Queen Of Four Kingdoms, The (44 page)

The threat is real: René cannot afford to maintain a large army indefinitely, while Alfonso has the backing of the Holy Roman Emperor and his unlimited resources. In spite of René’s courage and that of his supporters, it becomes impossible to maintain his army.

To put it plainly, I have run out of money to finance my troops. Despite every effort and the support of the local people, I am slowly, reluctantly, coming to the realization that I cannot win against my cousin of Aragon. I will fight to the end with my people, but the day has come when I must send Isabelle, the children, her ladies and any non-fighting staff home to France for their safety. This morning, after I hugged the children and said my goodbyes to the ladies of the court and all the non-combative staff, Isabelle and I embraced and parted resignedly, our hearts broken. We both know, without words, that it is over.

Something has been torn from me this day, the dream Isabelle and I have shared all our married lives, the dream that kept me positive during my imprisonment, the endless letters in laborious code stoking the flames of that dream – so much effort from so many; most of all, by
you
. Dearest Maman, once they reach Marseilles, they will come directly to Saumur. Please receive them gently.

This letter from her son has come as an insurmountable blow. She has sent René everything she has – there is simply nothing left with which to raise more money. Nor can she appeal to the king – he is not in a position to help at this time. She writes to Marie, but she knows there is nothing her daughter can do. She asks Pierre de Brézé for his ideas; her son Charles of Maine; and the ever-faithful Jean Dunois. None of them can find a way to help René against an enemy with such unlimited credit.

René’s next letter is even more bleak.

Maman, most understanding of mothers, I have been forced again and again to retreat towards Naples, in the hope that somehow, by a miracle, we can keep the city from Alfonso with the help of the local citizens. Our food and arms are running low, and I fear it is really over.

When she arrives in Saumur, Yolande greets Isabelle with open arms. She has worn a little but still looks splendid. And the children, how they have changed, and know their grandmother not at all. It dismays her to have missed out on their childhoods, but then she had the pleasure of Marguerite who does not yet know her mother or siblings. As they play with Isabelle’s
demoiselles
, Marguerite enjoys getting to know their many dogs, their birds, and Vitesse, their old cheetah, gentler than any of the dogs.

‘Dearest daughter, yes it will be hard to lose Marguerite, but of course I understand, and we have much to discuss.’

They settle down with the excellent tea Jacques Coeur sends to Yolande at Saumur.

‘As you know, I have always remained close to your eldest son Jean, whom you left in charge in Lorraine, and I trust that has been a comfort to you? You will see – he has turned into a young prince of whom you can both be proud.’

‘Maman, it was so wise of you to send him to Marseilles after Alfonso d’Aragon sacked the city. I believe it made a man of him to see such suffering at first hand – he wrote to me at length. I know it really did raise the spirits of the people to have a member of our family there to represent us.’

‘Dearest son, it has been a pleasure keeping a family eye on both Jean and Marguerite, who have grown healthy and strong and I believe will prove a great credit to you both. What sadness that, of your other children, only your son Louis and daughter Yolande have lived beyond childhood. I know from Marie how hard it is to lose children in their early years and you had lost four already in Lorraine, and then buried another two in Naples.’ Tears fill Isabelle’s eyes – she has such a loving attachment to her family, unlike many of their world.

If only Isabelle’s visit could last longer, but after two weeks she must leave for Lorraine to go to her son Jean, who needs her. As they sit by the fire in the evenings, Yolande delights in Isabelle’s stories of Naples, and can understand how sad she and the others must feel to have left such an enchanted place, especially now, with their worry over René’s safety. A great sadness for Yolande is that naturally Isabelle will take Marguerite with her when she goes. But the cogs of Yolande’s mind are still turning, and she has an idea.

‘My dearest daughter-in-law, I have a favour to ask, though I feel guilty for even broaching the subject.’

‘Maman, anything, after all you have done for us,’ she answers.

‘To help ease my pain at losing Marguerite, would you leave me one of your young ladies for company?’ Yolande can see a question in Isabelle’s face when she says: ‘Of course I have my own ladies, but they are old, and I have so enjoyed having the company of a young, bright companion. I remember a girl I met among your
demoiselles
when you came to Chinon to say goodbye, who struck me as gifted and kind. When you have mentioned your young ladies in your letters, you often wrote what a help she has been. Would you allow me to keep Agnès Sorel with me? Perhaps you could spare her and she could comfort me in Marguerite’s absence?’

Isabelle gives her mother-in-law a quizzical look – she knows there are several ladies at Yolande’s court there to read to her – and she always wondered at her interest shown in Agnès in her letters. Naturally, she graciously agrees.

As always, there is a plan behind Yolande’s innocent requests. She believes Isabelle’s
demoiselle
Agnès Sorel has the kind of potential she can shape to become of use to her country. In fact, she has kept this girl in her mind’s eye for some time. When Yolande met her at the court in Chinon before Isabelle left for Naples, Agnès was a ravishing fourteen; and since then has grown even more beautiful. The young Queen of Sicily will have seen to it that Agnès, like all the young ladies of her court, has remained pure. Most importantly, Yolande has made a point of speaking with her on several occasions since she arrived with the others at Saumur and finds her highly intelligent. At times, she has mentioned her to Isabelle in letters, and now Yolande has had a chance to see for herself how she has developed. Yes, she may indeed be able to use her.

Isabelle, her children – including Marguerite – and the rest of her court are ready to leave for Nancy. Their cavalcade is lining up in the large palace courtyard, the dogs and the cheetah all on long lines. Yolande hugs the children, especially Marguerite, and embraces her daughter-in-law.

‘Goodbye, my dearest Isabelle – thank you for allowing me the pleasure of your delightful Marguerite. Now take her home to Nancy with my blessing. She has been the best companion I could wish for, and I think she has turned into quite a remarkable young lady. I shall miss her terribly, but I wish you great joy of her.’

They all say their farewells and promise to meet again soon, but somehow Yolande knows she will not see any of them again.

T
he old queen settles down into a quiet routine with her new companion. She cannot hide her delight in this young lady. Agnès has grown into all and more than she had hoped. A little shy, perhaps, but after a few days she relaxes. At the bidding of her mistress, she recounts entertaining anecdotes of life at the court in Naples, while Yolande sits and marvels at her beauty under the pretence of drawing her – a beauty which has refined into alabaster perfection. How she enjoys the girl’s tales of the officials Isabelle had to deal with in her first years there without René.

‘You know, madame, often they would arrive unannounced, and my queen and we, her
demoiselles
, would be resting wearing only our shifts, fanning one another in the heat, lounging on the grass under a tree,’ she tells her, doing her best not to change her position in case she ruins the sketch. ‘Suddenly there would appear a fully uniformed, heel-clicking officer, totally disarmed by the sight of so many young ladies virtually in undress! A quick military about-turn so his back was to us, and despite our giggles, he would impart his message to the wall. Stuttering, and with several quick low bows to the wall, he would leave in a fast high-stepping march! How we would laugh.’ There is no guile in her, no coquettishness, and yet she is full of fun.

Her stories entertain Yolande for hours: the formal occasions, full of Spanish protocol from the court of Alfonso, rigorously followed by his people at the court of Naples, who trained the local staff. With time, she tells Yolande, Isabelle managed to make the staff adopt a more informal, relaxed manner.

Listening to Agnès’ stories, Yolande fully understands how much Isabelle’s elegant, small court loved their stay in Naples – which makes it harder for her to imagine how it will be for René when he returns.

Some months pass before Yolande feels she knows Agnès well enough to broach the subject.

‘Do you think King René will find it difficult to adapt back to the life of the court in Lorraine, my dear?’ A presumptuous question for her to ask the girl, she knows, but she is genuinely curious about Agnès’ reply, which does not come quickly or thoughtlessly.

‘Madame, yes, I believe it will break his heart to leave Naples. It is his true vocation to rule there; the people love him and he clearly loves them too. This he showed in so many ways – firstly by speaking the language on his arrival; his kindness from the lowest to the highest; making sure that anything unfair or wrong of which he became aware was resolved. He himself often sat in at the magistrates’ courts to listen and make sure that correct judgements were given. He would visit the corn markets; the docks; check the cargoes that arrived to satisfy himself that no one was trading slaves, or that pilgrims were being cheated. Oh, he showed he cared for the people in so many ways, and not just for the nobility.’ She stops. ‘Forgive me, madame, my tongue ran away with me.’

‘No, my dear girl, I want to know, and to understand if I can, what went wrong, and from what you tell me, it was not the wish of the people of Naples to change their rulers.’

‘Madame, most certainly not!’ Agnès exclaims. ‘Everyone told us how afraid they were of the return of King Alfonso of Aragon! That is the greatest tragedy of all – the suffering the good people of Naples will endure when our king has to leave.’

‘And you are sure he will have to leave?’ Yolande presses gently, not looking at her, eyes on her sketching.

‘Madame, I am no politician, nor captain, but I spoke often with both, and no one was in any doubt that the forces of King Alfonso would overcome ours, since there was no chance of any relief from allies or from the King of France. I think the most difficult thing for King René to come to terms with will not be losing Paradise, but the knowledge of the retribution King Alfonso will impose on the Neapolitans on account of their loyalty to King René in preference to him. As you know, madame, he has such a kind heart.’

And so she does, so she does.

When Queen Yolande receives visitors from other courts, she is attended by Agnès as her sole lady-in-waiting. Once the visitors leave, she often discusses them with her. She allows Agnès to stay during administrative meetings as well as social ones, and afterwards Yolande questions her, noting with pleasure the evidence of her sharp intelligence in her assessments. These she only gives if asked, but it soon becomes evident that she is a fine judge of character, despite a generous and forgiving nature.

From her comments about daily incidents at the court of Naples, Yolande can see she is perceptive, her observations well judged, often wise, and she understands restraint. Without showing too much knowledge – though Yolande suspects she knows a lot more than most people she meets at her court – she can enter into any conversation if asked, and quietly hold her own. When confronted by a stupid French courtier who may have had too much to drink, her tact impresses her mistress.

‘Well, my pretty, you must have had a free and easy time with the court in Naples,’ he says rather loudly. ‘And what did you think of those local lads? They dive into the sea quite naked, don’t they? Ha ha! To catch coins that pretty ladies like you throw from boats, I hear. Isn’t that so? And what did you make of them? Were they handsome? Did you young ladies invite them to your beach gatherings in the evenings? I am told that in the heat, elegant people there often stroll along the beaches in the moonlight! Ha ha! And what went on then, my pretty, I would like to know!’

Agnès smiles politely and makes to move away, but he detains her, Yolande watching to see if she needs rescuing.

‘Good sir, I fear you may have been misled by mischief-makers, for we at the court had no such experience,’ she assures him. He continues with his silly talk, but with patience and kindness Agnès disentangles herself without causing offence. ‘Perhaps, good sir, you should go to Naples yourself, for I can see the subject interests you, as would the great volcano there, spitting boulders and hot lava. Now that really is an exciting and dangerous sight.’ And with that she distracts the boorish man, whom Yolande’s stewards quietly remove.

During Agnès’ long stay at Saumur, Yolande makes a point of talking to her on their daily walks so that the girl does not feel the need to meet her eyes all the time. She does not want Agnès to imagine she is planting ideas in her head. She knows that her time at Saumur has a limit and that one day she will be returning to the court in Lorraine. In this context, she keeps stressing the importance of the obligations of a lady attached to the court; varying her words and approaches, she hopes the message will stick firmly in Agnès’ mind.

‘You know my dear, your duty to your sovereign lord and his family, and loyalty to the crown, should be placed above all else,’ she says. ‘The King of France should be the most important person in the life of every one of his subjects. His will should be theirs.’ And Agnès nods. Yolande tells her about Charles’s youth with them, how he grew with her children; how they learned from her their duty to his father, and eventually to him.

It is important for Agnès to understand the procedures at the court of the King of France and the names of the good people Yolande has placed there. ‘After all,’ she tells the girl, ‘once King René returns to France and joins Queen Isabelle in Lorraine or Anjou, there will be many occasions when they will spend time with the royal court, and the more you know of its protocols and the character of its members, the more help you can be to Queen Isabelle and the others of her entourage.’