Crusade

‘I have a son, John Comnenus, twelve years old; he is away with his companion, John Azoukh — a Seljuk Turkish slave given to me as a gift, who I have adopted. He is good for John Comnenus, because my son has everything and John Azoukh nothing. Don’t spoil your son; make him strong like you and your father. When he is older, bring him back to Constantinople, I would like to meet him and you can introduce him to my two sons.’

‘It would be an honour, Your Majesty.’

‘And now, let us talk about the Talisman of Truth; it is obviously still working its magic, because it brought us all together. In due course, I will give it to John Comnenus when it is time for him to wear the Purple, but I think John should be the recipient of the Talisman only for the beginning of his reign, when he will need it most. After that, its guardianship should become the responsibility of your Brethren, who may be able to put it to better use elsewhere. I will tell Prince John this, so that when the time is right you can come and collect it.’

‘Majesty, I will tell Harold this also. Thank you.’

‘I also have a gift for the boy. Keep it safe for when he is older.’

The Emperor handed Sweyn a small casket containing ten gold Byzantine bezants, a small fortune by anybody’s standards.

Sweyn fell to his knees and kissed Alexius’s ring.

That evening, as Hereward made ready to leave, I sought him out so that we could reflect on the past and, more importantly, look to the future.

‘It must be very gratifying to know that Estrith and your grandson will go with you to your mountain home.’

‘It is something I’m looking forward to, although I’m a little concerned that Estrith will find it somewhat primitive.’

‘I’m sure she will adapt perfectly; it sounds like a paradise.’

‘It’s strange how life seems to exist in big arcs of destiny. Torfida, Estrith’s grandmother, was raised in England’s wildwood by her father, the Old Man of the Wildwood. Now young Harry will spend his early days with an old man of the mountain.’

‘Perhaps that’s the Talisman at work. You must be pleased that the Emperor has chosen Harry to be its guardian one day.’

‘I am, but it’s also a heavy burden to place on the boy’s shoulders.’

‘Well, he’s got a fine pedigree. I’m sure he’ll be worthy.’

‘My Prince, you must help him and Estrith as long as you can.’

‘I will, of course. But why do you address me as “Prince” all of a sudden?’

‘Out of respect; you were born a prince, but had that title taken from you. Now, in my eyes, you’ve regained that title and are a prince by deed, not by birthright.’

I was stunned by Hereward’s words and moved to embrace him, but he backed away, clasped the hilt of his sword and bowed deeply before turning away towards his chamber.

‘Look after my daughter and grandson, Edgar, Prince of Wessex and England.’

I knew this was the last time I would ever see the great man. Once again, he had changed my life and, as he disappeared from view, I felt the tears welling in the corners of my eyes.

Within the week, our flotilla of ships was bound for Brindisi with sails full and a strong wind astern. Hereward, Estrith and baby Harold had already sailed for Messene.

Our journey was uneventful until we reached southern Italy, where a strange and wonderful thing happened: Robert fell in love. While his father, King William, was alive, he would not let Robert marry, for fear of a royal marriage compromising the delicate balance of politics in northern Europe. Only once did a marriage of alliance make sense, when he was betrothed to Margaret of Maine, but her untimely death put an end to that scheme. After the King’s death Robert seemed content with a host of pretty concubines and conquests, all of little consequence.

That changed when we arrived in Conversano in Puglia, as guests of Count Geoffrey, its Norman lord and nephew of Robert Guiscard. He was a charming old man, but his daughter, Sybilla, equally charming, was far from old; she was a girl just turned sixteen, buxom and vivacious. Robert, all but fifty years old, was smitten.

It was a good match. He was Duke of Normandy — the land of Geoffrey’s birth, and one of the mightiest realms in Europe — and his exploits in the Holy Land meant that he was one of the few Latin Princes whose reputation had been enhanced by the Crusade. He was hailed everywhere as not only a hero but also a true soldier of Christ, a man to be revered. She, for her part, brought a significant dowry from one of the richest counties in Italy, sufficient to pay back the share of Normandy that Robert had mortgaged to King Rufus.

Sweyn and I took to her readily; she was very easy on the eye, made excellent conversation, had a sharp mind, ready humour and knew how to charm men. She also won over Adela, whose limp was becoming more and more noticeable as her injuries made her increasingly frail. Sybilla brought her a treat of some sort every day and helped her to walk in the hills around Conversano, to try to keep her mobile.