Queen Of Four Kingdoms, The (18 page)

Their return to Angers with the young prince is a pleasure. Yolande, together with Marie and Charles, descends from the carriage and hugs the others, whom she had sent ahead with Juana. The children are lined up in their best clothes and have clearly been schooled by Tiphane as to how to make their new arrival feel welcome. Jean Dunois shakes Charles’s hand and gives him a friendly pat on the back. Otherwise, Yolande can see that this exercise is not an immediate success. Since Charles is shy and prone to standing on one leg looking awkward, Yolande takes him firmly by the hand to show him his new quarters, followed by Tiphane fussing over him – to the clear annoyance of René. He pays more attention to Charles’s white pony tied to the back of their carriage than to the prince, a fact not lost on his mother.
I must speak to him
.

That night, Yolande kneels down in front of the little altar in her bedroom and makes a solemn vow to Our Lady that she will take good care of this new son of hers. In effect, she has adopted the shy young prince as her own, and no Duke of Burgundy, regardless how strong or ambitious, will be able to take him from them.
Je le garde, moi,
she says to herself, and she knows it must be a vow for life. This will not be another Catherine; it would break her heart. Having taken him in, she will guard him for ever, as a son, as a son-in-law, as a prince of France.

From the moment Yolande took the unfortunate royal prince into her care, she was determined to right the wrongs of his wretched childhood. Unlike her own boys, he is rather stunted, with short, very thin legs. His inclination is to look at people sideways, and she cannot call him an attractive or even an appealing boy. It was the way he smiled at her when she first spoke to him, sitting disconsolately on his white pony, that endeared him to her, and somehow she understood from that first moment that she would spend her life doing her utmost to help him.

The prince’s childhood has been miserable, punctuated by the terrible scenes he has witnessed during his father’s insane rages. He knows about the violent murder of his uncle Louis d’Orléans – servants never spare children bloodthirsty details – and he has seen his mother’s distress. Worst of all, he may even have heard the whispers that he was born illegitimate, something Yolande, for one, has never believed. Her agents within the king’s household have assured her of that fact.

Young Louis and Charles, his future brother-in-law, are of an age, and together with Marie and their cousin Jean Dunois they make a cheerful foursome. Jean is particularly kind to the young royal prince, putting him at ease, and she sees him scold René, albeit gently, for misunderstanding this shy, thin, unloved lad. Yolande overhears him telling her son:

‘You know, my young friend, I have noticed that faces can be deceiving. Sometimes the nicest-looking people turn out to be the least so. Give him a chance. He has had a miserable enough childhood. It’s our role to make him enjoy himself, and you will see, you may change your first opinion.’

Inwardly she thanks Jean Dunois, and loves him even more. So much wisdom in one so young, also damaged from birth, though less than their royal charge.

It will take time for René to change his mind about Charles de Ponthieu, though he hides his feelings well. Several times Yolande has to remind him that Charles has never known what it is to have loving parents like his own. A few days later, she hears that René has taken Charles to the stables to show him Calypso’s new litter, and she begins to feel better about them bonding. When René asks her that evening at bedtime if they can give Charles one of the puppies, she hugs him and agrees.

To observe the shy, thin lad grow daily more confident and comfortable in his surroundings seems to please everyone. But it saddens Yolande to see her darling Marie becoming no prettier, and she fears it is true when Juana says – not unkindly – that she resembles a ferret. Marie, however, is discreet, intelligent and kind, and she and Charles have become instant friends – at first through their love of dogs, and especially the puppies. Yolande realizes that Charles will never be as robust as Louis, Jean or even young René, and she focuses on encouraging his mind with excellent tutors. He is a good pupil who enjoys history and literature, and some Latin. She sees to it that he learns a clear, legible hand – and most of all, a decisive signature.

Unlike most parents of their class, and particularly at the royal court, Yolande spends time with her children each day. She knows everything about their lives – and she cares. A caring parent is something Charles has never encountered before. As his mother’s eleventh child, Yolande doubts that Isabeau ever addressed a word to him in his early years, let alone showed him any affection. Surrounded by Yolande’s free and easy brood, their friends and their pets – especially the dogs, which she has never succeeded in banning from the nursery – Charles de Ponthieu blossoms, and gives every impression of enjoying his new life. It is easy to understand why this neglected prince openly adores and trusts Yolande and her family. She gives him love and attention, and realizes that he is quite overwhelmed by the mere thought that anyone could care for him at all.

The fact that the young prince is flourishing under Yolande’s care and vigilant tuition gives her great satisfaction. He has become more confident, more self-assured – and has begun to call her
ma bonne mère
, ‘my good mother’. She treats him as her son, and, as with her own children, she has authority over him, guides him, teaches him to trust her and her judgement. She gives him all the attention she can to help him curb his natural weaknesses – which are many and very apparent to her. For her daughter to be happy – but more importantly, perhaps, for him to be of use to his family and his country – there is a great deal of work to be done with this oversensitive, easily impressionable, essentially weak-charactered young prince.

Charles de Ponthieu is my raw material
.
I am the sculptor, he is my clay. I pray I have enough skill and tenacity to shape him into something of value,
someone
of value, and against all the odds.

This is a happy time for Yolande as she watches her family take shape again after the trauma of losing Catherine. But sad news reminds her that it is not only domestic happiness that matters. Valentina Visconti has died. She was her dearest and only friend at the court of France, and they remained close even when Yolande was far away in Provence, exchanging regular letters and visits. Her death leaves Yolande without a close confidante of her standing, and she mourns the loss of her wonderful caustic Italian wit and her unique way of observing the world. Valentina never recovered from the murder of her husband Louis d’Orléans, which did not surprise Yolande – she had loved him deeply.

Her elder son Charles, now Duke d’Orléans, has written to tell her that his mother died in her sleep with no pain. Among other details he mentions that Queen Isabeau has taken on his mother’s excellent lady’s maid, Eduarda. This interests Yolande since she has observed Eduarda carefully on several visits to Angers. Eduarda’s replies to the questions she asked her reassured her sufficiently for the maid to benefit from her generous payments, and now they continue to correspond, since Eduarda is willing to inform the Queen of Sicily of all that might be of interest. She is quite an accomplished spy, and Yolande is pleased to have her join her service, albeit unofficially.

B
y the spring of 1414, Louis d’Anjou believes he has done all he can to prepare the King’s Council to counter the inevitable invasion. All the royal dukes have made their plans and organized their followers and personal armies, and the country is on full alert. To Yolande’s relief, Louis sends word that he is returning to Angers. The danger from England is growing, and having done what he can for Paris, he must now prepare Anjou and his other territories. Despite the English threat being the reason for Louis’ return, Yolande rejoices in having him with them. It is some compensation for the fear the approaching confrontation brings.

Back in the rhythm of their family life, her beloved husband takes her in his arms at night, and after making love, they watch the moon’s reflection on the river below.

‘You do realize, my darling wife,’ he says with mock seriousness, ‘that a child made on such a night would be born . . . a water sprite.’ He laughs, and becomes an ogre, who chases her about their bedroom. What the servants must think of her squeals, she knows not – nor cares!

Since childhood, and one without brothers, Yolande has recognized that she has something akin to a man’s character and likes to make her own decisions; after all, her father brought her up to believe that one day she might have to take on a man’s responsibilities in Aragon. But with Louis, she becomes all woman.

Their convivial family summer in Anjou passes all too soon. September is over and the first signs of autumn appear; the chill nip in the late-afternoon air signals that the time has come to move their household south again on their little fleet of barges.

They break their journey in early October, stopping at their chateau of Montils-les-Tours for the birth of Yolande’s fifth child. He is born without any complications, a healthy, fat little boy whom they name Charles, with his royal namesake standing as one of his godparents. The children are delighted to be somewhere new; there are plenty of neighbours with lots of young to distract them, as well as the many dogs and ponies travelling with them. They explore a different countryside, making new friends among the locals. Charles de Ponthieu is a happy, boisterous part of their young group, and it is clear to them that their royal charge has changed beyond recognition.

Christmas is a joyful time for them all, especially with a new baby, and by the end of January 1415, Yolande feels ready to continue their journey south to Provence with their growing family.

The spring passes quickly, and in July they are brought unsettling news. Finally, the endlessly threatened invasion is under way. King Henry V of England is said to be on the point of crossing the Channel with a considerable army to add to his forces already based in Normandy. The English offensive has brought their peaceful family summer to a premature end. Louis d’Anjou is one of the first to answer his king’s summons to go to him and prepare to repel the invasion.

The scions of France’s great families have been waiting for this day and are eager to confront the new invader from England, but Yolande cannot deny she is afraid – afraid for her husband, their country and their future. Women see war as a time of waiting – waiting to hear which of their men have perished, been injured, captured, or, thanks be to God, survived. But survival is not enough – there is loss of pride and possessions to fear as well. If a ransom is demanded for the return of a captured loved one, in many cases financial ruin is the result. Although she has always supported all her husband’s military endeavours – what else can she do?

It seems to Yolande that England and France have always been at war or planning it. This time the King of England is coming with eight thousand men, their horses, their cannon and all their supplies. Henry V has never made a secret of his intention to reclaim what he considers to be his; he has called himself ‘King of France and England’ since his coronation, and refers to Charles VI as ‘our dear cousin of France’ – no title. Moreover, he demands the right to the hand in marriage of the king’s daughter Catherine, with Aquitaine as her dowry.

While ambassadors have gone back and forth between France and England since Henry V’s coronation, seeking a peaceful solution, England’s new king has been quietly constructing his navy. Meanwhile, every man and boy in the land has spent his free time practising archery with the longbow. This the French have learnt from their spies.

In Angers they are kept informed of King Henry’s steady advance, but Yolande has received little news from Louis, who is with Charles VI. Finally, a letter reaches her in Anjou telling her that Louis is seriously ill. What is wrong with him? Why does no one tell her? Is it the plague? She sends couriers to him and to his adjutants. Tanneguy du Chastel is with him; perhaps he can give her details. She is deeply worried, not least because she cannot leave the children and go to him. All she can do is pray and keep the couriers busy with her frantic letters.
What is this illness of his?

Encouraging news comes from the front. It seems the French garrison of Harfleur is resisting despite all forecasts; and one in four of the English soldiers has succumbed to dysentery, reducing the enemy’s numbers to the French advantage. But Harfleur desperately needs reinforcements, and despite the city’s pleas for help, Charles VI vacillates. Yolande writes to her young agent, Odette de Champdivers, who she knows is with the king, to find out about his mental state. ‘Not good,’ she replies. ‘He does not yet seem to be aware of the danger.’ Yolande passes this on to Louis.

As for France’s own warring dukes, Burgundy, the strongest, has not appeared with his troops. Brittany cannot decide what to do, but at least he has sent his able brother, Arthur of Richemont, to serve the king; and young Charles d’Orléans, Valentina’s son and the king’s nephew, like Louis d’Anjou, has obeyed the call to arms.

Inevitably, on 22 September Harfleur falls and is occupied by the English, while their king heads for Calais, his port of provisions from England. Yolande is grateful to be kept informed of the invasion by her numerous agents, the most reliable being Tanneguy du Chastel, but she also depends on Carlo, who has accompanied Louis to take care of his personal needs. According to a message she receives from Carlo, it appears that Louis is suffering from what seems to be acute dysentery.

Apart from this worry, it is with considerable relief that Yolande hears from her various sources that the royal dukes have put aside their own quarrels and combined in the great plan for a decisive battle to rid France of the English once and for all. For some reason she is convinced that with victory within the grasp of the French, Louis will soon recover. The Duke of Burgundy’s two brothers, the Counts of Brabant and Nevers, have joined the king’s forces, although it is said the king has forbidden the field to Burgundy himself. Even the Duke of Brittany has arrived with five thousand men to fight with the royal army at Rouen. Since neither Charles VI nor his dauphin can risk being captured, the French army is led by the Constable of France, Jean d’Albret, head of the armed forces. From every direction, the French are uniting with the king’s army for the crucial battle to come. There is a new decisiveness in the air; every missive Yolande receives is full of positive news and encouragement, and Louis’ letters to her are constantly more heartening. Her husband has always been a man of action, a man of strong physique, whom she has never known to be ill, and therefore she has total faith in his recovery.