Crusade by Stewart Binns Read Free Book Online Page B

from England – which was usually two or three times a year – his relationship with Robert worsened. Only the intervention of Robert’s mother, the formidable Matilda, kept the peace.
    To Robert’s great dismay, his father seemed to favour his thirdborn, William Rufus, especially after his secondson, Richard, died in a hunting accident in 1074. His name was the clue to William’s preference. Rufus ‘the Red’ was tall and fair – like his father and their Viking ancestors – whereas Robert took after his mother, whose stature was so meagre it became the subject of common jests.
    Robert and I were both in our mid-twenties, Rufus nineteen. Understandably, he wanted to join us on our drinking and whoring excursions, but Robert would not hear of it and Rufus became more and more annoyed at the rejections. I tried to reason with Robert.
    ‘He’s your brother and good company, let him come.’
    ‘No, I’ll not have him running to my father or, more importantly, my mother with exaggerated stories of our adventures. He’s a prick, that’s all that needs to be said.’
    Robert’s increasing distance from his father threatened to explode into violence in 1077. It was also the year when a boy called Sweyn appeared at Robert’s court in Rouen – a boy who later, as a man, would be as influential in my life as Hereward of Bourne. By coincidence, he was also a son of Bourne.
    I had not met him before but I recognized the knight who brought him to court. They rode into Rouen’s keep together, the knight carrying the colours of Toulouse. The boy, although far too young, was dressed as a sergeant-at-arms. I strode over to greet them.
    ‘You must be Edwin of Glastonbury; you stood with Hereward during the revolt.’
    ‘I am, my Lord Prince. It is good to see you again; a few years have passed.’
    ‘Indeed. And who is the young man?’
    ‘Let me introduce Sweyn of Bourne. Sweyn, it is your privilege to meet Prince Edgar, the rightful heir to the English throne.’
    Sweyn looked confident, spoke clearly and bowed deferentially to Edgar.
    ‘My Lord Prince, it is an honour to meet you at long last. Our paths almost crossed in England, but I was only a boy then and you would not have remembered me.’
    I smiled to myself. Sweyn, so obviously still a boy, clearly thought of himself as a grown man. He was of average height and not particularly broad, but was lean and had a determined look about him. His clothes were plain but good quality, as were his weapons. He was dark-haired and tanned, and could well have passed for a man from Aquitaine rather than an Englishman.
    ‘Stewards, take the horses of our noble guests. Edwin, Sweyn, come into the hall and rest. Count Robert is out hunting. He will be delighted to meet you later.’
    I ushered them both to the fire, eager to hear their news.
    ‘So, you are in training to be a knight?’
    ‘I am trying, sire. But I am not of high birth, so I must train as a soldier first and then hope I can win the right to carry a knight’s pennon.’
    ‘You are not related to Hereward?’
    ‘No, my Lord. My father was a humble villein, bonded to Hereward’s father, Thegn Leofric. He was killed when Ogier the Breton and his thugs came to our village. I was the only one who got away. My mother hid me in the hayloft where I waited until nightfall, when I crept away.Three girls survived as well; they were taken as playthings by Ogier and his men and defiled until Hereward came and saved us.’
    ‘He had a habit of doing that. He saved my life too.’
    ‘Sire, I try to be like him every day.’
    ‘That is a very noble ambition. Edwin, I have so many questions for you about Ely … But first, why are you here?’
    ‘I am Sweyn’s guardian, and his care and future matter to me more than anything. I had heard that you were at Count Robert’s court, so now that Sweyn is old enough, I hope to be able to place myself at your service as a knight and begin Sweyn’s training and