King by Kane Ben

King by Kane Ben

Author:Kane, Ben
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Orion
Published: 2022-05-26T00:00:00+00:00


CHAPTER XVIII

Worms, Germany, July 1193

To my considerable relief, the king accepted my reasons for leaving Normandy and coming to seek his counsel. He was unsurprised by the lack of impetus to Philippe’s campaign, and greatly entertained by the accounts of Earl Robert telling the herald that Rouen’s gates were open to the French king. He revelled in the account of our archers breaking the attack on the breach. I continued with the story of FitzAldelm’s flight. Richard shook his head and declared himself a fool for ever trusting him.

Once we were beyond the walls, the guards, four in number, lagged back a hundred paces. I glanced back, surprised.

‘I have given my word not to escape,’ the king explained.

‘It is good they are treating you better, sire,’ I said, heartfelt.

‘Aye. Things were not this pleasant after you left, I can tell you. That fat goose the Bishop of Beauvais lingered at the imperial court, and he must have bent Heinrich’s ear. One morning, for no apparent reason, the guards loaded me down with chains so heavy that a horse would have struggled to move them.’

‘Sire!’ I cried in horror.

A grim smile. ‘Ten days they left me like that, the curs, giving me food that was barely edible. By the time they took off the chains, I was as pale as a ghost, and weak as a kitten.’

I was furious. ‘You are sure Beauvais was behind it, sire?’

‘Oh yes. He came to gloat over me. If I ever lay my hands on him, he shall receive the same treatment, be he bishop or no.’

‘What was the outcome of Heinrich’s court, sire?’ I had some idea from eavesdropping in roadside inns as we neared Worms, but I wanted to hear it from the king.

‘He has made peace with most of the nobles who were causing the dissent.’

‘Thanks to you, sire.’

An inclination of the royal head. ‘There were letters going to and fro between me and half a dozen princes and barons for weeks. They came around when Heinrich promised to clear the air by denying his involvement in Albert of Brabant’s murder. He was lying through his teeth, of course, but appearance is what counts. The main reason for the Rhineland princes accepting his word is that it serves them to be on good terms with me. As for Heinrich, he is relieved not to have half his realm in open rebellion. My reward was that he ended his dealings with Philippe Capet.’ A pause, then Richard added, ‘For the moment at least.’

‘Good news, sire.’ I could tell it was not that simple, however. ‘So Heinrich will allow you to ransom yourself?’

‘He will, for one hundred and fifty thousand marks in pure silver, Cologne weight no less.’

‘That is half again what he demanded in the spring!’

‘It is, but the puppet master holds the strings, does he not? One hundred thousand is for him, and fifty thousand for Leopold.’ Richard pulled a face. ‘In truth, I am more than a puppet – here we



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