the king stopped him. He laughed; he picked John up and put him on his knee. “I like a boy who immediately does as he is told,” he said. He looked at his older boys. “I want each of us to give John a little something.” King Henry unrolled a map and pointed. “There is a spot where Anjou, which is Henry’s, meets Poitou which is Richard’s and also touches Brittany which is Geoffrey’s. I think that we should all pitch in and give John a castle, one castle apiece.” He pointed out the castles: one, two, three. “Poor John,” he added, “needs something so that I can arrange some kind of marriage for him.”
Now Young Henry’s temper flared. “You have gotten Ireland for this snot-nose. That is enough.”
“But, Henry, my son, we want to marry John to someone of worth. What good is marriage if it doesn’t extend the empire?”
Queen Eleanor looked up at that. “Some marriages unite people as well as territories.”
King Henry ignored her remark. “No one worthwhile will have John if he has only Ireland. Ireland is practically pagan. The people there dance naked in the woods on Midsummer Eve.”
“Oh, that would never do for John,” Young Henry said, “hopping around naked like that, people might mistake him for a pimpled toad and cook him up into a potion. But I wouldn’t worry about John, Father. John will find a way to marry and get land. He is already a capable liar and a wonderful cheat. What he cannot gain honestly, he will take without honor.”
King Henry rolled the map up. He smiled and reached his arm across Young Henry’s shoulder, “Henry, my son, I may as well tell you. I have already promised those castles as well as a few estates in England to a very rich count who happens to have a very marriageable daughter.”
“A few estates in England. England! Again you see a way to clip my feathers.”
“Ah, my boy, what are a few pinfeathers to a bird of such fine plumage?”
“Yes, Father,” Richard interrupted, “we all have fine plumage. Bright plumage, but it is purely ornamental. When will you let us fly?”
“Never,” Queen Eleanor answered. “Your father expects you to stay in the nest forever, my sons.” Then she looked at her husband and said, “Those are not your castles or your estates to give, my husband. Young Henry has been crowned and recognized by the people of England as their king, and Richard, Geoffrey and Henry have paid homage for their territories in France. Henry, my husband, you may give Ireland to John, but I’m afraid that you have no right to give him anything else.”
King Henry turned on her. “I have every right! I built the nest. Those castles and estates are mine. I have fought to keep this land together. I now have a chance of marrying John to a princess.” Henry came over to Eleanor and spoke directly to her. “Don’t you see, Eleanor? We can extend our lands all the way to Italy. What has Young Henry done to keep these lands? He does nothing but play at tournaments and at elaborate games of love in your court at Poitiers.”
Young Henry was furious. “When have you ever let me do anything that would show you that I can rule? Mother has let Richard rule the Aquitaine with her. They truly share the work. He mashes rebellion with a hammer, and she follows in his wake and passes out bandages. Mother has convinced the people of the Aquitaine that her father, their beloved Duke William, has come to life again in the person of your son, Richard. The Aquitaine is better off without you, Father. Are you afraid that the people of Normandy, Anjou and England will find me a better overlord than you? Is that why you won’t let me do anything more than show my face once here and once there and then only to collect your taxes? Is that why you have to chop up my inheritance?”
Queen Eleanor spoke again. She was calm, controlled. “That is only part of the reason, children. Your father will not let you rule because he considers himself the
Now Young Henry’s temper flared. “You have gotten Ireland for this snot-nose. That is enough.”
“But, Henry, my son, we want to marry John to someone of worth. What good is marriage if it doesn’t extend the empire?”
Queen Eleanor looked up at that. “Some marriages unite people as well as territories.”
King Henry ignored her remark. “No one worthwhile will have John if he has only Ireland. Ireland is practically pagan. The people there dance naked in the woods on Midsummer Eve.”
“Oh, that would never do for John,” Young Henry said, “hopping around naked like that, people might mistake him for a pimpled toad and cook him up into a potion. But I wouldn’t worry about John, Father. John will find a way to marry and get land. He is already a capable liar and a wonderful cheat. What he cannot gain honestly, he will take without honor.”
King Henry rolled the map up. He smiled and reached his arm across Young Henry’s shoulder, “Henry, my son, I may as well tell you. I have already promised those castles as well as a few estates in England to a very rich count who happens to have a very marriageable daughter.”
“A few estates in England. England! Again you see a way to clip my feathers.”
“Ah, my boy, what are a few pinfeathers to a bird of such fine plumage?”
“Yes, Father,” Richard interrupted, “we all have fine plumage. Bright plumage, but it is purely ornamental. When will you let us fly?”
“Never,” Queen Eleanor answered. “Your father expects you to stay in the nest forever, my sons.” Then she looked at her husband and said, “Those are not your castles or your estates to give, my husband. Young Henry has been crowned and recognized by the people of England as their king, and Richard, Geoffrey and Henry have paid homage for their territories in France. Henry, my husband, you may give Ireland to John, but I’m afraid that you have no right to give him anything else.”
King Henry turned on her. “I have every right! I built the nest. Those castles and estates are mine. I have fought to keep this land together. I now have a chance of marrying John to a princess.” Henry came over to Eleanor and spoke directly to her. “Don’t you see, Eleanor? We can extend our lands all the way to Italy. What has Young Henry done to keep these lands? He does nothing but play at tournaments and at elaborate games of love in your court at Poitiers.”
Young Henry was furious. “When have you ever let me do anything that would show you that I can rule? Mother has let Richard rule the Aquitaine with her. They truly share the work. He mashes rebellion with a hammer, and she follows in his wake and passes out bandages. Mother has convinced the people of the Aquitaine that her father, their beloved Duke William, has come to life again in the person of your son, Richard. The Aquitaine is better off without you, Father. Are you afraid that the people of Normandy, Anjou and England will find me a better overlord than you? Is that why you won’t let me do anything more than show my face once here and once there and then only to collect your taxes? Is that why you have to chop up my inheritance?”
Queen Eleanor spoke again. She was calm, controlled. “That is only part of the reason, children. Your father will not let you rule because he considers himself the
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