01 Crusader by Paul Bannister

Author:Paul Bannister [Bannister, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2014-12-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter XIV - John

Prince John was staring at me across the banquet table in the great hall of King Henry’s palace at Winchester. A stubby, dark boy of 12 or so, he had none of the glorious features of his older brothers. Where Henry and Richard were like their mother, tall, blond and handsome, he was a short, sallow, unprepossessing youth whose best point seemed to be his long, curly hair.

I smiled at him. “Is the food to your liking, lord?” I asked, indicating the dish of baked salmon and damsons before him.

He ignored my question. “Richard likes you,” he said. “He says you are his finest warrior.”

I bowed my head. “The duke is very kind,” I said.

John was still staring at me. “I want you to join my entourage instead of his.”

That brought me awake. “I think, lord,” I said, hardly thinking at all, “that would please me a great deal, but it is not possible.”

John was implacable. “I need proper guards,” he said. “I will tell Richard that I need you.”

As swiftly and imperiously as that, my life was changed. All I could do was bow my head again. It will never happen, I thought. But it did.

Heaven knows what argument that demon imp used on his brother, or on their father, but Richard agreed that I could serve John for some unspecified time, bade me an affectionate but careless farewell and was out of Winchester and on his way to France within the day. And so I began my sojourn at the court of King Henry II and his son John.

My status was barely more than that of John’s favourite hound, at least at first. I had a value, I was a small trophy, I should be useful. None of that sat well with me and surprisingly, irascible King Henry supported my discreet efforts to change my status. The turning point came when John had one of his many nosebleeds, and I cured it with a command to tilt back his head and a simple pinch at the bridge of the nose. Startled, he did as I ordered, an obedience unusual for him. By chance, I made some remark about always being there to prevent his blood being shed, and the incident was quickly over. However, it had large effect, for it changed the prince’s opinion of me and that small action redirected my life.

John was abjectly superstitious and he believed that my intercession was fated and I was sent to preserve his blood and his life. In a matter of months, I was John’s guard captain and mentor, I had standing at court and I was reasonably content although I missed the camaraderie and excitement of military campaigns with Richard.

John’s education was in the hands of the Chief Justiciar, Ranulf de Glanville, so I did not have the tiresome burden of teaching him his letters. Most days, I oversaw John’s horsemanship and weapons training and accompanied him on hunting or hawking expeditions. I also drilled my

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