Louis entered the room. He flicked a glance at the cradle but did not venture over for a look, and quickly turned to the pile of gifts, of which he had been told by Alienor’s steward. ‘Generous indeed,’ he said, but with a slight curl of distaste at the luxury, although that changed when Alienor gave him the reliquary containing the scrap of the Virgin’s cloak. His face lit up and his breathing quickened.
‘My uncle says he sends it to you for safekeeping because he knows you will treasure it.’
Louis ran his thumb over the smooth rock crystal. ‘For safekeeping?’
She held out the letter to him. ‘He says his situation is becoming increasingly perilous since the fall of Edessa and that he is involved in constant skirmishes with the Saracens.’
Louis took the letter over to the window to let the light filtering through the oiled linen fall on the parchment.
Alienor stroked Marie’s soft pink cheek. She had been close to giving birth when the news had reached Paris that the Turks had taken the Frankish Christian principality of Edessa and under their leader Zengi, Prince of Aleppo, now threatened Antioch, governed by her uncle Raymond, the County of Tripoli, and the Kingdom of Jerusalem itself.
The letter reiterated the dangers faced by the remaining states. Representatives were being sent to Rome to discuss what might be done to support those in Outremer, and Raymond hoped Alienor and Louis could bring their weight to bear, given that their kin were so closely involved.
Louis pursed his lips. Last year at Saint-Denis he had made a vow to go on pilgrimage to the Holy Sepulchre to do penance for what had happened at Vitry, to expiate his broken vow over Bourges, and to fulfil a promise to pray for the soul of his dead older brother at the tomb of the Holy Sepulchre. The first news of the fall of Edessa had deeply agitated him. Although the initial upset had diminished, it still needled him. ‘It is our duty to help,’ he said, looking at the reliquary. ‘We cannot allow the infidel to overrun our holy places. We should offer them all the support we can muster.’
‘In what way?’
He turned from the window. ‘I shall issue a summons to arms when the court assembles for Christmas at Bourges. I shall fulfil my vow of pilgrimage and free Edessa from the infidel at the same time.’ He spoke as if it were a simple matter, no more complicated than organising a day’s hunt.
His words jolted her for a moment, but underneath she was unsurprised, because such a venture would be perfect for him. He would be the humble penitent and pilgrim, but he would also be the conquering hero, imbued with all the glamour of the devout king riding at the head of an army to save Christendom.
A spark of hope kindled in her breast. During his absence someone would have to take the reins. She could accomplish so much if only she were able to use her power instead of being constantly stifled and pinned down. Moreover, he would be gone for perhaps two years, and so much could happen in that time. ‘It is indeed a great undertaking,’ she said, her voice made vibrant by the possibilities.
Louis gave her a wary, slightly puzzled look, and she swiftly turned away to fuss the baby again. ‘Is it wrong to say I am proud of my husband?’
His expression softened. ‘Pride is a sin,’ he said, ‘but I am pleased you think well of my idea.’
‘We must make the Christmas court a great occasion,’ she said, and when Louis began to frown added, ‘with due seriousness and praise to God, of course, but men who are well fêted will be more open to suggestion. Besides, since the festival is to be held at Bourges, all will see that you are God’s anointed King.’
‘Very well,’ he said, as if offering her a gracious concession, and came to the cradle to chuck his daughter under the chin; and that too was an honour, for usually he took no interest in the child.
Alienor wore her crown at Bourges and presided with Louis over a gathering of all the nobles and bishops of France. They had been feasted, entertained, and then addressed by Louis and the Bishop of Langres concerning the matter of relief for Edessa, and ultimately the Kingdom of Jerusalem.
‘Make no mistake!’ Louis cried, his face suffused with passion and his eyes glittering like sapphires. ‘If we do not go, then Tripoli will fall, then Antioch, and even Jerusalem itself. We cannot let this happen in the very place where Christ’s footsteps as a mortal man imprinted the dust. I tell you all, it is your God-given duty to ride with me and bring succour to our beleaguered kin!’
It was a fine speech and the Bishop of Langres followed it with more burning oratory designed to put fire in men’s bellies. Louis’s household knights banged their fists on the tables and stirred the cheering to greater heights, as did the men of Aquitaine and Poitou, but following the initial surge, there was less enthusiasm. Men were dubious about being away from their dealings at home for so long a time, living in tents and fighting infidels. Although reaction to the speeches was politely enthusiastic, privately many barons held back from commitment. Abbé Suger openly declared that France needed Louis more than the Holy Land did and the expedition, while well intentioned, was ill conceived.
Louis was furious. In the privacy of his chamber he wept and kicked the furniture and stormed about like a thwarted child. ‘Why do they not see it?’ he raged. ‘Why will they not follow me? Have I not given them everything?’
Alienor watched him rant and felt irritated. She too had been disappointed by the response, but again not surprised. It was like driving cattle. You had to constantly prod them to keep them moving, and nip their heels when they came to an obstacle in the road. ‘Give them time to grow used to the idea,’ she said. ‘Many will change their minds when spring begins to heat their blood. We have yet to hear a ruling from the Pope. You have sown the seed today on the feast of the Christ child’s birth. Now give them time to ponder the idea, and approach them again at the time of His crucifixion and rising.’
Louis unclenched his fists and breathed out hard. ‘When I think of how they have refused me …’
‘If you spend that time in lobbying and making preparations, it is not wasted,’ she said. ‘As to Suger: he is growing old. He would rather not have you away from France, but that is his weakness, not yours.’
‘My mind is made up; I shall go whatever the objections.’ Louis’s face wore the stubborn look she knew so well.
Alienor was thoughtful as she joined her ladies. They were dancing to music and had inveigled some of the younger household knights to join them. Raoul was in their midst, laughing and flirting as usual. Petronella was not with him at court, being in confinement at Arras, soon to bear their second child.
Catching Alienor’s eye, he excused himself and joined her.
‘You make bold in your wife’s absence, sire,’ she remarked.
Raoul shrugged. ‘It is only dancing.’
‘And what the eye does not see, the heart does not grieve over?’
‘I would never do anything to grieve Petronella.’
‘I am pleased to hear it, because if you did, I would have to cut out your heart and the part of you that has offended.’
‘Your sister is full capable of doing that herself,’ he said wryly, and then folded his arms. ‘Did you desire to speak with me other than to warn me off other women?’
She gave him a taut smile. ‘I want you to exert your talents in other directions of persuasion. I would like you to put your mind to swaying the opinion of men who are reluctant to commit to Louis’s project to rescue Edessa.’
He eyed her with sharp amusement. ‘Even if I am one of them?’
‘I doubt that,’ she said. ‘You are shrewd and ambitious enough to know the benefits. Given your years, you may prefer to remain in France with all the advantages that might entail.’
He continued to look amused, but wary too. ‘You are keen to have this project succeed. I understand your desire to help your uncle. You say to me that what the eye does not see, the heart does not grieve over, but perhaps it is true for you also. Does it not concern you that your husband will be absent for two years at the least and facing great danger?’