Before Plantagenet - Chapter 97
December 1098 - Melun, France
They call her the “Duchess of Melun.”
Agnes could not tell if it was a compliment or insult. If it was an insult, she wondered at whom it was directed. Perhaps it was all things to all people.
It annoyed her all the same. Just because seeing her, in this state, was torturous.
The “duchess” as it were, was Ness. The teen stood by Foulques, her short stature only allowing her to come up to his shoulder. Her small frame made her belly, large with child, appear even bigger.
It did not escape Agnes’ notice that her father’s arm was wrapped around the girl’s waist, his hand no doubt on her rear. It was a lewd display, one only slightly permissible had they been married. But of course, they were not.
But Agnes could say nothing as she slowly moved up the stairs of the keep with her entourage. She was greeted first by Duke Alberic of Aquitaine, her cousin and still steward to the king, with a kiss that was aimed for her lips but though quick evasion became one to the cheek. He still managed a rather forceful grab of her rear.
Boor.
She quickly moved past him and to her father, who was eyeing Alberic. But broke his glare to give his daughter a kiss on the head as she bowed before him. Ness lowered her head slightly but could not remove the grin from her face as she did so.
The girl was beaming.
Agnes was not sure if morbid curiosity was why she looked back toward Etiennette, who had to suffer through watching this… embarrassment. Her lady held it together, barely, though Agnes knew her well enough to understand she was on the verge of tears. They would come when she was out of view.
Alearde merely rolled her eyes.
Agnes did not know of the ‘duchess’ nickname when they had met upon her arrival. But it did not take long for her to learn of it - Ness was a frequent topic of gossip in the keep.
And how could she not be? A girl of 17 summers who apparently was so openly paraded around as the lover of the Duke of Anjou, that she was practically treated as if she were his wife. She had all the trappings of a duchess - Foulques had given her the necklace she wore around her neck. So too were her broaches gifts from the duke.
It was infuriating. Agnes eyed the daughters of Aines with distrust - Marguerite had shown the lengths they would go to bring down the House of Anjou. And now her father not only took one as his lover, but treated her as if she were his wife?
“You must put it aside,” Alearde warned her later as she prepared Agnes’ hair for her meeting with her father. “You are here for one reason. It is not to argue with him about his choice of lovers.”
“How can that not anger you?” Agnes demanded. “After everything he’s done… and to you…”
“Because I am not surprised,” Alearde said. “There is a reason I have made the decisions I have. It is a mess for his wife and his lovers to sort out. We are not among them and should leave them to their business.”
“The duchess implored me to speak on her behalf,” Agnes said. “And I can see why.”
“The duchess should sort her own difficulties,” Alearde said. “And not entangle her stepdaughter in such affairs.”
“She is desperate,” Agnes said. “I know how she feels… what it feels like to be cast aside.”
“As do I,” Alearde said. “She will manage as we did. You must not be dragged down in this with her.”
“But they call the girl a duchess!” Agnes exclaimed. “If I were Haldora I would want to choke the life out of her myself.”
“They
mock her,” Alearde said. “And you are not Haldora. She wields no power. This girl likely holds little as well. You come here to make certain your voice is the one that matters. If you lose sight of it, then it will not.”
“But…”
“But nothing,” Alearde said. “Your father will grow angry at a woman questioning him, even you. And you were once Ness. He will not forget that. If you sling arrows they will be returned at you, and you will not have the shield of your sex or your title as your father does.”
Agnes closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths. As angry as she was, Alearde was right. She had to keep the focus on convincing her father to raise the levies to attack Gilles.
“Thank you,” Agnes said as she took her lady’s hand. “I do not know what I would do without you.”
“I have said before, you would survive,” Alearde said as she put the finishing touches on Agnes’ neatly pulled up hair. “But not as well as you do now.
….
The Duke of Anjou sipped on his wine in his chair. His face was difficult to read, as it always was with that mask, but his eyes moved, and they suggested he was closely examining her.
Agnes had nothing to fear - Alearde always knew how to make certain she looked pretty and proper. And yet, she still felt her stomach churning under the inspection.
“Wine then?” he finally asked her.
“Thank you,” Agnes said as she took the cup he handed her. He motioned for her to sit, and she did.
“Chancellor Godfrey tells me you annoy the council with requests of war,” Foulques said.
More churning within - so forceful Agnes was almost certain her father could hear it.
“I… I make the case for it yes,” Agnes said. “I wished for their support, so that my case would be stronger when I asked you to heed my counsel.”
Foulques leaned forward. “And what is that case, my dear? Some of the councilors think you motivated by a desire to strike back at the man who misled you.”
“Misled many, including you, father,” Agnes said. “My cousin is a deceitful lecher. Everyone knows this and yet so many simply think that when he speaks his falsehoods, they are the exceptions - that he is somehow being truthful with them.”
“You wish for vengeance on him,” Foulques said as he pulled away before standing up. Pacing about the room, he swirled the wine in his cup. “That is why you wish for this.”
She had hoped Godfrey would soften her father up. But it did not appear he had done this. Heck, he may well have poisoned him against her.
A betrayal, not likely to be forgotten.
But she could not back down now. Too much was at stake.
“I wish for the best for our family,” Agnes said. “Duke Gilles, who desires Tours and hates all of us, being the power behind the throne of Uncle Simon, who has a claim on our lands in Anjou, I feel is a danger.”
“What can Gilles and Simon do?” Foulques asked. “My levy is the strongest in the realm.”
“But is your levy as strong as the entirety of the rest of the realm?” Agnes asked. “Gilles will work to turn them against us. And it will not require much - you are a great man who draws the envy of others. There is nothing more appealing than seeing a great man fall.”
Foulques smirked. “Chancellor Godfrey tell you that?”
Agnes paused. “Mother did. Toward the end as you rose to the king’s side, she spoke of how you would handle things when she were gone. She hoped for the best, but she worried.”
Foulques smirk disappeared. He walked back to the chair opposite his daughter and sat down once more.
“A wise woman, your mother,” Foulques said. He looked down. “You look quite a bit like her.”
Agnes smiled. “I hope to be as positive for Anjou as she was.”
“You already are,” Foulques said. He stood up once more. “Godfrey spoke well of you. He believes you do wish to see Gilles paid back, but you see enough of the picture to know that alone is not enough. I thought you capable of handling these matters, and now you have proven it to me.”
Her eyes widened and the smile grew from ear to ear.
“You mean, you will call up the levies?” she asked.
“I give you authority to do so,” Foulques said.
“Will you command them?” Agnes asked.
“I think the king would probably accept if I said I would command them, he is so desperate for assistance,” Foulques said. “But, as tempting as that is, I think it would be unwise to leave the king’s side at this time. I suspect others would rush to try to influence him. And... I wish to see what your cousin Herve can do. He has led armies well under the command of others. Let me see if he can do so on his own.”
Agnes was so excited she bounded out of the chair and squeezed her father tightly. He chuckled but before saying: “It is not common for a regent to hug their ruler in such a fashion.”
Agnes blushed and sheepishly returned to her chair.
“I am sorry father,” she replied.
“I point it out for your benefit,” Foulques said. “You must act as a regent first, not a daughter. If you do the latter, the council will never respect you.”
Agnes nodded. “I will father. Thank you for your counsel.”
Foulques swirled the cup of wine some more. “It will be nice to put that little welp in his place.”
Agnes raised her cup. “You have no idea, father. No idea.”
….
Agnes was tipsy as she left her father’s chambers.
The world moved a little faster than normal, her balance slightly off. She had nearly stumbled upon standing, but had caught herself against the chair. Her father had offered to escort her back to her guest chambers, but she said she was fine to walk by herself. It was just a short trip.
She moved about, at first using the wall for leverage. But she was soon able to balance herself out, as the movement seemed to make her a little more lucid.
As she neared her chambers, however, she caught sight of her cousin Alberic, who also noticed her and approached.
She had sat across from him during supper. While pleased not to be in view of Ness - she was on the other side of Foulques who stat between them - it was still a bit unnerving to have Alberic leer at her throughout, especially given his actions when she arrived.
Manners, he lacks. But then that was hardly a surprise.
“Cousin,” she said as approached. It was meant as a courtesy as she picked up her pace.
Alberic must have seen it as an invitation, as he moved in front of her.
“It has been too long, my lady,” Alberic said as he ran his hand down her arm. “You look lovely on this fine evening.”
Steeling herself, Agnes replied: “Thank you cousin. I… just am leaving my father’s chambers and returning to my own.”
“There is no rush,” Alberic said. “The night is young.”
She wished to be away from here. But perhaps she could direct the conversation elsewhere - distract him from his lustful thoughts long enough to make an escape.
“I hear you have found success in your war on Orleans,” she said. “That Angouleme is now yours.”
“Yes, though it was frustrating war,” Alberic said. “I would have liked to have defeated the old man, but I suppose taking it off his son is just as valuable.”
Alberic referenced the new Duke of Orleans, who had inherited after his father died a few years before.
Petty, but not unexpected, she thought.
As his hand continued to move up and down Agnes’ arm, she felt her stomach churn. He did not appear deterred.
“I have heard you will be wed soon?” she asked, hoping perhaps this would make him take the hint.
“Not soon,” Alberic said. “To a girl - the current heir to the County of Foix. She needs to come of age first, which will be a few years.”
“If she comes with Foix, then she shall be worth the wait,” Agnes said.
“I do not know,” Alberic said. “After all, I think I prefer a woman to a girl.”
He grabbed her rear. She tried to pull away but realized that would just put her closer to him.
“Cousin… you have made vows to her, have you not?” Agnes asked.
“Easily broken,” Alberic said. “She is my vassal after all. And I have heard from Gilles your qualities. I don’t wish a girl who knows little of pleasure. I wish for a woman of your beauty and experience.”
She did not enjoy his hand now moving to her face and to her hair. But then she felt a sudden grab of her breast.
Instinctively, she slapped Alberic across the face.
Alberic recoiled and Agnes used that moment to slip free and put some distance between herself and he.
“Keep your filthy hands off me,” Agnes said.
“These hands are as high-born as any that shall ever touch you again,” Alberic sneered as he held his cheek. “You will soon be a maid - one who has birthed a bastard and killed a man. You think others will take you as their lover, let alone their wife?”
“If that is to be my fate, so be it,” Agnes said. “I have not come here to lay with you, Alberic, or to be your wife. I had business with my father. And unless you wish for him to hear of this, I would advise you to let the matter drop.”
“You do not know what you pass on,” Alberic said.
“Having been with Gilles, I know
exactly what I pass on,” Agnes replied.
“So you’ll open your legs for him and not for me,” Alberic sneered.
“Who I lay with is not your concern, cousin,” Agnes said. “And I warn you again, I will speak to my father of this if you do not stand aside. Is that what you wish? I would imagine he looks for any excuse to push my brother's claim to Poitou. Or, perhaps he might wish to reward his new lover. But I would not wish to give him a reason, if I were you. Orleans is one thing. My father is another.”
Alberic glared at her. But he said nothing further and moved toward the side of the hallway. Agnes walked past, though she did pause a moment to glance back at him.
“My cousin Gilles is a disgusting lecher,” she said. “You would be wise not to look to him for inspiration. I have heard you have enough problems without adding to your issues with his.”
“He does well enough,” Alberic said.
“For now,” Agnes said as she walked off. “For now.”