‘Well, there are one or two matters. Mostly ready, yes.’
‘I have heard you were speaking to a servant. A drummer.’
‘The Irishman? Yes, we made some music with him.’
‘He is very good, I understand.’
‘Good enough,’ Ricard agreed, thinking of the rapid drumming of the bodhran. But then he frowned. What was this about? Whywould de Bouden wish to speak about the Irishman when he had so many other matters to concern him, not least the safety ofthe Queen?
He was answered immediately. ‘The Queen liked the look of the man. She knows he is respected as a drummer, and would enjoylistening to him during the journey. If you have space, you could bring him with you. Do you have too many men already?’
‘Well, no, I suppose …’
‘That is settled then. The whims of a queen are not to be lightly disregarded, man. You may go now.’
And Ricard found himself outside the door. With a perplexed, ‘Well, ballocks to that!’ he shook his head, wondering why deBouden wanted the man with them. He certainly did not believe the story about the Queen asking for him. There must be anotherreason.
And then he remembered — he hadn’t the faintest idea how to get back outside from here.
Chapter Ten
Feast of Piranus 10
Louvre, Paris
The King of France sat back on his throne as the cardinal entered, his robes hissing as the fur trimming swept over the floor.He stopped near the King, bowing but holding the King’s eye as he did so.
There was an arrogance in these men of God that no other would dare display before him, King Charles thought to himself, keepinghis features devoid of all emotion. It took an effort sometimes, in God’s name.
This one, Thomas d’Anjou, was one of the worst. Others would at least make some civil display as a matter of courtesy, butthis one was full of piss and wind. He had few of the attributes of a diplomat, and believed that anything he said would automaticallybe taken as the word of God. Arrogant fool! Well, kings could be arrogant too. And Charles was not of a mind to give up hisown position in the world just for a man in holy orders who wanted to pretend to have authority over him.
The cardinal looked about him at the knights and dukes surrounding the King, and King Charles gave a shrug of agreement, wavingthe men aside.
‘Your highness, I bring word from your Holy Father in Christ. The Pope has asked me to communicate his thoughts to you.’
Controlling his impatience, King Charles nodded. ‘Speak.’
‘He believes that the present state of affairs between your kingdom and that of the King of England is a canker that affectsthe whole of Christianity.’
‘Then he should aid me in my desire to see the king of the English become more reasonable.’
‘The Holy Father would like to see the English and French burying past disputes and coming to an agreement.’
‘I agree.’ King Charles wondered where this could be leading.
‘The Pope will be happy. There is an urgent need for a fresh crusade to wrest the Holy Land from the heathens who have overrunit. We must unite in our love of God to smite them and recover Christ’s birthplace.’
A crusade! That would be a marvellous undertaking. To lead his armies across the seas to Palestine was the height of a king’saspiration. ‘I would be delighted to join such an undertaking.’
‘It would permit both you and the English to join together in love of God to do His will. But first there must be peace betweenyour nations.’
‘There will be peace — as soon as my brother-in-law agrees to come and pay homage for the lands he holds from me. He mustcome here and kneel before me and swear his allegiance.’
‘Perhaps he will. But you should also make allowance for the fact that he is a king in his own right. He deserves respect.Especially if he makes the effort to come here and make his peace with you.’
‘For his realm, I have no ambition. For the lands of mine which I allow him to administer and rule, I expect him to show methe same respect as any knight, any marquis, any duke. Just as he expects of his barons and earls. We are of a similar mind.’
‘Perhaps another embassy would aid the negotiations?’
The King pursed his lips. ‘And who would you have me send? Or do you suppose to tell me whom the English should send to me?’
‘I am sure that you will have heard that the Pope has requested the English to send your sister to you. That way, you wouldhave a friend with whom to discuss this affair.’
‘It is entirely up to the English king whom he decides to send to me.’
‘I know that, naturally. But, if he were to send the Queen, would you be comfortable to negotiate with her?’
‘I have already indicated to the English king that I would.’
‘In that case, I am pleased. Perhaps we can hope to see a successful resolution of this matter before long. And then we mayhope to begin to plan for a crusade.’
King Charles nodded and the audience was over. The cardinal bowed again, this time walking backwards all the way to the doorout of the hall, showing considerably more respect than he had on the way in.
In the past King Charles’s father, King Philip the Fair, had been able to rely on several well-trusted advisers, but one inparticular, William de Nogaret, had been especially dependable. There were few of his stature now, sadly, since his death.It was William to whom Philip had turned when he needed a pretext to expel the Jews and take over their wealth; it was thesame William who had written up the accusations against the Knights Templar which had seen them persecuted, tortured, killed,and their wealth confiscated to the benefit of the Crown.
But Charles had some advisers of his own, whose loyalty was beyond doubt. He looked around him now, and beckoned Françoisde Tours.
‘What did you make of that?’
François was older than the King by a decade. He was a lean, tall, ascetic man who spent much of his time, when the King wastravelling, in the Île de la Cité, the ancient palace that had grown to become the centre of all administration for the Frenchstate. Now he stood and bent respectfully at the King’s side.
‘He plainly wished to see how you would react to the idea of Queen Isabella’s coming here to meet and treat with you in herhusband’s place.’
‘So that means that the Pope himself already knows that the English are likely to send her, then.’
‘I should think it likely.’
‘And he is concerned as to how I may respond to her.’
‘I would assume that would be because of her part in the affair of the Tour de Nesle, my liege.’
The mere mention of that episode was enough to make King Charles forget to maintain his equanimity. His face flushed, andhe had to clench his jaw a moment to prevent his angry words from spilling out, but then he regained control, his featureslost their angry colour, and he could breathe a gentle sigh.
‘I have forgiven her that.’
‘I was analysing the situation, your highness. If I gave offence, I-’
‘No, François. You were correct to mention it. You must always feel free to advise me without fear. I cannot trust your judgementif you are anxious about raising certain matters before me.’
But it was a difficulty, as both men knew. King Charles still had no children. His father had died eleven years ago, and KingCharles was the fourth king since then. He was the last in the male line of the Capetian blood. If he were to die withouta son, his family would have failed.
If only that slut Marguerite de Burgundy, his brother’s wife, had not been so promiscuous. The bitch took delight in all things,and her position as the wife of the future king of France gave her leeway unavailable to others. But when she was discoveredin her adultery her fall was devastating. She was dead within the year — but the damage was already done. It broke his father’sheart, and Philip the Fair was dead a twelvemonth later.