The Bastard King (5 page)

Arlette became more beautiful, William noticed; watching his mother and father together he wished it could always be thus.

During the first hours he overcame his awe of his father. He
liked to climb on to his great knee and sit solemnly watching his face while he talked and only now and then allowing the great jewelled brooch which held his cape in place to absorb his attention.

His father asked him many questions about his hunting, his archery, his sword play. ‘As yet,' said William, ‘it is with sticks. May I not have a real sword?'

‘All in good time, my son.'

‘I should like a dagger too.'

‘Wherefore my son should you wish for a dagger?'

‘If I met someone . . . someone wicked. If I met the Count of Talvas . . .'

‘What know you of the Count of Talvas?'

William grew scarlet with mortification, but he could not lie to his father. ‘I listened to talk,' he said.

‘You thought it good to hide yourself and listen to what was not meant for your ears?'

‘I thought if I was to be like you, I should know everything.'

It was an answer which did not displease the Duke.

He never ceased to marvel at the intelligence of this boy, who was moreover strong and sturdy. He delighted in him.

‘You did well,' he said. ‘You have to learn more quickly than other boys. Did you know that?'

‘Yes, Father.'

‘Why must you?'

‘Because you are my father and everything you have must be of the best.'

‘A good answer, son. Can you shoot an arrow far?'

‘Farther than Guy.'

‘And you can ride faster?'

‘Yes, Father.'

‘And your lessons?'

William hesitated. ‘Has Uncle Mauger spoken to you?' he asked.

The Duke laughed. ‘Not yet,' he said. ‘Am I to be disappointed in that field?'

‘I like not to be within stone walls.'

‘Nay, 'tis natural. But these things must be mastered, my
son. You will have need of all you can learn. That you will understand as you grow older. You will need a strong arm to protect your mother.'

‘You will do that.'

‘But if I were not here.'

‘But you will always be here.'

The Duke looked sadly at his son. ‘If I should not be I should like to leave her in your charge. Will you swear to me always to protect her?'

‘Father, I swear.'

‘So you need a strong arm and a good head. The out of doors will give you one but for the other you need all you can learn from Uncle Mauger.'

‘Then, Father, I will work hard at my books.'

‘It will please me if you make as good progress with them as you do in aught else. Remember though, it is a good Norman's duty to defend his land at all costs.'

‘I know it, Father.'

‘Has Mauger taught of the history of Normandy?'

William's eyes shone. He talked of Rollo – great Rollo, the Giant Walker, the hero who must walk because no horse was strong enough to carry him.

‘But a ship was,' cried William, ‘and by God's grace he came to Normandy. He sailed his ship up the Seine as far as it would go, and the King of France sat shivering on his throne . . .'

The Duke laughed. ‘So Mauger has told you that, has he?'

‘My mother tells me. She sings the old Norse songs to. me and so do many of the women.'

‘Never forget, my son, that you belong to that great race who settled here and founded Normandy.'

‘Never shall I!' declared William.

‘You are of a tender age as yet, my son, but as you have learned you cannot dally long in childhood. A boy such as you must learn not only of his homeland but of those countries surrounding it. What know you of France, my son?'

‘France?' said the boy puzzled. ‘My mother told me that the King of France would have great Rollo kiss his foot and that this Rollo refused to do. So he bade one of his henchmen do it
for him and this man, being a good Norman who kisses the feet of none but his Duke, lifted his foot so high that the King fell backwards.' William laughed. ‘It was a goodly thing to do,' he added.

The Duke was silent. ‘You must understand this, William. We are in a measure vassals of the King of France.'

‘Could Normandy be the vassal of any?'

The Duke smiled. ‘My son, I would you were five years older. This small head has much to learn.'

‘It is a good head, Father, and eager to learn.'

‘I doubt it not. The King of France is powerful. He granted us this land and it is well for us to live in good friendship with him. If he called on us to help him and his cause were just, we should do so.'

‘But only if his cause were just.'

‘And to the good of Normandy.'

‘Yes, Father. I understand that.'

‘King Robert of France is a good man but a good man is not always a good King, my son. Robert Capet is of fine mien; he is a scholar, a musician and he loves poetry, but there is a weakness in him and he is at the mercy of his wife, Queen Constance. It is not good for a man to be ruled by women.'

‘Why does he let her rule him?'

‘Because he is a lover of peace.'

‘It is good to love peace.'

‘Only if it is a good peace. You must attend when your Uncle Mauger tells you of our neighbours. What know you of England, William?'

‘England.' William wrinkled his brows. ‘It is across the sea, is it not?'

‘Is that all you know? You must know more because we have close ties with this land – stronger ones than those with France. Our Normans settled in that island even as they did in this land; and our friends are there, our own people, William. My father's sister, my Aunt Emma, married the King of England. He was Ethelred, and at the time of the marriage was engaged in war with the Danes. Emma took many of our Normans with her to England when she went and such a
marriage brings countries closer together. There were two sons of this marriage – Edward and Alfred. They are your cousins and they are in Normandy now.'

‘Why, Father?'

‘They are in exile, but more of that later. You will meet them and I wish you to be their friend.'

‘But I will, Father. I long to meet my English cousins.'

‘Now you must listen carefully for this is not easy to understand. Ethelred had married before and had a son Edmund. The Danes meanwhile had driven Ethelred and Emma from their throne and Sweyn of Denmark took possession of it. Canute, Sweyn's son, reckoned he was King, but Edmund declared
he
was. There were battles and it was finally agreed to share the country between them; but when Edmund died Canute took his share and ruled as King of all England.'

William was bewildered but his father patted his shoulder.

‘You are young yet, William,' he said. ‘But you will remember much that I have told you. I do wish you to be on good terms with your cousins Edward and Alfred, for one of them or both may rule England one day, and the ties between us are strong since your Aunt Emma married into the country. I must tell you now that she was not one to lose anything that she had won and she was determined to keep the English crown within her grasp, so when Ethelred died she married Canute. Now when she married him she made him swear that any child they had should inherit the throne. That excluded not only Canute's son Harold Harefoot but also Edward and Alfred.'

‘But Edward and Alfred were her sons,' said the puzzled William.

The Duke drew William between his knees and looked searchingly into his face.

‘The Danes were in control through Canute. Emma knew that her sons Edward and Alfred would not be accepted, so she turned her attention to her son by Canute and determined that Hardicanute should reign.'

‘Would you and my mother love other sons better than me?'

The Duke drew his son into his arms and embraced him fiercely.

‘Never, William,' he said. ‘Never! Never.' Then he was tender suddenly. ‘I would stuff too much into that young head of yours,' he said. ‘Come, we will go into the courtyard and you shall show me some sword-play with your sticks and we'll go riding with our falcons and mayhap we will hunt the boar.'

The boy's eyes danced. He had momentarily forgotten the complicated family relationships which his father had attempted to make him understand.

In good time, the Duke promised himself, but I see I must wait awhile before I go on my pilgrimage.

The Duke's visit was interrupted by the news of the death of King Robert of France. This was important to him for, as he said to Arlette, the safety of Normandy was bound up in that of France, ant the alliance between them which dated from Rollo's day must be kept firm.

The messenger who brought the news was refreshed and given shelter in the castle and he had much to impart as to what was happening at the court of France.

Ever since she had come to France from Aquitaine, the Queen had made the poor King's life a misery; she was so imperious, so malicious, and of such a governing nature that the meek King had been afraid of her. He never gave a gift to any of his servants without the admonition: ‘Pray do not mention this to the Queen.' She was determined to have her way and her eldest son had never been her favourite.

The messenger's account proved to be accurate for it was not long before a fugitive arrived in Normandy: King Henry of France.

William was told little of this. He went on practising outdoor skills with the stern Thorold whom the Duke had designated to teach him and he did his bookwork under the eyes of the even sterner Mauger; but Arlette was anxious because she was well aware that this new development at the French Court could mean war.

She was right.

In their bedchamber Robert talked to her of the matter.

‘Must there always be these wars?' she asked.

‘There always have been,' answered Robert. ‘I have given Henry sanctuary at the Abbey of St Jumièges.'

‘Where you keep all your exiles. The Athelings are there, are they not?'

‘Yes, they are. I want William to meet his cousins. I shall go to Jumièges to see Henry and I think it would be well if the boy came with me. It is time that he began to understand what goes on.'

‘You forget he is but five years old. You try to make a man of him before he is even a boy.'

‘I feel within me that he must grow quickly to manhood. He will come with me to Jumièges and that means, my love, that you will come too.'

‘And from there?'

‘I must needs ride out against the Dowager Queen of France and her upstart son. We Dukes have sworn allegiance to the Capet Kings and I could not stand by and see the younger brother replace the elder.'

She looked at him strangely and he would not meet her eyes. The death of his elder brother hung heavily over him.

Thus it was that William met his Atheling cousins. He was immediately attracted by them for they were so different from everyone he knew. They were not young, being some thirty years of age – men, in William's eyes, older even than his father; but they did not appear to be so old because they were so gentle. They spoke softly; and they were so fair as to be almost white and they had the bluest eyes William had ever seen.

He was fascinated by those blue eyes. The brothers liked to read and write poetry, and they composed songs which they sang beautifully. Surprisingly to William, they found greater pleasure in these things than in sword-play and the hunt. They did not care for the hunt at all. William felt he should have despised them for this but how could he despise such noble-looking beings?

It seemed to him that in their presence some of his father's men seemed awkward and rough. Edward and Alfred wore beautiful clothes and there were jewels at their throats and on their fingers.

Beautiful blue-eyed Athelings! thought William; and he was sorry for them because they were in exile.

There would come a day, his father told him, when they could be kings of England, for indeed they had more right to the throne than Hardicanute who was younger than they and had been born of their mother's second marriage.

But at this time the Duke was more concerned with the rights of the exiled King of France than of the Atheling cousins.

It was an exciting day when the Duke rode out at the head of his army, the King of France beside him.

The Duke had told William on the previous night that he was going to set the King back on his throne. He was going to thwart the wicked Queen Constance, depose her young son and give back to King Henry what he had lost.

How thrilling it was to see the flag of Normandy flying in the breeze beside the golden lilies of France! And how excited William was to watch those gallant soldiers marching into battle, the knights wearing hauberks, their helmets and boots of shining steel flashing in the sun, their lances in their hands. The foot-soldiers too were well prepared with their feet bound in buckskins and hides about their bodies.

William danced madly round in his excitement.

His mother, standing beside him, seized his hand and held it very tightly. He looked up at her and saw how sad she was, and wondered how anyone could be sad to see such magnificence; and his father was the finest of them all.

He supposed she was sad because he was going away. He too would be sorry for that; but he was going to put the true King back on the throne and that was a good thing to do.

‘When I am a man,' said William. ‘I shall ride just like my father does at the head of my armies.'

It was silent in the castle. Everyone was thoughtful; each day his mother went to the highest turret and waited there a long time.

William forgot his father for long periods because there was so much to be done. He wanted to have excelled in archery; to beat Guy at everything they did together, so that he could boast to his father when he returned.

Every time he performed some feat with extra skill he would say: ‘I will tell my father as soon as he comes home.'