The Plantagenet Prelude

‘I have brought you to the light, Mahault,’ he answered.

‘And if God wills that the fate which befell His only begotten Son should overtake me, then I trust I shall meet it with fortitude.’

In worshipping Gilbert’s God the Emir’s daughter had come to worship Gilbert also.

She said one day: ‘The Christian slaves plan to escape. I know it.’

‘You ca

‘No. But I see it in their eyes. They make their plans. They will attempt to go.’

‘Do you think they will succeed?’

‘If they do not, I tremble for them. Nevertheless they will attempt it.’ She was fearful suddenly. ‘Gilbert, what of you? If they should try, would you go with them?’

‘They are my people,’ he answered.

‘If you should go, I would wish to go with you,’ she said.

‘How could you do that, Mahault?’

‘If the slaves could escape, so could I.’

‘Nay. You are your father’s daughter. This is your home.’

‘I am a Christian now. My home is across the seas in your London.’

‘Nay,’ he said. ‘Nay, that would never do.’

‘You could take me with you when you go away.’

‘How so?’

‘You could marry me. I could be a good Christian and mother to your sons.’

‘That is not possible. You must not think of such matters.’

‘I ca

‘You could never do it.’

‘Then when you go...must we say goodbye?’

‘If I were to go, we must indeed.’

‘I never would,’ she said firmly. ‘I will come with you. When the slaves band together and go away from here...or try to…. you will go with them, for you think much of your native land and your home is in London. Gilbert, you ca

He shook his head but she would not listen to his protests and he said no more of the matter.

There came a time when the long-formed plans were to be put into effect. Gilbert could arrange for horses to be waiting for them in the stables for several of the Christians were working there. They could cut their chains, and together discard their halters and get away...with Gilbert’s help.

It was dangerous and Gilbert knew that if the attempt failed this would be an end of his pleasant relationship with the Emir. Dire and terrible torments would await them all.

But so great was their longing for their native land that there was not a man among them who did not wish to make the attempt.

When he was with Mahault in his sanctuary, Gilbert was tempted to tell her of the plan for she could be of great use to them, but he hesitated. For himself he would have trusted her, but he had the lives of others to consider. He said nothing.

The appointed night came. In the stables the horses were saddled and ready. Gilbert had secreted implements there by which fetters could be cut. None was suspicious, and everything worked so smoothly and according to their plan that Gilbert was certain that God was with them.

Before their escape had been discovered they were miles from the Emir’s palace and had reached a part of the country which was occupied by Christians. They joined with them and were able to proceed on the journey back to England.

When she heard that Gilbert had escaped with the other prisoners, Mahault was overcome with grief. True he had never promised to take her with him, but he had certainly cared for her. Had he not risked death and even more than death to save her soul? Had her father given his permission they would have married. But her father would never have consented to his daughter’s marrying a Christian. How could he?

But she was a Christian, a fervent Christian, and she vowed she would never be anything else. But now she had lost Gilbert and there was nothing in life she wanted but him.

She longed for death, for that paradise which Gilbert had promised her. It was all that she could hope for.

So ill did she become that the Emir could not understand what ailed her. He was angry with the Christians who had escaped. He missed his discussions with Gilbert. Life had become dull without that man. He plunged into an orgy of pleasure, living the sort of life he had lived before the coming of Gilbert, but he found nothing could give him the same pleasure as he had enjoyed in his discussions with the Christian.

As she lay in her bed, an idea came to Mahault.

Gilbert had escaped. Why should not she? She had listened to his talk at table when he had given a graphic account of the journey he had made from London to the Holy Land. If he could make a journey to her country, why should she not do so to his?

As soon as this idea came to her, her health began to improve. She would lie in bed waiting for the return of her strength while she made her plans. She knew that what she was about to do was hazardous in the extreme; it was a task which no other Saracen girl had ever undertaken. But if she died in the attempt it would be no worse than waiting here in her father’s palace until she pined away for lack of any wish to live.

‘Faith can work miracles.’ That had been one of the doctrines of Gilbert’s God who was now hers. Why should not faith work a miracle for her?

She grew well quickly; it was amazing what her faith and her belief in the certainty that she would find Gilbert did for her; and there came the day when she was ready.

She had sewn precious jewels into the humblest garments she could find, for it was not difficult to get these from her servants, and one day she walked out of her father’s palace.

The road was not often frequented between the borders of her father’s territory and that which was occupied by Christians and taking greatest care to hide herself when any pilgrims did pass, in due course she reached the borders of the Christian country.

Good fortune favoured her for as she was crossing those borders she saw a group of people, and something told her from their looks and ma

She approached them and again she was lucky for one of them spoke her tongue. She told them the truth. She had become a Christian; she wished to escape to England where she could live according to her faith. But how could she get there?

‘You could take ship,’ she was told.

‘How could I do this?’

‘Ships leave now and then,’ was the answer. ‘We ourselves are awaiting one.’

‘I could pay for my passage,’ she told them.

They considered her. Her great determination to succeed shone from her eyes; she begged them to help her. She must go to London, she said, for there lived a man she must find.

At length they agreed to take her. Her passage would be paid for with a sapphire of great beauty and in the meantime she might join their party.

She was not surprised at such amazing luck. She believed that as she had asked for a miracle God would answer her prayers, and it was only natural that her way should be made easy.

The journey was eventful as such journeys invariably were. They narrowly escaped being taken by pirates – which might well have resulted in her being sold into slavery to her own father – and then there was a mighty storm which almost wrecked the ship.

She believed that her shining faith brought her safely through, and very soon they landed at Dover.

She knew two words in English: London and Gilbert. The first was of great use because it told everyone where she wanted to go. She walked from the coast to the city, asking her way with the one word London and finally she was rewarded by her glimpse of London.

She would have been bewildered by the great city if she had not been certain that she was nearing the end of her quest. There was clamour such as she had never seen. In the streets were the market stalls, with goods of all variety displayed to the eyes. Everything that could be imagined was on sale there – bread, meat, clothing, milk, butter and cheeses, usually each with its separate neighbourhood.