Stewart Binns - Anarchy

‘I must have some supporters!’

‘You do, but we have to prepare – and prepare carefully – because the only way we can win the throne now is by force of arms. That means civil war. We can’t go to England now. At best, Stephen will force us to come straight back. At worst, he could send you to some godforsaken castle under lock and key – just as your father did to your uncle, Robert Curthose. You are with child, we can’t go to war with you in this condition. But that gives us time – and time is what we need.’

‘Stephen didn’t wait–’

‘But that was when the throne was vacant; for him, it was vital that he acted quickly. Now he has the throne, so we have to act slowly and carefully to build our resources, then act decisively when the time is right.’

‘So, what do you suggest we do?’

‘We have to go to Le Mans, and plan from there.’

‘Back to my husband?’

‘It’s the only place where you’ll be safe.’

Maud was quiet and thoughtful on the way back. When we reached Argentan, a massive donjon on the border of Normandy and Anjou, she decided that she would like to retreat behind its huge walls, rather than continue to Le Mans.

‘I know the Lord here, Fulk of Falaise; he’s a good man. His loyalty is to the local people – he has no strong allegiance to either Normandy or Anjou.’

I could sense that Maud wanted to withdraw from the problems she faced, at least for a while, and concentrate on her unborn child – a child that Geoffrey would know was not his. It was probably a wise decision, as it soon became apparent that Count Geoffrey was creating mayhem further south. He had begun his own war on the southern border of Normandy, laying siege to cities that he thought should be part of his realm. Maud immediately sent a messenger to request a rendezvous at Argentan.

Fulk of Falaise was a good host, and we spent the winter and spring of 1136 biding our time with him. But we were not idle: messengers constantly went to and fro in all directions, as we tried to garner support for Maud’s cause in both England and Normandy.

Count Geoffrey did not appear until the end of July 1136, about a week after Maud had given birth to our third child. It was another boy, who we named William – not a fair child this time, but a dark-skinned brunette like me. We had had three boys, each of whom seemed to represent our tribal pedigrees: a red-headed Viking-Norman, a fair-haired Saxon and a tawny Celt.

We now had a good idea who might support Maud’s cause – and it was a growing number. Every time Stephen asserted his authority and imposed his rule in either England or Normandy, he made new enemies. His was an unenviable task, but we were the beneficiaries.

In England, there were willing supporters among the barons of the south-west, East Anglia and parts of the north. The Welsh Princes could be persuaded with money and concessions, as could King David of Scotland – who was Maud’s uncle and coveted the north of England, as did all his kin.

Most importantly, we had received a coded but supportive message from the most powerful man beyond Stephen’s inner circle: Robert Earl of Gloucester, Maud’s half-brother and King Henry’s eldest son. He had been sired with Nest, the beautiful daughter of Rhys ap Tewdwr, the King of Deheubarth. Such were Robert’s stature and regard that, were it not for his illegitimacy, he would be unopposed as England’s king.

His message was succinct.

Dearest Sister,

Hold fast, timing is everything.

In Normandy, the chaos after King Henry’s death was even greater than the disorder in England, and was made much worse by Count Geoffrey’s non-stop campaigning. Stephen had ignored the province since his dash to grab the English crown, an act that had won him no friends in the Duchy. Although Count Geoffrey’s harassments were winning us as many enemies as friends, the instability was constantly undermining Stephen’s authority.

When Maud had recovered from the birth – a delivery far less traumatic than the arrival of her second son – she called a council of war with Geoffrey. It was not the most prodigious gathering of warriors ever assembled.

Geoffrey had arrived with a small but formidable group of supporters: William Talvas, Count of Ponthieu; William, Duke of Aquitaine; Geoffrey of Vendôme; and William, son of the Count of Nevers. Nevertheless, despite the lack of warriors, Maud possessed the most important element of all in the conflict to come: her bloodline. In young Henry, now three years old and prolific in every way, she had the future King her father had always wanted and thus her rightful claim to be Queen Regent.

Significantly, all the nobles present – including the powerful Duke of Aquitaine – treated Maud with the deference appropriate to a ruling monarch.

Maud began the meeting in her most authoritative style.

‘My Lords, I am grateful to you for joining me today. Let me also thank my good friend Fulk, Lord of Falaise, for his generosity here at Argentan, where we have been very happy these past months. As you know, Stephen of Blois has usurped my rightful inheritance, as decreed by my father, but he will not enjoy the fruits of his treason for long. Now that I am delivered of my child, my campaign will begin in earnest. I have not been idle. I will now hand over to the Earl of Huntingdon – an experienced soldier and veteran of campaigns for the Doge of Venice and in the Holy Land – who, as you know, was entrusted with my safety by my father, King Henry, may he rest in peace.’

I could sense some surprise in the room, and I felt not a little trepidation myself. But this moment had to arrive sooner or later, and I was prepared.

‘My Lords, I’m pleased to announce that His Royal Highness, King David of Scotland is preparing a force at this moment for an invasion of the north of England. That will be the opening of our campaign in England. In Normandy, my Lady Matilda requests that Count Geoffrey launches a similar campaign into the heart of Normandy. My Lady wishes to participate in the campaign in Normandy in order to show her commitment to the cause. In a second stage, my Lady would then travel to England to become the figurehead of a rising against Count Stephen. Our information is that many lords will rush to her colours as soon as she sets foot on English soil.’

After I finished, there was a brief but ominous silence. There was obvious consternation in the room: who was I to be speaking to such men?

But then Count Geoffrey got to his feet. He looked around at the assembly and then smiled broadly at his supporters, clearly relishing the prospect of what lay ahead.

‘Very well, it sounds like a sound strategy to me. When do we begin?’

I rose to respond, feeling a welcome surge of relief.

‘King David is unlikely to be ready for some time – perhaps even a year – but there is no reason why our Norman campaign can’t begin as soon as your forces are ready.’

‘I agree. We will go to our lands, get the harvests in and gather our forces for a campaign towards the end of September. Are you with us, Gentlemen?’

There was unanimous consensus around the room.

Maud was ecstatic after the meeting.

‘Hal, you were impressive; that can’t have been easy for you.’

‘It wasn’t, but you were at your best too – Empress, Queen, Duchess, Magnus Princeps . We owe a debt of gratitude to your husband; he was more than generous.’

‘Indeed, he was. But he knows the reality of the situation; he wants to be Regent in Normandy, and he can only achieve that through me. He will not rock the boat.’

There was a gleam in Maud’s eye that I had not seen for a while. We both knew that we still had a long way to go, but we had taken the first steps.