Chapter Eight
Garran de Moray had accompanied Lady de Shera on her shopping trip into Oxford but she had quickly become exhausted, and ill, so he’d quickly returned her to the inn where they had been staying.
He hoped Gallus was already returned from his meeting with de Montfort but the man was not yet back by the time they returned, so Lady de Shera went up to her rented bedchamber to lay down for a while as the knights settled down in the main room to eat the nooning meal.
No one seemed to find it odd that Tiberius wasn’t there.
He’d been banned from accompanying either of his brothers on their various plans that morning, so the last anyone saw of him, he had been in his bedchamber on the second floor, mending a piece of armor that had pulled loose.
Garran, who was close to Tiberius, as well as to Maximus, didn’t give his absence much thought as he delved into a meal of boiled mutton, carrots, beans, and vast quantities of bread.
They were halfway through their meal when Tiberius made an appearance.
Entering the inn from the main door, Tiberius kicked the roving dogs out of the way as he made his way deeper into the room that smelled of smoke, dirt, and unwashed bodies.
When he saw the de Shera knights hunched over a table, sharing a meal, he headed in their direction.
More specifically, he headed for Garran.
“De Moray,” he said, sounding surprisingly serious. “How long have you been here?”
Garran had a mouth full of carrots. “Not long,” he said.
“Lady de Shera was not feeling well so she wanted to rest. Maximus is still on the Street of the Merchant’s with de Lara’s daughter and we plan to collect them shortly and then return the lady to her father so it looks as if they have not been alone all afternoon. Quite a plan, is it not?”
He was grinning, as was Stefan. Only the two of them had gone with Maximus and Jeniver, as the de Wolfe brothers had gone with Gallus. But Tiberius wasn’t interested in what Maximus was or was not doing. He was preoccupied with something else. He leaned down to Garran.
“I must speak with you,” he said, his voice low. “Come with me.”
Garran swallowed the carrots in his mouth as he stood up, pausing only to down a swallow of wine to wash the vegetables down. He proceeded to follow Tiberius until they were near the entrance to the inn. There was no one around there. Only then did Tiberius stop and turn to him.
“After you left this morning, you received a visitor,” he said quietly. “Your father is in town. Did you know this?”
Garran’s eyes widened. “I did not,” he said, immediately fearing the worst. “What is wrong? Where is he?”
Tiberius held up a hand to quiet him. “He came specifically to find you,” he said.
“Evidently, he arrived in town yesterday and began asking for the de Shera party. He was able to find someone who had seen us and he was directed to this inn. Garran, I know your father is a supporter of the king. We have never truly discussed it with you because your father’s loyalty is his own business and your loyalty is to us and, consequently, de Montfort.
But your father needs to speak with you now and I will take you to him. ”
Garran was trying not to panic. “Is he well?”
“He is well.”
“And my mother – is she well?”
“He did not speak of her so I can only assume so.”
Garran felt some relief at that but not much.
There was a sense of urgency in the air, something he did not understand.
In fact, the entire situation was puzzling and Tiberius’ words were only making it worse.
Still, he was on the move, as he’d been asked.
Already, he was returning to the table to collect his possessions before riding out with Tiberius. As he moved, Tiberius followed.
“Have you just come from him?” Garran asked Tiberius. “Where is he staying?”
Tiberius shoved another dog out of the way when it came too close.
Dogs tended to flock to him for some reason.
“He is towards the south side of town at an inn called The Bruised Thistle,” he replied.
“When he first came to The One-Eyed Raven, we spoke here for some time before moving to his hostel. We have actually been speaking quite a bit.”
Garran eyed Tiberius curiously as he collected his sword. “What about?”
Tiberius simply shook his head, unwilling to elaborate with the other knights and a few soldiers eating around the table. He waited until he and Garran were outside in the bright sunshine and heading for the livery before speaking.
“Your father mostly spoke of the old days,” he finally said.
“He knew my mother as a young woman, you know. He never courted Honey but he knew her. He also knows Davyss and Grayson de Winter, which I’m sure you already know.
The de Winters are close friends of the de Sheras and have always championed the king, much as your father does. ”
Garran already knew all of this. “None of this tells me why he has come to Oxford to seek me,” he said. “He has traveled all the way from Dorset, which took him weeks at the very least. Did he come alone?”
Tiberius nodded. “He had four men-at-arms with him,” he replied.
They entered the livery, sending a pair of servant boys running for their horses.
As they paused to wait for the animals to be brought out, Tiberius spoke again.
“Garran, from the conversation your father and I had, it seems to me as if he has come to Oxford before heading on to London. You know that the king has summoned the council he intends to represent his interests in de Montfort’s parliament.
Although your father did not tell me directly, it is my suspicion that your father intends to sit upon the king’s council. ”
Garran’s brow furrowed as he looked at Tiberius. “What makes you think so?”
Tiberius shrugged. “Simply the way he was speaking about the king and his advisors,” he said.
“He mentioned bringing balance to London. Mayhap that is what he intends to tell you, that he is sitting on the king’s council.
That means he will be sitting opposite Gallus and Maximus and me. We will be on opposite sides.”
Garran thought on the greater implications of that.
He loved his father dearly but he did not like the king nor supported the man’s ideals.
He was much more supportive of the government that de Montfort was trying to establish.
Still, he loved his father in spite of his politics.
And there was a reason why Bose de Moray was so supportive of the king. After a moment, he sighed heavily.
“My father is an old and wise man,” he said. “He is the most rational and unselfish supporter the king has.”
“I know. God would be on our side if de Moray would pledge allegiance to de Montfort.”
Garran shook his head, as if such a thing would never happen. “There is a very good reason why he supports the king so stringently,” he said. “But his reason is not my reason. I do not support Henry and probably never will.”
Tiberius was listening carefully. “What is the reason?” he asked. “Will you tell me?”
Garran nodded faintly. “When my father first met my mother, he wanted very much to marry her but my grandfather would not have it,” he said, his voice softening as he spoke of his beloved father.
“In fact, my grandfather somehow managed to cast my father in a very negative light and he was actually slated for execution. The only thing that saved him was King Henry and ever since then, my father has unwaveringly supported him. The man saved his life and he would never side against him.”
Tiberius registered mild surprise. “I never knew that.”
Garran shrugged his big shoulders, glancing at the horses as they were brought out to be saddled.
“As you said, we have never spoken of my father’s allegiance to the king, but that is why the man is so supportive of him,” he said.
“My father was Captain of the King’s Guard in his younger years, when Henry was also quite young.
They became friends and they share a special bond, even to this day. ”
Tiberius didn’t have much to say to that, although the elder de Moray’s loyalty to the king now made much more sense.
He fell silent as the horses were saddled and then moved to help the stable boys secure his gear to his saddle.
He and Garran left the livery and headed south, towards the inn where Bose de Moray was staying.
There wasn’t much chatter between them as they moved through the city streets, some crowded and some not, until they reached the southern tip of the town.
This portion of the town was seedier, dirtier, with several brothels and bath houses posing as brothels.
Crime was rampant. Tiberius and Garran pulled their horses to a halt in front of The Bruised Thistle, a very big building of waddle and daub amongst small and run-down wooden structures.
There were several young boys standing around and Tiberius paid two of the boys well to have them tend the horses.
Taking their saddlebags with them, the knights proceeded into the inn.
The common room of the tavern was, literally, a big pit in the floor.
And it was very crowded, mostly with people drinking or gambling or fornicating in the shadows.
As the knights passed through the room, women approached them, offering to service their needs for a few pences.
Tiberius ignored them, as did Garran, and they headed to an old, unsteady staircase that led to the second floor of the structure.