He suddenly turned on du Reims, his eyes wide as a sense of foreboding swept him.
“Those words,” he hissed. “I spoke those words, once. I did!”
Tevin nodded, realizing that a great deal was coming clear to him at that moment. It was tumbling over him like an avalanche.“At Bures Castle,” he said. “I heard you say them. Everyone in the room heard you say them. In your anger, you shouted them.”
Henry’s mouth flew open, a gesture of astonishment as he, too, began to grasp what Tevin already understood. “They thought….”
“That you meant them. Aye, my lord, I believe they did.”
“So they concocted a scheme to rid me of him!”
“For your favor, I am sure. Mayhap, they even believed you gave a command. In any case, they lied to Val and now he stands here before you, not them. He has taken their blame. Val is innocent, my lord. You must release him.”
Henry was astonished by the pieces of a terrible puzzle as they came together to present a picture of appalling proportions, but one thing was for certain– it all made perfect sense. Now, he was starting to understand what had motivated these knights to kill on behalf of the king.
Words from the king himself.
Who will rid me of this troublesome priest?
After a moment, Henry turned to Val. “And you,” he said. “Did they seek to deflect the blame on to you? Because they have succeeded marvelously. Everyone in England believes you have killed Canterbury.”
Val watched as Tevin, standing next to Henry, snapped his fingers at d’Vant, pointing to the shackles on Val’s wrists. D’Vant immediately moved forward to remove them as Val addressed Henry’s statement.
“Unfortunately, they do, my lord,” Val agreed, feeling some relief as he came to realize that Henry understood his role in the situation. “When I arrived to prevent de Morville from chopping Becket to pieces, I had several soldiers with me, men bearing my crimson and white standard. That is why the rumors say I killed him. Clearly, I was there.”
“But you tried to stop it.”
“Aye, my lord. I did.”
Henry was beside himself with what had happened, the depth of the deception perpetrated in his name. Wearily, he planted himself on the end of the nearest bench, his mind overwrought with everything he’d been told.
“Then you have been treated most unfairly,” he said. “You are being falsely blamed for something that is most serious while the real murderers have fled like cowards.”
D’Vant finished removing the last shackle and Val rubbed at his wrists where the iron had chaffed his skin. “It would stand to reason that I should have thoughts of revenge against de Morville and the others, but I am more concerned with myself at the moment,” he said. “I am afraid it will take some time to restore my reputation in this regard and it greatly concerns me, to be truthful. It will make the execution of my duties as itinerant justice far more difficult if men believe I have murdered a priest.”
Henry sighed heavily. “It will make it impossible,” he said. “Even if you are innocent, there will be those who cannot be convinced of it. I will do all I can, of course, to let the nobility know that you had nothing to do with Canterbury’s death, but the common man… the fools who live and die by God’s word… may never believe it. They may never trust you again.”
Val knew that but it was still difficult to hear. He made his way to where Henry was sitting, leaning against the tabletop in a weary gesture. After a moment, he shook his head. “It is unfortunate,” he finally said. “I have greatly enjoyed my royal appointment. I have executed my duties to the best of my ability and have built a great reputation. And now… now it is all gone. Everything I have worked for is gone because of men who were trying to gain your favor.”
A sense of desolation filled the hall as the men began to realize that Val’s life as the Itinerant Justice of Hampshire wasover. It was a position of law he could never hold again, through no fault of his own, because there would always be those who doubted his credibility. He’d been betrayed and ruined by men he trusted.
It was a grossly unfair situation in the purest sense of the word.
No one understood that better than Vesper. She had been listening to everything, horrified anew by the details of what Val had been involved in, realizing as everyone else did that Val’s reputation was in ruins. Although she’d promised Val she would not speak, something in her simply couldn’t remain silent. The man she loved, the great and noble knight she deeply respected and admired, was seemingly at an end but she couldn’t accept that. She refused to. Something had to be done but they were all standing around, looking as if they were preparing for a funeral. Well, there would be no funeral if she had anything to say about it.
“Then you must help him, my lord,” she said, her voice trembling with nerves because she knew she should not be speaking. “Val is a great and noble man who has shown that greatness in just the short time I have known him. He has an infallible sense of justice and duty and it is completely unfair for such a man to be ruined. You cannot allow that to happen.”
Henry looked up to see an exquisitely beautiful woman standing in his hall. He hadn’t noticed her when he entered but he was noticing her now. As he watched, Val went over to her, giving her a rather disapproving look. Henry pointed.
“Who is this woman?” he asked.
Val put his arm around Vesper’s shoulders as he faced the king. “This is Lady Vesper d’Avignon,” he said. “We are to be married.”
That seemed to bring back at least some of Henry’s humor. The dark eyes twinkled. “What a right and gloriousannouncement,” he said, looking to Margaretha, who was still standing a few feet away from him. “And you, Lady de Nerra? Does this please you?”
Margaretha was still in the throes of relief over the fact that Henry wasn’t going to punish Val for his role in Canterbury’s assassination. She was feeling rather lightheaded, in fact. When she realized that Henry was addressing her, she eased herself down onto the bench behind her.
“Pleased?” she repeated. “I am positively ecstatic. I shall finally have some grandchildren.”
