He would therefore make much of this little Scottish King. Puppet he might be, but he could be tutored and who knew some good might come of it.

Philip himself rode out to meet the cavalcade as it made its way into Paris.

He embraced Joanna and complimented her on her beauty. He treated David as though he were a great King. So both the children were enchanted by the King of France.

There was to be a feast in their honour, he told them and one should sit on either side of him. There was food such as they had never tasted before, music and elegant dancing. The French Court, it seemed to both of them, was a sort of heaven, and the King the most charming man in the world.

Their apartments were luxurious—very different from those sparsely furnished rooms in Scotland, and even grander than many in England.

There was nothing, it seemed, that the King of France would not do for their comfort.

‘You poor children,’ he said embracing them, ‘how glad I am that you came to me for comfort.’

‘Will you help me to regain my kingdom?’ asked David who every now and then remembered he was a king.

‘With all my heart,’ replied Philip. ‘Of course I know that you are a proud king. You will accept my help and my advice but you will want to do something for me in exchange. I can see you were about to say this.’

‘It is true,’ said David.

‘Then just promise me this. You will never make peace with England without first obtaining my consent for you to do so. There. That is not much to ask is it? And I make the request because I can see your pride demands that you give something in return.’

‘I willingly agree,’ said David eagerly.

‘Now I shall give you an income while you are with me so that you can live in the state which is due to you.’

‘My lord, your kindness overwhelms me,’ cried David.

Nay. You are young and brave and I like not to see my friends exploited on account of their youth. This beautiful lady ...’ he turned to Joanna ... ‘should be happy and gay and that is what I intend she shall be during her stay in France.’

It was impossible not to be grateful for so much so graciously given.

The King suggested that they should have a private establishment during their stay in France, and he offered them Château Gaillard, that fortress built on a high rock, which was symbolic to both England and France. It had been built by Richard Coeur de Lion and it had been the pride of his heart. King John, in his folly had lost it to the French; and since then it had had a sad history and become more a prison than a royal castle.

They would bring gaiety into Château Gaillard, said Philip; and it amused him that he should offer that castle which had been built by an English King to these two young exiles from Scotland.

Philip himself conducted them to their residence and there he said he would allow them to entertain him and his knights in their home.

This delighted David in particular. It was not that the King of France did not enchant Joanna. The trouble was that all the time she kept thinking that he was an enemy of Edward. But Edward had deserted her. Her own brother had made war on her country. It was foolish, as David said, to think of him any more with affection.

The benign King of France was never anything but kind to them. They gave a lavish banquet for him all provided for by him and prepared by his servants; but he kept calling it the hospitality of the King and Queen of Scotland.

He told them about French wines and made them try them.

‘Who knows,’ he said, ‘one day we might raise an army in France and win back Scotland for you. What would you do if we did? I know. You would want to pay feudal homage to France for your kingdom, would you not?’

‘I should be so grateful,’ said David, guilelessly.

‘Then you will do it. Is that a promise?’

‘It is a promise.’

‘Then I am going to say that you hold Scotland as fief of France. That means you are under my protection. I think that is a very happy state of affairs, do you not agree?’

David feeling very happy and sleepy nodded.

The King raised his goblet. ‘My friends,’ he said addressing the whole community. ‘My friend the King of Scotland has made me very happy this night. He has just declared that Scotland is a fief of France. Let us drink to this, my friends.’

There was much drinking and chatter.

The King of France kissed first David and then Joanna. ‘There,’ he said, ‘we have sealed our pact in this goodly company.’


* * *

Somewhat reluctantly Philippa agreed to stay at Barnborough Castle while Edward went on to Berwick.

It would be necessary to lay siege to the castle for naturally it would not be easily given up. There could be heavy fighting and the Queen might be in danger.

‘If you are there that is where I would wish to be,’ she told him.

‘I know, my love, but I should be thinking of your safety and not the battle.’

When it was put to her like that she could not refuse, so she settled in at Bamborough to await his return.

The ancient fortress had been erected long before the coming of the Conqueror and its position on a rock which was almost perpendicular and looking straight out to sea made it an invaluable stronghold.

Here Philippa must settle down to await the King’s return. He sent her messages frequently so that she might know how the campaign was progressing. He was after all only about twenty miles away. He did not anticipate that the siege would be a long one, and he had had unexpected good fortune which he hastened to impart to the Queen. Some of his men had found two young boys riding in the forest and had brought them to him. On questioning them he had discovered that they were the sons of the Governor of Berwick Castle.

‘You see, my dear, what a good weapon Fate has placed in my hands. I hold these two boys hostage. I do not think the Governor will want to hold out too long when he hears that I have his sons.’

While she recognized the lucky fate which had given Edward this advantage, Philippa could not help thinking of the poor parents of those boys and what they must be suffering at this time. She was sure that they would never allow any harm to come to them, and if it shortened the siege she supposed it was all to the good and would bring Edward back to her all the more quickly.

It was soon after that, looking from the turret window on the land side, she saw a band of men approaching. As she watched she saw more and more. Then she recognized the Scottish pennants and knew that the enemy was marching on Bamborough Castle.

She hurriedly summoned the guard. Everything must be securely locked. The guards must take their places for the defence. The enemy were about to lay siege to Bamborough.

‘We must get a message through to the King somehow,’ she said.

There were several volunteers, and she decided that more than one should go in case there should be difficulty in getting to the army outside Berwick.

When Edward heard that Philippa was being besieged in Bamborough his first impulse was to fly to her aid, but even before he could make preparations for departure he realized that this was exactly what the Scots wished. They wanted to draw him off Berwick, to let in reinforcements, to make the taking of the town impossible. The object of this campaign had been to take Berwick and if he failed to achieve it another failure would be marked up to him.

He was in a quandary. He was very anxious for Philippa’s leave and at the same time he knew that it would be folly to leave Berwick. Philippa was wise; she was well protected. The siege of Berwick would soon be at an end. It was Scottish strategy to draw him away just when he was on the brink of victory.

Uncontrolled rage seized him. Philippa in danger and he unable to go to her! A curse on the Scots. That ungovernable Plantagenet temper had never been so strong in him. He had to wreak revenge on someone.

The Governor of Berwick! By God, he had his two boys. The hostages!

He summoned his guard.

‘Slay those boys,’ he said.

The guard stared at him in dismay. He could not believe he had heard correctly for the two hostages had been treated rather as pets in the camp. They had played games with the soldiers and the King had spoken kindly to them often. They were all fond of them. They were two innocent boys.

‘Go, you fool,’ shouted Edward. ‘You heard me. Do you dare refuse to carry out my order?’

‘My lord ... I cannot believe I heard right.’

‘You heard me say, “Slay the boys.” Kill the hostages. I have had a trick played on me and no one plays tricks on Edward of England. Cut off their heads and bring them to me so that I can see that the deed is done. Go. Or do you want the same sentence meted out to you?’

The guard went.

In less than ten minutes he returned with the two young heads and as Edward stared at them his anger passed and terrible remorse came to him. He wondered if he would ever forget that blood-stained innocence.

It had to be, he told himself. It had to be. There is no room for softness.

Now, to Berwick. He would storm the place. There should be no more waiting.

He was a soldier. He knew that now. He would vie with his grandfather for battle honours. There was nothing soft about him. He was going to win.

Berwick fell into his hands with astonishing ease. And as soon as he had set his garrison in it he turned to Bamborough, the vehement fighting mood still on him.

He slew the Earl of Douglas who had led the troops to Bamborough, and routed his troops with ease; then he went into the castle.