Robert the Bruce Trilogy by H A Culley

Author:H A Culley
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Orchard House Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

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Robert greeted his brother and the Earl of Ross warmly on their return in early August. Not only had Philip agreed to an alliance between their two countries but he said that he would use his influence with the Pope to dissuade him from excommunicating Robert.

He was amused to learn from Iain Ross, his second squire, that his father, the aristocratic Earl of Ross, now had a former peasant boy as his squire.

‘What do you make of that, Iain?’

The boy shrugged. ‘Apparently Simon is three times as good a squire as that oaf he had before was and he is showing promise with weapons as well. You know that Simon killed three of the men who attacked the house where they were living in Paris? I gather that the idea was to ambush my father and your brother on their return from seeing the king.’

‘Yes, and I also know that he was instrumental in the capture of Dumfries Castle. That boy has a bright future in front of him, if he manages to stay alive.’

Xavier was sitting in the corner listening to this exchange whilst he polished the king’s sword. At first he didn’t recognise the unpleasant feeling he was experiencing as he listened to them praising Simon de Powburn, then he realised what it was – jealousy. At least he wouldn’t have to put up with the insufferable Northumbrian whelp for long as William Ross was planning to return to his principle fortress - Balnagown Castle near Kildary in Easter Ross.

Simon enjoyed the journey north. The further they went the wilder the landscape seemed to become and the fewer people they saw. Eventually they came to Inverness and made their way around Beauly Firth, past the Black Isle and along the shore of the Cromarty Firth until, at long last, they came to the castle. This was a wooden keep, surrounded by a stone wall called a shell keep, and an outer palisade. Simon was told that the shell keep would form the basis of the new stone castle that William Ross was planning.

At Balnagown the earl and his countess slept in the solar; there was no separate bedchamber as yet. Simon had a truckle bed in the corner by the door. However, he had only just got himself settled, having stowed his master’s clothing and gear in the coffers in the solar when the countess, Euphemia de Berkeley, swept in and asked him who he was.

‘I’m Simon de Powburn, my lady. The earl’s squire.’

‘I gathered that was temporary?’

‘So the earl told me, my lady but he hasn’t mentioned anything further about it to me and so I assumed that I would remain his squire.’ The boy had a feeling that this conversation was not going in the direction that he would have liked but he kept his face impassive.

‘Well, you assumed wrong.’ At that moment a boy a little older than Simon came into the room with a self-satisfied smirk on his face. ‘This is James de Berkley, my cousin.

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