Play Favourites (King Edward and His Favourite Men) - 14. Chapter 14

Audley pressed his body against the wall. He looked after Despenser until the man was out of sight. He listened to his footsteps until they had faded. Audley moved and retreated. He was frightened. What had Despenser done with the sword? Audley winced. Whom had he murdered?

Audley hurried back to his room. He closed the door and locked it. Audley leaned against the wooden door for a while.

‘Good Lord,’ he thought. ‘I must warn Roger. He might run into that devil Despenser.’

“What an idiot I am,” he called out. “I should have reckoned with Despenser waiting here for me.”

Sir Mortimer kicked a wooden stool aside.

“It was Audley’s fault,” he scolded. “The man distracted me.”

Sir Mortimer straightened and compressed his lips.

“Do not deceive yourself, Mortimer,” he said aloud. “It was your fault only. You were too careless and underestimated your foe. You lost your leverage. The queen will freak out.”

Sir Mortimer gazed into the room with a frown on his face.

“She wanted me to kill Despenser. Why did I follow her command and tried to murder the man? It was not a good plan. What has become of you? Are you getting old, Mortimer?” he asked himself.

A distant voice in his head agreed. Sir Mortimer shook it off, however. He preferred to ignore the faint warning.

Sir Mortimer took off his doublet. He would talk to the queen the following day. Why disturb the woman’s dreams of power and greatness right now? Sir Mortimer yawned. He felt he was tired. The thought of speaking to the queen almost made him feel nauseous.

“What happened?” Roger asked feeling startled.

Audley’s face was pale. Roger looked at him. Audley appeared to be utterly frightened. Then Audley recounted the story. Audley and Roger speculated.

“I can only imagine Despenser threatened Sir Mortimer,” Roger said. “Despenser’s life was at stake. Or his fate was, at least, if Sir Mortimer had something on him.”

Audley nodded.

“If Sir Duffy had not managed to arrange a compromise, the peers would have revolted against their king. Then Sir Mortimer would not have needed Hugh Despenser and his service any longer.”

Audley gave another nod.

“Perhaps Hugh Despenser seized the day, or rather he seized the night, and threatened Sir Mortimer with his sword,” he said.

They looked at each other, their eyes revealing their thoughts.

“Do you think he killed Sir Mortimer?” Roger asked finally.

“He looked like a terminator when he passed me by. Yes, I could imagine he killed him,” Audley said in a serious voice.

“We will find out about it tomorrow,” Roger said in a toneless voice. “I do not want to leave the room again tonight.”

“Neither do I,” Audley said firmly.

He paused for a moment before he continued.

“I saw Sir Duffy and the peers in the hall. I listened to them. Yes, Sir Duffy calmed the peers down. Sir Mortimer witnessed the meeting also,” he said.

“Then Sir Mortimer knows he has not won the battle,” Roger replied. “In case he is still alive,” he added.

Silence fell. Roger watched Audley. Audley looked at the wall pensively. Finally, Audley turned his eyes back to Roger.

“How is Edward doing?” Audley asked.

“He is distressed and shaken,” Roger replied. “I managed to speak to him. The incident shook him deeply. Edward is broken.”

Audley looked up.

“And so is the king’s power?” he asked.

“I left when Sir Duffy came to inform Edward. The king’s power has diminished. But I think King Edward will seek to re-establish it,” Roger replied.

“Sir Mortimer and the queen will never stop trying to diminish his power,” Audley said sadly.

Roger shrugged.

“After all, Edward is the king, the sovereign, the regent, the ruler,” he said.

Audley gave Roger a small smile.

“You still trust that the king will stand up. Or do you just not give up hope that he will?” he asked.

“I am the loyal servant of my king,” Roger said. “Despite what he has done to me.”

“Will you forgive him?” Audley asked. “I mean, will you forgive the man who treated you badly?”

Roger mused, and then looked at Audley.

“I must. Else my life would be bitter,” he said.

They fell silent for a while.

“Life is not a merry-go-round,” Audley said wisely.

Roger nodded.

“Maybe it is just play. Perhaps the world is just a stage and all the men and women are merely players,” he said.

Audley looked at Roger with surprise.

“You are a philosopher, Roger?” he asked curiously.

Roger shook his head.

“No, I am not,” he said. “Those are the words that Edward said to me a long time ago when we had just met.”

“The king’s words then,” Audley said pensively.

“The man’s words,” Roger responded. “The words of a man who is not the fool that many think he is.”

Sir Mortimer stepped in. He looked like a ghost. Isabella was puzzled. She gazed at him. Sir Mortimer told her the news. Isabella’s hands trembled and her lips shivered. Her face flushed. Isabella grimaced and waved her hands. The queen flew into a terrible rage.

Sir Mortimer retreated. The queen cast him dark looks. She was filled with despise and hatred.

Isabella pointed a finger at him.

“It is your fault only, Sir Mortimer,” she called out. The queen almost shrieked.

“Your fault only,” Isabella called out again.

She approached Sir Mortimer who backed out until he had reached the door. The queen’s chest heaved heavily. She scowled at Sir Mortimer. She shot angry looks at the man. Sir Mortimer opened his mouth in an attempt to speak to the queen. But Isabella interrupted him with a gesture of his hand. She flung her long dark hair back. Her cheeks were flushed.

‘This woman has gone insane,’ Sir Mortimer thought.

Sir Mortimer watched the scene in a state of shock. He watched the scene that was unfolding in front of his eyes. Sir Mortimer was worried. His worries turned into utter concern. His heart jumped faster. He felt the urge to escape.

The queen paced the room. She was still scolding. She stopped when she spotted Sir Mortimer by the door. Isabella scowled at him. And she almost growled. She approached Sir Mortimer slowly. Sir Mortimer gazed at her for a second. And then Sir Mortimer bowed quickly and left the room.

Sir Mortimer hurried down the corridor. He was afraid. He was scared and frightened. His life was at stake. His fate, at least. The earth shook under Sir Mortimer’s feet. His world tumbled down and with it his future, his goals, and his beliefs. Sir Mortimer had not yet reached the hall, when he had thrown over all the determined and purposeful plans that he had worked on for so many years.

Sir Mortimer entered the hall. The king and the peers had already gathered. Sir Mortimer stepped forward. He placed his hand on his chest. And then he bowed deeply to Edward II, King of England.

“Long live the King,” Sir Mortimer said gravely.

Edward made a sign with his hand. The king sat down. The peers followed his example. Edward was about to speak up when Isabella suddenly rushed into the room. The queen’s hair hung loose. Her cheeks were flushed. The peers looked at her with surprise. Then they moved their chairs and rose to their feet in order to stand in front of their queen.

Edward remained motionless. He watched his spouse. Edward’s eyes were cold. Sir Mortimer winced slightly at the sight of the queen. Sir Mortimer was sure that now the inevitable would happen. The course of history would change.

Isabella raised her hand. She pointed at Hugh Despenser. Everybody turned his eyes to the man. The royal chamberlain stiffened. He gazed at the queen in fearful anticipation.

“Hugh Despenser,” Isabella called out. “You are the illegitimate son of a whore.”

Everybody stopped breathing. The peers looked at Hugh Despenser in a state of shock. The queen stood motionless, still pointing at the chamberlain. Edward glanced at Hugh Despenser, and then he looked back at the enraged queen. Hugh’s chest heaved heavily. Edward made a sign to Despenser.

“Speak, Sir Despenser,” the king said gravely.

“The queen lies,” Hugh Despenser said in a loud and distinct voice. He looked at the queen coldly.

Everybody turned their eyes back to the queen. The peers gazed at her in shock. Sir Mortimer forced himself to sit upright. He felt the earth shake under his feat.

“A flagrant statement, my lady,” Edward said in a measured voice. “Do you have proof of it?”

Isabella gave a triumphant laugh. She pointed at Sir Mortimer.

“Sir Mortimer has proof of it,” she said loudly.

The peers turned their eyes to Sir Mortimer. Hugh Despenser narrowed his eyes. Edward studied Sir Mortimer’s face. He thought of the deep bow that the man had given to him.

“Sir Mortimer,” Edward said.

Sir Mortimer glanced up and down the table nervously. He had a lump in his throat. He looked back at the king and met his cold look. Sir Mortimer cleared his throat.

“I am afraid, my lady, I have no such proof,” Sir Mortimer said in a measured voice.

Hugh Despenser grinned inwardly. After all, the man did not tell a lie.

“It is the first time I hear this statement,” Sir Mortimer continued.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to hide his indignation.

‘Hypocrite,’ Hugh Despenser thought. He watched Sir Mortimer with compressed lips.

Isabella gazed at Sir Mortimer in disbelief. She made a step forward. She was still pointing at him.

“Does anybody else of the peers and noblemen claim to speak up?” Edward asked in a stern voice.

Most of the men lowered their eyes. Sir Mortimer also gazed at the table. The king’s confidants looked at their king. Only two or three men glanced at the queen furtively. An awful silence fell. The men scarcely dared to breathe.

It slowly dawned on Isabella that she had carried it too far. She turned to Edward. Her hand was still reached out. She lowered her arm slowly. Edward’s cold eyes rested on her face.

Finally, Edward spoke up.

“Sit down, sirs,” he commanded.

The noblemen and peers sat down, thus showing their disrespect for the queen. Isabella felt numb.

“This is what we have decided,” Edward said, his voice the voice of a king.

“The queen shall retire to her chambers instantly. Sir Duffy and Sir Roderick shall see her there. The queen shall wait in her chambers for Sir Duffy and Sir Roderick who will come to see her tomorrow morning. Sir Duffy and Sir Roderick shall accompany the queen to St. Mary’s Augustinian Abbey in Rocester where she shall live a secluded life.”

Edward made a sign with his hand. Sir Duffy and Sir Roderick approached the queen. Isabella looked wildly between them. She made a step back. Her mouth opened and her eyes widened. Sir Duffy and Sir Roderick stopped right and left of her.

“Nooo,” Isabella cried out in fear and despair.

Sir Duffy placed his hand on the queen’s right arm. Sir Roderick put his hand on her left arm. Isabella was about to collapse. Sir Duffy and Sir Roderick urged her to turn around and move on. They led the queen out of the hall.

Sir Mortimer watched the scene from under his lashes. He felt shattered. His life was shattered. He awaited his trial as well. The king’s confidants still looked at their king. The others still looked at the table. Slowly, though, the man dared to look up. Hugh Despenser gazed at the opposite wall. His face was pale and his lips were compressed.

Edward rose to his feet. The men stood quickly.

“We decided to summon a gathering,” King Edward said. “The king’s counsellors shall come to the king’s private parlour at once.”

King Edward left the hall. The man gazed after him.

Hugh Despenser moved slowly. He was the royal chamberlain. He had to attend to the king. Despenser left the hall. And so did the king’s confidants and his loyal men.

King Edward’s minions were tensed. Roger and Audley had retired to Audley’s room. Every once and a while they sneaked about in the castle to find out what was going on. Sir Mortimer also went to the hall every hour or two. But only few men had gathered there. They did not speak to each other. They were sitting at the table, waiting quietly for the outcome of the consultations. Sir Mortimer retired to his room. For an instant, he had considered leaving the castle secretly. He had refrained from it for this had only proven his compliancy. Sir Mortimer, nonetheless, awaited his trial.

Hugh Despenser attended to the king and the counsellors. He heard the major part of the consultations. The chamberlain, however, had sworn to not reveal a single word that he heard. The peers had asked Despenser to comment in more detail on the queen’s accusation. But Edward, wisely, had stopped them from interrogating the chamberlain. Hugh Despenser, however, was aware that the king would question him later.

At about eight in the evening, King Edward went to the hall again. The peers assembled in fearful anticipation. King Edward announced his decisions. Executive, legislative and judicial functions were concentrated on the king. King Edward appointed and promoted various men. He deposed others from their position and duty. Sir Mortimer was amongst the latter. He was sent as a diplomatic negotiator to Ireland. Edward announced his decision without even looking at Sir Mortimer. He did not even take a breath before uttering his next sentence and addressing another man.

Sir Mortimer stood motionless. His face had turned pale. He gazed at the opposite wall. His mind was blank. He was not able to think. And yet, he was not entirely shocked. His fate could have been worse. Secretly, he had awaited his execution.

King Edward ended the meeting. He rose to his feet and then looked at the peers and noblemen.

“The battle is lost. Long live England,” he said in a forceful voice, looking from one to the other.

The peers and noblemen stood quickly when their king rose to his feet. For an instant they just gazed at the king. Then the men straightened and they responded.

“Long live the King,” they responded loudly and like one voice.

Edward left the hall and retired to his parlour. His confidants followed him. The peers and noblemen left the hall. Small groups headed for private rooms to talk over the outcome in secret. While some of the men felt the need to settle their thoughts, others already made schemes and planned their future manoeuvres.

It was about midnight when the counsellors left. Edward slumped in his chair. He was dead tired. Hugh Despenser moved silently. He did not dare to disturb King Edward.