Knight of the Empress by Griff Hosker Read Free Book Online Page A

now had a spare. That was the harsh reality of life in a conroi. Men's lives were balanced against the profit that we made. It was sad really.

Chapter 4
    Nancy had a fine castle and the Empress was loudly welcomed by the burghers of the town. Although we were not recognised she was. I was impressed that her first thoughts were for the four Swabian knights she had left there. As soon as the castellan greeted us she asked after them. We all breathed a sigh of relief when we discovered that there were Swabian knights in a small inn in the centre of the walled town. I left Guy and Edward to arrange our lodgings and Harold and I escorted the Empress to the inn. We heard the clash of arms from the enclosed courtyard.  As no one was hurrying to see what the problem was then we kept our weapons sheathed. There were three knights in their gambesons and two were practising with their swords.
    As soon as the Empress entered they dropped to their knees.  "Empress Matilda! You are safe.  We waited here for you as we were not certain of your route home."
    "Rise Rolf, Carl, Gottfried," she looked around, "where is Gurt?"
    The eldest of the three shook his head. "He died of the poison.  We have only been up for two days.  Carl here was close to death." He glanced at me suspiciously.
    "This is Baron Alfraed of Norton and he and his men were charged with escorting me from Caen."
    The three of them came closer. "And the Teutonic knights?"
    The Empress glanced at me, "I suspected that they were plotting against my life and Alfraed here was suspicious too.  He stopped them before they could do us more harm.  They are in Lorraine with the Count of Bar."
    Rolf suddenly looked angry.  "Then when we have returned you to Worms we will visit Bar and end the lives of these treacherous murderers." He paused, "We discovered it was they who paid for our food to be poisoned. They owe us a life!" He put his hand out to me and smiled for the first time. "I am sorry I was suspicious of you, friend. You have saved the life of the Empress. They had an ambush planned but we could not find out where."
    I pointed west.  "Eight knights and their men at arms ambushed us. We escaped."
    "I am pleased that you had many knights to protect you, Empress."
    She shook her head, "No, Rolf, we had but three knights and two squires."
    He laughed and put his arm around my shoulders.  "You look like a strong wind would blow you over but you have a warrior within you Englishman. Three knights against eight shows you have skill and God on your side."
    I felt much happier the next day, as we left Nancy with the escort of three Swabian knights.  These were experienced warriors.  No wonder the Teutonic knights had had them poisoned.  I would not have liked to face them sword to sword. They immediately took charge of the German men at arms.  As we headed north and east I noticed that the sergeant at arms sported a black eye.  At our noon stop I asked Rolf about that. He shrugged, "I wanted him to know that I was less than happy with the way they had served us.  If they knew nothing of the Teutons plans they should have been suspicious of their behaviour."
    "What I do not understand, Rolf, is why they did not kidnap or harm the Empress after they left Nancy."
    "Did you not think it strange that they had no squires with them?"
    "Now you come to mention I did but as the Empress had not mentioned them…"
    "That is because they were the ones who poisoned us and they left to take a message to the Count of Flanders, their master. We had been watching the four of them since we had left Worms.  Gurt was certain that he had seen Lothar with an agent of the King of France."
    "The King of France?  I thought you said that it was the Count of Flanders to whom they fled."
    He laughed as we mounted our horses, "Politics, my naïve English friend.  The King of France uses the Count of Flanders to undermine your King and his position.  He would dearly love to add Normandy to his