The Courts of Love - Jean Plaidy [214]
Tancred, a mischievous man, had done his best to drive a wedge between the French and English Kings. He had tried to get Philip Augustus to side with him against Richard. Philip Augustus, however, declined to betray his friend.
All this time there was between the Kings of France and England this tiresome matter of Alais. Philip Augustus thought that Richard ought to marry her. He wanted to see his sister Queen of England. It was no use Richard’s protesting that he had no desire to marry at all, certainly not one who had been his father’s mistress and very likely borne his child. There was something indecent about it. He would not have it.
Philip Augustus said this was nonsense. Alais was a Princess of France. She had been kept more or less in captivity by Richard’s father. It was Richard’s duty to right the wrong his father had done her and marry her.
Richard said he would not. Philip Augustus said he must.
Unable to snare Philip Augustus into treacherous intrigue against Richard, Tancred tried to incriminate the French King in Richard’s eyes.
Richard said to me: “I did not in my heart believe Tancred. But he showed me letters which he said Philip Augustus had written to him. In these letters it was suggested that he and Tancred had plotted against me. I guessed the letters were forgeries.”
“Tancred is a dangerous man.”
“We are all dangerous men, Mother.”
“But you did not believe that Philip Augustus would work against you!”
“It is what was suggested. But it was clumsily done. I did not believe that of Philip Augustus. But I made him think I did. He was so angry that I should have doubted him. To tell the truth, I was heartily tired of the subject of Alais. He would not leave it alone. He was always bringing it up. I quarreled with him. I told him our friendship was at an end. He had betrayed me, I said, and therefore I was freed from the bond which bound me to his sister. I said: ‘My mother will arrange for me to marry Berengaria of Navarre, and that is what I shall do.’”
“So you are no longer friends?”
“Nothing will ever be the same between us.”
“That is good,” I said. “It was not a healthy friendship. And now, Richard, you will have a wife. You must devote your time to her. I have come so far. I want the marriage to take place now.”
I saw the evasive look in his eyes.
“But it is Lent,” he said. “A king’s marriage could not take place in Lent.”
“She is here, Richard. It will have to be soon.”
“When Lent is over, we shall see about it.”
“It must be then,” I said firmly.
I was very worried about what might be happening in England and the rest of the dominions. I tried to arouse Richard’s anxieties but he was so immersed in the crusade that he could not spare more than a fleeting thought for his subjects at home.
I said: “Richard, you have only just been crowned King. It is dangerous to have left your country so soon. What will the people think?”
“They should be proud that I am fighting God’s war,” he replied.
“That is a superficial emotion. They are already groaning under the taxes which they paid to finance it. Primarily people are interested in that which is happening to them. And what of John?”
“Well, what of John?”
“Do you realize that he wants the crown?”
“He has no chance. Arthur is the undisputed heir.”
“That is the trouble. John thinks he is the heir, as his father’s son. He is trying to persuade others that this is so.”
“If they believe him, they will be traitors.”
“That may be. But John is there, and many will not want a foreign boy to be heir to the throne. The situation is full of danger. If you were there, all would be well. Your father would never have gone away and left his kingdom unless he had to.”
“And look what he came to.”
“For the main