Arthur thanked them, adding: ‘I had not expected such a gracious greeting. ’Tis different from what I have had hitherto from my uncle.’

‘There are those of us who regret the need for this, my lord,’ said William, ‘but it has come about and we must perforce obey orders.’

‘I shall remember your kindness to me,’ Arthur promised them.

Making sure of his comfort they left him. He threw himself down on the pallet and wondered what the future held.

He dreamed that he had escaped from Falaise and that he was marching at the head of his armies. His mother was with him and Eleanor was there too and they were saying: ‘I knew you would not remain a prisoner long. You will soon be free from prison, Arthur.’

Then he woke up and felt a little better. Of course he would not stay here long. The people of Brittany would never allow it. They were so loyal to their Duke. It was not in real battle that he had been beaten; it had just happened by ill luck. Had he left Mirebeau the night before, Europe would have been talking of his victory and he would be halfway to regaining all that was his by right. He supposed even the Conqueror had had uneasy periods like this one.

No, he must not despair. He was in the hands of good people who were not going to take advantage of his position. He liked William de Braose and his wife.


William and Matilda were discussing the prisoner.

‘He’s but a child,’ said Matilda.

‘Neverthless, John is afraid of him, and you know what John is like when he is afraid. He is capable of anything.’

‘You don’t think he’ll give you instructions to murder the child?’

‘I wouldn’t, Matilda, if he did. But between the two of us I would whisper that he is capable of giving such a command.’

‘The whole world would revile him.’

‘John doesn’t consider consequences when certain moods take possession of him.’

‘I would Richard had lived.’

‘Aye, there you speak for both of us.’

William was thoughtful. He was one of the most ambitious men of the day. His ancestors had been minor barons who had founded the family in the town of Braose in Normandy and had come over with the Conqueror and acquired lands in Sussex, Devon and Wales. He had proved himself a magnificent soldier on the Welsh border; he had earned Richard’s approbation and the two had become friends. William had been with Richard on the Continent when the latter had met his death at Chaluz.

William de Braose was a man who was determined to advance; his ambition was to be the foremost of the barons of England. He had considered carefully on Richard’s death which side he would be on and had chosen John, not because he liked John – he did not admire him as he had Richard – but because he believed that John had the stronger forces behind him; and when William Marshal had placed himself with John that was the signal for men such as William de Braose to do likewise. He agreed with the Marshal that Arthur would have little chance in England. John had been by far the safer bet; and to have gone against him and failed would have been the end of all his dreams of riches. Matilda had been with him. A strong forceful woman, she was just the wife he needed.

John trusted him, for he had proved himself a good knight to Richard; and it was for this reason that he had put Arthur in his charge at Falaise.

It was an honour and yet William de Braose hoped that it would not continue too long. He did not want to spend his life as a jailer. He had other plans. But at this stage the fact that he had been appointed for the task showed John’s confidence in him, and he was gratified at that. With a man like John one could descend from favour to disgrace in a day. He must make sure that that did not happen to him.

At the same time, just in case John should be defeated he would treat Arthur with especial deference so that should the time come when Arthur was in a position to bestow honours he should not think too badly of William de Braose.

Thus it was that Arthur’s stay in Falaise was pleasant enough and his guards were the only outward sign that he was a prisoner.

William would play chess with him and Matilda mothered him in a rather domineering way which sometimes, when he felt young and lonely, he did not dislike.


While John was at Caen William des Roches presented himself.

John received him indifferently as though he did not care whether he saw him or not but William des Roches was a man who was well aware of his importance, even if John were not.

John was still puffed up with pride over his success at Mirebeau. He was going to bask in that glory for as long as he could. It was success, William conceded, but it was not one which affected John’s entire life and made his Continental possessions safe for ever. It was merely a successful skirmish. John, however, appeared to have sunk back into a life of voluptuousness on the strength of this one mild success.

Like William de Braose, William des Roches was an ambitious man. Both of them realised the importance of being on the winning side, but if the victor was not inclined to honour William des Roches then he would look about him for other means of using his talent.

William des Roches had been the leader of Arthur’s army when it had joined forces with Philip of France; but it was not long before des Roches was quarrelling with Philip, for Philip had destroyed one of the castles which had belonged to Arthur because rebels against him had sheltered there.

William des Roches had protested to Philip that the property of his young lord should not be wantonly destroyed, to which Philip had sharply retorted that what was and what was not to be destroyed was a matter for him to decide.

Clearly, des Roches had thought Philip was no ally for him.

In the heat of his temper he had gone to John and said that he would persuade Arthur and Constance to come to terms with him and give up their claim; but he would do this on one condition: that he, William des Roches, was to decide their actions.

John, rejoicing in the rift between William des Roches and Philip, had delightedly agreed, and peace was concluded between Arthur and John – an uneasy one it was true, for Constance had been highly suspicious of John’s intentions towards her son.

William des Roches had then worked closely with John. When he had heard that the young Duke was at Mirebeau it was William des Roches who had been one of those foremost in leading the attack.

‘If we capture Arthur,’ he had told John, ‘you will, my lord, remember your promises that I should have a say in the young Duke’s future?’

John had promised.

And now he had sent Arthur off to Falaise where his jailer would be William de Braose.

William des Roches was incensed when he presented himself to John, though he did his best to hide his mood.

‘My lord,’ he said, ‘it is good news, Arthur is your prisoner.’

John laughed. ‘You should have seen the boy’s face when I threatened to castrate him. He believed it, you know. ’Twould be amusing to take from him the opportunity of savouring that of which at this time he is ignorant, I believe. His mother kept him under close restraint, and I doubt he had any opportunity to try his talents.’

‘The young Duke is well, I trust,’ said William.

‘The would-be-King has become a frightened little boy.’

‘Poor child,’ said William. ‘I have come for your permission to take over the care of him.’

John raised his eyebrows. ‘He is well cared for. You need have no qualms in that respect.’

‘I am glad of it. I understand he is at Falaise with de Braose.’

‘A good man, de Braose,’ said John, ‘and one I would always trust. He was a good friend to my brother and has been to me. He likes to profit from his service, but what matters that if his profit is mine also?’

‘I am prepared to ride to Falaise without delay.’

‘There’ll be no need, my dear fellow.’

‘Sir, I consider there is every need. You have forgotten our pact. I made the peace between you and Arthur; I have fought for you and you’ll remember my reward was to be that I was to have the charge of Arthur.’

‘Reward!’ cried John. ‘Men do not generally ask about their rewards when serving me.’

‘They think of them none the less, I dare swear,’ said des Roches boldly.

Warning lights were shining in John’s eyes. William des Roches was aware of them, but important enough he believed to ignore them.

‘They are too courteous … or perhaps too fearful … to mention them,’ said John meaningfully.

‘Then perhaps I should be the same,’ said des Roches.

‘You were always a clever fellow, William. You ever knew which side to jump before it was too late.’

‘Thank you, my lord, for that compliment.’

‘You are welcome to it.’ John nodded to imply he was tired of the subject and William des Roches took the opportunity to retire.

‘Be careful,’ warned John as William left. ‘Mind which way you jump.’

He had misjudged des Roches, who was in a position to do a great deal of harm and he was determined to do it.

That day he deserted John and without delay formed a league of the lords of Brittany, marched into action and took certain castles, thus cutting off John’s means of communication to the south.

The rot had set in. The success of Mirebeau was seen to be trivial. With the French King ready to seize any opportunity, with the Lusignans raring to avenge the insult on the head of their house in addition to the abduction of Isabella, and with all those who hated John – and they were numerous – waiting for the moment to come when they could successfully rise against him, John’s hold on his Continental territories was growing weaker every day.