Chapter Fifteen #2
De Serreaux could see the defensiveness in Davyss’ expression.
Not that he blamed the man. It was difficult to let on to the fact that he was sympathetic to Davyss’ position.
He didn’t like what Henry was doing, either, and hadn’t since he sent that missive to Isenhall himself.
Still, there was a line between him and Davyss; he could see it. It was the line of mistrust.
“Nothing,” he finally said. “You and I have not had much opportunity to speak privately on this battle march.”
Davyss glanced at Hugh, who was less adept at hiding his wariness of what seemed to be a probe from de Serreaux.
“What could we possibly have in common to speak privately about?” Hugh demanded. “There is nothing to say, de Serreaux. We are doing our duty just as you are. We do not have to be happy about it. What else did you want to know?”
De Serreaux shook his head calmly. “Nothing, Hugh.”
Hugh didn’t believe him in the least. “Did you want to ask us of our loyalties?” he said.
“Come out with it, then. Do not make foolish conversation about bogs. Ask us who we are to support in this battle. In fact, ask us about what men have been whispering of since Evesham – ask us if we have finally regained de Montfort’s head from Roger Mortimer. Don’t you want to know?”
De Serreaux cocked an eyebrow at the belligerent tone. “Not particularly.”
Hugh threw up his hands, exasperated. “The man is my wife’s father,” he said. “I have personally asked him to give it to us. He is considering it. You can tell Henry that if it pleases you.”
De Serreaux’s gaze lingered on Hugh, the fiery brother.
“I have no intention of telling Henry anything,” he said, looking back to Davyss.
“I thought we had trust between us. We have fought in a number of battles together, de Winter. I thought trust had been established. I see that mayhap I was wrong.”
Davyss shook his head, stepping in to the conversation before his brother’s heated manner began to fire up de Serreaux.
“I trust you with my life in battle,” he said.
“But this is a difficult situation. Surely you know that. I have been asked to march against my best friend and I am understandably unhappy about it. There is no secret in that, nothing that requires trust. Henry is aware of it. Now, he is waiting for us, so let us proceed.”
Hugh and Davyss continued on but de Serreaux did not; he remained standing where they’d left him. “There is something you should know,” he said.
The de Winter brothers came to a halt, turning to face de Serreaux, who moved to catch up with them when he saw that he had their attention. He moved in very close to the brothers, his dark eyes serious.
“I sent word to Chad at Isenhall to inform him of Henry’s movements,” he said quietly. “Isenhall knows we are coming.”
Hugh’s eyes widened but Davyss was more controlled in his reaction. He was suddenly quite interested in what de Serreaux had to say and the defensiveness that he and his brother had exhibited eased accordingly.
“You did what?” he hissed. “You sent a missive to Chad at Isenhall? He knows we are coming?”
“Aye.”
“All of us?”
“Aye.”
Davyss’ jaw dropped; he couldn’t help it. “But why did you do it?” he demanded, although his voice was no more than a harsh whisper. “Does Henry know? Did he tell you to do it?”
De Serreaux shook his head. “Henry knows nothing,” he said.
“I did it because of Henry’s mindset right now…
he’s not right, Davyss. Surely you have sensed it.
There is some kind of madness that has infected him ever since Evesham, a madness that has him suspicious of everyone’s loyalties, including yours.
Don’t you know that is why you have been asked to march on Isenhall?
Henry wants to see who you will be loyal to – to him or to Gallus. Have you not realized that?”
It took Davyss a moment to understand that de Serreaux didn’t like what was happening any more than he did.
In fact, he was coming to see that de Serreaux had tipped off Isenhall about Henry’s approach which meant that Gallus and his brothers would be prepared.
When the full realization hit him, Davyss nearly collapsed with relief.
“Sweet Jesus,” Davyss hissed, a hand to his head in shock. “Of course I know why my army was summoned to march on Isenhall. I know it will come down to a choice between Gallus and Henry. I am prepared to make that choice.”
No matter that they were speaking more freely now, Davyss stopped short of giving de Serreaux an answer, still holding the slightest bit of suspicion that all of this might be a trap.
De Serreaux could easily run back to Henry and tell the man that de Winter was disloyal, so it was that fear that kept him silent.
It was better to be prudent than completely trusting of a man as close to the king as de Serreaux was.
But De Serreaux must have sensed Davyss’ reluctance to make a declaration of loyalty one way or the other but he didn’t push him. It really didn’t matter in the long run; they would all know soon enough. Still, there was more he had to say.
“This isn’t only about you,” de Serreaux said, his voice low.
“Henry wants to see if de Lohr is there to support Gallus as well, and if de Moray has finally been pushed onto the side of his daughter’s husband.
He wants to see just who is against him and this is how he intends to do it.
Be prepared for this, Davyss. Henry is suspicious of all of you and if he determines that you all support de Shera and not him, the consequences could be very bad, indeed. ”
Davyss’ jaw ticked. “Then Henry is a fool if he believes he can defeat the House of de Shera, the House of de Lohr, and the House of de Winter,” he hissed.
“Think on the holdings we collectively have and the manpower. We can bring Henry to his knees if he is not careful. I am not declaring my loyalties one way or the other but I am emphasizing to you that if Henry insults our honor and doubts our loyalties with some foolish test of wills, then he will lose. Make no mistake; he cannot defeat us all. We will destroy him.”
De Serreaux knew that. He sighed, long and heavy.
“Let us hope it does not come to that,” he replied.
“I simply wanted you to be aware of what is really at stake, Davyss. I see much. I know much. And Henry is out to punish everyone with any association to those who allied themselves with de Montfort. The House of de Shera is his biggest target and along with it, so are all of you.”
Davyss sensed the man’s sympathy at that point but he still couldn’t give in to it and trust him completely. It was better if he didn’t. “I understand,” he said. “But what I do not understand is why you would betray Henry by sending word to Isenhall of his approach.”
De Serreaux shrugged. “Because above all else, I am a man of honor,” he said simply.
“What Henry is doing is not honorable. It is fed by madness and I do not want to see good and noble men consumed by it. That is the best way I can explain it. As I said, Henry does not know of the missive to Isenhall so I would be appreciative if you did not tell him.”
In that small request, Davyss began to understand something; de Serreaux had risked himself for the opposition.
For men he considered honorable even if they were on the opposing side.
He was asking Davyss to keep that confidence, and Davyss intended to.
More than that, it was enough to cause Davyss to finally believe that de Serreaux might actually be telling the truth.
He had known de Serreaux for years and he was a man of his word.
It was enough to lower Davyss’ guard somewhat.
“You have my oath that I will not mention it,” he muttered, “but I hope it does not come down to me fighting against you in battle. I should not look forward to that.”
De Serreaux’s gaze lingered on him. “It is quite possible that I would not let that happen,” he said, turning for Henry’s tent in the distance. “It is quite possible that I would rather stand by men of honor than by a king of madness.”
With that, he walked off, leaving Davyss and Hugh staring at each other in surprise.
Was it possible that de Serreaux, leader of Henry’s Six, would turn on his king?
Or was the man simply saying such things to gain their confidence only to betray them?
Perhaps Davyss didn’t have as much trust in the man as he thought he had.
In this world, anything was possible.