Magna Carta (Border Knight Book 4) Read online

  “On his deathbed the King asked that you, Earl Marshal ensure that his son is crowned King of England.”

  . We all looked at Prince Henry. Earl Marshal bowed, “The King is dead, long live the King.”

  We all dropped to our knees and acknowledged the nine-year-old as King of England. Pierre des Roches said, urgently, “We cannot delay. We must have him crowned before Prince Louis discovers that the King is dead.”

  Walter de la Gray said, “But that is impossible. There are no crown jewels and the barons hold London.”

  Pierre des Roches said, “Nonsense! We can go to Gloucester Abbey. We have more than enough churchmen here! We even have a cardinal to see that all is done well and with two such earls I think that we will be safe!”

  William Marshal nodded, “Sir Thomas get your men organized. The Earl of Salisbury’s men will be tired. We need fresh men who are alert to guard the King.”

  I was still stunned by the news and grateful that I had something to do. Edward and William would both be happy for they had become bored as well as worrying about their families. They were with Ridley, David of Wales and Henry Youngblood. That would save time.

  “King John is dead. We have to escort Prince Henry to Gloucester Abbey where he is to be crowned.”

  Sir Edward was the first to react, “There was a time when I would have cheered that the tyrant was dead. Now I may mourn for it leaves England with a nine-year-old to rule.”

  “Let us worry about then when he has been anointed. Until he is crowned and anointed it is increasingly likely that Prince Louis will be our liege lord!”

  We chose our best horses. It took time to don mail and helmets but, even so, we were ready before the churchmen. “David of Wales send a dozen of your archers to the abbey. It should be safe but it won’t hurt to be certain.”

  It was a mad dash through a gloomy late October day as we headed towards the abbey. The Earl Marshal had found a golden necklace amongst Queen Isabella’s jewels and it was improvised into a crown. My knights, men and myself were used to guard the Abbey. It would be too small for us all to attend. I did not mind. The protection of the new King was far more important than for me to be a witness.

  Sir Edward said as we waited at the Abbey doors, “And now we go home, lord?”

  “And now we take de la Gray to York and hope that we can cow the deans into acceptance of the Pope, and the King’s command.” Young Henry’s life was changing beyond recognition. He had been a passenger riding behind the Earl Marshal. Now he would be the centre of all. There were thirteen councillors who would be responsible for seeing that he attained his kingdom but it would be the sixty-nine-year-old Earl Marshal who would have to steer his ship through the treacherous waters of this rebellion.

  There was no time for celebration and once we were at Devizes, and while my men prepared for our departure I was invited to the council. Ranulf de Blondeville was now rewarded for his constant support of King John. Along with the Earl Marshal he was given the responsibility of guiding the young King.

  It was, however, William Marshal who took the lead, “We need to gather all of our army together.” He turned to me, “I am afraid that we will need the Earl of Chester and his men to swell our depleted ranks. It falls to you, Sir Thomas, to ensure that the north is safe. The war will be fought here in the south but if we lose the north then we lose the war. Secure the Archbishop in his town and then rally the knights of the north behind King Henry.”

  De la Gray said, “Perhaps I should stay here close to the King and give him my support.”

  The Cardinal snapped, “Archbishop, your duty is to York. There you can help the Earl of Cleveland and his men save England! We churchmen can do our part but I am afraid it will be warriors who will bleed and die for King Henry.”

  The Earl Marshal nodded his thanks. He turned to me, “The Earl of Chester and I will keep you informed and if we need you then I know that you will hasten to our side.”

  “Of course. My family is ever mindful of its obligations to the royal family.”

  He smiled, “You are of the Warlord’s blood. You fill his boots and armour well.”

  The Cardinal turned to King Henry, the third to bear that name, “Your majesty, I would suggest that you herein pledge to go on Crusade.”

  William Longespée said, “But he is a child!”

  The Cardinal smiled, “I did not say he would go on crusade just that he says he will do. The Holy Father will give him his support against Louis.”

  “I thought he already had it.”

  “No, Sir Thomas, his father had it. However, I am sure that if King Henry commits to a crusade some time in the future then Pope Innocent will throw the weight of the Church behind him.”

  King Henry looked at the Earl Marshal who nodded, “Then when I am able I will go on crusade.”

  Once we had established an overall plan I went to join my men who were awaiting the arrival of the Archbishop. I told my knights of the decisions which had been taken. Sir Edward shook his head, “So we guard the whole of the north and when those in the south need us we ride to their aid! They do not expect much of you, lord.”

  I nodded, “You, above all people know that this is not a course you choose. When my great grandfather saved King Henry in that forest in Maine he placed our feet on a path the direction of which we have no say. We just follow whither it wends and we do our best. That is all that God can expect.”

  Just before the Archbishop joined us King Henry, with the two bodyguards appointed by the Earl Marshal emerged. “Sir Thomas before you go I wished to tell you that I am grateful for all that you have done and all that you will do. It is not a little thing. If I ever regain my kingdom then know that you will be rewarded.”

  I bowed, “Thank you, King Henry but know that a truly loyal subject does not do this for gain, he does so because of his King and country. Beware those who serve you for gain.”

  “I will and I have much to learn.”

  “The Earl Marshal is wise and can be trusted. Listen to him.”

  “I will.”

  Alfred suddenly dropped to his knee, “King Henry my great, great grandfather helped your grandsire, Henry FitzEmpress attain the throne and keep it. I swear that I will be your man and when I become a knight I will stand behind you against all enemies.”

  The King smiled and looked like a boy again. The frown and serious expression disappeared, “And for that Alfred, I am grateful. Since we met at Lincoln I have come to know you. When you are knighted then you will become as great a knight as your father. I will not forget.” He waved an arm around my men, “I will not forget any of you. That I swear!”

  Peter des Roches and the cardinal had listened to Walter de la Gray bleating about his safety and they provided him with twenty men at arms to act as guards. I do not think that William of Wallingford was happy to be given the whining priest to protect, he would rather have been fighting for his king, but he was a loyal man and he did as he was ordered. As we galloped north I spoke with him. He would be crucial. His presence meant I could stay the briefest of time in York. The north called me.

  Sir Edward rode next to me. As we had passed through the towns and villages we heard of the unrest which was now spreading. Some of the lords who had opposed John now supported Henry but, equally, there were others who felt that England needed a stronger King and not a child. They had also changed sides. Such a climate meant that loyalty was hard to discern. All that I knew was that I could rely on my knights and those of the Palatinate. We moved at the pace of the Archbishop and his priests. I sent Padraig the Wanderer and Richard Red Leg to ride to Northallerton. I needed Sir Ralph to meet us at York. I had been working out how to ensure that the Archbishop was safe while still holding on to the north. Sir Ralph would be the key. With William of Wallingford guarding the Archbishop himself Sir Ralph could keep the land free from rebels.

  It took three days to reach York. That was a day longer than I had hoped. Who knew what mischief was bre
wing in the north? We swept through the Micklegate like a conquering army. I had sent a dozen archers ahead to secure the gates. The deans of York might be belligerent but they were not military men. David of Wales and his archers ensured that the Micklegate was open and we rode directly to York Minster. The deans and the priests were within and when the doors were hurled open light flooded in.

  I bellowed, “York, I give you your new Archbishop, William de la Gray. King Henry and the Pope have given him their support. The Earl of Cleveland expects all men of God to respect those wishes!” My words echoed around the vaulted church. They seemed to roll on and on. I stood aside and the Archbishop and his priests, somewhat nervously walked towards the altar. We did not have swords drawn and we wore no helmets but the men at arms led by William of Wallingford and my knights were enough of a threat to impress the deans. They dropped to their knees as he walked between them.

  Once of them, a grey haired and frail looking priest, after looking in my direction, said, “Welcome Archbishop, The See of York welcomes you.”

  With that all belligerence disappeared. The deans knew me from the time of Geoffrey Plantagenet. They knew that I guarded them from the Scots. Had the Earl Marshal told me of the problem earlier I could have ridden to York and spoken to the deans. I would have eliminated any dissent. I suppose that we were meant to go to Lincoln and for Alfred and Henry to become friends.

  Sir Ralph arrived the day after we did. With William of Wallingford and the Archbishop the four of us discussed the problem.

  “Sir Ralph here has the men who can keep your lands safe. You, Archbishop, need to summon the knights of the manors of York. You must make him the leader of your knights. William de Harcourt, the former Sheriff has fled. I suggest that you make Sir Ralph High Sheriff. He need not live here in York. In fact, it will be better if he is without your walls. William of Wallingford can guard you within.”

  I think that Walter de la Gray realised that until King Henry was secure on the throne then his survival depended upon me. I was the law north of Lincoln and Chester. He agreed. I wasted no time on departures. We had to leave for the north. Sir Ralph, now High Sheriff came to the stable with me.

  “Earl, are you sure that I can do this? It is not that long ago that I was your squire.”

  “And you have grown since then. Ralph you will be a just Sheriff for there is not an ignoble bone in your body. Your family suffered at the hands of a corrupt sheriff and a tyrannical king. I hope that we have a good king but you can be a just and incorruptible High Sheriff.”

  He nodded, “I will not let you down, Earl!”

  “I have known that since we first met in Maine!”

  We rode for Stockton as though we were being chased by the devil. It was winter but that would not stop those who wished mischief. Our only advantage was that, I hoped, we were closer to the north than either de Vesci or de Percy. De Clavering had been easily dealt with. I had fought alongside the other two barons and they knew their business. King Henry had confirmed that I was his representative in the north. As he was in his minority it did not mean as much as it might but it gave me authority and I would use it.

  When we reached my river and I saw the standard still flying then I was relieved. That had been my fear over the last few miles that, with a smaller garrison some disaster had struck. Sir Edward and Sir William went directly to their halls. They would be riding north soon enough although I had decided to use my other lords first.

  Rumour only had reached my family. My wife asked, “We heard that the King is dead and that Louis is now our king. Is that true?” My wife knew the danger in that. I was an implacable foe of King Philip and his son would bear a grudge against me. We had had to flee two countries. It would be beyond the pale to have to flee my homeland again!

  “No, my love. We were there when Henry was crowned King. Louis is still a threat but he has no validity to his claim. Fear not!”

  My men knew that they would be needed again and they, like me, made the most of their time in Stockton. I could only afford a short time to my family. As we ate, a cosy affair with just the seven of us, I told them all what had happened. All were now old enough to understand the world beyond Stockton’s walls.

  Rebekah was on the cusp of womanhood. If there had been no war then she would have been preparing to win a knight to be her husband. There were many young knights without wives and the daughter of the Earl of Cleveland was a rich prize. “And if King Henry loses and Prince Louis wins?”

  My son was sixteen now and a man. He had eaten and spoken with the great and the good. He smiled at his sister, “Then we will lose everything. Our fortunes are tied to King Henry. We have to ensure that we do win.”

  Rebekah had expected a softer, more hopeful answer but my son was grown. He would not tell an untruth no matter how painful.

  I patted her hand, “There is a long way to go daughter. We have yet to fight a battle. I trust in Englishmen to see that we are better off with an English King, no matter how young, than a Frenchman foisted upon us by greedy barons.”

  Aunt Ruth smiled, “The Warlord would be proud of you.” And you go to war again soon?”

  “I have been charged with bringing the north in line. In two days I will ride north and visit all of the castles north of the Tyne. That is where rebellion and disorder fester. Before the embers become a fire, I will impose my authority. King Henry has made me lord of the north!”

  It sounded easier than it was but I had a strategy. I had already humbled de Clavering. I would visit Warkworth first. Perhaps the sight of the knights of Durham and my men might make him either change his allegiance or realise the futility of fighting me. I would pick off my enemies piecemeal and leave de Vesci and De Percy for the end. If I could isolate those two then the rest would have to bow to my will and, ultimately, that of the King.

  We left in the middle of November. Edward and William had insisted upon accompanying me. I also took William. He had grown while I had been away and Alan the horse master had worked with him. He could now ride a palfrey. He was a good rider. Aunt Ruth had worked on my wife and she allowed William to come. I had no choice really. He had met the criteria I had laid down. I had to keep my word. He had a good hauberk and a helmet with a nasal. He was given a short sword by his two, bigger sisters but Alfred and I were determined that he would not need to use it.

  We rode to Durham. There was no Bishop there yet although Cardinal Bicchieri had one in mind, Richard de Marisco. With the need to secure the throne for Henry then the appointment of a new Bishop was irrelevant especially as I had the backing of the deans, canons and knights. I had sent messages asking the knights to gather at Durham and they did not let me down. We gathered in the cathedral where, as the King’s representative I went through the formality of asking them to swear allegiance to the new King. None declined. I then led them, through a grey, drizzle filled day, to cross the Tyne at Hexham. At each manor we passed, where there was a knight or baron who had not sworn allegiance I stopped and asked them to do so. I knew the ones who would cause a problem for, as we progressed north I found some lords of the manor absent. That way they did not need to swear an oath and yet they thought they had avoided my wrath. There were eight such lords before we reached Warkworth.

  Forty years ago, it had been a wooden castle which was so feeble that it had not been defended when William of Scotland invaded. John de Clavering’s father had improved the castle but the work was still ongoing. Its position meant that it was vulnerable to a siege. The river ran along two sides of the castle and village with the sea close by. There were two narrow necks of land which could be used by an attacking army. The baron had not bothered yet with a town wall. I intended to divide my army in two and cut off the baron from his town. He could use ships to supply his castle but intended to stop that. Warkworth harbour was a mile from the castle. I could stop ships sailing up the river. We reached Warkworth at the end of December. To the west we could see snow covered hills but the coast was slightl
y warmer and the salt air stopped snow forming. The ground was, however, hard. That made the digging of ditches hard. I sent David of Stanhope with fifty knights to seal off the north end of the town and we approached through Hauxley and the little village of Amble.

  Despite our slow and steady approach, we appeared to have caught the Baron by surprise. The villagers, mindful of what had happened when the Scots had attacked and massacred many of the inhabitants, fled into the castle. Like the chevauchée against the Scots this merely added to the mouths they would have to feed. We, on the other hand, managed to collect the animals they had left in the fields. We would have enough food for a month, at least. Baron Stanhope’s men occupied the houses of Warkworth and we used those of Amble and Warkworth harbour. That way we could guard the river mouth and the gate without risking our men. We were careful to use what we could. In lieu of ditches my men hewed down the baron’s trees and embedded them as stakes. I did not think that they would sortie but I did not know that for certain. This way I was prepared.

  When the stakes were in place and we had a defensible camp, I rode with Sir William and Alfred to speak with the baron. Sir Edward had ridden south to speak with the lords of the manors who lived south of us. It would also give us an indication of any danger which might come from that direction. The Sheriff of Newcastle had been silent. It was typical of the man that he waited to see who would emerge successfully from this civil war.

  We took Father Abelard with us. We had the banner of the Palatinate with us. It showed those inside that we had the backing of the church. I knew that we had to win the hearts and minds of the ordinary folk as well as the knights and men at arms. We stopped a hundred paces short of the ditch. That was close enough to speak with the baron. I knew he would have to be summoned from his hall on the north side of the castle and I did not mind waiting. It gave me the chance to look at the improvements that had been made. The gatehouse had two towers and there was a large tower close to the river. If we had to attack then crossbows and bows on the top could wreak havoc with us. The drawbridge over the ditch could be raised but, at the moment it was down. I wondered at that.