The Bastard's Crown

by H A CULLEY

  After a bit Roland came over.

  ‘I’m sorry Hugo. I should have realised that I had no chance with Rowena when you feel the way you do about her. Do you forgive me?’

  ‘Nothing to forgive, Roland. Two things for you to remember: all’s fair in love and war and the best man won.’ They laughed and Hugo punched the youth lightly on the arm; but five minutes later his despondency returned.

  When they got back to London they heard that Herbert Basso, the count of Maine, had died and that Walter, count of the Vexin, had claimed the county on behalf of his wife, Biota, Herbert’s aunt and sister of the previous count.

  ‘I heard a rumour that Count Herbert was poisoned.’ Tristan told Hugo and Roland.

  ‘Who would do that?’ Roland was puzzled.

  ‘Better not ask. Especially as Duke William’s son is betrothed to Herbert’s heir, his daughter Margaret.’ Hugo advised him.

  ‘Oh. I see. But what good will that do if Count Walter has already taken control of Maine?’

  ‘Well I don’t expect that the duke is going to sit idly by. But Walter’s overlord is King Henri so it’s tricky.’

  The next few months passed uneventfully but in April 1063, just after Hugo’s nineteenth birthday, a messenger arrived from Viscount Peverel to tell them that Henri was dead and the new king of France was an eight year old boy. Furthermore the regent was the count of Flanders, Duke William’s father-in-law. They were to return to Normandy at once and join the Peverel contingent of the duke’s army for the invasion of Maine.

  Chapter Four – Maine 1063 A.D.

  When they arrived at Caen they found that the duke had already set out with his army. Ranulph Peverel was providing two conrois of cavalry and a large force of foot and archers. Guillaume was to command one of the conrois, which had remained at Caen awaiting their arrival.

  Robert was delighted to find that Lady Peverel was at Caen and set off to find his wife as soon as he could. Alice ran to him and embraced him whilst he was trying to bow to Maud Peverel, which caused everyone to laugh.

  ‘Sir Robert. It’s good to see you back again. I suppose my son and nephew are with you? Though they don’t seem quite so eager to pay their respects as you obviously are.’ Lady Maud had a twinkle in her eye.

  ‘I’m sure that they will be along shortly, my lady.’ He took his wife’s arm in his. ‘It seems a long time since we left.’

  Maud laughed again. ‘Well don’t stand here gossiping. I’m sure that you have better things to do with your time.’

  The next morning was dull and overcast as the twenty knights of the conroi sat on their horses in the enormous bailey of the castle with their squires and packhorses behind them. Robert was loathe to leave Alice after just one night together but he had no option. As a landless knight he was just grateful for his place in the mesnie of Viscount Peverel.

  Miles was carrying the Peverel banner of three black crosses on a field of yellow. Hugo, Tristan and Roland joined with the rest of the squires as Guillaume rode to face the conroi. He studied the knights; about half were household knights, equipped and paid by his father. All wore a mail hauberk and bore sword, shield and lance. The rest were knights who held their manors from the viscount and owed him military service in return. Some were evidently prosperous and one could even afford mail chausses to protect his legs; others were less so. Consequently they wore a mixture of mail vests, hauberks, leather jerkins and padded Gambesons. Most carried the new kite shaped shields but a few had the old-fashioned round shields.

  ‘Most of you know me. I am Guillaume Peverel, eldest son of Lord Ranulph. I am honoured to be appointed your commander. The two knights who came with me from England are Miles Peverel, my cousin who many of you will know of old, and Robert de Cuille, a Mainard whose manor the Angevins confiscated and who had a particular reason for joining our quest to recover Maine for the true heir, Margaret of Maine. We ride now for Alencon where we are to meet up with my father.’ With that he turned his horse and Miles walked forward to join him as they led the cavalcade out of Caen.

  When they arrived at Alencon they found the duke’s army camped outside the town which had just surrendered. Robert discovered that the leading citizens and Angevin officers were held in the castle dungeons and, accompanied by Guillaume, he went down to visit the dank cells where he had been kept a prisoner three years ago. He soon found the constable who was sitting lost in despondency with his back against a slime covered wall down which water was trickling.

  ‘Remember me?’ He began with a grin.

  The constable looked at him without recognition. ‘No.’

  ‘Robert de Cuille. Lord Courtney de Mortree did warn you that Alencon would be the first town in Duke William’s path. Your best decision was to release me. Guillaume, do you think we can move this man to a better cell?’

  ‘I might be able to have a word in the right quarter, but didn’t you want to know about Brother Anselm?’

  The two men looked at the prisoner questioningly.

  ‘I think he managed to flee to Le Mans.’ He sighed. ‘Wise man.’

  ‘Not really. That’s where we are headed next.’

  The following day the main force headed due south to Le Mans, the capital of Maine, which was held by the count of the Vexin and his wife. Meanwhile Viscount Ranulph was dispatched south west to secure Leval. The town of Mayenne lay on the route but it refused to surrender. Ranulph’s orders were quite clear: if it defied him, he was to by-pass the town but lay waste the surrounding land and burn the villages, which is what he did.

  ‘I don’t understand why we have to ravage my homeland.’ Hugo confronted Guillaume after he had watched the conroi drive off the first villagers and set fire to their homes.

  ‘It’s not your place to question the duke’s orders.’ Guillaume retorted angrily, though he was secretly uncomfortable with the policy. After a moment he spoke again more quietly.

  ‘Look Hugo, Duke William doesn’t want any pitched battles or prolonged sieges. There would be much greater bloodshed that way. If he can terrorise those who oppose him then the conquest of Maine will be achieved with the minimum of trouble.’

  ‘And will you burn Cuille to the ground when we get there too?’ Hugo stalked off without waiting for a reply.

  Ranulph pressed on Leval. When they arrived they found the gates wide open and the Lord of Leval and the town council waiting to welcome them. Robert nudged his horse next to Hugo’s.

  ‘Good to see our lord is staunchly supporting what he believes in most – namely his own best interests.’ He murmured. Hugo smiled and nodded.

  ‘Have you spoken to Lord Ranulph about Cuille?’

  ‘Yes, our conroi is to head there tomorrow.’

  At eleven o’clock the next day forty six knights and squires rode through the village and up to the closed gates around the manor house. They were surprised to see the bodies of Guy de Vihiers and ten of his men hanging from a large oak tree as they passed. Robert didn’t recognise the banner flying from the flag post but Miles did.

  ‘It’s the banner of Sir Piers Le Grand.’ He offered.

  ‘What’s he doing here?’ Robert was puzzled.

  ‘I don’t know for certain but I have an awful suspicion. He is a landless knight who has been one of the duke’s household for many years, most recently as his under-marshal.’ He added inconsequentially ‘If I remember correctly he has a rather pretty daughter.’

  As he spoke a knight appeared on the walkway by the gate.

  ‘Good morning Peverel. What are you doing here on my land?’

  ‘Your land, Sir Piers?’ Guillaume indicated Robert. ‘This is Sir Robert de Cuille, whose manor this is.’

  ‘Not any more. I now hold this manor directly from Duke William as count of Maine; it is no longer a dependency of Leval.’

  ~#~

  Tristan and Roland were hurrying through the streets of Le Mans to get back to the house where they and their knights were billeted before dark. The city had
surrendered as soon as the duke’s army had arrived. Lady Biota and count Walter of the Vexin were now captives but Geoffrey de Mayenne had managed to escape. Robert and Hugo had hardly spoken to anyone since leaving Cuille; they were both furious at their treatment after years of service. Sir Robert had petitioned the duke for the return of his manor but one of the duke’s servants had brought him a curt reply after a few days saying that the manor had already been given to a loyal servant.

  ‘And I suppose I’m not loyal.’ Exploded Robert, screwing up the bit of parchment and throwing it on the ground.

  ‘There is another message for you, Sir Robert.’ The messenger handed him a folded parchment sealed with wax into which his wife’s signet ring had been impressed.

  He tore it open eagerly and scanned its contents. He could hardly believe what he read. He and Alice had been hoping for another child after Hugo’s birth over nineteen years ago. However, Alice had miscarried their second baby half way through the pregnancy and had nearly died. They hadn’t made love for a year or more after that but after they resumed Alice hadn’t conceived and they came to the conclusion that they wouldn’t have any more children. Robert therefore had trouble in believing what he read. Alice was pregnant again and expecting the baby in January. He rushed off to share the amazing news with his son.

  Tristan and Roland had been to try and find out the whereabouts of Brother Anselm in the hope that this might cheer Sir Robert up; though they held out no great hope of this. Eventually they had been told by a priest at the cathedral that he had returned to Solesmes. Shortly afterwards they forgot all about the vindictive monk when Tristan spotted a familiar face coming down the street towards them. There was no mistaking the scarred face of Rollo St Laurent, even in the dusk. Luckily he hadn’t spotted Tristan. Tristan pulled Roland into an alley and whispered who he had seen. When they peered back into the street they were just in time to see him look round furtively before entering a small tavern.

  ‘He’s up to no good’ he told the younger lad. ‘Trouble is he might well recognise me from the trial.’

  ‘Well he’s never seen me before. Leave it to me.’

  Before Tristan could stop him he was off down the street and into the tavern.

  Roland was now nearly sixteen and he had started to fill out so he didn’t look too out of place in the tavern. He spotted the scar-faced man sitting in a settle in an alcove talking to another man who looked like a pedlar. Roland bought a mug of wine and went and sat at a vacant table behind the settle so he could hear what they were saying. It was difficult over the hubbub in the room but he heard Rollo say ‘but you must be able to find out where Robert and Hugo de Cuille are; it can’t be that difficult.’

  It was then that Roland had his brainwave. He peered round the edge of the settle at the two surprised men.

  ‘Did I hear you say that you were looking for Sir Robert de Cuille?’

  ‘Who are you, damn you; eavesdropping could be very dangerous for your health?’ Rollo started to get up and to draw his dagger but the other man put his hand on his arm.

  ‘Yes, that’s right. Do you know where he and his son are?’

  ‘Well I heard my master say something about them being given back their manor at Cuille.’

  ‘Really, that’s very interesting.’ Rollo snarled sarcastically. ‘Now be off with you before you I remove your big ears.’

  Roland departed hurriedly and went back to tell Tristan what had happened.

  ‘Why did you tell them that?’ Tristan looked puzzled.

  ‘Two reasons. First Rollo might now head off for Cuille which will keep him away from our friends for a while and secondly he might fall foul of Piers Le Grand. However, I’m not sure he believed me.’

  It was some time before they had more news of Rollo. By that time the army had been laying siege to Mayenne for several months. This was the last stronghold in Maine to hold out against the Normans. It was now late autumn and the weather was getting colder.

  Hugo had been pleased for his father when Robert had told him the news. He had always wanted a little brother but, even if this was a boy, the twenty year age gap by the time he was born meant that they would have little, if anything, to do with one another. He just prayed that this time there wouldn’t be any complications. Although he had scarcely seen his mother in the past six years, he loved her a great deal.

  Then they received the tragic news that the baby had come three months early. It had been stillborn and Lady Alice had not recovered from the birth. She had died a day later from loss of blood. Robert was absolutely distraught. He had put a brave face on it and tried to carry on but inside he felt totally empty. Hugo was less capable at dealing with the loss of his mother and had become very morose and withdrawn until news arrived that gave him something else to think about. Biota and count Walter had mysteriously fallen ill and died shortly afterwards and speculation that they had been poisoned was rife.

  ‘What do you think?’ Roland had asked Hugo.

  ‘Oh, let me see. Count Herbert dies inexplicably, followed by his daughter Margaret once the invasion was underway in her name. Now the other claimant to Maine dies suddenly with her husband. Huh. I don’t think there is much of a mystery to it, do you?’ Roland could understand why Hugo had grown very bitter since the visit to Cuille and the death of his mother but he was getting fed up with his rancorous attitude.

  ‘Hugo, you might find yourself suffering a similar fate if you go around making incautious remarks like that.’ Roland was getting up to leave when Tristan burst into the tent.

  ‘Have you heard?’ He asked excitedly.

  ‘Heard what? About Lady Biota? Yes, we were just talking about it.’ Roland’s voice died away as Tristan waved at him impatiently.

  ‘No, no, this is far more important. Rollo stabbed Piers Le Grand to death whilst he was sleeping in the solar at Cuille. The noise had woken Piers’ daughter, who also slept in the solar, and she had screamed the place down. Rollo was apparently so surprised that he dropped his dagger and tried to flee but was caught. He was taken to Leval for trial but he managed to strangle one of his jailers and escape – to Brittany it is rumoured.’ He stopped, breathless and beamed at his bemused audience.

  ‘Well, don’t you see? Now the duke can give Cuille back to Sir Robert.’

  ‘Huh. I wouldn’t bank on it.’ Hugo was elated by the news but he refused to let himself hope that the manor might be returned to his family. After a moment he was struck by another thought.

  ‘Why would Rollo kill Piers Le Grand? It doesn’t make sense.’

  Tristan looked at Roland who was busy studying the ground at his feet.

  ‘You two know something don’t you?’ Hugo said accusingly. ‘Come on, out with it.’

  So Roland told Hugo what had happened in the tavern. Hugo was appalled at first. Roland was indirectly responsible for the death of an innocent man. At the same time he was glad that the man who had usurped their family’s estate was out of the way, although he felt guilty at having these thoughts. He looked at Roland shrewdly for a moment.

  ‘I know you acted out of loyalty to me, Roland, and I really am grateful to you for that. But I also feel I have sinned because of my reaction to the death of an innocent man. I suspect that you may also feel some guilt?’ Roland nodded, still studying the ground. Hugo sighed.

  ‘Come on, I think we all need to go and find a priest and gain absolution.’

  The three were as religious as most of their kind. They believed in God, attended mass when they should and felt a vague sense of comfort from the teachings of the Church. Part of this was the ability to sin and then obtain absolution, of course.

  His father had also heard the news from Guillaume. Like Hugo, he was cautious about what this meant for him and his son but he never thought to question Rollo’s motives.

  ‘Presumably this means that the manor will go to his daughter as his heiress?’ Robert mused.

  ‘Yes, that would be the normal way of it. And
I’m afraid the duke is unlikely to deprive her of her inheritance and leave her destitute in order to restore it to you. Of course there is a solution.’ Guillaume avoided looking at Robert.

  ‘Um. Yes, to ask to marry the girl. It had crossed my mind, of course, but it’s far too soon after losing Alice. I can’t even think about it.’ He paused. ‘And goodness knows how Hugo would react.’

  ‘Look, I know it is difficult for you and I know I am being insensitive but the duke will quickly marry the girl off to someone else unless you get a petition in quickly. Do you at least want my father to see how the land lies?’

  Robert hesitated, then sighed and nodded dumbly. ‘Thank you Guillaume; I know you have my best interests at heart. Yes, do that would you?’

  He eventually found his son and his two friends coming out of the tent which served as a chapel for the besiegers.

  ‘Hallo father. I expect you have heard the news about Cuille? I was just coming to find you.’

  He turned to Roland and Tristan. ‘Thanks for coming with me. I’ll catch up with you later.’

  ‘What were you doing in there at this time of day?’ asked his father curiously.

  ‘I felt guilty about my reaction to the news about the death of Sir Piers Le Grand so I went to confess.’

  ‘Oh. Really? Is that all?’ Robert seemed perplexed for a moment, then he put it from his mind. ‘Look Hugo there is something rather delicate I need to talk to you about.’

  ‘You mean what happens to Cuille now? Can we get it back?’

  ‘Yes. The man’s death doesn’t help us as much as you might think though. He had a daughter.’

  Hugo hadn’t thought of that. He had wondered whether the duke might now restore it to his father but, after the last disappointment, he was trying not to build his hopes up. He had completely overlooked the fact that there was a daughter who would now be the heiress to Cuille.

  ‘Oh! God’s teeth. Damn and blast it, and curse Duke William to hell.’ Hugo kicked a tent peg in his frustration.