The Revolt of the Eaglets (27 page)

Philip of Flanders was greatly experienced in these affairs, and because he was such a skilled performer everyone watched him with awe and admiration. Henry longed to win such glories.

The arrival of Henry must be celebrated with a grand tournament, said Philip, and he sent heralds throughout the land to let all the knights know that they were invited to test their skill.

Then there was the pleasure of selecting the judges, and lofty towers and scaffolding of wood were erected. Counts and their Countesses, Dukes and their Duchesses, knights and their ladies were seated in accordance with their rank; and it was the custom for each man to wear a favour from his wife or mistress. Often the tournaments continued for days and there were various kinds of engagements – sometimes several knights were involved in an action, at others there were examples of single combats.

At the end of the day the judges gave their verdict and the ladies led the victors into the hall where they were divested of their armour and clad in beautiful robes. The minstrels played and verses were recited and songs sung praising the glories of jousting.

To indulge in this pastime was clearly a costly matter and although the King of England might supply his son with certain monies necessary for the conducting of war against his enemies, he would not do so that it might be squandered in tournaments.

But Philip of Flanders was a good friend and he assured Henry that he must not think of the expense. Such a small matter must not deter him from enjoying the occasion. Philip would provide the fine garments, the horses, the lances and spears.

Henry accepted the gifts and swore to Philip that he should one day be repaid with estates in England. He would never forget his very good friend.

He admired Philip, and as his skill at the joust improved he was very content.

Philip began to have a great influence on him. A ruler must be strong, said Philip. He must take his pleasures where he would and must allow none to condemn him.

Philip showed Henry how he dealt with those who betrayed him, when he told him why he had not gone on the proposed crusade after all. It concerned his wife.

Philip was married to the beautiful Isabel of Vermandois who was related to young Henry, for her mother was the sister of Queen Eleanor. Eleanor’s sister Petronelle had become enamoured of the Count of Vermandois soon after Eleanor’s marriage to the King of France. The Count had been something of a philanderer and had first cast his eyes on Queen Eleanor herself. He had made his feelings clear by sitting at her feet and sighing while he sang of love. At that time Eleanor, newly married to the King of France and hoping for an heir, had not indulged in active infidelity and the impatient amorous Count had turned his attentions to her sister Petronelle. Not having the same reasons for preserving her chastity, Petronelle allowed herself to be seduced. She was, however, the sister of the Queen of France and marriage was considered necessary. Therefore the Count divorced his wife on the well-worn consanguinity excuse and he and Petronelle were married. Two daughters were the result of their union and of these Isabel was the younger.

Isabel had inherited the nature of her parents and although Philip was a virile husband she could not prevent her attention straying.

The young King listened to an account of the troubles between Philip and his wife. Both of them were related to Henry, for while Isabel was his cousin, Philip was descended from Fulk of Anjou; Philip’s grandmother, Sibyl, daughter of Fulk, was the sister of Henry’s grandfather, Geoffrey of Anjou. Hence the relationship.

At this time young Henry admired his kinsman Philip more than anyone he knew and he applauded everything he did with such an uncritical devotion that Philip could not help regarding him with great affection.

‘You have heard of Walter of Les Fontaines?’ he asked.

‘I heard he was dead. Was he not a knight of some fame?’

‘He was said to be a kind of Sir Lancelot and the name fits him well if you consider me as Arthur and Isabel as Guinevere.’

‘You are not telling me that Walter is Isabel’s lover?’

‘Was, cousin! Was! You do not think I would allow my wife to be unfaithful to me, do you?’

‘I believe you have not always been faithful to her.’

‘That is a different matter.’

‘Tell me of this Walter. I have heard there was a kind of legend about him.’

‘He was very handsome, very skilled. Few could stand against him at the tournament.’

‘You could, Philip.’

‘Few besides. Imagine my rage when I heard that Isabel had a fancy for him.’

‘She could not possibly have preferred him to you.’

‘She wanted us both, it seemed. I suspected that when I was away he became her lover.’

‘What did you do?’

‘I taunted him with it. He denied it. But then he would consider it would be the knightly thing to do.’

‘Did you torture him?’

‘No. I asked him, merely. I said I trusted his word as a knight.’

‘But if he were protecting a lady …’

‘Exactly so. I forbade him to enter my castle and made a plan. Oh, a simple one which I doubt not many a suspicious husband has used before. I made a great noise about going away for some days. I went and returned by stealth.’

‘And you discovered them …’

‘I caught him in her bedchamber. Now I had proved what I suspected and no one could blame me if I took action against him.’

‘What did you do?’

‘I asked him why he was there when my express command had been that he was not to enter the castle. I knew she had invited him but he would not betray her. I had him beaten until he was nothing but a mass of bleeding flesh but still he was determined to protect her. He was a knight until the end. He was elegant, you know. His linen was scented and he was most careful in his person. I believe it was that which she found so appealing. It seemed a good revenge therefore to hang him over a cesspool and this I did. He stayed there until he died.’

Henry’s eyes gleamed. ‘So I would act towards a lover of Marguerite’s if I should so discover him.’

‘And none could blame you. None blamed me. A betrayed husband has his rights.’

‘And Isabel? What was her punishment? You could have put her from you.’

‘What! With the rich lands of Vermandois at stake? I did not want trouble there. She is a beautiful woman and it was a warning to her.’

Henry nodded and admired his friend more than ever.

‘All this has delayed my departure for the crusade,’ went on Philip. ‘That is why I have not gone. I must remain a while because of it. But I shall go in due course. It will be an even greater excitement than the tournament and I have a few sins to ask pardon for.’

‘When you go, Philip,’ declared Henry, ‘I shall accompany you.’

As the influence of Philip of Flanders grew stronger over young Henry that of old friends like William the Marshall and his Vice-Chancellor, Adam of Churchdown, waned. William, for all that he was a knight who loved to take part in tournaments and did in fact shine in them, was of a serious nature and he was disturbed to see Henry becoming rather dissolute and more arrogant than ever.

He tried to remonstrate with him, pointing out that his father had commanded him to assist Richard and would be most displeased when he heard that he spent his time in extravagant pleasure.

‘By God, William,’ cried Henry, ‘it would seem that you are a greater friend to my father than to me.’

‘I serve you both with all my heart,’ answered William.

‘The time is coming when it will not be possible to serve us both. Then you will have to make a choice.’

‘I pray that time will never come,’ answered William.

‘I pray it will come very soon. I have been in leading strings too long. Am I the King of England or am I not?’

‘You are King in truth for your father has had the crown put on your head, but it behoves us all to remember that he is the master of us all.’

‘God damn him, William. I’ll not be his slave.’

‘It is not his slave he would make you. He wants you to learn kingship from him and then when the time comes, to take over from him. It is a fatherly concern.’

‘To the devil with his fatherly concern. He is a miser, and you know it, William.’

‘Hush, my lord, do not say that which could be construed as treason.’

‘Faint-hearted William!’ taunted Henry.

‘Nay, my lord. Strong-hearted and strong in the arm I trust when it comes to protecting you.’

Marguerite was pregnant.

‘St Thomas has interceded for me,’ she declared. ‘Oh, how happy I am! I shall pray for a son.’

‘That son,’ said Henry proudly, ‘will one day be King of England.’

‘I trust he will never try to take the crown from his father as you have from yours.’

Henry was angry. ‘Dost think that I would deserve such treatment? Besides,’ he added shrewdly, ‘he will never be crowned King while I live.’

He was delighted. It was gratifying to become a father.

Messages must be sent to the Kings of England and France to inform them that they would become grandparents.

He thought of Richard, battling away in Aquitaine. He had always been a little jealous of Richard because their mother had doted on him so much. He wondered why, for Richard was not in the least like her. Richard was a throw-back to their Norman ancestors. Old Rollo must have looked a little like him.

Richard was succeeding in subduing Aquitaine because he was such a brilliant fighter but it was said that he would never be acceptable to the people, for he was alien to everything they were. He was so essentially of the North; he could be hard and cruel; and although he had some talents as a musician and poet he was very different from their mother’s languorous people. And if they did not accept Richard might they not accept someone who was more like themselves, someone who was content to enjoy life and did not want to be continually going into battle, someone who was easy going, who would enjoy the comfortable and easy life?

Why not?

This was a good life but inactivity was becoming boring. Intrigue was exciting and nothing could be more exciting than intrigue against the one whom he most wanted to defeat: his own father. One of his most glorious dreams was that his father, subdued and penitent, came to him to beg his pardon and ask that there might be an end to the strife between them. He could never completely shut out the memory of that humiliating scene when he had gone to his father, knelt before him and begged to be allowed to pay him homage. And the aftermath, that public statement of his humility! He would never forgive his father for that.

Suppose he stirred up a revolt – in Normandy perhaps? There were always people ready to revolt. On the other hand suppose he put out feelers to Aquitaine? Would the people there rather have him than Richard?

There were several possibilities.

William the Marshall guessed what dangerous thoughts were going on in the young King’s mind.

He wondered whether he could speak to Marguerite about his anxieties. The young Queen, since she had become pregnant, had become serene and more mature. She loved her husband. There was a great deal to love in Henry. He could be very charming when he wished and his appearance was very much in his favour. When he entered a room people would have known him for a prince if they had been completely unaware of his identity. He was said to be the handsomest prince in Christendom and if now and then he wore an expression of discontent this was not always the case.

William, who had known him from a child, when he had been knight-at-arms to the royal children, had until recently been closer to Henry than to his friends; he was much older and infinitely wiser, and he deplored the way in which the young King’s character was developing; and most of all he regretted his attitude to his father.

He went to Marguerite who was taking a little exercise in the gardens, as she had been advised to do, in order to ensure an easy confinement. When he joined her the two ladies who were accompanying her dropped behind and William walked side by side with the young Queen.

After inquiring about her health he brought up the subject of her husband and told her that he believed Henry was getting restive.