Amaury de Montfort to Simon de Montfort

[Cearnach]

To Simon, our dear nephew, Amaury, Comte d'Evreux, sends warm wishes,

I hope this letter does not find you swamped with famous travelers. My understanding is that Coeur-de-Lion is already on the move, and I cannot imagine that it will be long before you find yourself host to at least some of his retinue. Mind that you are careful around that Longchamp--he is a clever clogs, and no mistake. In any case, the last famous name to come through the Vexin had nothing but positive things to say about your hospitality. He is well on his way, now, so I shall not solicit your felicitations, earnest though they may be.

I wonder, now, if you will be making your way to Westminster? There are some in my household who are rather adamant that we should do him homage as Duke of Normandy here, to make the point that France is France and England is England, but I cannot help but wonder if that is quite the point His Royal Highness wishes to hear. Do be careful if you sound him out on this point. He is a dangerous man, particularly when his ire is up.

Do let me know about your plans soon. Perhaps you can represent the family in England and get us past all this. They'll all just have to come back through here anyway to get to Outremer. But then I suppose of a King wants to ride around his kingdom, then that's precisely what he'll do.

Keep the faith,
Uncle Amaury.

[Simon IV de Montfort]

To the Righteous and Just Uncle Sir Aumaury de Montfort, Count of Evreux,

Thank you for writing to me in this most tumultuous of times. I must first ask that you forgive if there is any breach of etiquette or proper form in my address to you, as this would be the first time that we have written not as uncle and nephew, but as titled peers. That you still wish to write to me warmly fills my heart with joy, like finding a cave in a terrible storm to take shelter in.

Let me first thank you for informing me of the movements at home as you understand them; recent events and preparations have forced my ear well above the ground, so to speak. I am glad to hear that my hospitality was well received. I shall endeavour to ensure the same quality of care in the future, where possible.

I have thought long and hard about to whom I should swear fealty, but it is your example which lead me down the path I am on. Perhaps, were I older, wiser and more materialistic, I would consider to whom it would be better to swear fealty. But we are men of God, and it is by the Will of God that I am Baron of Montfort-l’Amaury when it is within the hands of the English as Jerusalem fell. I even remember, as I heard the news, that the pause of my sparring partner spared me from a fatal accident.

It is for that reason that I shall dedicate myself to the Throne of England as long as the Lord has need of me, in person in this case. I can only pray for His forgiveness if he intended another path for me, and pay penance as any Christian would.

If I may, there are three questions I would ask of you, if your time is available thus.

• You yourself have sworn fealty - could you describe the procedure? Is there anything I should strive to do, or strive to avoid?
• My understanding is that the faith structure in England is different from our own - can you tell me on your experiences with the other faiths?
• I was planning of writing to my grandfather, Robert Whitehands - are there others to whom you recommend I make contact? Either allies whom could prove a strong foothold in England, or people who we should aspire to bring into our service?

I know I have asked a lot of you, but let me finish this message in the most earnest way I can: Thank you. You have been there for me through the loss of my father, my coronation and the chaos that has come with the change of Barony. Were it not for my mother, I imagine you would be my only pillar of support left. I beseech you, please - during all of this, stay safe.

In the name of the Father,

Nephew Simon

[Cearnach]

To my pious nephew, Simon, Uncle Amaury sends his warmest regards,

In answer to your questions--good ones all!--I shall endeavor to be brief and direct, as you have touched upon some interesting topics, and it would not do to become muddled!

Let us see--the coronation will be a very splendid affair, all set within a mass, and featuring a great procession with all the great and the good of the Kingdom. You'll be seated among the barons of the kingdom, behind the Princes of the Blood, and there will be three places in the ceremony where your participation will be required. The first will come quite early in the ceremony. You will notice that the procession has come to an end and the many symbols of office have been laid on the altar. Just after this, the Archbishop and the King will make a circuit of the Abbey, facing each of the cardinal directions, and at each one the Archbishop will announce that the king is the king, but crucially he will ask whether the people sitting there are prepared to do him homage, and the proper response here, at least in England, will be "God Save King Richard." I am not sure why the English are so concerned with our king's welfare, that God should always be saving him. From what, I ask you? But such is the custom.

Then the better part of the mass will take place, and, then the King will be anointed and enrobed with all of the things that have been laid upon the altar, and he will swear several oaths. Much will be done, until finally the crown will be placed on the king's head, at which point everyone will begin shouting God Save the King three times, and if you are wise, you will join in.

Then, shortly after that, you will see the Archbishop and several of the officers of state lever the King up and into his proper throne. You can't miss it. Then the Archbishop and the other bishops will swear fealty. The formula is the same for everyone, and I shall repeat it here. You will give your hands, which you will have folded as though in prayer, into Richard's hands. He will then squeeze them to demonstrate his power and command, and you will say: "I, Simon," that being your name, "swear to be faithful and bear true allegiance to Richard, our sovereign lord, the king of this realm, and to his heirs and successors, and that I will, as in duty bound, honestly and faithfully defend His Majesty, his heirs, and successors, in Person, Crown, and Dignity, against all enemies, so help me God." And you had better mean it, for a disloyal baron is often a dead one. The King may choose to say something to you, or he may simply release your hands, and that's it, you'll head back to your seat. There'll be the Eucharist, and that will be that.

The Church in England, you will find, is much the same as it is here. There are monks of the same orders and priests and bishops aplenty. There are two Archbishops in the whole country--one at York in the north, and the more senior one at Canterbury in Kent. The Archbishop of Canterbury will be leading the mass, and it will be exactly like any mass you've met before. All in Latin and everything.

As for contacts, we have some cousins in Norfolk under the leadership of Roger Bigod. He is not an Earl just yet because of some inheritance dispute with his step-mother, his father being a piece of work, but I imagine all of that will be cleared up once Richard is made aware of the situation. You might also wish to get in touch with William d'Aubigny, whose work with the Crusading Orders likely dovetails with the interests I hear you have been developing.

I hope that has been of some use to you! Don't fear to write again, if you have anything more to ask. I wish you luck and safety on your journey.

Yours fondly,
Uncle Amaury

[Simon IV de Montfort]

To the Righteous and Just Uncle Sir Aumaury de Montfort, Count of Evreux,

I thank you kindly to your answers to my questions. It is comforting to know what I am walking into, at least.

Perhaps it is the depth of your wisdom or the shallowness of my experience, but your answers feel complete enough that I am completely at ease. I will strive to remain on guard, however, as the Lord tests us always.

The only real things else I can ask is if you will also be attending this prestigious event and, if you can spare the time, the process of anointing a knight, should I find one worthy and willing?

I do wish to write about more genial things, like how your family fares or if that patisserie we visited is still open, but I understand we must remain vigilant in times of great change.

Kindest regards,

Your Nephew Simon

[Cearnach]

To my dearest Nephew, the Lord of Montfort-l'Amaury, Amaury, Count of Evreux, sends a warm reply.

Your letter found me in that same patisserie you mention, but of course that will remain our secret. My wife has grown rather tired my wandering around town. Something about danger...you know the story. But that coincidence aside, I am afraid I have very little personal to report, save that an answer to your most difficult question presented itself just yesterday. The King's party passed through here, traveling toward Havre, and so it seemed convenient to swear fealty to the Lionheart and get the whole thing done with. That means I shan't be going to England. Instead, I get to keep a close eye on France and make sure the truce remains intact while our King sorts out his Kingdom. The delay in the Crusade is likely to cause some concern in France--Philip was expecting to ride out with Henry Curtmantle right about now. I am not sure what the lost weeks will mean for the weather in the Mediterranean, and what pressures it will put on the Germans that have already set out.

But the coming war must wait a moment, it seems, while the business of state is carried out. In the meantime, the process of Accolade is quite simple, but not commonly extended. Usually it is only undertaken if someone has distinguished themselves under your command. It would be a bold knight who would take it upon themselves to do so when the King and Marshal are present. But perhaps boldness is what is necessary; who can say? The ceremony is easy enough: if the person you are knighting is a page or squire, you fasten their swordbelt around their waist and then cuff them straightways across the face. I have heard it said that Charlemagne made his paladins with a kiss, but none could ever love us as the paladins loved him, so we seal it with the blow. Then you say: Advance, knight, in the Name of God, or some other pithy phrase, and there you are with a new-minted knight! Easy! Haven't done it yet this year, though, but I imagine the Crusade will be minting a great number of knights. Heavens know the First Crusade saw many men elevated, and not just spiritually, though certainly many a rude soul was shriven in those times.

But I ramble on and the letter grows no shorter. Let yourself be bold at the coronation, and Richard's favor will likely fall upon you. He is a man of action, Simon, as his father was and his mother before him. But be careful not to overstep, for he can be as jealous as they as well. A cautious sort of boldness. Yes, that will be the way to win favor. And with favor, who knows? You may find yourself an Earl, or perhaps King of Jerusalem when all is said and done. Wouldn't that be something?

And so I leave you, fondly looking into your future,
Uncle Amaury