Via Crucis: A Romance of the Second CrusadeCrawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
General
Via Crucis: A Romance of the Second Crusade
Crawford, F. Marion (Francis Marion)
Crusades -- Second, 1147-1149 -- Fiction
On an evening in the week after Easter the King determined that he
would see the Queen himself and tell her his mind. He therefore took
two nobles for an escort, with torchbearers and a few guards; and when
he had descended into the main court, he walked across to the west side
and went up into Eleanor's tower; for he would not go through the
ladies' wing, lest his eyes should see some fair and noble maiden, or
some young dame of great beauty, whereby his pious thoughts might be
disturbed ever so little.
Having come to the vestibule, he demanded admittance to the Queen's
chamber; and the young Lord of Sanzay, who was in waiting, begged him
to wait while he himself inquired if the Queen were at leisure. Then
the King was angry, and said that he waited for no one, and he went
forward to go in. But Sanzay stood before the door and bade the Gascon
guards form in rank and keep it till he should come back. The King saw
that he had small chance of forcing a way, and he stood still,
repeating some prayers the while, lest he should draw his sword and
fight, out of sheer anger. Then Sanzay came back.
"My lord King," he said in a clear voice, "her Grace bids me say that
she has no leisure now, and that when she has need of a monk she will
send for him."
At the great insult, swords were out as soon as the words, and the
broken reflections of steel flashed red under the high lamps and in the
torchlight; for the King drew to strike down Sanzay where he stood, and
his nobles and guards drew with him, while the Gascons were as quick as
they. But Sanzay would not draw his sword, for he had once saved the
King's life in battle, and he thought it not knightly. Then some blows
were exchanged and blood was shed; but presently, being at a
disadvantage, the King stepped back and lowered his point.
"Sirs," he said, "it is not seemly that we of the Cross should kill one
another. Let us go."
When Sanzay heard this, he called his guards back, and the King went
away discomfited. In the courtyard he turned aside and sat down upon a
great stone seat.
"Fetch me Sir Gilbert Warde," he said, "and let him come quickly."
He waited silently till the knight came and stood before him in his
surcoat and mantle, with only his dagger in his belt; and the King bade
all his attendants go away to a distance, leaving a torch stuck in the
ring in the wall.
He desired of Gilbert that he should take a force of trusted men who
would obey him, and go up the west tower to bring the Queen out a
prisoner; for he would not stay in Antioch another night, nor leave her
behind, and he meant to ride down to the harbour and take ship for
Ptolemais, leaving the army to follow him on the morrow. But for a
space Gilbert answered nothing.
At first it seemed to him impossible to do such a deed, and but for
courtesy he would have turned on his heel and left the King sitting
there. But as he stood thinking, it seemed to him that he had better
seem to obey, and go and warn the Queen of her danger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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