English Knight (5 page)

“I have heard of it. I am Henry King of England and Duke of Normandy!”

My father dropped to his knees as did the others.  I was a little slower. My father said, “Then it is you, sire, that we seek.”

The king said, “Rise, Ridley of Coxold, although you claim false title.  I will deal with these rebels first.” There were just four men at arms left and three mailed and well armed knights.  I noticed that they all wore the same livery as the knight I had killed. “You, Guy Fitzwaller, shall go back to your father’s castle and fetch me a ransom of fifty gold talents. When it is paid then you can have your father’s body. He has paid for his treachery with his life.  You will pay with gold. You will bring it to Caen where you and your brothers will swear fealty to me on the tomb of my father.” The young man nodded and, leaving his sword there, he mounted his horse.  His ventail was lowered and I saw the look of anger on his face as he glared at me.  He might swear fealty to the king but I was his enemy. That was two enemies in Anjou already!

“Come, we will ride to my hunting lodge. Have you horses?”

My father nodded, “Aye, we do.” Wulfstan led the others to retrieve our horses. When they returned the bodies of the dead hunters were draped over their horses and the mail and the arms from the dead men were strapped to the knight’s horses along with the body of the leader.  They walked.

My father rode with the king. I said to Wulfstan.  “Will they leave the bodies there?”

The king laughed, “Until they have paid the ransom they will have no choice.  I think Guy Fitzwaller will be at Caen before we are.” He turned to me, “Come boy and ride next to me and your father.”

I did not like the term boy and Wulfstan hissed, quietly, “He is the king! Hold your tongue.”

I nodded. “So Ridley of Coxold, how do you claim your title? That estate belongs to Odo and has done since before I was born.”

I almost held my breath.  The king owed us something but my father’s story could result in us joining the men of Fitzwaller in the donjon at Caen castle.

“I was given the estate by King Ethelred but I fought against your father.”

“You were at Battle Hill?”

“No.  I was at Stamford Bridge where we fought Tostig and Hadrada.“ He looked defiantly at the king, “But we fought against your father’s men when they came north.”

The king frowned. “You fought with Aelfraed Fitz Godwinson?”

“I fought with Aelfraed, aye.”

“I heard he died fighting the men of Sicily in Byzantium.”

“Aye he did.  He has been dead these thirty years.”

“And you named your son after him?” My father nodded. “If you had known who I was would you have done things differently back there?”

“No, for you were being attacked and it is my duty to defend the weak.”

H laughed, “I do not think the King of England can be considered weak but I thank you for your intervention.  It might have gone ill otherwise. What is it you wish of me, Ridley of Constantinople?”

“I wish to go to England where I can spend my days in peace.”

“You cannot return to Coxold.  Odo would not like it.” My father kept his own counsel and said nothing. The king looked at me.  “And you, Alfraed son of Ridley, what would you have?”

“My sword fights for my father against all of his enemies!”

I saw my father roll his eyes but the king laughed. “You are a belligerent cockerel! I like that. You could become one of my household knights.  I like the way you fight.”

“I serve my father.”

Just then we saw a castle hove into view. “We will see.  Tonight you will stay with me.  That is for both your safety and mine. I had thought that this part of my land was safe to hunt.  It seems it is not.” I flashed a look at him.  “Oh do not worry, Alfraed; you and your father will be rewarded for your actions.  You saved the life of a king.” He laughed, “Hunting is ever dangerous for my family!”

I remembered, as we entered his small castle with him that his elder brother had been killed in England whilst hunting. Once inside the walls he pointed to a small hall. “You can use my warrior hall. You will be safe in here and we will talk this evening while we eat.”

Once in the hall my father wagged a finger at me. “Do you see me becoming angry with the king?  Have you no sense?  He can have me killed out of hand as an outlaw.”

“He would have to go through me first.”

Wulfstan and the others all laughed. “There would be a story to tell around the camp fires how the King of England was slain by a youth who had barely started shaving!”

“Do not encourage him! This was
wyrd
.  It was meant to be.  We were guided to that forest and to find the ambush.  All will be well.”

“I hope so father. I am not as optimistic as you.  We cannot have Coxold; what else is there?”

“I can give you the estate of Fitzwaller for your own. I would like doughty warriors like you defending my borders here.”

My father shook his head. “A very fine offer, my liege, but it is England I desire.  I could have stayed in the comfort of Constantinople else.”

“It does not do to haggle with a king! Especially when you are a rebel and an outlaw.”

“I was a rebel but I have repented my sins in the Hagia Sophia.  The Church has forgiven me.”

“Hmph, the Church can be bought for the price of a pyx! But I do owe you something.  I might have been captured and had to pay ransom. If it was not for your son then Robert de Waller might have won.” He finished chewing on the leg of the game bird and threw it over his shoulder to the dogs that lay behind him, waiting patiently for such scraps. “Coxold is in the north is it not?”

“Aye my liege.  North of Jorvik.”

The king laughed, “We name it York now.” He held his goblet out for some wine. “My father cleared all who lived north of the Tees.  They were like you, Ridley of Constantinople, they were rebels and outlaws. There are many estates there and I need my borders protecting. My cousin, David, casts avaricious looks at my northern marches. The best ones, the ones that can grow wheat, are all gone but I have some which are north of the Tees.  They can only support barley and oats.  They are not much in demand.  How say you to an estate there?  I have some empty lands which are north of the Tees.  My father swept the rebels from it many years ago.”

“England is all that I desire, my liege.”

“Then when we reach Caen I shall have my clerks write the documents and you can swear fealty to me in Caen Cathedral.”

“Thank you, my liege.”

“Now you can tell me about Constantinople. I had thought to visit it on the way to a Crusade but I have matters here to arrange first.”

He was, despite his words to me, a genial host.  He seemed comfortable in the company of warriors.  He enjoyed the stories my father and his retainers told him.

When we reached Caen I was impressed.  It had good solid walls and looked to be as powerful as Lyon had been. It would not be taken easily.  The River Orne ran along one side; the gate house and the tower looked formidable.

His household knights viewed us with suspicion until they were told of our actions. From then on we were treated as heroes. They were especially keen to hear of the cities and warriors in the east. Guy Fitzwaller brought the ransom. His younger brothers had been stripped of their arms and their armour.  They looked most unhappy.  The four of them abased themselves before the king. When Guy handed over the ransom I saw the annoyance as the king had every golden piece counted out.  It was a further insult. They were taken to the tomb of William where they swore fealty to Henry. I knew that they would now be tied to fighting for him whenever he asked.  They might not fight very hard but if they broke their bond then they would burn in the fires of hell. As they left their hatred was directed at us and not the king.  We had been the cause of their father’s death and they would not forget it. At least we would be in England and away from their enmity.

We swore our oath on the holy book which the bishop held.  It was a sacred oath but I could not see a problem in swearing it.  We all needed a lord to follow and this Henry seemed as good a leader as any. It was also a guarantee of land in England and that was my father’s quest.

Surprisingly the swearing of the oath made the atmosphere lighter.  His clerks went through their records and found an empty estate remarkably quickly.  It was the manor of Norton and had been owned by the de Ville family.  It was close to the castle which the Bishop of Durham had used when he had first landed.  Now he had a fine castle.  “I give you this manor for it guards a crossing of the Tees and protects the Bishop’s lands.  He is your liege lord and you will be subject to his command. You may have the title of baron.” He handed my father a ring which a cleric handed to him.  “Here is the seal of Norton.”

“Do I have permission to build a castle?”

“Hmn, that is an interesting question.  Needs must you may have to defend the river crossing for me but you were an outlaw.”

“I have sworn an oath my liege and I am never foresworn.”

The king looked at my father.  There was something about Ridley of Constantinople that made men believe him. Honesty was etched in every line on his face. “Very well.  You have my permission to build a castle.” He waved a hand at the cleric.  “Brother John will give you the titles and deeds which you will need.” He looked carefully at my father. “There is an opportunity for a man with strength to build a position of power in those wild borderlands.”

My father shook his head, “I have had power, my liege.  I have commanded vast armies and wrested land from both Italian and Muslim warlords.  I seek a peaceful land, a land for my son to come to love.”

For the first time the king seemed to notice me, “Ah the fine knight who has such a deadly and lightning quick blade. Then do you seek power and land, Alfraed of Norton?”

I was not used to such attention.  I had to think quickly, “I do not know your majesty.  All of this is new to me. This time last year my biggest worry was the style of my beard and the cut of my clothes.”

All of them, my father included, laughed at that.  “And so it is with all young men.” The king looked at me sadly, “My son, before he was taken from me, had much the same attitude. You two might have been friends.”

I bowed.  There seemed no response I could make to that. Instinct gave my tongue words. “I will try to serve you on your borders as your son might, your majesty.”

For some reason, that seemed to please the king enormously.  He embraced me, “You have spirit and you have honour.  Our meeting was a good one.  You will be my men in the north and help the Bishop to turn back the Scottish tide.”

Brother John was a small fussy man but he was always smiling.  At least in the time we saw him he always had a happy and cheerful countenance. He took us to his cell where he had maps. “If you are Saxon my lord then you know the area.  There were Saxons both at Norton and Billingham but, as you may know, those people were all removed when King William chastised the rebellious earls.” I saw my father frown.  His men had told me of the upset he had felt when he had heard of the slaughter.  Many of his servants and friends had died. Brother John continued.  “Your land goes from the river north to the borders of the Bishop’s lands and farms here.” He jabbed a finger at the map. “They go as far north as the land of the De Brus around Hartness and to the east as far as the marshes.”

My father peered at the writing on the map.  “Wulfestun, here, is that a separate manor?”

“It was but no longer.  King William incorporated it into Norton.”

I ventured a question.  “Will there be any dispute over ownership?”

My father and Brother John looked at me curiously, “A strange question, my son.”

I shrugged, “If King William cleared the land of the former owners and installed his own baron then will they not dispute our ownership?”

Brother John nodded, “A fair question. They were raided by the Scots and the men slaughtered.  The women were taken as slaves. There are no heirs to dispute the land.”

“But the women.”

“Have no claim.” Brother John shook his head, “Here Salic law rules.  Women may not inherit. It is not like the East. Even if the slaves were freed they could not have any claim to the land.”

The cleric spent some time refining the exact boundaries and giving us the number of farms on the land.  He could not give us the names as they would be in the church on the manor. Seemingly satisfied the cleric told us that the documents would be ready the next day. “Are there any further questions?”

His friendly attitude had emboldened me. “If the king’s son is dead then who will be the next king?” It was as though I had sworn in church.  My father and his men glared at me and Brother John’s face fell. “We should know this father for we do not want to lose this land.  The king might be dead already but for our intervention.”

Now that he understood my question Brother John’s smile returned, “Another fair question. The king is young enough to marry again but he has made plans.  His daughter, the Empress Matilda has been named heir.  The matter is still raw because the young prince has only been taken from us recently.  Even as you were leaving Constantinople his son was drowning in the English Channel.”

Wulfstan said, “
Wyrd
!”