CHAPTER FIVE
Westminster Palace
Chamber of the Guard
“… and after the party last night, God only knows how many noblemen with headaches we are going to have perusing the grounds,” Garret was saying. “Just remember that most, if not all of them, are John’s allies and have no business here at Westminster. We must remove them from the grounds as soon as possible.”
He was speaking to a room full of knights and senior soldiers. It was early in the morning and the men from the night watch were just going to bed as men from the day watch were heading out to their posts. Garret was in command of fifty highly-trained knights but it was de Nerra, du Bois, Forbes, and Penden who formed his inner circle, men who weren’t relegated to a day watch or a night watch. They attended both watches, sleeping a mere few hours at a time, because that was the example that Garret had set for them.
Zayin, too, was part of this group although it was in an unofficial capacity. Although the men in Garret’s command accepted Zayin as one of their own, the truth was that he was not an English knight. Some lesser-minded men saw him as the enemy, still, and it was a prejudice that Zayin had been forced to deal with. He was a dark-skinned Arab in a land of white-skinned English, and the English weren’t very accepting of those who were different from them.
Still, Zayin took it all in stride and five years after leaving his homeland, he’d settled in with the English knights and went about his duties the same as they did, all of it directed at serving Garret, the man who had saved his life. That debt he owed the man had yet to be paid off. The longer Zayin remained in England, the more he wondered if it would be because he liked it here and he liked his friends.
It had been a good life for him, in spite of everything.
“How are we to remove John’s drunken guests, Garret?” Gart asked. Leaning against the wall next to Zayin, he projected in imposing figure with his shaved skull, high cheekbones, and muscular body. “John’s mercenaries have not left the grounds, either. I put additional guards on the royal residence last night to protect it against any of those mercenaries who might entertain any bright ideas of breaching it.”
Garret was clearly displeased with the morning-after John’s lavish party. “Estimations were that John only had about two hundred men with him last night,” he said. “They were mostly concentrated at the gate and in the hall. Any that were found wandering were quickly chased back into the hall. I can summon a thousand soldiers to run those bastards right out of Westminster if need be, so I suggest we form groups and go after these mercenaries, wherever they may be hiding, to clear them out. Bodily thrown them from Westminster if you have to. In fact, Gart will be in charge of organizing the groups. Once the mercenaries are out, go about your business with the nobility but be polite. No use in starting a war simply because we do not want them here.”
The knights nodded, looking at each other, agreeing with what they were being told. “Where is the prince?” Rhys asked. “I have not seen him since last night.”
Garret glanced at the big knight with the brilliant blue eyes. “I am told he is in the royal residence, so he is still on the grounds. I will deal with him when the time comes, so you men go about your business. Rid this place of John’s supporters and we shall all sleep better tonight.”
It was the end of his usual morning briefing and the senior soldiers began to filter out of the chamber, which was located in the great gatehouse, called South Gate, near the great hall and had a splendid view of the palace yard and the main gate. It was the place where the Royal Guard gathered, as they were now, and it was for Garret’s personal use as well, as the Captain of the Royal Guard.
As the men began to filter out, followed by most of the knights, Garret’s inner circle remained behind because they knew there would be more instructions and conversation that didn’t involve the lesser ranks. Gart moved to pour himself some warmed, watered wine as Rhys and Knox hunted down the food that was on the table behind Garret. He’d had it brought to break his fast, but the bread and butter and boiled beef fell victim to those with appetites greater than his. Garret did manage to get a piece of warm bread before it disappeared.
“What happened with Colchester’s party last night, Garret?” Gavin asked. “I went looking for you later in the evening but my sister said you had left with one of the duchess’ ladies.”
It was a fairly innocent question, asked purely out of curiosity, but Garret hadn’t been expecting it. He wasn’t aware his men had known where he’d gone last night even though he’d been gone a few hours. In fact, he felt rather embarrassed by the question because he didn’t want to tell his men why he’d taken a woman away from Westminster and into London to seek entertainment. That would have sounded extremely foolish. Therefore, he struggled to come up with a modified version of the truth.
“Did your sister tell you who the lady was?” he asked Gavin.
The man shook his head. “I did not get that far,” he said. “She told me where you’d gone and then she suddenly demanded that I dance with her. I do not like dancing with my sister.”
“Why not?”
“Because it makes me look pathetic. As if no other woman will dance with me!”
Over at the table, Knox Penden snorted. “It is the truth, Gavin,” he said, his mouth full of bread. “With that face, you scare all of the women away.”
Gavin lashed a hand in Knox’s direction and ended up thumping Rhys instead, which was never a good thing. Young though he might be, Rhys du Bois was a master of the double-swords, which he kept strapped to specially-made sheathes on his back. He wasn’t wearing his swords at the moment, but he had fists the size of a five-pound ham hock and he could strike a man unconscious with one blow.
When Gavin realized he’d hit Rhys, he held up his hands to the man in supplication, hoping the young knight wasn’t angered with him. As Rhys decided whether or not to retaliate, Knox simply continued laughing at him.
“I would not laugh if I were you, Penden,” Gavin said. “I shall strike you when you least expect it.”
Knox wasn’t concerned. A truly likable man and a loyal friend, he simply shrugged and went back to the food. Garret watched the situation, hoping that Gavin’s question had been forgotten because of it but, unfortunately for him, Gavin’s curiosity wasn’t so easily cast aside.
“Where did you take the lady last night?” he persisted. “And why you? If she was a Colchester woman, why not one of their men?”
Garret washed down his bread with watered wine. “Because I happened to be there,” he said simply. “I was speaking with my brother when it came to my attention that Hawisa had asked to meet one of Colchester’s women. Of course, the woman was in a panic and since Rickard could not take her to safety, I volunteered. That is all there is to it.”
Zayin, who was seated over by the hearth, kept his mouth shut. He was watching Garret casually answer the question and make it seem as if there was nothing to fuss over. Perhaps that was true, but there was more to it than what he was telling his colleagues. Still, that was no concern of Zayin’s, but it only confirmed to him that something about that lovely woman with the catch in her speech had Garret’s attention. If she didn’t, he wouldn’t have struggled to appear so casual about the situation.
The wise, black-eyed knight was finally showing that he was human, after all.
As Zayin pondered Garret’s surprising interest in a woman, Gavin seemed satisfied with Garret’s answer and let the subject go. Then conversation then turned to the party in general, comments on the entertainment and the food. Everyone seemed quite impressed with it, even if it had been given by the prince. Finally, with the food in the chamber eaten and the wine gone, the knights were about to leave to continue on with their duties when a familiar figure entered the solar.
Hubert Walter was the man who controlled England at this time. With the king in France, and John and his supporters restless, the mantle of defense fell upon Walter. In fact, it was Walter who commanded the Royal Guard as the Chief Justiciar, a position he had assumed when the former head of King Richard’s regency council had surrendered the position. A man with a noble family history, he was also the Bishop of Salisbury, deeply loyal to Richard and to England, and the moment he entered the damp coolness of the solar, all chatter stopped. Garret was the first one to greet him.
“My lord,” he said. “A good morning to you.”
Walter headed in the direction of the table with the food on it, putting a hand on Gavin’s shoulder as he passed by the man. Gaunt and middle-aged, he was a powerful man and wielded more power than any of his predecessors. He was also somewhat likable, and an excellent communicator, which endeared him to the rank and file. Garret and his knights were no exception; they respected Walter a great deal, far more than any other man who’d held the position.
“I see it is business as usual this morning,” Walter said as Rhys handed the man the last half-cup of warmed wine. “After last night’s orgy, I was taking wagers on who, exactly, would be moving without pain this morning. You men look well enough.”
Garret gave him a half-smile. “We were on duty, my lord,” he said, “and you know I do not allow my men to drink to excess on duty.”
Walter sipped at his wine. “That is what makes you an excellent commander, Garret,” he said. “You always have your wits about you.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
Walter continued to sip at the now-cooling wine, finally turning to the knights still in the room. “I am sure you have duties you all must attend to,” he said. “Do not let me keep you.”
That was a kind way of kicking them out of the chamber. Rhys and Gart headed for the door first, ever the obedient soldiers, followed quickly by Gavin and Knox. Even Zayin was moving for the door but Walter stopped him.
“Zayin,” he said quietly. “You will remain.”
Zayin paused but not before he caught curious glances from Knox and Gavin. When the four knights were out of the chamber and the heavy oak door shut securely behind them, Walter turned to Garret.
“I know they are your men and you trust them, but what I have to say is not for their ears, at least not now,” he said. “You may tell them in time but, at the moment, you and I have matters to discuss. Zayin, come over here. Your counsel may be required.”
Interested, Zayin headed over to the table where Walter and Garret were standing. Walter drained his cup before continuing.
“With the preparation for John’s gathering over the past few weeks, I have withheld some information because I felt it was something that could wait,” he said to Garret. “You had enough on your mind with preparing Westminster for the onslaught of John’s supporters. But now that the party is over, it is time that you know a few things.”
Garret was genuinely curious. “What is it, my lord?”
Walter moved to the nearest chair. “Where to start is more the question,” he said. “I suppose I shall start with Richard. He is in France, as you know, attempting to regain Norman lands that he believes belong to him.”
“I know, my lord.”
Walter held up a finger. “What you do not know is that this military operation is becoming larger by the day,” he said. “Richard has been calling his English nobles in to France, men of great wealth. Thousands of troops are moving to Southampton and Portsmouth for transports to take then to Le Havre. Did you not notice that the House of de Lohr has been conspicuously absent from London as of late? That is because Christopher is moving men to France. Richard has called upon him and his army, which is of grave concern to me.”
Garret’s brow furrowed. “I have not seen David or Chris in a couple of months,” he said. “But they made no mention of moving into France with Richard at the time.”
“That is because this has all come about in the past month or so. But I will tell you why this concerns me so – the House of de Lohr has one of the largest armies in England and certainly the largest on the Welsh Marches, and that army is dedicated to Richard. With most of that army in France, that will create an opportunity for John the likes of which he might not see ever again.”
Garret was catching on quickly. “He will stage a move against his brother, then?” he asked. But there was some confusion there. “But he has been supporting his brother for the past two years. There has been no hint of rebellion from John.”
Walter nodded faintly. “With John, rebellion is always a possibility,” he said. “Richard has called on his other great houses as well – de Russe, de Lara, de Royans. In fact, Juston de Royans is moving south from Yorkshire with his army, or so I have been told. They are all answering Richard’s call.”
“And you believe John may take advantage of this?”
“England will be drained of men loyal to the king. If you were John, what would you do? I fear the temptation will be too great.”
Garret didn’t like the sound of any of that. In fact, he began shaking his head. “Does Richard not understand this?” he asked. “He is calling away all of his supporters. Those of us left behind will be the last line of defense between him and his ambitious brother if, in fact, John decides he is no longer an ally of Richard. He has switched loyalties before, too many times to count.”
Walter nodded. “I know,” he said. “That is why I do not trust him. In fact, I have sent word to de Lohr and de Royans about this. I am asking them to leave at least one-third of their men behind. De Winter is already in France but he has left a few thousand men in and around Norfolk to maintain some control there. De Velt, too – they have control of Coventry and the surrounding area.”
“What of Wellesbourne and de Reyne?”
“They are moving men, but I understand less than half their respective armies. That means Wellesbourne will hold fast against Warwick and de Reyne has control of the Northumberland coast.”
“What of de Wolfe?”
Walter held up a finger. “Ah,” he said. “The heart of England shall be secured by de Wolfe. The Earl of Wolverhampton has already been in touch with me. He is sending a small amount of men, merging it with the de Lohr army. In truth, Garret, I do not believe it will be dire, but if John takes this opportunity, we must be ready to respond.”
Garret was quickly coming to understand that. “My father’s castle of Rushmere holds around a thousand men,” he said. “Gaubert de Moray is loyal to the king to his very bones but I will have to ask my brother if our father is sending men to France. I have not had contact with my father in a few months so I do not know, but my brother might. He is my father’s heir, after all.”
Walter was rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Your father’s stronghold is near Wolverhampton, is it not?”
“To the south, my lord, near the Welsh Marches.”
Walter moved from rubbing his chin to scratching it. “Do not ask your brother anything, Garret,” he said quietly, dropping his hand from his face. “We have reason to believe that the Duke of Colchester is in support of the prince, which means your brother, as his knight, would be part of the rebellion.”
Garret’s dark eyebrows lifted. “Rickard is loyal to Richard, my lord,” he said flatly. “He would not support the prince in any rebellion against the crown.”
“He would if he was ordered to. He serves Colchester now.”
Garret didn’t have a quick response to that, mostly because it was true. In fact, a sense of horror began to creep over him. “Colchester is in collusion with the prince?” he finally said. “How would you know this?”
Walter could see that Garret was upset by the suggestion no matter how hard the man tried to pretend otherwise. “I have an army of spies, Garret,” he muttered. “You know this. Why do you think Colchester was at the prince’s party last night? The prince has been trying to convince the man to lend him his support. The bits of conversation that were heard between them last night seemed to allude to that. Your brother might not even be aware of it.”
“Then I will ask him.”
Walter held up a hand as if to ease the situation. “If you do, make no reference to what we suspect,” he said. “Until you can determine whose side your brother is on, tell him nothing. It could get back to his liege and then our element of surprise would be ruined.”
Although he wasn’t intending to, Walter was essentially calling Rickard a traitor to the king. It was difficult for Garret to hear but he understood the situation, perhaps more clearly than most. He struggled to drink it all in.
“Then there has been a good deal going on that you have not told me,” he said, leaning back against the table.
Walter could see the shock on the man’s face. “There was no reason to tell you anything because you had enough on your mind as of late,” he said, “but given the situation, it is my belief that the prince and Colchester could possibly be in collusion to wrest power from Richard, and Richard is playing into their hands by demanding men from his supporters in England for his war in Normandy.”
“Does Richard know this?”
“It has been difficult to convince him of his brother’s intentions. John has been a strong supporter of Richard regaining Normandy and Richard holds true to that loyalty. It seems as if he is more than willing to forgive John for any past transgressions.”
Garret sighed heavily. “If he does not heed your warning, then he may have to retake England from his brother by this time next year,” he said. “And all of these mercenaries and supporters here at Westminster must be purged immediately and the palace secured for Richard.”
“My thoughts, exactly.”
“The White Tower, too. We must secure all of Richard’s properties.”
Walter rose from his chair, nodding his head wearily. “At least until we know what John is planning, if anything,” he said. Then, he looked to Zayin, who had been sitting quietly, listening to all that was said. “And you? What do you have to say to all of this?”
Zayin had been digesting everything, much as Garret had been. Because the situation didn’t involve his family or his property, he had the uncanny ability to see both side of the situation clearly. Walter knew this, which was why he’d asked the man to remain. When Zayin looked up at the pair, realizing they were looking for his opinion, he shifted in his chair.
“If you do not wish for the prince to discover that you are suspicious of him, then I would advise against making it known that you are shoring up Richard’s properties,” he said. “That would tell the prince that you do, indeed, suspect his motives. Although I agree that Westminster and the Tower must be secured, do it quietly. As if it is something normal, but be swift about it. Salibi, you must ask your brother what he knows. If he knows nothing, then you must ask him to discover what Colchester is up to. If you are truly suspicious that the prince and Colchester are allied against Richard, then your brother could provide proof either way. All of the spies in England could not get as close to Colchester as your brother can.”
Garret knew it was sage advice but he hated putting his brother in the middle of it. “You are asking my brother to be a spy.”
“It would be asking him to be an advocate for his king. The unfortunate truth is that Rickard may hold the key to everything.”
He was right. Garret couldn’t even argue about it because it made the most sense. But he couldn’t stomach putting his brother in harm’s way. He looked at Zayin.
“Colchester is the man who nearly murdered you in The Levant,” he muttered.
That fact had been established long ago and Zayin simply nodded. “I realize that.”
“This is Alfaar we are speaking of.”
“I am well aware.”
“What he tried to do to you, he could do to my brother if he discovered my brother is spying against him.”
“Your brother is a warrior. If he is truly a supporter of the king, then he will be willing to take the risk.”
Garret had no more argument. He simply shook his head and turned away, trying to absorb everything. Walter watched him pace for a moment before turning his attention to Zayin.
“Alfaar,” he repeated. “I have heard that name before.”
Zayin was concerned about Garret and his reaction to all of this. He, too, watched Garret pace for a moment before answering Walter.
“That is how Sir Garret and I came to know each other,” he said. “He saved me from an English knight who tried to assassinate me and make it seem as if the Templars were the ones who would have committed the murder. On the journey back to England from my home, we realized that Jago de Nantes had survived after trying to kill me because we saw him with the hordes of Christians making their way home. Colchester has never recognized Sir Garret as the man who saved me and, although he has seen me once or twice since our return those years ago, he has never recognized me as the man he tried to kill.”
Now it was Walter’s turn to be surprised. “Then it is Colchester whom the men called Alfaar?”
Zayin nodded. “It suits him.”
“What does it mean?”
“The Rat.”
Walter grinned. “Ah, it does suit him,” he said. But he quickly sobered, turning to Garret, once more. “Garret, I know this is a great deal to digest, but it is important we form some plan of action where your brother is concerned. Zayin is correct; Rickard’s inside knowledge could be invaluable to our cause. It could make the difference between Richard holding the throne and losing it.”
Garret has his back turned to them. “You cannot put the success of this entire endeavor on my brother’s shoulders,” he said. “That is a lot to ask of the man.”
Walter made his way over to Garret, shuffling over the stone floor. He put a bony hand on Garret’s shoulder.
“Rickard is a knight,” he said simply. “He has been trained to endure all the vocation involves, including discovering if his liege is a traitor to the king. Do you feel as if he would refuse to do this?”
Garret hesitated a moment before shaking his head. “Nay,” he said. “He will do what needs to be done. I… I suppose I simply do not want to put him in that position.”
“There is no one else.”
Walter was right. God help him, Garret knew the man was right. The situation in England was growing critical and the politics right along with it, so they were all involved to a certain extent. Some more than most. And Rickard, who had been so proud of his appointment with Colchester might very well be putting that appointment in jeopardy.
For the safety of England, he was going to have to go above and beyond.
“Very well,” Garret finally said. “I will go and see my brother. I will speak with him and determine if he can be trusted in this matter. I cannot imagine his loyalties have changed to the prince even if Colchester has swung in that direction, but I will discover what I can.”
Walter patted him on the shoulder. “Excellent,” he said. “I know this is difficult for you, Garret, but it is necessary. When you are finished speaking with him, come to me and tell me what you know.”
Garret simply nodded. Walter patted him on the shoulder one last time before quitting the chamber, shuffling out into the morning that was already becoming heated and humid from the moisture of the river. When the man was gone and the door shut behind him, Zayin stood up from his chair.
“Your brother is not a fool, Salibi,” he said quietly. “He will not put himself in any more danger than necessary. And his wife is carrying their child. He would never do anything to put his wife and child in danger. You must not worry so.”
Garret knew that but he was still protective over his brother and what he was about to ask the man to do. “I know,” he said. “I suppose I should head over to The Wix this morning to see him. I did not have much opportunity to speak with him last night, so I can use that as my excuse to visit this morning.”
He was already moving for the door and Zayin followed. “You can also see Lady Lyssa this morning,” he said casually, although he was watching Garret for a reaction. “You can see how she fares after hitting her head last night.”
That brought back memories of the previous evening, some wonderful, some not so wonderful. Garret rolled his eyes as he put his hand on the door latch.
“Christ,” he muttered. “She will probably want nothing to do with me after that debacle.”
The corners of Zayin’s mouth twitched. “Then you do want her attention.”
Garret’s head snapped to him, fully prepared to deny it, but he found he couldn’t. Now, thoughts of Rickard were shifting to thoughts of Lyssa and he was suddenly very eager to go to The Wix.
“I shall not confirm or deny anything,” he said, shoving the door open into the sticky morning beyond.
Zayin grinned. “She is a beautiful woman. You can confess your intentions if you wish.”
“Oh, shut up.”
Zayin laughed all the way to the armory.