The Courts of Love - Jean Plaidy [242]
I told her of my grandfather’s Court and the manner in which he had abducted Dangerosa and carried her off to his castle. I remembered the legends sung in ballads by the jongleurs. I would often sing them to her. It was amazing how the memories of them came flooding back and I could remember the words of romanticized adventure as well as the music.
“How strange,” I said, “that my husband was Louis VII of France and yours will be Louis VIII. My Louis was a good, religious man, but good men at times can be tiresome . . . and so can the other kind. I had a taste of both, so I am well qualified to judge.” And I would tell her about Henry, the great Plantagenet, her own grandfather who had been so different from Louis. “We should have been good together,” I said wistfully. “But he could never be faithful. Women were his weakness.” I did not add that I thought it odd that his son Richard should have been so different.
I realized how much my granddaughter had done for me. There had been hours when I had forgotten to grieve for Richard.
We came to Bordeaux. It was comforting to be in my own castle. Here our ways divided: there was one road to Paris, the other to Fontevrault. I was feeling exhausted. Even the exhilaration I drew from my granddaughter could not disguise it. Fontevrault offered complete peace; there I could rest my weary limbs for a short time and shut myself away from all the burdens which I knew were waiting to fall upon my shoulders.
I sent for the Archbishop of Bordeaux. I told him that I had brought my granddaughter from the kingdom of Castile, and I wished him to take her to Paris and present her to the King, who was expecting her. I had just undertaken a long journey and I thought I could not go much farther. I would entrust him with the task of taking the future Queen of France to her prospective husband.
I was touched to see Blanche’s dismay when she knew I was not going with her to Paris.
“All will be well,” I assured her. “They will welcome you in Paris. The Archbishop will take good care of you.”
“Oh dearest Grandmother, I shall miss you so much.”
“We have been so happy together, have we not?” She nodded, her eyes brimmed with tears.
“Dear child, one of the saddest things in my life has been that I have not been able to stay long with those I loved.”
“I don’t know how I could have done all this without you,” she said. “I should have been terrified of going to the Court of France . . . but I am not now. You have explained so much. You have done so much for me.”
“And you will never know what you have done for me, my child. You have helped me over the first stile, and I have put a little of my grief behind me.”
I took a sad farewell of Blanche and she left Bordeaux in the retinue of the Archbishop. Soon she would be in Paris and my mission accomplished.
I intended to rest a few days in Bordeaux to strengthen myself for the last lap of my journey.
Mercadier had joined me. I was rather moved. He had in fact had his own mercenary army, but when the news of my abduction by Hugh de Lusignan had come to him, he asked to be attached to my entourage because he wanted to make sure I was protected from any more such villainous attempts. I was delighted to receive him into my service.
It was Easter time. There were processions in the streets. I would sit at a window looking down. It was so comforting to wake in the morning and to know that I had not to hurry down and start another day’s long journey.
But soon I was ready to go on.
This time I should have the doughty Mercadier to look after me, which was as well, for we had to pass through the valley of the Charente where I might meet with dissatisfied vassals like the Lusignans.
A shock awaited me.
There had been a brawl in the streets. Two men had drawn their swords and fought