The Bold Prince
Gainsborough, England - April 1110
“My Lords!” Uhtræd called out from the high table, “My Lords…”
Every man and woman in the hall soon quieted their voice and looked to the new King as he stood to speak to them.
Uhtræd took a moment as he looked out over all that were gathered before he continued, “It has been a harrowing journey from lands far from here so that I may return home to the bosom of my youth.”
His mother Hextilda sat next to him and smiled. His brother Eadward sat to his other side and nodded his head. The new King looked to them both before smiling to the crowded guests, “I thank you for your progress to this grand feast and I remain steadfast in my support for you all. My father would wish nothing less. We all loved him. This I know. That you come here to honor his spirit tells me all I need know of our great realm.”
Many in the hall beat their hands and cups to the table in support and Uhtræd smiled in their encouragement, “I look out to you all and know that our kingdom is sound. I know that my father’s wishes are kept. There are some that be not here, but even they…they love this realm.”
More pounding of the tables followed as Uhtræd continued to smile, “I would let you all know that I be my father’s son in every way. So is my brother that sits here next to me.”
Eadward offered a brief smile as he nodded his head and looked out over the crowd.
Uhtræd pointed to the Lord Marshal who sat next to his mother at the high table, “Here be our finest warrior. The Lord Skuli has protected this realm in every way since I was but a bare chested boy.”
Duke Skuli nodded his head with thanks and locked eyes briefly with the King.
“And here be our Lord of Kent,” Uhtræd pointed to Duke Æthelmær sitting to Eadward’s right. “He served my father well and serves me now in every way.”
Æthelmær offered a happy smile with his nod.
“I look out to you all and I see you Lord Cearl,” Uhtræd pointed to the Duke of Essex, “And I am thankful to see you in our presence for your House is among our greatest.”
Cearl took chance to stand and look around with a smile before he sat once more with curiosity.
“And there you are, Lord Harold…” Uhtræd pointed with a smile to the Duke of Hwicce, “…and I am so pleased that you have brought good Æthelgifu with you.”
Lord Harold offered a pleasant nod as did his daughter as the King’s youngest brother stood behind her with a grin.
“You had best not tease my good brother Beorhtmaer too harshly, my Lady,” Uhtræd wagged a playful finger, “For he is a bold young man. I shall keep my eyes on you two. You would save your worth for the bedding on the day of your marriage.”
Beorhtmaer spoke out with a grin, “It comes not soon enough, Your Grace!”
The King laughed along with the others as he looked out further into the crowd and spied the teenage Lady from Mercia, “And I see you, my Lady Duchess. I must tell you that it warms my heart to see you once again at our home here. You are always welcome.”
The young Duchess Wulfrun grinned as she looked back to the King, “Your ale is fine, Your Grace!”
The crowd hooted at her in great humor and the King answered back, “Be careful to hold your tongue should you drink too much, my Lady.”
She laughed and those around her did the same as Uhtræd looked back to the hall with his own grin, “Mayhap Lord Mayor Eanberht would find the same joy in such good ale.”
The Mayor stood with some shame “Your Grace…I did not mean…”
“No, no…” Uhtræd kept his smile, “You did not like the wine nor the ale, sir. But we had us a fine conversation in any ways, did we not?”
Mayor Eanberht offered a smile of his own and called out, “We did, Your Grace.”
“See?” Uhtræd answered to all, “We may all find some common ground with each other. I know that you all may look to me as a foreigner. And mayhap I am to you after so many years. But I am the trueborn son of our great King Eadgar…my father…”
Some cheers and more knocking of the tables followed as Uhtræd stood tall, “I may be unknown to many of you, but not to all…am I not right, my Lord Marshal?”
Duke Skuli smiled at the King and answered to all, “We two have known each other for many a year, indeed. He is his father’s son in every way. In truth, the boar you eat tonight was felled by his own great hand.”
“I would put my life into this fine Duke’s hands,” Uhtræd returned the smile before looking back to his audience. “And…I would wish us peace.”
Skuli looked to the King with a questioning face and Uhtræd answered the gaze with certainty, “It saddens me that our Lord Robert does not attend. I would like to have seen our Duke of Normandy. But I must ask you, my Lord Skuli…in front of all of these people…is your effort done? Can we not have peace in this realm?”
The Marshal was silent at first but found his head nodding in answer, “I would be true to your wish, Your Grace.”
Uhtræd looked back to the crowd, “There we are. If we would but talk with one another…there be no need for such fighting.”
Skuli was confused and tried to speak, “If only Lord Robert may…”
The King held up his hand, “I would send my good brother to our Lord of Normandy. If you may let go of your enmity, then surely our Chancellor can convince Lord Robert.”
Not wishing to speak out of turn, the Duke nodded his head again and looked to Prince Eadward. The Prince returned the gaze with no smile.
“My Lords,” Uhtræd looked back to the hall, “It saddens me that all are not here. We would like to see our Duke of Normandy. And we all know that Lord Duke Morcar of York is our great friend. Yet, he does not break bread with us. I would be honest with you all. Good Morcar may not care for the one that sits this throne. There is much history there and though I loved his father dearly from our fine days as children raised together, the late Duke Eadgar and I found our faiths opposed on the field of battle. He surely knows, as you all do, what occurred there that day. I would have you tell him, as I have tried, that I love him as much as I ever did his father. The late Duke was named after mine own and is a testament to the closeness of our families. I loved the man and it pains me to this day when I think on him.”
There was silence in the room as all in attendance did not know what to do with the King’s honest words. Yet, Uhtræd persisted.
“Yet here we all are…with great comity and much love. I would be King to every man and woman in this hall. It did not come to me as a welcome but I would not put aside my father’s wish. I could not. And credit must go to my good brother here.”
Eadward was unsure of where Uhtræd was going in his words but offered a brief smile.
“I have lived my life far away from this realm for many years,” the King continued, “And I must say that it has taken a great toll on me to return. I have lost my wife and children as I take up this great mantle. Yet I would be true to my father…and true to all of you. We have us all a fine Saxon kingdom. This was my father’s wish and this is my promise to you!”
Cheers echoed throughout the hall as they beat their cups upon the tables and many shouted, “God save the King!”
Uhtræd remained silent while he waited for the hall to quiet and looked to them all with a great serious face, “My Lords…my Ladies…you will follow me if you wish a great and strong realm. There is our Kingdom and no other. We must needs all see to that. I will. That, I promise you. While the awesome duty of this chair was never my yearning, I have told you…I would honor my father’s desire. In the north, we will not stand down to any Scottish aggression. In the east, we would not see another northman try and plunder our soil and steal our crown. In the west, we would keep with our father and take what is rightfully ours. And in the south…we would not see a foreigner take this throne. It will be Saxon or it will be no thing!”
Many cheers erupted throughout the hall and Uhtræd offered a fine smile. He basked in it for some few moments before finally nodding with a wave of his hand. As he moved to walk from the hall to find his chambers, his brother followed him.
“You take to it well, brother,” Eadward suggested as the din of noise echoed behind him.
Uhtræd sighed as he walked, “I do not, but if I am to do the thing…I will do it in every way.”
Eadward was quick to answer, “You do it well.”
“They will all be gone soon,” the new King responded as they found his chambers. Uhtræd entered his room and looked back to his brother, “Gone, mayhap. But they will not soon forget this day. That is my wish.”
“You have made your mark,” Eadward nodded as he moved to pour his brother some ale.
“Nay,” Uhtræd stopped him. “I’ve no need of that. We have all had too much this night and I would look clearly to our future.”
Prince Eadward sat the cup down and turned back with a grin, “Our father my frown.”
Uhtræd stepped to his brother and pulled him close, “Brother…I mean it when I say that you have done us all a great service. That you were able to keep these Lords and this realm sound as I traveled…”
“I told you that I would be ever faithful,” Eadward answered quickly.
“And I know it true,” the King pulled him into an embrace before moving back to look out the window and watch the celebrations below. “However…this is but a respite methinks. I have stood these grounds before knowing man’s harshest desire.”
Prince Eadward offered a quick nod, “Your absent Lords.”
King Uhtræd offered a great heavy sigh as he continued to look out at the people below, “My absent…everything.”