The Path to the Throne

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by H A CULLEY


  Robert kept his men together, knights in the front two rows and serjeants in the next two. He took aim at the young knight leading the English charge and, changing his point of aim at the last minute, hit his helm squarely in the middle. The young man’s helmet smashed into the head it was meant to protect and the neck snapped, killing him instantly. All along the line the same thing was happening. Fifty knights died or were badly wounded in the first encounter, then the next row of Scots knights smashed into the remainder of the disorganised battalion. Thirty more died before the rest had had enough and fled the field, not stopping until they reached Perth.

  The King of Scots and his horsemen regrouped and calmly rode back into line to face the enemy. Although the Earl of Pembroke had intended to teach the young and unbloodied knights a lesson, he hadn’t expected to lose a quarter of them in no more than ten minutes. King Edward would be furious with him when he heard and his son was incandescent with rage now. After he had finished hurling insults at the earl, he rode off to Perth to commiserate with his mauled battalion.

  Although Pembroke had five times as many infantry as Robert had, he now had fewer cavalry. He decided to make one further charge and then send in the foot. His veteran knights lined up in a wedge formation and charged the Scots who had reformed into four ranks once more. This time one of Pembroke’s knights managed to impale his lance in the chest of Robert’s destrier. He flew over his dying horse’s head and lay on the ground stunned. His knights gathered round him to protect their king and Christopher Seton dismounted and gave him his courser.

  By now the charge had disintegrated into a general melee. The English and their Scots allies were getting the worst of it until Robert’s borrowed horse was also killed. The Scots disengaged, taking their king with them. Losses on both sides had been fairly even but the Scots were more motivated. Their king had fought bravely whereas the Earl of Pembroke had played the role of spectator. Furthermore they were delaying the pursuit of their fleeing army, and thus preserving soldiers to fight on another day.

  De Valance decided that it was time to lead from the front and took the centre position in the front rank for one final charge. He paid the price as Robert met him head on and killed his horse from under him. Robert fought his way forward through his enemies to try and bring the spike of his battle axe down on Aymer de Valance’s helm, and so driving through the metal into his brain. Such a feat would most likely win him the day, but it was not to be. He was beset by English knights trying to protect their commander and was only saved from death himself by the courage of Christopher Seton and James Douglas.

  At this point the English foot charged and Robert was forced to give the order to withdraw. Despite being surprised through a low trick, the Scots had acquitted themselves well but their army had been scattered and Pembroke had been left in control of Perth.

  Christopher Seton had been wounded and Robert quickly decided that he couldn’t travel far. He was left in the care of the Scottish constable of Loch Doon Castle, who professed loyalty to King Robert. However, as soon as Aymer de Valance arrived he surrendered the castle and handed over Christopher Seton. Seton was known to have been one of the men who had killed the Red Comyn in Dumfries and had been condemned to death, along with Robert Bruce, his brothers and Roger Fitzpatrick, in absentia. King Edward’s instructions had been quite clear, if any of them were caught, they were to be executed immediately.

  The next day Seton was killed in much the same way as Wallace. He was hanged, cut down whilst still alive, eviscerated and his intestines burnt and then his limbs were torn from his body by four destriers.

  King Robert escaped accompanied by a mere five hundred men including his brother Edward, James Douglas and the Earl of Athol. The English were too tired and too demoralised by their losses at Methven to pursue them far but the MacDougalls and McNabs of Breadalbane had learned of the battle by some of those who had fled. Under their chieftain, John MacDougall of Lorne, Lord of Argyll, a maternal uncle of the dead John Comyn of Badenoch, they prepared an ambush for Robert Bruce and his men.

  ~#~

  The Earl of Athol had been sent to conduct Queen Elizabeth and Robert the Bruce’s daughter by his first marriage, the Princess Marjorie, to safety in Kildrummy Castle, which was held by Neil Bruce, Robert’s brother. They managed to avoid capture and, accompanied by few servants, including Coira, who was now the queen’s personal maid, they arrived there without incident. Unfortunately someone betrayed their presence there to Aymer de Valance and shortly afterwards he started to besiege the castle.

  ‘My lady, we need to get you out of here before the castle falls.’

  ‘What about you, Neil?’

  ‘The king appointed me as constable and it’s my duty to hold the castle for as long as possible. Quite apart from anything else, it will give Robert more time to get away if I can hold up de Valance for a while.’

  That night was moonless and in the dark the Earl of Athol and a few companions managed to evade the besieging army and escort the queen, the ten year old Marjorie Bruce and Coira out of the castle via a postern gate and they made their way on foot to a nearby farm where they managed to buy a horse for the queen and a pony for the princess.

  ‘Where are we heading, my lord,’ Marjorie asked the earl the next morning as they entered Strathbogie.

  ‘We are making for a fishing port on the Moray Firth, my lady. From there I hope we can take passage to the Orkney Islands. They are part of the Kingdom of Norway where your aunt, your father’s sister, is the dowager queen. She will give us sanctuary.’

  That night they arrived footsore, hungry and weary at a Priory near Huntly. The clergy generally supported King Robert, mainly because they detested having been placed under the direction of the Archbishop of York instead of their own Bishop of St. Andrews. The arrest of Robert Wishart and William Lamberton had further upset them, especially as Edward Langshanks had intended to hang Bishop Wishart and had only been dissuaded by the Pope. The monks therefore welcomed them and allowed them to stay to recover before they pressed on towards Buckie, where they arrived two days later.

  The largest boat they could charter was relatively small and so only Queen Elizabeth, Princess Marjorie, Coira, the earl and two knights as escort were able to sail on towards the Orkneys. Unfortunately, they never got there.

  They had only just left the Moray Firth and rounded Tarbet Ness when a squall sprang up, dismasting the small boat. One of the knights was swept overboard, entangled in the sail and drowned. The boat nearly capsized but the two fishermen crewing it managed to cut the debris free with an axe but they were left with no means of propulsion except for the oars. The open sea was threatening to swamp them and the fishermen said that their only hope of salvation lay in reaching the nearby port of Tain in the Dornoch Firth.

  After several hours of hard rowing by the earl and the knight, taking turns with the two men from Buckie, they managed to reach safety. A very bedraggled royal party arrived at Fearn Abbey to the south east of Tain, where they were welcomed by the Premonstratensian or White Canons, so called because of the colour of their habits, who had established it.

  ‘The good canons won’t betray us, my lady, but we are in the heart of the territory ruled by the Earl of Ross, one of the Comyn faction. We should leave as soon as we have recovered sufficiently.’

  The queen nodded. ‘Why don’t you see if we can hire another boat in Tain?’

  The knight was sent to negotiate the hire and soon found a skipper of a large merchant cog who had a cargo destined for the Orkneys, or so he said. That evening the queen and the others made their way through the darkened streets of Tain to the harbour but, just as they were about to board the cog, several armed men surrounded them. The knight drew his sword to protect them but it was an uneven fight and, as soon as he was killed the queen called out that they would surrender quietly.

  ~#~

  Robert led his five hundred men along Loch Tay. He had deployed a few scouts and these came rid
ing back just after they had crossed the Lawers Burn under the brooding shadow of a massive mountain called Ben Lawers.

  ‘Sire, there are highlanders ahead blocking the glen.’

  ‘James,’ he turned to the young Lord of Douglas, who was rapidly becoming one of his closest companions, ride back and see if they have us penned in the glen.’

  Ten minutes later he was back.

  ‘Aye, Robert. We are trapped. There are probably a thousand of them back there, but all on foot.’

  ‘No doubt there are more hidden above us on the slopes of Ben Lawers.’ His brother Edward added.

  ‘How many ahead of us?’ The king asked one of the scouts.

  ‘Several hundred, maybe another thousand, perhaps fewer.’

  ‘And how far?’

  ‘They’re drawn up on the other side of a small burn perhaps a mile away.’

  ‘Right, we are going to charge them and try to break through, horsemen leading. ‘

  Robert had just under two hundred mounted men, a quarter of them knights and the rest serjeants and squires, and three hundred on foot.

  They rode on down the glen and now they could see men on the slopes above shadowing them. No doubt they planned to charge into them once they were trapped by the men ahead. As soon as the blocking force came into view Robert gave the signal to charge. The cavalry adopted a wedge formation and the men on foot ran as fast as they could to try and keep up.

  The MacDougalls and McNabs facing them were universally dressed in saffron or drab brown plaids, kilted around their waists with a leather belt and draped over one shoulder. They carried a variety of weapons, swords, dirks, spears and axes in the main and most held a target, a small round shield, in their left hand. A few wore a helmet but only one, John MacDougall of Lorne, wore a chain mail hauberk. The banners of the two clans, the white chevron on black of McNab and the quartered gold lion rampant on blue and a black galley on gold of MacDougall flew over their heads.

  The highlanders were known as fierce fighters who were afraid of nothing but they lacked discipline and organisation. As the mounted wedge drew near they actually fought amongst themselves to get at the point of the wedge where Robert Bruce wearing his yellow surcoat with its rampant red lion led the way.

  The horsemen struck the milling mass of men and drove into them. Robert brought his battle axe down on bare head after bare head and left a swathe of dead and dying men behind him. Eventually he broke through, then turned to ride back into the fray. Miraculously his horse only suffered minor wounds as he struck at the highlanders again and again. Despite their bravery, the highlanders had learned to give him a wide berth and seek easier prey.

  Then Robert noticed that James Douglas was in trouble. He spurred his destrier forward and killed the spearman who was about to plunge its point into James’ back. After a hard fight the king and his men won through the highlanders, now reinforced by those who had charged down the side of Ben Lawers, and headed down Glen Dochart.

  They were pursued by the highlanders all the way to Tyndrum but when they reached there they had left Breadalbane behind and had entered Rannoch, the lair of one of the several MacDonald clans, led by Duncan MacDonald, a friend of the Bruces. Bruce had lost two hundred of his original five hundred men but Duncan had sent out the fiery cross. By ancient tradition a rider galloping around the various villages and hamlets of the clan carrying the flaming emblem was the signal for the fighting men to muster at Tyndrum at the northern end of Strathfillan.

  By the time that the MacDougalls and the McNabs arrived only about half the MacDonalds had assembled, but the pursuing highlanders had become strung out during the pursuit. After the battle had begun more MacDougalls and McNabs arrived, but so did more and more MacDonalds. With the help of Bruce’s cavalry the enemy were defeated and they fled back down Strathfillan, pursued by the vengeful MacDonalds. John of Lorne escaped but his brother, Alexander, was captured and imprisoned by Duncan MacDonald on an isle at the western end of Loch Rannoch.

  A week later John MacDougall attacked again and the MacDonalds were hard pressed to hold them. Eventually Bruce’s allies broke, but when their enemies chased them they were hit hard by Robert and his cavalry, or what remained of them. Once again Robert’s strong right arm came into play, wielding his battle axe with its broad blade and wicked point, which was capable of penetrating the strongest steel helm.

  This time John MacDougall’s men fled and didn’t come back, but Robert had lost a lot more men. He left the wounded behind in the care of the MacDonalds and pressed on towards Loch Fyne and the Mull of Kintyre. He had reached Inveraray when a messenger finally found him.

  By now King Robert was only accompanied by his brother, Edward, James Douglas and a score of other knights plus a few squires. The servants had long since deserted him. The messenger brought grim tidings.

  ‘Sire, you must prepare yourself, the news is not good.’

  ‘First tell me of my wife and daughter, are they safe?’

  ‘They are alive, Sire, but the Earl of Ross has handed them over to the English king. Queen Elizabeth is being held at a manor of her father’s in Yorkshire where, it is said, she enjoys relative freedom. Princess Marjorie is at a convent and is being treated as a novice nun. The news of your sister, Mary, is not so good. After her husband was killed at Methven she was arrested and is being kept in a wooden crate in Roxburgh Castle. The Countess of Buchan, as punishment for crowning you, is also held in a wooden crate, but it is suspended from the walls of Berwick Castle for all to see. She endures all weathers, but without complaint, it is said.’

  Robert groaned. ‘Is that all? There can’t be more.’

  ‘I fear that is only the beginning, my lord king. Your brother Sir Neil.’ He hesitated.

  ‘Get it out man, He was holding Kildrummy for me. What has happened?’

  ‘He was betrayed, Sire, by a servant who was bribed and let de Valance’s men in by the postern gate. The castle had fallen and Sir Neil was hanged, drawn and quartered.’

  ‘No! On whose orders? De Valance’s? My God that man will pay for this.’

  ‘No, Sire, on the orders of King Edward himself.’

  Bruce spluttered in rage. ‘May that bastard burn in hell for all eternity.’

  The messenger licked his lips nervously. ‘You know that Sir Christopher Seton was executed.’

  Robert nodded, sunk in despair.

  ‘Well fifteen nobles and lairds who were captured at Methven have been executed at Newcastle, including Sir Christopher Seton’s brother.’ The man swallowed nervously before continuing. ‘The Earl of Athol and Sir Simon Fraser were taken to London for execution. Their heads have been displayed on London Bridge beside that of William Wallace. Sire, it is said that Longshanks is so infuriated with you and your supporters that he even had their young squires killed alongside them, as a lesson to others.’

  King Robert the Bruce sat and wept and there was nothing that Edward or James Douglas could say that could rouse him from his anguish.

  Eventually he sighed and sat up straight. ‘Elizabeth said that I would be king for the summer. It looks as if she was right.’

  ‘No, she wasn’t,’ James Douglas said fiercely. ‘Edward Longshanks is dying and his son is an effeminate idiot. You have to stay alive and we’ll come back strong and hard in the spring. You’re the only hope that Scotland has left. You just need to remain alive and free this winter.’

  Robert Bruce sighed. ‘Thank you Jamie, you are a good friend.’

  Nevertheless, it didn’t lift the gloom much. If he thought that gaining the throne had been difficult, it looked as if keeping it was going to be immeasurably more challenging.

  TO BE CONTINUED IN

  THE WINTER KING

  PART TWO OF THE ROBERT THE BRUCE TRILOGY

  Other books by H A Culley

  The Normans Series

  The Bastard’s Crown

  England in Anarchy

  Caging the Lyon

  Seeking Jerusal
em

  Babylon Series

  Babylon – The Concubine’s Son

  Babylon – Dawn of Empire

  Individual Novels

  Magna Carta

  Robert the Bruce Trilogy

  The Path to the Throne

  The Winter King

  After Bannockburn (To be published in January 2015)

  About the Author

  H A Culley served in the Army for twenty four years during which time he had a variety of unusual jobs. These included commanding an Arab unit in the desert for three years and a tour as the military attaché in Beirut in the late seventies.

  After leaving the Army he became the business manager of a large independent school for twenty years before moving into marketing and fundraising. He has also been involved in two major historical projects and worked for an educational charity until recently. He is now retired but is still involved in the voluntary sector.

  He has given talks on historical subjects for several years and the research involved provided his inspiration for writing historical fiction.

  He has three adult children and lives near Holy Island in Northumberland with his wife and two Bernese Mountain Dogs.

 

 

 


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