doubtfully in many quarters of the hall. They strode out, to its chant.
"That was . . . splendid!" David exclaimed enthusiastically. "Splendid. Was it not, Sir William? Are you truly King now?"
"Scarcely, lad. It takes a little longer! But - near enough. Tomorrow I ride to London, with this crown. For Bishop Maurice to crown me. I cannot wait for the Archbishop's return. Someone else can bury William! You shall come with me, if you wish."
"Oh, yes, yes. And, and Matilda? You meant that truly? That you would wed her? It was not just a sudden whim?"
"Think you that I would have announced it to all, as I did? That was no whim, David. It has been my desire to marry her these many months. But William would have seen it as a danger to himself. Threatening his position, for myself to be wed to one of the old line. Now, it is best, suitable." He smiled. "Think you that she will have me, lad?"
Gravely David inclined his head. "I believe so, yes. I know that she esteems you greatly."
"You much relieve me!"
"I perceive that you have thought it all out very well," de Breteuil remarked. "All this has not come into your mind since this afternoon's slaying, I think?"
"Can you not bring your self to call me Sire, Will? No - I have had sufficiently long to consider it all. With William unmarried and lacking heir, I saw it coming. He was well hated. One day it would happen. Slighted and replaced catamites are unchancy companions! I have but waited my time ..."
They came back to Henry's bedchamber. "I must have a better room than this, now," he said looking round its modest dimensions. "Not that I would wish to occupy William's — which would stink in my nostrils! Besides, I shall soon need a bedchamber large enough for two - eh? How would this one serve you, David?"
"Me? You mean . . . ?"
"To be sure. You have long wished to be out of Romsey Abbey and the nuns' clutches, have you not? And if you are going to be the Queen's brother, you must have a certain style. The room is yours."
"I thank you, I thank you. But, Henry . . . my lord. . . Sire-my friends, Hugo de Morville and Hervey de Warenne. They hate the Abbey . . ."
"Yes, yes — bring them with you. We shall find a corner for them. There will be many empty chambers in Winchester Castle after this day!"
"And Matilda? And Mary?"
"Ah, now - that is different. Eh, Will? We shall have to go discreetly there. To consider the princesses' reputation. Much as I would wish to have Matilda here, I think that meanwhile she must remain with the good nuns. But not for long, lad — tell her, not for long. When I get back from my coronation in London, my first call shall be upon her ..."
3
So life changed entirely for David mac Malcolm. From being a sort of hostage, personally unimportant, to be ignored when he was not actually slighted, he abruptly became the King's friend, and only a little less suddenly the Queen's brother-for Henry and Matilda were wed that St. Martin's Day, only three months after the hurried coronation. All about the Court now treated him with some degree of deference. It was a very different Court, of course, with all Rufus's young men, favourites and hangers-on, sent packing, many of his principal minions imprisoned, and most of the nobles who had supported him retired to their estates and replaced by such as the men whom he had humiliated at his Crown-wearing - Warwick, Surrey, Pembroke, Lancaster, Chester and the rest. If all these great earls did not exactly genuflect before David, at least they treated him with a decent respect - admittedly not so much as the brother of the King of Scots as the brother-in-law of the King of England.
Not that all this in any way went to that young man's head, for he was of a modest and unassuming nature, and gave himself no airs. He was, in fact, more aware of the reaction of his two friends, Hugo and Hervey, whose attitude towards him underwent a change quite as pronounced. From being the junior of the trio and something of
"That was . . . splendid!" David exclaimed enthusiastically. "Splendid. Was it not, Sir William? Are you truly King now?"
"Scarcely, lad. It takes a little longer! But - near enough. Tomorrow I ride to London, with this crown. For Bishop Maurice to crown me. I cannot wait for the Archbishop's return. Someone else can bury William! You shall come with me, if you wish."
"Oh, yes, yes. And, and Matilda? You meant that truly? That you would wed her? It was not just a sudden whim?"
"Think you that I would have announced it to all, as I did? That was no whim, David. It has been my desire to marry her these many months. But William would have seen it as a danger to himself. Threatening his position, for myself to be wed to one of the old line. Now, it is best, suitable." He smiled. "Think you that she will have me, lad?"
Gravely David inclined his head. "I believe so, yes. I know that she esteems you greatly."
"You much relieve me!"
"I perceive that you have thought it all out very well," de Breteuil remarked. "All this has not come into your mind since this afternoon's slaying, I think?"
"Can you not bring your self to call me Sire, Will? No - I have had sufficiently long to consider it all. With William unmarried and lacking heir, I saw it coming. He was well hated. One day it would happen. Slighted and replaced catamites are unchancy companions! I have but waited my time ..."
They came back to Henry's bedchamber. "I must have a better room than this, now," he said looking round its modest dimensions. "Not that I would wish to occupy William's — which would stink in my nostrils! Besides, I shall soon need a bedchamber large enough for two - eh? How would this one serve you, David?"
"Me? You mean . . . ?"
"To be sure. You have long wished to be out of Romsey Abbey and the nuns' clutches, have you not? And if you are going to be the Queen's brother, you must have a certain style. The room is yours."
"I thank you, I thank you. But, Henry . . . my lord. . . Sire-my friends, Hugo de Morville and Hervey de Warenne. They hate the Abbey . . ."
"Yes, yes — bring them with you. We shall find a corner for them. There will be many empty chambers in Winchester Castle after this day!"
"And Matilda? And Mary?"
"Ah, now - that is different. Eh, Will? We shall have to go discreetly there. To consider the princesses' reputation. Much as I would wish to have Matilda here, I think that meanwhile she must remain with the good nuns. But not for long, lad — tell her, not for long. When I get back from my coronation in London, my first call shall be upon her ..."
3
So life changed entirely for David mac Malcolm. From being a sort of hostage, personally unimportant, to be ignored when he was not actually slighted, he abruptly became the King's friend, and only a little less suddenly the Queen's brother-for Henry and Matilda were wed that St. Martin's Day, only three months after the hurried coronation. All about the Court now treated him with some degree of deference. It was a very different Court, of course, with all Rufus's young men, favourites and hangers-on, sent packing, many of his principal minions imprisoned, and most of the nobles who had supported him retired to their estates and replaced by such as the men whom he had humiliated at his Crown-wearing - Warwick, Surrey, Pembroke, Lancaster, Chester and the rest. If all these great earls did not exactly genuflect before David, at least they treated him with a decent respect - admittedly not so much as the brother of the King of Scots as the brother-in-law of the King of England.
Not that all this in any way went to that young man's head, for he was of a modest and unassuming nature, and gave himself no airs. He was, in fact, more aware of the reaction of his two friends, Hugo and Hervey, whose attitude towards him underwent a change quite as pronounced. From being the junior of the trio and something of
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