CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

6 January 1066

THE GOLD CROWN GLEAMED IN THE FLICKERING CANDLELIGHT. Though shadows danced across the stone walls of Westminster Abbey, the emeralds and rubies incorporated from the circlet of the great King Alfred shone with an inner fire. An apprehensive hush fell across the shivering men and women pressed into the dark confines for the second time that day. Misty trails of breath drifted in the icy air. His forehead shimmering with holy oil, Harold Godwinson relaxed in the coronation chair and allowed himself a slight smile of satisfaction. Edward lay interred in the cold ground beneath the abbey’s flagstones, and, though the funeral feast still cooled on the table in the king’s hall, the Earl of Wessex already had everything he ever wanted. Nestling the jeweled scepter in the crook of his right arm, he grasped the blackwood rod in his left hand, stared at the gold cross on the high altar, and waited.

Redwald felt a swell of pride. Turning his attention from his master, he examined the faces of the congregation, the earls, thegns, bishops, wives, and Westminster’s community of monks huddled at the back. In them he saw an odd mixture of relief and worry. He knew they were all relieved that the long period of troubling uncertainty was over and the succession had been decided. Yet they also dreaded what was to come. Thanks to the archbishop’s loose lips, news of Edward’s dying prophecy had swept through the court and out into London, and in all likelihood was making its way across England despite the winter snows. They were poor subjects, he thought, these frightened sheep. In taking the crown, Harold had saved all gathered in that church from the terrible deprivations they would surely suffer under a man with as bloody a reputation as William the Bastard. England remained free to enjoy its wealth and its art and its law. And the highest in the land were free to enjoy the comforts their status had brought them.

The coronation had gone well under the stern but self-satisfied eye of Stigand. In his madder-dyed red robe, Harold had been a splash of blood amid the golden candlelight. Redwald thought he had seen his master’s hands shaking when he processed into the abbey church, but now he looked calm. His white pallium luminous, the Archbishop of Canterbury had intoned the liturgy drawn up by St. Dunstan. When his clear voice had soared to the shadow-cloaked roof, a clearly humbled Harold had taken communion. Yet his words rang out as he delivered the oath to govern faithfully, with justice and mercy. The solemn choir of monks had been in fine voice, their stirring rendition of “Zadok the Priest” from the Book of Kings washing into every corner of that vast space. And then Harold Godwinson had removed his robe and sat rigid in the coronation chair while the archbishop consecrated him sovereign with the anointment of the holy oil. He would be a fine king, and Redwald’s own future would be assured. Here was the culmination of the young man’s choices, and they had all been good ones. He felt his eyes drawn once more to the casket holding the shankbone of John the Baptist, and shook his head clear of the thoughts that threatened to tarnish the day.

What would Hereward have said if he had been here to witness this momentous event, he wondered? Would his brother have forgiven him?

With an acute awareness of spectacle, the Archbishop of Canterbury raised the crown high over his head. Redwald’s chest tightened. When the crown came down on Harold, tumultuous shouts of “The King! The King!” boomed out across the congregation.

It was done. And whatever would be, would be.

When the new king processed out of the abbey into the bitter night, the archbishop followed, and then Ealdred of Eoferwic, the earls, and the thegns. Redwald waited until the church was almost empty, enjoying the growing quiet.

In the king’s hall, the fire roared high. Cloaks were thrown off and cups of ale downed and filled once more from the iron cauldrons hanging in the corner. Servants heaved wooden plates and bowls laden with goose, pork, and beef on to the feasting table, a grand spread that made the funeral meal look like a beggar’s scraps. But Redwald thought too many faces remained taut, and the urgency of the drinking was more to quell fear than in celebration.

Flushed from the ale, Harold swept over when the jugglers and tumblers danced around the tables, raising laughter and cheers. He pulled Redwald to one side and whispered, “The coronation went well?”

Redwald, who had remained sober as he always did when in attendance on Harold, heard a querying note at the end of the sentence and knew that his master was seeking approval. He thought it a sign of weakness, perhaps fueled by guilt at how he had achieved the crown; but he smiled and replied, “The majesty of the occasion brought tears to the eyes of all present.”

“Really?”

Redwald nodded. “England now has a king who will be loved at home and feared by enemies wherever they might be.”

Harold nodded. “Do not think that I am not aware of your loyalty, and the talents you have employed in my rise to power. You will be well rewarded.”

I expect to be, the young man thought, and for the briefest moment his head swam with visions of two brothers laughing as they hunted waterfowl in those long-gone Mercian days.

“Your wise advice must be close at hand at all times from now on,” the new King continued. “I will ensure that you have a station that meets both our needs.”

When Harold returned to the feasting, Redwald slipped away. The celebrations bored him. He saw little gain in them now that everyone was drunk. He needed to attend to the maggot squirming deep in his head.

Was Hereward still alive somewhere? Had he been wrong to put his brother from his thoughts once he had vanished from Eoferwic?

Brooding, he tramped through the crisp snow to the abbey once more. It lay silent and still now. Pausing at the door, he peered through the dark in the direction of the small house he had shared with Asketil, Beric, and Hereward when they were at court. Memories still haunted him of the night that Hereward had fled. Absently, he rested his hand on his gold-and-whalebone sword hilt and thought of a black river of days stretching behind him and ahead. That terrible night had set his life on a new course.

Inside the abbey church, he went straight to the reliquary, unable to resist the lure of the casket any longer. Flicking open the lid, he let his fingers encircle the old bone. He found no peace there.

“Redwald?”

The young man jumped so sharply at the voice that he almost threw the casket away. It was Hild, wrapped in a blue cloak, her pretty face flushed from the cold. “What is that? I have seen you visit it many times,” she said, peering at the box.

“A memory.”

She nodded and smiled sadly. “A memory of Hereward. I understand.” Her voice became comforting. “You were close, but he is not blood. You must put him out of your mind.”

Redwald laughed inwardly at the unconscious irony of her statement. How could he ever forget his brother, the man who had befriended him when he felt lost and alone? Who had given him a place in the world, and offered only loyalty? He closed the casket and stepped away from it.

“I saw you leave the feast.” Hild’s eyes fluttered, saying more than her words. Then, as if she realized she had been too brazen, she added, “I would not have come here at this hour, unannounced, but—”

Redwald waved his hand to dismiss her excuse. Hild was younger than him by a year, but she had a drive that would have done Harold proud. Since Harold’s patronage had become clear, she had set her sights upon him, the young man knew, and she had been relentless in her pursuit. “It is good to see you,” he said.

She smiled, pleased at the attention. Redwald saw in her eye a hint of triumph; she considered that her manipulation was working. His black mood still enveloped him, and he felt colder than he had done even in the snowy night. He needed more. She seemed to sense his thoughts, for her eyes widened; but when he leaned in to kiss her plump lips, she placed a cold finger against his chin. “No,” she said with mock indignation.

Removing her finger, he slipped his hand round her waist. She resisted only a little. Pulling her close, Redwald enjoyed the weight of her breasts on his chest and her hips against his.

“What drives you?” she breathed.

“I have given my life to one aim and I cannot rest until I have achieved it. But sometimes the road is a lonely one.” He let the words hang, knowing that she would respond.

“I … I would accompany you on your journey.” On tiptoes now, her hands on his shoulder, her face filled his vision. He felt surprised to see the desire there.

For one moment, he pressed his lips against hers, and allowed himself to float in the peaceful dark of the embrace. The rush of emotions shocked him. He became afraid he might cry like a child. Distracting himself, he allowed his hand to move to the curve of her breast.

“I … I cannot,” she stuttered, although he knew she felt the opposite. “I would not be used by you and discarded.”

“You and I are much alike,” he said, staring into her dark eyes. As he spoke, he made up his mind. “And would you resist if I said I would marry you?”

Hild started as if she had been burned. Her lips worked, but no sound came out.

“I will marry you and protect you and be the husband you long for. But tonight I need comfort from you, for I cannot face the long hours till sunrise alone.”

After the briefest hesitation, she nodded. “But … but you must not tell my father. Or anyone at court. I would—”

“I will never tell a soul.”

Redwald pulled her out of the abbey and across the snow to the large house Harold had secured for him not far from the king’s hall. Pushing her toward the bed, he tore off her headdress and grasped her lush brown hair in his fists, pulling her face toward him. He kissed her long and hard this time; when he broke the embrace, her breath caught in her throat. Fire burned within him, and a desperate need for release. He pulled off her dress and her white linen shift and thrust her on to the bed, running his hands over her breasts and down between her legs. She was ready for him and there was no longer any pretense of resistance. Holding her wrists with his left hand, he bit her neck and breasts and pinched her, and when she cried out he was surprised how much it excited him. The more she gave in to his advances, the rougher he played. Here was his release, he thought; here was his escape from the pain in his heart.

The next morning they locked eyes across the snow-swept palace enclosure, and shared a secret smile, and in the days to come they began to make plans to wed. Redwald informed Harold, who slapped the young man on the back and roared with laughter. Amid a stream of crude humor, he thrust a cup of mead into Redwald’s hands and said it was the best thing that could have happened. A man needed a wife, and a soon-to-be-great man needed a wife like Hild. Her father, the balding Blacwin, was just as enthusiastic.

Barely two weeks after Harold’s coronation, the joyous mood faded. A strange ship sailed up the gray Thames and moored on the frosted bank beside the palace. In shining helmets with broad nose-shields and long mail shirts, the crew looked dressed for war, but one ship was not a threat. Yet from their armor, all could see that these grim-faced men were Normans. A dark mood fell across the palace as word spread, colder even than that bitter winter.

Five men disembarked, the only ones not wearing armor, but in their black hooded cloaks and with their fierce dark eyes they appeared just as menacing. At the gates they waited, seemingly oblivious of the cold, while Harold’s advisers debated the appropriate course of action. When they were admitted to the palace, the five Normans strode directly to the king’s hall. Harold waited on his throne. On either side of the monarch, the ranks of earls and thegns stood like sentinels; a show of strength. Barely visible, Redwald waited in the shadows just behind the throne, studying the new arrivals.

The Norman leader was a tall, slender man with a sharp nose and a heavy brow. The translator introduced him as Odo of Bayeux, the representative of William, Duke of Normandy. Redwald had spent much of his time since the coronation diligently learning all he could about the Normans from Harold. He knew Odo was much more than that pallid description. As the half-brother of William the Bastard, the Norman was one of the duke’s most senior advisers, both a cleric and a warrior, renowned for crushing all opposition to William’s word. Angel and Devil.

Harold knit his brow. “I welcome you to my hall,” he said with little enthusiasm. “What is the reason for this visit?”

Echoing his master, the translator said in halting English, “I bring a message from William of Normandy. He would know why you have usurped the throne that was promised to him.”

Harold sniffed. “There was no promise, as your master knows full well. He seeks any excuse to claim what he has always wanted, a prize far greater than he deserves. I am King Edward’s chosen heir and that is the end of it.”

Odo seemed unmoved by Harold’s dismissal—almost, Redwald thought, as if he had expected the response and a decision had already been taken on how to proceed. The Norman nodded slowly, then spoke quietly to his translator, who said simply, “Then only one course can lie ahead: war.”