To Murder a King

by Griff Hosker

  I half slept for the rest of the night. When I woke it was almost dawn. I went down the stairs and waited with the captain of the watch for his relief. When the six of them walked in my heart sank. None looked like warriors. “Which of you is captain of the watch?”

  An older man with a grey flecked beard said, “Me sir, Richard of Norwich. You are William Strongstaff are you not?”

  “I am. Do you know me?”

  “I have heard your name, sir. It is an honour to be in the company of one who has risen so far.”

  I nodded, “And you know how I have managed that? I did my duty. From what I have seen England’s King could be murdered at any time and his guards would be powerless to stop his killer. You two command five men each. I would have those five men worthy to be the King’s guards. It is not just a surcoat which marks you as the King’s men. It is the ability to fight and give your lives for him if necessary. I saw that they had not thought that through. “Where does Captain Mavesyn sleep?”

  Richard of Norwich pointed to the door. “In the hall by the main gate. It was the old warrior hall.”

  I left with Peter of Lussac and his men when they had been relieved. A growing unease filled me. Mavesyn was de Vere’s man. The King had said he had chosen the guards. I now saw that Mavesyn had guided his judgement. The guards were all asleep. Richard of Norwich pointed to a chamber with a curtain across it. I strode to it and tearing the curtain down entered. The Captain was sleeping on a cot. I picked up the cot and deposited the Captain on the floor.

  “What!” He leapt to his feet. “I could have you whipped for that!”

  I laughed. He was naked. “It is all that you can do to stand on two feet. You said you would relieve the guards in the morning. It is morning and yet you lie abed. I could have killed your sentries and the King and Queen had I been an assassin. When the King rises I will ask him to dismiss you!”

  “You cannot do that without the permission of the Earl of Oxford!”

  I walked close to him and said quietly, “The King makes decisions and not your master. I know what is in your heart. I know what the Earl plots. I am returned and I will stop him.” I saw the truth flicker in his eyes. I had it aright.

  I walked from his chamber. Many of the men had heard the commotion and risen. I shouted, “Those who are still asleep, wake. This is a new day. Today you begin to become warriors again! When I have broken my fast I will return and all of you will be tested by me and my squire. My squire has little experience and any one of you should be able to best him. Let us see if that is the case eh?”

  I heard groans and moans. Peter of Lussac shouted, “And any who are tardy shall answer to me. Now rise and obey Master William!”

  I stood with my hands on my hips to watch the sorry apologies for guards as they stumbled from their bed. I had not expected to have to train the King’s Guards. I would not have a rapid return home and the Earl of Derby and Northampton would need to wait for me to rejoin him. The men began to dress.

  “Sir, look out!” Tolly’s voice was strident and he pointed behind me.

  I whipped my head around. Captain Mavesyn had his sword in his hand and was swinging it at me. The noise in the hall had distracted me and but for Tolly’s cry I would have been sliced in twain. I stepped towards him and gripped his right hand with my left. He was a big man but he had become soft. I bunched my right fist and hit him hard in the ribs. I did it three times and I heard ribs crack. He was not wearing a helmet and so I head-butted him. His nose erupted in blood and cartilage. He dropped his sword and, as he fell backwards I used the heel of my right boot to smash onto his knee. The knee folded back on itself and he fell to the ground, screaming in pain.

  Leaning down I took his sword and threw it to the side. “You are as poor a killer as you are a captain. I will go and speak with the King.”

  The King and Queen were in the Great Hall. I bowed. The King smiled, “It was good that you were on duty last night. We slept well.”

  “I believe, sire, that Captain Mavesyn should be dismissed. He is incompetent and he has misled you about his men.” I explained what I had learned the previous night.

  “You may be right William, but he was appointed by the Earl of Oxford and I would not dismiss him without first speaking with the Earl.”

  I shrugged, “It is a mistake for I do not trust the Earl either.”

  The King’s face darkened, “This was the cause of your departure last time William!” It was a threat but this time an empty one.

  I nodded. “Then I will gather my things, lord. I would visit with my family before I return to the service of the Earl of Derby and Northampton.”

  I turned to go. “I have not dismissed you!” I faced him and said nothing. “I am King!” It sounded petty and the Queen grabbed his arm. The King turned to her and said, “You see, there is only Robert that I can trust!”

  “No husband, you can trust William. He has done nothing wrong. He seeks to protect us. You said yourself you are more comfortable knowing that his sword guards you.”

  “But I am King! I will not be gainsaid.”

  “Sire, I do not question you. The quality of guards is not good enough and the captain is at best incompetent and at worst a traitor.”

  “A traitor?”

  “He is putting your lives in danger.”

  Just then Richard of Norwich appeared in the open door. The King looked irritated, “Yes Sergeant? What is it? We are busy!”

  “I came to tell Master William that Captain Mavesyn has taken his war gear and fled west!”

  King Richard slumped in his chair and his wife put her arm around him. I turned, “Richard of Norwich, organise the guards. I will speak with them. Make certain that the Captain did not take keys with him!”

  “Aye, sir!”

  The Queen waved to the servants, “Leave us and close the door.” When they had gone she spoke quietly, “Husband, William was correct. You must listen to him.”

  He nodded, dully, “What can be done?”

  “I will spend a week with your men. I cannot be Captain of your Guard for I owe fealty to the Earl of Derby and Northampton but I will ensure that the guards who watch you are able to do so. I believe there are three sergeants?” He nodded. “Then I will see if one of those can take the position of Captain. Tell me, sire, how long do we stay here?”

  The King seemed to have withdrawn into himself. He was a creature of moods. One moment joyous and the next in the depths of despair. The Queen answered me. “The King is summoned to Parliament and he will not go. Here he is safe from the mob. Until the Chancellor manages to secure the money for the war then we have to stay here.”

  “We are effectively besieged. I would suggest, Your Majesty, that your steward ensures that we have enough supplies for a month in case we are cut off.”

  “You are a good man, Will. Leave the King with me.” The Queen held the King’s hand.

  I went out of the hall and up the stairs. Peter and Henry were dressed and waiting. “I think, Master Henry, that you are going to get a serious lesson in leadership sooner than you thought.” I explained to them both what had happened. “So we have a two fold task. The three of us must train the guards so that they can resist an attack on this castle. At the same time Peter, I want you to discover the true nature of the men. Which of the sergeants might make a good captain and which of the guards will never make a warrior? Do not worry I will be doing the same but you can perform this task in a less obvious way.”

  “Aye Captain. I can do that.”

  “The three of us will also share the duty of bodyguard. This will just be until we leave here but there is a killer out there and, at the moment, the King is unprotected.”

  We went down to the warrior hall. The two of them stood behind me. Sergeant Richard of Norwich had organised the men and they stood with their weapons. They were ready. “Sergeant, go and join your men and guard the King. I will speak with them at the end of their duty.”

  “Aye sir.”
He hesitated, “I for one, sir, am happy to be following your orders.”

  “Thank you but I should warn you that I am not returning as a captain of the guard. I am here to perform a task.” He nodded and left. “First you should know that I was the first captain of the King’s Guard. The rules you should have been following were laid down by me. Captain Mavesyn was not a good captain. If you wish then you can leave now and follow him. If you stay then you obey every order I give.” No one moved. “Good. That is a start. Who is the third captain?”

  A younger man than I expected raised his arm. “I am Dick of Craven, sir.”

  “When I have done with the men I will speak with you and Sergeant Peter separately We need to understand each other.” The two sergeants looked at each other. “Last night’s watch can sleep until noon then they train. Peter and Master Henry, along with me, will test and train you with your weapons. Now all of you should be able to defeat easily Peter and my squire. Peter is no longer young and has an old wound. Master Henry is a callow youth but I am wagering that none of you will be able to defeat them. Even when you can defeat them you will still not be ready to defend the King and his wife. Out there is a mob and from what I understand their mood is ugly. You have to defend these walls in the event of an attack. I am here for a month and I have that month to make men of a rabble.” A few flashed angry looks in my direction. “If any question me then I will fight them now and I will just use my left hand!” They had all seen the way I had disposed of the captain without a weapon. They might grumble but none would question me. I did not like it but to turn them into warriors I needed to become as cruel as my father had been. I did not have the luxury of time. “Get your weapons and assemble outside. Peter divide them into three.”

  “Aye Captain!”

  The watch who were to sleep curled up in their beds as the others left. I said to the two sergeants, “Now you two and Richard of Norwich are the three contenders for the post of Captain. If you do not wish the post then speak now for I have little time to waste.”

  “Do not consider me, Captain. We both know that I sail under false colours.”

  Peter of Lussac went up in my estimation. I nodded. “Then you may rest. One more thing. I will need another man to become sergeant. I would have your recommendations. I will be watching too.” I went outside with Dick of Craven. “What is your tale?”

  “You are blunt, sir.”

  “I have little time to be other.”

  “I wished to join a Free Company. I came to London but I fell in with a bad crowd and was arrested. Captain Mavesyn found me and offered me a post.”

  “He thought you were a bad man.” He looked shocked but nodded. “You are not and you did not like the way the Captain ran the guard.”

  “Aye sir but I could do nothing.”

  “Well you can now.” Peter and Henry had the four wooden swords we used to practice fighting. “We need more of those making. For now, let us see how the men cope. Begin!”

  I saw that a hulking brute of a man was dwarfing Henry. He hefted the wooden sword easily and the look on his face made me think he intended to do Henry harm. All of them were wearing their arming caps but not their helmets. Dick said to me, “Ham has broken a man’s jaw in a fight before now. He is a streetfighter. The young man might be hurt.”

  “Good. Let us see if he is any good at fighting a half-trained squire.” Henry had come a long way since I had taken him from his home. Today would be a test of him as much as anything. Ham hurled himself at Henry who deftly stepped out of the way and smashed his sword into the back of Ham’s right leg. The guard crumbled and Henry brought the wooden sword around to crack into the back of his skull. He fell like a sack of wheat and lay unconscious. Henry picked up the wooden sword and, holding it aloft, shouted, “Next!”

  Sergeant Dick said, “I see what you mean, sir.” He walked over and took the wooden sword from Henry. I guessed that Henry would not have it so easy.

  Peter had already disarmed his opponent and was gesturing for the next one. I watched the sergeant. He was more cautious in his approach. His stance, however, showed that he had not been taught to use a sword properly. Henry was more balanced and was ready on the balls of his feet. Dick brought his sword down to strike at Henry’s head. As Ham had discovered an arming cap would not stop a wooden sword. Henry lifted his sword to meet it but did a trick I had taught him. He twisted his own sword and the wooden sword flew from Sergeant Dick’s hands. The wooden sword was at Dick’s throat in an instant. Henry was doing better than I had thought. He had watched and he had learned. The King had two young squires but John and Ralph were even less experienced than Henry. They were but thirteen years old and were decorative squires rather than functional ones. Had they had any skill then I might have had them join in the training.

  That evening I dined with the King and Queen. I could see that he was still unhappy with me. His mood was not helped by the fact that his Chancellor had still to return from the meeting with Parliament. The mood was strained. Queen Anne came to my rescue. “I heard the swords of the guards practising. How did that go, Captain?”

  “Better than I had hoped. There will be bruises and cuts but they are improving. By the end of the week we might have made progress.” The King glowered at me. “Your Majesty, the men are not bad. They were presented to you as plausible guards by Captain Mavesyn because he thought to make you weak.”

  “Then that must have been done without the knowledge of the Earl of Oxford. I will write to the Earl and ask him to visit with us. I need his support. I cannot have Parliament telling me what to do! He has soldiers and they will restore order!” He was deluding himself.

  A day had passed since he had been smiling and happy. He was a creature of moods. The Queen turned to Henry. “And how did you enjoy practising, Master Henry?”

  “I surprised myself, my lady. The Captain has kept me from harm since he took me from my father’s hall but he has worked on me as a potter works in clay. He has fired me. I thought I was fragile and I would break but I survived and defeated men who were older than I.”

  I warned, “They will get better, Henry!”

  He laughed, “And so shall I!”

  The week passed quickly but there was still no sign of Michael de la Pole and the King was increasingly anxious. Nor were there words from the Earl of Oxford. That did not concern me. There was no sign of the mob and the men had responded well to the training. Now Henry, Peter and myself coached them in their techniques. They were all better swordsmen. Their weapons were sharp and they each had a dagger. I had issued pikes too for if we were attacked they would be a weapon which could keep men from our walls. Each of us was mailed from the moment we rose until the moment we retired.

  When the Chancellor, the Bishop of Durham, and his officials arrived back at the palace his face told me that it was not good news. Surprisingly I was not dismissed when the Chancellor reported to the King. “Well, Chancellor? Do I have my funds?”

  “Wine!” A servant hurried over with a jug of wine and poured some in a goblet. He downed it in one and then sat. In the presence of the King this was unprecedented.

  “Well! Chancellor?”

  When he spoke, it was in a small, tired voice. “My liege they say that the sum of one hundred and fifty-five pounds is unprecedented. They seek to impeach me and the Earl of Oxford. They demand that you dismiss me and the Earl. Further they demand that you appoint your ministers in Parliament from now on.”

  I saw the Queen as she gripped her husband’s hand. I could see him becoming red and angry. He stood and shouted, “I would not dismiss as much as a scullion from my kitchen at Parliament's request!”

  “Husband, you upset yourself.”

  “Who are these common ingrates to tell a King what he can and cannot do? Chancellor you will return to Parliament and…”

  “Majesty, if I return then I will be arrested. This time they mean business. Your uncle, the Duke of Gloucester, as well as the Bishop of Ely and th
e Earl of Arundel are leading the opposition to your councillors.”

  The King turned to me, “What can we do, Will? Who is loyal to me?”

  I could not answer him truthfully but I would not lie to him. “Majesty there are many men who are loyal to you. I would wager that more than half of the country is. However, here is the south and close to London there is a mob. They are easily roused. Your best troops are in Aquitaine and Castile. Your uncle has an army which could quell this trouble. Perhaps you could send to Henry Bolingbroke. He should be back in England now.”

  I was not sure if he had heard me. He smiled, “Robert will come and save me. I can trust him.” He turned to his wife. “Now you will see the wisdom of giving Ireland for the Earl to rule. His army will be loyal!” He waved over Walter Skirlaw, the keeper of the Privy Seal. “Walter return to Osney. Ask for a delegation from the Commons to meet with me here. Tell them that I will discuss the matter further.”

  “As you command, Your Majesty.” The official did not look happy but he turned and with his escort left.

  “Chancellor, when they arrive we will arrest them and hold them hostage. Then they will pay the money I demand.”

  “Is that wise husband?”

  “I am King. It is my right to do so!”

  “Sire, I have but forty men to guard you. This will not be easy.”

  “You too, Will? Remember when I faced down the peasants? This is just like that. They think to break my will. They will see that they are wrong.” He smiled at me. “It is good that you had the steward lay in supplies. We can laugh away a siege now. The training you have given the men will stand us in good stead! Well done, William!”

  The problem with the King was that he saw one world and it was not the world we lived in. He could no longer demand of Parliament. That horse had left the stable. I would do as he commanded for I was loyal but he was wrong.

  The next two days were a maelstrom of action. While the castle prepared for a siege I had to finish training the men and ensuring that we had sound defences. When I had brought the letter from the Earl it had set me on a path I wished I was not treading.