The Promises of a King, page 28
‘Send him in,’ said William, ‘we have finished here.’
The servant left the room as William’s wife finished her wine and returned to her own chambers. A few moments later, the servant returned and showed the bishop in before stepping outside, closing the door.
‘Your grace,’ said the duke, ‘welcome. Alas, you have just missed our meal, but I can have something sent up.’
‘There is no need,’ said Robert, ‘for I have important news.’
‘Go on,’ said William.
‘Duke William,’ said Robert, ‘my spies tell me that Edward died a few days ago, and yesterday, Harold Godwinson was crowned the King of England by their Witan.’
William stopped walking and stared at the bishop. ‘What?’ he gasped. ‘But he swore a holy oath that he would support my claim above all others. How could any man who so publicly breaks his word be worthy of kingship?’
‘It seems he was absolved of that oath by the Archbishop of Canterbury before the coronation,’ replied Robert, ‘as it was agreed by their clergy that it was obviously made under duress. What is more, he has not only publicly denounced your claim but is actively rousing the people’s opinions against you, assuring them that there needs to be unity lest you challenge his kingship.’
‘Oh, I can assure you,’ said William, ‘there will be a challenge, of that there is no doubt. That crown belongs to me and me alone. Send word to my nobles and tell them to gather here ten days hence for a council of war. Also, arrange for every woodsman within a hundred leagues to start selecting trees for felling. If we are going to do something about this treachery, then we will need a fleet far larger than I have now.’
‘My lord,’ said Robert, ‘it will take an age to build the number of ships we need for any sort of campaign against Harold.’
‘Time is not the issue,’ said William, ‘England is going nowhere.’
‘Understood,’ said the bishop. ‘But there is one more issue to discuss, something so unexpected that, at first, I refused to believe it.’
‘And that is?’
‘I have someone waiting outside who craves audience. He claims to have a plan that could bring Harold to his knees even before you have landed upon England’s shores.’
‘An unlikely claim,’ said William, ‘but I will hear him out. Bring him in.’
Robert of Jumièges turned and walked over to open the door, standing aside as a well-dressed man crossed the room to stand before the duke.
‘Duke William,’ said the man with a bow, ‘I have travelled a long way to meet you and hope to be of service to you in any campaign you may launch against England.’
William looked at the strangely familiar stranger, instantly recognising the accent.
‘And why should I believe you?’ he asked. ‘For all I know, you are here to spy on behalf of the English.’
The man stared right into the duke’s eyes before responding.
‘You should believe me,’ he said, ‘because I have knowledge that can be used to strike right at the heart of England itself. I am no spy, my lord. In fact, I am quite the opposite. I am Harold’s brother, and my name is Tostig Godwinson.’
Author’s Notes
In the telling of this tale, I have tried to maintain historical accuracy as much as possible, but as is usual in such novels, there has had to be some artistic licence to allow the story to flow. Any inaccuracies are mine alone, and I hope they did not distract from the fascinating story that led up to the Battle of Hastings.
Aelfgar – Earl of Mercia
In AD 1055, Tostig Godwinson’s elevation to Earl of Northumbria caused anger amongst many nobles, not least of whom was Aelfgar, son of Earl Leofric, who coveted the earldom for himself. It is not clear if he caused his own exile by threatening the king, but his anger resulted in him fleeing England and raising a fleet of eighteen fully manned Viking ships from Ireland.
That same year, Aelfgar helped King Gruffydd of Gwynedd defeat his old rival, Rhydderch of Gwent, a victory that meant Gruffydd was, at last, the sole king of Wales. The victory meant that, for the first time, Wales was governed by a single monarch, resulting in several years of peace and prosperity. It is not clear if the Vikings took any part in the battle.
Once Rhydderch was defeated, Gruffydd and Aelfgar turned their attention onto Hereford, sacking the city and defeating Earl Ralf of Mantes, also known as Ralf the Timid. It is recorded that Ralf tried using cavalry in the fight against the Welsh, a tactic he was not used to, and his men paid the ultimate price.
Not long after the battle, Harold led his own men against Gruffydd and negotiated peace in the name of the king.
Aelfgar regained his earldom, albeit only of East Anglia. He was named Earl of Mercia when his father died in AD 1057.
Edward Ætheling
Edward the Exile (AD 1016 – 19 April AD 1057), also called Edward Ætheling, was the son of King Edmund Ironside. He spent most of his life in exile in the Kingdom of Hungary following the defeat of his father by Cnut the Great.
In 1054 King Edward sent Ealdred, Bishop of Worcester, to try and persuade Edward Ætheling to return to England to become his heir, but was unsuccessful.
A few years later, some records state that the same task fell to Harold Godwinson, who brought Edward Ætheling back to England, along with his family. Unfortunately, the new heir to the throne died soon after arriving in England, leaving his son Edgar as the nominal heir to the throne of England.
During his journey, Harold collected many artefacts from many places, including Ghent, Aachen, Cologne, Worms, St Omer, Regensburg, Metz, Rheims, Noyon and St Riquier. Eventually, he donated them to a non-royal collegiate church in Waltham.
The Battle of the Seven Sleepers
The Battle of the Seven Sleepers is another name for the Battle of Dunsinane, fought on 27 July 1054. It is believed that the location, although disputed in detail, was north of the Firth of Forth and likely close to Scone. Reports suggest that Siward of Northumbria led an army into Scotland to fight King Macbeth, but during the battle, his son was killed along with many of Siward’s huscarls.
The First Attack on Gruffydd
The exact date of Aelfgar’s death is unknown, but it is highly probable that Harold took advantage of the situation to launch his lightning strike against Gruffydd at Rhuddlan. Many historians believe that his raid would have consisted mainly of mounted men to be able to strike and get out as soon as possible.
Gruffydd managed to escape the attack, so Harold and his men ravaged the surrounding area and burned his fleet before returning to England.
The surprise attack shocked Gruffydd and ensured that when Harold returned to the offensive a few months later, the Welsh king was in a far weaker position to offer much resistance.
The Second Attack on Gruffydd
On 26 May AD 1057, Gruffydd launched a combined attack on Wales from both the land and the sea. His brother, Tostig, commanded the land forces while Harold commanded the fleet and raided many towns and villages up and down the west coast. He also attacked the island of Anglesey in the north, ensuring that Gruffydd’s armies struggled for food.
The campaign was well thought out and relentless. Harold and Tostig won many battles and took a lot of hostages until, eventually, the morale of the Welsh army broke, and they turned on their king, killing him themselves before turning his head over to Harold. Some records claim that he was killed by a man called Cynan ab Iago in retaliation for Gruffydd killing his own father many years earlier, but whoever was responsible, ultimately brought the war to an end.
Edyth and Alditha
Harold married Edyth Swanneck (or Edyth the Fair) in or around 1045, but it was only in the traditional ceremony called more danico, a form of marriage that was not blessed or sanctioned by the Church. It was, however, widely recognised as legitimate and accepted by most laypeople in England at the time. Edyth gave Harold at least five children, and it was she who identified his body at Hastings after it had been brutally mutilated.
Alditha (also known as Ealdgyth, a popular name at the time) was the daughter of Aelfgar of Mercia and was eventually married to King Gruffydd of Gwynedd.
Early in 1066, Harold married Alditha, uniting the houses of Wessex and Mercia. Some historians believe that the purpose of the marriage was purely to unite the two houses to face the growing threat from the Normans. As Alditha was the mother of Gruffydd’s heirs, it also went some way to easing the tension with the Welsh, a people who once more were beginning to pose a threat to England. He went on to father one child with Alditha, a son who was born after Harold died in the battle of Hastings.
Harold in France
In or around 1064, Harold set sail for Normandy but was shipwrecked on the coast of Ponthieu to the south. Some records claim he had set out to find the two boys who had been taken prisoner by the Norman bishop, Robert of Jumièges, several years earlier.
When the local count, Guy of Ponthieu, discovered Harold and the survivors, he had them imprisoned with the intention of claiming a ransom for their release. However, William of Normandy found out and, with a combination of bribes and threats, convinced Guy to hand them over into his custody.
It seems that Harold then went on to fight alongside William in at least two campaigns, earning so much respect that the duke knighted him. During this time, Harold also rescued two of William’s men from a river while crossing into Brittany (an image shown on the Bayeux tapestry), adding to his growing reputation.
During their campaign across Brittany, some reports say that William cornered Duke Conan in the Chateau de Dinan. After a brief battle, Conan surrendered the keys on the end of a lance, a scene that is again depicted on the Bayeux tapestry. Other reports claim that Conan made his escape via a rope out of a back window before rallying his men and marching to face William across the River Couesnon, a standoff that eventually came to nothing as both armies dispersed when their supplies ran out. Conan is said to have died in 1066 when he put on a pair of poisoned gauntlets. Some say it was a devious assassination organised by William himself.
Before Harold returned to England, William revealed his ambition to one day become the King of England and persuaded Harold to swear on a holy box that when that day came, he would support his claim. Harold swore an oath to that effect, and when the ceremony was done, it was revealed that the box contained holy relics, making the pledge even more significant.
The Northumbria Uprising
Tostig was not a popular earl, and in 1065, the region rose up against him, led by thegns Dunstan, Gamelbearn and Gluniarn. They took York, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, eventually supported by Earl Edwin of Mercia and his brother, Morcar.
After meeting with the rebels in Northamptonshire, and keen to avoid a civil war, Harold recommended to the council of Oxford that the rebels’ demands be met. Tostig accused him of colluding with the rebels, forcing Harold to swear an oath that this was not the case. Despite wanting to support Tostig, King Edward eventually backed Harold, and Tostig was outlawed. He fled to Flanders soon after. After the settlement, Morcar was made Earl of Northumbria and the rebels pardoned.
The Christmas Court
At the end of 1065, Harold realised that if the king did not survive, then England would be at severe risk from William of Normandy. With little other option, he understood, probably with the support of many of his allies, including some very senior clergy, that he was in a better position than most to claim the throne. Consequently, he started canvassing other noblemen for their approval, and in or around the time of the Christmas court in 1065, the nobles of England informally agreed to his claim.
More from the author
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The Roman Chronicles
Roman – The Fall of Britannia
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The Medieval Sagas
Medieval – Blood of the Cross
Medieval II – In Shadows of Kings
Medieval III – Sword of Liberty
Medieval IV – Ring of Steel
The Road to Hastings
The Challenges of a King
The Promises of a King
The Blood of Kings
A Land Divided
A Wounded Realm
Rebellion’s Forge
Warrior Princess
The Blade Bearer
The Brotherhood
Templar Steel
Templar Stone
Templar Blood
Templar Fury
Templar Steel – The Battle of Montgisard
Templar Stone – The Siege of Jacob’s Ford
Templar Blood – The Battle of Hattin
Templar Fury – The Siege of Acre
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Templar Legacy – The Search for the Shroud
Other-Worlds
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The Seventh God
The Last Citadel
Savage Eden
Vampire
About the Author
Kevin Ashman lives in South Wales with his wife and dog and has been writing for eight years.
Mainly concentrating on Historical Fiction books, especially in the Roman and Medieval eras, he found significant success with the India Summers Mysteries, a series of books about a Librarian and her Special Forces Partner who delve deep into history to solve modern-day problems.
First published in the United Kingdom in 2022 by Canelo
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Copyright © K. M. Ashman, 2022
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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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K. M. Ashman, The Promises of a King
