutfred of Alemannia gave his assent as well. Odilo had secured the lands of a nearby chateau and promised a roasting party after the kill. Those in attendance could stay the night as guests at the chateau.
To bolster attendance, Carloman announced that Charles would attend the prayer breakfast with Gripho. All of the Knights in Christ accepted, as did the Neustrians and many of the Austrasians. Liutbrand, the Lombard king, and his son, Aistulf, assented, as had Patrice of Burgundy. No one had heard from Pippin.
To Carloman, it wouldn’t suffice. With Boniface in tow, he sought out Charles.
“We can’t let this stand. It’s bad enough that the man is holding a hunt, but it is an insult that Sunni and Trudi go!”
“It is a sign of their pagan leanings,” Boniface said. “Is it lost on anyone that the Bavarians, from a former pagan country, the Alemannians, from a former pagan country, and the Frisians, from a still-pagan country, have chosen the hunt over the breakfast?”
“And I don’t like the idea that Hunoald is going with them,” Carloman said. “He is as much a rebel as his father. We shouldn’t let him out of our sight.”
“This is a slap at the Church,” Boniface said. “And with Sunnichild going, it gives the hunt your implied sanction.”
“It has my sanction,” Charles said. “Look at the two of you! All puffed up over court politics and some imaginary slight. The knights under our roof don’t need any encouragement from you to point out our differences. They are more than happy to do that all by themselves. And while I am willing to support the religious agenda of the Church, this is not some catechism class. These are men of war. They live in their saddles and fight every day. Truth is, I would rather be going on the hunt with them.”
Charles rose from his couch to face the two of them. “Boniface, you scheduled a high mass. Then you asked for twenty-four hours of fasting and prayer. And now, Carloman, you’ve decided to have a prayer breakfast. I’m raising Gripho to knighthood, not the priesthood. But the two of you have inserted the Church into every nook of this affair.
“And, so far, I’ve backed you. I insisted that Gripho be there, and I’ve insisted that he fast. I’ve told everyone that I will attend the breakfast with you. But I’d rather be throwing spears at boars than bowing my head yet again in Church. And as for Sunni, I’m glad she is going. The implied sanction of the hunt makes me look as if I haven’t lost touch with those who fight battles for a living. It also makes me look magnanimous to those who feel a little too uncomfortable with this much religion.”
Charles focused on Carloman. “I defeated every one of those knights. They submitted to me. They continue to rule in their lands because I decided that they are the best equipped to rule. I have called them here, and they have come. They’ll do my bidding, if I ask. At my word, they will wage war and besiege cities.” Charles poked his right index finger in Carloman’s sternum. “I won’t waste that power on a prayer breakfast.”
***
Carloman made sure that prayer breakfast began precisely at seventh bells, Friday morning. A section of the main hall had been roped off to make the gathering as intimate as possible. Curtains had been raised on two sides to curtail the noise from others in the hall. He was pleased that Sunnichild had organized the hunt’s departure from another entrance of the villa to cut down on the disruption of the event.
Even so, Hunoald of Aquitaine and his son, Waifar, came down into the hall on their way to the hunt. They were laughing and boisterous. Carloman raised his voice to continue his welcome, but many near the back turned their heads at the distraction.
Making matters worse, Hunoald came up short once he realized that he disrupted the affair. Waifar bumped into him, and the two smiled comically at the glares from those attending the breakfast. Several of the Knights in Christ, marked by their red doublets with a white cross, put hands to swords. Hunoald raised his in a placating gesture. With a deep and ceremonious bow to Carloman, Hunoald waved with his good arm and strode out of the hall, his head held high in an overly dignified manner. Waifar followed him, with an equally affected posture. The moment they left the hall, Carloman heard them erupt into laughter.
Once the echoing revelry died down, Carloman resumed his welcome, trying to keep the anger from his voice. He recognized all the visiting dignitaries and local nobles in attendance by name and asked Boniface to bless the meal. Boniface, who on most occasions was not above wearing beautiful ecclesiastical garments, wore only a monk’s brown robe tied at the waist with a rope, affecting a more humble demeanor.
Boniface asked those in attendance to bow their heads. Many of the Knights in Christ left their chairs to drop one knee to the ground.
“Thank you, Lord, for this moment of reflection by those of earthly power who consider the will of God in their defense of the realm.” Boniface then blessed the repast, and the knights sat down to eat.
Carloman had arranged the seating with Gripho at the head table next to Charles. The boy looked uncomfortable, and Carloman couldn’t tell if it was due to his distaste for so much ceremony or his distaste for so much religion. He still had doubts about the boy.
The visiting nobles were dispersed throughout the room as “hosts” at each table. Carloman then
had graced their guests with the presence of his Knights in Christ, each wearing the order’s white cross on his right shoulder and Carloman’s lion on his left. “One arm a sword for God,” as their motto read, “the other a shield for the realm.” Carloman had instructed his knights to keep the conversation lively at each table by stating their opinions about barbaric pagan rites and the destructive influence that paganism had on peace and security. Perhaps it was just as well, thought Carloman, that Odilo lured some of Charles’s pagan guests away from the breakfast.
At the end of the meal, Carloman rose to introduce Boniface. The bishop left the head table and walked out among the nobles and knights. He greeted many by name, shook hands with a few, and clapped a number on the shoulder as he walked. Carloman did not have to turn his head to see Charles’s disapproval. His father always bristled when someone else lorded over a room.
“We are here in God’s name,” began Boniface, “for we are men of God.” He turned and swept his arms to encompass all of them. “We are His Knights in Christ. We are nobles of incredible power who have chosen to dedicate this morning to God rather than to the pursuit of wild animals, sport, and revelry.” Boniface lifted his right hand and bowed his head. When he looked up, the gleam in his eye drew the attention of everyone in the room. He began moving from table to table as he spoke, bringing everyone into his eyes’ embrace.
“As much as we have chosen this moment,” Boniface said, “we are also being chosen in this moment.
“Your rank has brought you wealth beyond the needs of mortal flesh. It has brought you fame and deference. It has brought you the power to judge and to execute justice in your counties and realms. Few rooms in the world hold such power and authority as this one. Fewer still bring such power and authority together for such noble purpose.” Boniface held his chin in his hand, dramatically pondering the moment. Carloman heard his father grunt his disapproval.
“I said before that we are ‘being chosen.’ Now what could that daft old priest have meant by that?” he asked himself and waited for the chuckling that followed. “Power without purpose is self-serving. You are being chosen because you are men of power who have faith. You are being chosen,” Boniface paused for effect, “because you serve God.
“You have a duty to your Lord, of course,” the bishop said, bowing to Charles. Boniface must have sensed that Charles was not pleased, for he stumbled through his next line. “If Charles says, ‘Lay siege to Narbonne,’ you lay siege to Narbonne. If he says, ‘Stop,’ I’m sure you all would know what to do. But in your daily execution of justice, in your arbitration of dispute, in your never-ending pursuit of security for the realm, you also have a responsibility to ensure that your actions and your behavior live up to the will of God.
“What does that mean?” he asked himself again. This time, however, he did not wait for the laugh but plunged into his subject with vigor. “It means that you have a responsibility to be an example of Christ to those around you, to teach the gospel of our Lord. You have a responsibility to oppose those who seek to seduce the people away from Christianity. And let there be no doubt, there are many, and their forces are strong.
“Today and every day, there are human sacrifices made to pagan gods on your lands. Today and every day, there are orgiastic rites being performed where three or more lay naked and fornicate shamelessly together under the moonlight. The teachings of Christ are undermined by pagans in our marketplaces, in our fields, and even in the ranks of your armies. If you want to know why lawlessness exists in your lands, it is the pagan influence that drives it. If you want to know why the women in your villages give birth to the crippled and feeble-minded, it is because of the pagan manner in which their children were conceived. If you want to know why there are never-ending wars on our borders, it is because the one true religion, Christianity, is challenged in the land.
“You have the power to combat this influence and so are being chosen by God, this day, this morning, this moment, to do his will. As His chosen, I know you will bend the power of your sword to do His bidding. As men of responsibility, I am confident you will know what to do.”
Boniface held up his hand in blessing. Heads bowed across the room. The Knights in Christ knelt. Boniface made the sign of the cross, saying, “May God bless you, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
“Amen,” came the chorused reply.
Carloman did not immediately rise from his chair. It was not the first time that the bishop had shown him the will of God, but rarely had Carloman seen it so clearly. He held on to this vision, reluctant to return to his duties as host. He said a silent prayer of thanks and made the sign of the cross. Charles cleared his throat. Carloman stood.
He thanked the knights and nobles for their attendance. He recognized his half-brother, Gripho, and acknowledged his brother’s commitment in Christ and announced that Gripho would fast and pray for the twenty-four hours leading up to his elevation. This brought the boy a round of applause from the room. Gripho waved and smiled, albeit uncomfortably. Carloman then thanked his father for his support of their breakfast. This brought the room to their feet, with cheers for “Charles” and “The Hammer” echoing through the room.
Charles rose and bowed to receive the praise. He raised Gripho’s hand, and the applause grew louder. He kissed Carloman on both cheeks and repeated the gesture for Boniface. Putting his arm around both of them, he smiled for the crowd.
“That was much farther than I would have gone,” Charles said under his breath.
“We were only speaking to the faithful,” Carloman said.
“Next time, I’m going to the hunt.”
***
When the ninth morning bells rang at the Chateau of Pierre de Solon, only a few of the knights had straggled in. An early morning rain chilled the early arrivers who, led by Liutfred of Alemannia, began to drink and welcome the rest of the arriving knights with shouts and toasts. As each group meandered in, the gathering grew not just larger, but more boisterous.
Hunoald and Waifar stormed the gathering on horseback, circling the group and holding their spears aloft. They screamed their war cries and drove their warhorses at the revelers. This caused a number of those nearest the edge to move instinctively into a defensive position. Just steps away from the group, the two Aquitainians brought their charge up short and dismounted. Both of them laughed loudly at their jest and clasped their peers in greeting. They were welcomed by laughter in return. Odilo thrust cups into their hands.
Just past the tenth morning bells, Sunnichild and Trudi appeared on horseback to more cheers and toasts. They dismounted. Odilo bowed with a dramatic flourish and made a great show of presenting the Lady Sunnichild and the Lady Hiltrude. The two wore matching white cloaks. An aide produced a small table where Odilo quickly unfurled maps of the chateau grounds. Three sections were outlined out in red.
In a loud voice, Odilo announced that the hunt would be competitive. Two individual winners would be chosen based on the number of boars killed and on the largest killed. There would also be team awards for the greatest number of boar or venison brought to the feast.
“Hunoald, Waifar, and the knights of Aquitaine will join Radbod and the nobles from Frisia,” Odilo announced. Cheers greeted this decision. Hunoald embraced Radbod, and the two shook their spears and roared at the remaining knights. “Liutfred and the Alemannians will hunt with Ateni and the knights of Provence.” More cheers followed as the knights rearranged themselves based on the pairings. “And I,” Odilo said with an impish smile, “will join the Austrasians—” The Austrasians raised a cheer before he could finish. Odilo held up his hand for quiet. “Led by the fair Hiltrude.”
The knights fell silent.
“A cunt?” The slur was just loud enough to be heard. It floated over the gathering. A considerable amount of grumbling followed.
Odilo had expected some resistance to taking a woman on the hunt. He raised his hand to quiet the protest. Before he could speak, however, he h
eard Hiltrude mutter, “Horseshit.”
Turning, he saw her throw off her cloak to show her plated armor and leap to horse. Grabbing a spear from an unsuspecting Alemannian, she thrust it aloft and shouted, “Austrasia! Austrasia!”
The Austrasians immediately responded to her battle cry, shouting, “Austrasia! Austrasia!” They, too, leapt to horse. Catching the moment, Odilo’s knights echoed the call, shouting, “Bavaria! Bavaria!”
Soon all of knights gathered were laughing and cheering Hiltrude’s audacity.
As the three parties set out, Odilo and Trudi accompanied Sunnichild and the knights of Austrasia and Bavaria to the northeast sector. The morning rain turned to a drizzle and then stopped altogether. Odilo chose a path that led their party alongside the River Oise. It followed a wide swath of green grass, bordered on the right by leafy shrubs, which after a mile led into a wood of birch trees and maples. Odilo set a leisurely pace so that he and Trudi could talk.
“That was a marvelous performance.”
“I thought you might like it,” Trudi said. “At least I didn’t have to challenge any of them to fight.”
Odilo laughed. “I would have paid to see that.”
“With this group, you may get your wish.”
“Oh, I think you made your point. The fact that you are Charles’s daughter was not lost on anyone.”
She reined her mount. “You think they backed down in deference to my father?”
Odilo reined in as well. “No, my young knightess. All of the nobles here have faced Charles on the battlefield. He’s beaten every one of us. Let’s just say your display back there seemed familiar. Men of war respond well to acts of defiance and audacity.”
“That’s better.” Trudi spurred her mount forward.
Again he followed her lead. “I couldn’t help but notice the pendant you wore the other day,” he said.
Trudi glanced around them, taking in the nearness of the knights riding with them, and squinted her eyes. “Did you like it?” She smiled up at him.
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