‘And this other man, de Rancon?’
Her uncle’s tone was mild but she was not deceived. ‘I would have married him, not Louis, if I had been given the choice.’
‘Would you indeed?’ Raymond looked thoughtful, his posture that of a great indolent lion. ‘But not such a good choice for Aquitaine. Would the people follow him? Would they account him Duke? Louis may have proved to be a fool, but your father’s policy was sound at the time. De Rancon would not be a wise choice to make even if you were free; I strongly counsel you against it.’
Alienor swallowed her anger, and a frisson of alarm. She could only be thankful again that she was sending Geoffrey back to Aquitaine. She liked her uncle, but she had no illusions. He was ruthless, because only a ruthless man could survive in this environment. ‘I am not foolish,’ she said. ‘I see further than I did at thirteen years old. My decision will be the best one for Aquitaine.’
‘Some might consider Louis expendable,’ Raymond said after a moment.
Alienor looked down at her hands. ‘That is up to them, but he is an anointed king, and I believe they would only create more difficulties by solving the one.’
‘Indeed,’ Raymond replied and smoothly continued as if he had not just broached the matter of having Louis removed: ‘I have still to gain your husband’s measure in terms of how far he can be persuaded on matters of policy and whether he will agree to a campaign against Aleppo.’
‘His desire is all for Jerusalem,’ she said. ‘I doubt he will heed you, because you are my uncle and of Aquitaine. You have seen how it is between us. He will not listen to me, and neither will those around him, although his brother may be more open to reason.’
‘Ah, Robert. And he too has ambitions, I think.’
‘He would be King of France, but he is cautious. He may agree with your policies, but do not expect him to support you unless it suits his purpose.’
Raymond drummed his fingers on the back of the bench. ‘The men of Aquitaine? They would stay?’
‘You are my father’s brother, they would follow you – I think you know that. Certainly they would stay with me rather than follow Louis.’
He nodded purposefully and stood up. ‘Time I retired,’ he said. ‘There is much to consider. I shall speak with Louis on the matter of Aleppo … and if I cannot bring him to agree, then we shall have to think of a different way around the dilemma.’
She rose too and he tenderly kissed her brow. ‘All will be well, I promise you.’
Alienor’s throat tightened. ‘My father always kissed me and told me the same thing – but it wasn’t true.’
Raymond gave a mordant smile. ‘We were both speaking of the future, my dear, not the present.’
A noise in the darkness to their left made them turn swiftly, but there was nothing to see, and when they listened they could only hear the splash of the fountain and the soft chirring of crickets. ‘There are many cats abroad at night,’ Raymond said with a curled lip, ‘all with their ears pricked and their eyes shining like mirrors. Go now, quickly.’
Her heart hammering, Alienor stepped inside her chamber. Marchisa was waiting to light her back to her room, and Gisela was sitting up on her pallet with the gauze curtain drawn back and her eyes wide. ‘Madam?’
‘Go back to sleep,’ Alienor said, her voice quiet but terse.
‘Madam.’ Gisela’s curtain swished back down.
Alienor stretched out on her own bed. Marchisa left quietly, having placed the lamp in a chain holder. The flame softly flickered, creating reflections and patterns on the marble floor, the fire drawing in the direction of the faint breeze from the lancet windows high above the bed. She lay awake for a long time, her hand on her womb, and watched the flow of the light over the floor and walls until the lamp guttered and went out.
Louis found Raymond of Antioch disturbing and irritating in equal measure. His height, strength and golden presence made Louis feel that he had to puff out his own chest and try to match him; yet his best always seemed inadequate.
‘We should strike at Aleppo,’ Raymond said firmly. ‘That is the greatest threat to Antioch now that Edessa has fallen to the Turk. If we can take it, then we will have stability for years to come.’
‘I am not convinced it is a good idea,’ Louis said. ‘Edessa is already lost. Aleppo may be important to you, but we must listen to what the King of Jerusalem and his barons have to say. I say it would be better to concentrate on Damascus.’ He shot Raymond a challenging look, and was gratified and also a little afraid to see the flash of temper in the Prince’s blue eyes.
‘That would be folly,’ Raymond snapped. ‘It would be much simpler and more sensible to take Aleppo first and then deal with Damascus.’
‘From your point of view, yes, but that may not be the opinion of Jerusalem.’ Louis looked over his shoulder at Thierry de Galeran and his uncle William de Montferrat, who both nodded agreement.
‘We are like a row of pins. Knock one down and it will crash into another and then another. Edessa has already fallen and Antioch is the next pin in that sequence. If I fall, then Tripoli follows, and then the precious Kingdom of Jerusalem. And all for the want of a decisive strike now.’
Louis eyed Raymond’s clenched fist and took a perverse pleasure in saying, ‘So you say, but I well know the situation and wish to take other counsel.’
Raymond raised his eyebrows. ‘Indeed, sire? Then in knowing, you must have great insight, since you do not dwell here.’
‘Sometimes it takes someone with a longer view.’ Louis leaned back, aping the indolent pose Raymond often assumed. ‘My intent is to ride down to Jerusalem and fulfil my pilgrimage. Once that is accomplished, I shall consider the battlefield again.’
‘Some of us do not have that choice,’ Raymond said with asperity. ‘You came to help, but I see now you have no intention of doing so.’
Louis gave him a steely look. ‘I shall do what I consider best, not what you would have me do to suit yourself.’
Raymond swallowed and Louis could almost see him grinding his teeth. It made him want to smile. He could play the game and beat this man whom he had disliked and distrusted on sight.
‘Sire, I hope you will reconsider,’ Raymond said stiffly. ‘Perhaps we should talk again on another occasion when you have had opportunity to reflect.’
Louis dipped his head. ‘I shall think on the matter, but I doubt I shall change my mind.’
Raymond left quietly, but the atmosphere around him was tense with suppressed rage. Louis was wary, but content. It gave him a sense of power and achievement to know he could defeat Raymond just by refusing. And after all, the opinion of Jerusalem was what really mattered.
His brother Robert cleared his throat and folded his arms. ‘I think we should help him to take Aleppo,’ he said. ‘We need to look at the future when we are gone from here. He does have a point.’
Louis scowled. ‘I will not have my hand forced. I do not trust him. He is little better than a Greek and a bad influence. He courts people with fine words and gilded trappings, but it is all false. A snail may produce the colour purple from its shell, but it still leaves a trail of slime.’ Louis affected an imperious air. ‘I shall go to Jerusalem. The honour of Christ stands far above the needs and conceits of this man.’
Alienor waited until she was certain Louis was alone in his chamber. Having spent an hour at his prayers, he was composing messages to Abbé Suger using a stylus and a waxed tablet before retiring to bed.
‘I must speak with you,’ she said.
Louis gave her a supercilious look. ‘Can you spare the time away from your precious uncle to do so?’
She gave a sigh of annoyance. ‘He is my closest living kin on my father’s side. We have much to talk about.’
‘I am sure you do,’ he sneered.
Alienor wanted to slap him. ‘He is right about Aleppo. You said you would help him, so why are you refusing now? Do you not see how important it is?’