Welsh War Read online

  I lowered my voice, “With respect, lord, my men and I have fought for the last twenty years. We know what makes a good warrior. Do you have a squire? Servants?”

  “I have no squire yet but there are eight servants who accompany me.”

  “Then we shall meet them on the morrow and assess their suitability.”

  I saw him frown, “They are my servants.”

  “Can they ride? We shall be in the saddle more than we are not. Can they defend themselves? We will not have enough men to watch over servants.” He smiled when he understood. “And horses. We will need good horses.”

  “There is more to do than I thought. I wondered if we would just have a pleasant ride around my realm.”

  “In a perfect world we would but we will visit those who do not wish you to be King. Do not expect smiles and good wishes. You are just as likely to receive frowns and scowls.”

  “Will we have to fight?”

  “I intend to ride first to Stockton and we will gather my knights and men at arms. If we have to fight then we will. You will need a knight to carry your standard.”

  William Marshal said, “I have one ready for you. He is one of my knights. He is a bachelor knight from Pembroke. He will be landless. If the King makes him his standard bearer then it may help his name to become known.” He smiled, “Who knows Earl, he may become one of your knights. His name is Robert de Ventadour. I have not seen him fight in war but he has won tourneys.”

  “I will meet him and then decide!” King Henry nodded forcefully.

  I smiled, “Well done your majesty! I would expect nothing else from one descended from King Henry!”

  The Earl said, “He will be ready to meet you in the morning.”

  That night as we prepared for bed I asked William about his conversation with Henry. It turned out that the young king was petrified of making a mistake and losing his land. He was well read and knew of the horrors of the first civil war. He did not wish it repeated. He also missed his mother. I confess that I had thought it a cold act to leave for France and marry as soon as he was crowned. As I recall from my grandfather the Empress Matilda had stayed in England to ensure that her son’s reign went smoothly.

  “I would have you stay near to the King.”

  “But I am your squire!”

  “I have servants and the best men at arms. Fear not. I will be safe but we need a confident King and a happy one. Become his friend. I have treacherous sands to negotiate.”

  “Where do we go first?”

  “When the men are assembled we will head up the Great North Road. When we were in Lincoln, the Lady of Lincoln, Nichola de la Haie, told me that Newark, the place where King John died, was filled with those who wished the King and his family ill. There may be other castles and towns which deserve a visit but that one is the closest and on our route home. It will serve as a warning for others. Until we have all of our men I dare not risk a major battle.”

  As I lay, trying to sleep, I ran through the list of troublesome knights which William Marshal had given me. London had many lords who sought to change the way the King ruled but that had always been true. My father had put down a Templar inspired rebellion. The first thing I would do, while we awaited the King’s men, would be to ride with the King to the Tower. It had fallen when Prince Louis had invaded. I needed to ensure that it had a good castellan and was well defended. Then we could head north and deal with de Vesci and de Percy. Both had been opponents of King John and had yet to acknowledge his son as King. I would make them do so. After my northern border was secured I would be able to leave the north and bring the majority of my men south. It was in the castles and the manors of the south coast where the greatest danger lay. Only Dover and Windsor had failed to fall to the rebels. I hoped that the other barons and lords opposed just King John and not the crown itself. I had not liked him either. Perhaps his young son could convince them that the crown was on the right head!

  I did not sleep well and I was up before dawn. William Marshal was also up. He gave me a sad smile, “I hope the reason for your poor night’s sleep was not the same as mine. I have to make water so often that I am sure I could fill a moat!”

  “No Earl. I have much on my mind. You have not given me an easy task.”

  “You are appointed to the task by your blood.” He waved me over to the table. “There were other matters I did not mention last night for they were intended for your ears alone. King John angered the Lusignan faction in Poitou when he married Isabelle, Henry’s father. They rebelled. The son of Hugh de Lusignan has had his revenge for the queen has married him. The young Hugh plots to take the throne. I have no doubt that marrying the Queen was an attempt to give him legitimacy. Bourgogne de Rancon, Maurice de Craon and Aimer Taillefier are three Poitevin lords who have sworn to end Henry’s life. There may well be assassins who have been hired to kill the boy before he becomes a man.”

  “They are in England?”

  “They could be. Any of those knights on the list I gave you could be giving them sanctuary. Had the Good Lord given me more time or a son on whom I could depend then I would have sought them myself. I have given you one task already but you should beware these lords. They are ruthless. All are young and unmarried. All are skilled in war for they have fought as hired swords and in tourneys. Do not make the mistake of underestimating them. I am afraid that you do not have the power which I enjoy. I fear I have given you an impossible task but the blood of the Warlord is within you and if any can do this then it is you.”

  I nodded. “I will try.”

  He sighed, “I pray you do better than I. When King Henry the Second made his son joint King I was given the task of making him a king. I failed and he rebelled against his father and almost plunged England and Normandy into a second civil war. Your father and grandfather stopped that happening.”

  I had had little sleep and after William Marshal’s words I could not see me enjoying sleep for some time to come.

  “I will go and pack. I will bid you and the King farewell before I go. I do not think we will meet again.”

  “Despite what you say I know that you have served England well. You will be remembered as England’s hero.”

  “Kind of you to say so but looking back I can only see my mistakes.” He looked like a sad and broken man as he left me.

  William came rushing into the room. He had obviously woken and realised that I had risen. He was still keen to impress me. “You have time to eat and then we will go to speak with our men and have the horses prepared. Egbert will advise me if any of the other horses in the King’s stable are suitable. Has Alan been to the room?” Alan was our personal servant. He had waited in our room to light us to bed and to tidy away our clothes when we had retired the previous night.

  “He was the one woke me when he discovered you had risen.”

  “Good then we will be in a position to ride when the King is risen.”

  Ridley the Giant and Henry Youngblood had not been idle. They had been speaking with the men in the warrior hall. By the time they had reported to me I knew as much about the garrison as any man and probably more than the King’s council and the King himself. “One more task for you. Some of these men will know London. I need to know who runs the city. Which inns can be trusted? Where do the bandits and outlaws gather?”

  They nodded but William asked, “Outlaws?”

  Ridley the Giant said, “They live inside the city walls. They have great power. Your father is right to find where are their haunts. If we can then we use them and if not, we destroy them. Leave it with us lord.”

  “If I can persuade him then we will travel to London today.”

  When I returned to the hall I saw the Earl speaking with a young knight. He was older than Alfred. I liked Robert de Ventadour as soon as I met him. He was both earnest and honest. “Sir Robert, this is the Earl of Cleveland.”

  “I am honoured, Earl. I have heard of you and your exploits.” He gave me a shy smile, “You are my inspir
ation for I know that you began with nothing and was a sword for hire. When I learned that my father would give his land to my brother I knew that if I could do half as well as you then I would become a great lord.”

  “You are kind. You know what we seek?”

  “You need someone to carry the King’s standard.”

  “We need more than that. We need a knight who can defend the King. He has no retinue as yet. There are no household knights. His men, at the moment, are mine. You will be there when it grows. You will need to be the eyes who watch him when I am not there.”

  “And I am happy to do so.”

  “First you have a king to impress.”

  “Have you a squire?”

  “Aye, a likely lad, Walter.”

  We spoke, while we waited for the King to rise and join us, of the task ahead. William Marshal added to what he had told me the night before. He told me of London and the problems we would face. When the King joined us, I watched him appraising Sir Robert. When he was introduced the King asked pertinent questions. I hid a smile for many of them had come from my son and I.

  Eventually a smile broke on the King’s face. “Then I am happy Sir Robert. I have begun, Earl, to gather my men. A small start but a step in the right direction.”

  While we waited for the King and his new knight to mount I spoke at length with Ridley and Henry Youngblood. What we had learned about London had disturbed me and I had decided to act sooner rather than later.

  “You are certain of the information?”

  They both nodded, “It was not just one man who told us lord. ‘The Trip to Jerusalem’ is the centre of the gangs who run London. One Eyed Waller is the man who runs the gangs and that is where he lives.”

  Henry nodded, “From what we can gather, lord, he served a knight in the Holy Land. He was a sergeant and is handy with a sword.”

  “Then today we end his reign of terror.”

  Chapter 5

  The Tower of London

  When I first saw the White Tower, I was disappointed. Firstly, it was not white for it had been burned in the rebellion. The white painted stone was blackened and peeled. Secondly all the work which had been done when my great grandfather and father had held it had been allowed to fall into disrepair. Young Henry had seen it before and did not appear dismayed. We paused on London Bridge so that I could point out what was wrong with it. “See, Your Majesty, the ditch which should carry the water around the western side of the curtain wall has not been maintained. It is no longer a barrier. Two of the towers have been damaged in the rebellion and not repaired.”

  “But this is London!”

  “And London is as fickle as the wind. The populace can turn in an instant. You need a stronghold which can control the city and, more importantly, be held for you.”

  He was a thoughtful youth and he nodded, “I would value your advice, Earl.”

  “It will not be a quick task, your majesty. The repairs and the cleaning will not take long but you need two more towers building at each corner of the inner bailey. We will have a better idea once we are within its walls.”

  We were riding without standards and with plain cloaks covering our surcoats. I wanted to gauge the mood of the city and this was the best way. The streets were thronged. People were going to and from the Cheap, London’s market. They looked happy. There appeared to be plenty to buy and people looked to have coin. That was good for it meant the people of London would be less likely to rebel. The Tower had depressed me but my hopes were raised by the city. We left through the Aldgate for I wished to see the northern side of the Tower. The ditch which led from the river was a muddy morass rather than a trapped filled moat. It would merely slow an attacker down and not stop them. There were just two sentries who lounged at the gate which also looked as though it had been battered and then hastily repaired.

  “Yes, lord, what can we do for you?”

  The words were insolent enough for a bachelor knight but for an earl and a king they were tantamount to treason. I nudged my horse closer to him, “This is King Henry of England and I am the Earl of Cleveland. Choose both your words and your manner of speaking carefully lest I have to draw my sword to remove your tongue!”

  The two men leapt to attention, “Sorry my lord! Your Majesty! Open the gate!”

  The gate opened. Not only had it not been properly repaired it had been badly repaired and it scraped on the cobbles. We ducked our heads beneath the gateway and entered the outer bailey. I glanced and saw that King Henry was not happy at what he saw. He was used to castles and he saw that this one was not well looked after. “There is much work here, King Henry, and the work will cost coin.”

  “I know.”

  We were seen from the gate which led to the inner bailey and when we passed through the constable awaited us. He was not a young man. As we dismounted I turned and said, “Mordaf, Gruffyd, go into the city. Ridley will tell you where.” I tossed them a purse. “He will tell you what to do! Buy ale and learn what you can!”

  They grinned, “Aye lord.”

  I saw the disappointment on Ridley’s face, “I am sorry my friend but you stand out just a little too much! Tell them where they need to look. This is a scouting expedition.”

  “Aye lord.”

  Leaving the rest of my men with the horses I turned and climbed the steep steps which led to the entrance. I knew every lord of the north but not those in the south. It worked both ways. My surcoat was hidden by my cloak. I swept it back as I climbed and then I was recognised.

  “Earl! I am honoured to have the hero of Lincoln here! I am Sir Ralph Tancraville the constable of the Tower.”

  I nodded, “This is King Henry!”

  The knight bowed, “I am doubly honoured.”

  As we stepped inside the keep King Henry said, “My castle looks like it is in need of repair and the men you employ to guard it do not look capable.”

  I was delighted with his words. He had taken charge. Freed from his three wet nurses he was beginning to learn to be King!

  “I am sorry, Your Majesty, we have not been paid regularly and I cannot find the funds for the repairs to the castle.”

  I gestured with my arm, “Then show the King its strengths and its weaknesses. The Kingdom is in a parlous state.” He led us inside the keep and up the stairs. We came out at a doorway which led to a fighting platform. He led us on a circuit around the walls. There was a tower and a turret at the north east corner. There was one man within. I saw the partly demolished old Roman wall leading north. The Romans had enclosed more of the city than we did. Heading south along the fighting platform we passed through another tower and I saw a more substantial one by the river.

  I turned to the King, “You need more towers lord. There are none on the north wall and the ditch has been allowed to become overgrown.”

  “Towers are expensive to man, lord.”

  I stopped, “When King John took his crown jewels to war, castellan, why was that?”

  I could see that he had not given that any thought. “I know not. Perhaps he wanted to wear them to battle!”

  Henry was cleverer than his constable. “He had nowhere safe to keep them! That was why he took them. They should have been safe here but even I can see that they would not be safe here!”

  I nodded and we continued our progress. “This keep is the most powerful I have ever seen save for Karak des Chevaliers in the Holy Land. With a deep ditch and solid towers on the walls then this could be a stronghold which could be held against any number of enemies.”

  It took two hours for us to examine the walls and see what could be done. We returned to the Great Hall to eat, drink and to use a wax tablet to plan the improvements. The King had many good ideas and I was able to give him my practical experience.

  The Constable looked shocked at the extent of the work which would be needed, “But majesty, where will you get the coin?”

  Henry looked at me and I answered. “You have a chancellor. He will find the money but
there may be a way to augment your own coin. Come, my liege. Let us shed these cloaks and go into the city. I think that you should speak with the mayor and the merchants who make up the men who really run London. You have a rich city and I think that we could use its prosperity to our advantage.”

  As we rode across the outer bailey with our banners unfurled we rode through the Aldgate into the city. Sir Robert and his squire, Walter, rode just behind the King. I rode next to the King and William carried my banner behind Sir Robert. As soon as the King and his banner were seen and recognised there was a cheer. It rippled along the roads and it gave me hope. There might be barons who did not want a king but the people did. I knew that London was not England. Here they did not need to forage in the forests. These were well off compared with the rest of the country but it was a start.

  We reached the Guildhall. The noise and acclamation had drawn the mayor and his council to the door. The standards told them that they had important guests and I saw the mayor turn and give orders.

  “Your Majesty, I am at your service. I am Serio de Mercer, mayor of London. This is an honour.”

  “I am sorry to call unannounced but the Earl and I were at the Tower and thought we would have conference with you.”

  Already King Henry was growing into his role. Each moment away from the Council was helping him to evolve into a real king.

  We were taken into the Guildhall. Servants hurried and scurried to fetch us food and drink. The King and I had spoken in the Tower and on the ride through the streets. I was confident that he would know what to say.

  “Mayor, my castle is in need of repair.”

  “It is, majesty.”

  “I have a proposal for you. I would have you share in the cost of repair. You pay half and I will find the other half.” I saw the mayor begin to open his mouth but the King hurried on. “You may ask why should you do this. It is simple. The Tower will offer protection for the city. You have, I believe, gangs who operate in the city. From what I have learned they extract money from honest businesses.”

  The Mayor looked surprised at the knowledge the King had and he nodded, “We are powerless to stop them. Many are ex-soldiers.”