In July 1217, Queen Anaivere left the Crusade, returned to England along with the remaining Crusaders and the Holy Roman Emperor's thankful treasure. Seven months fighting alongside Duchess Tessarina of Austria, the Christians reacquired three-fifth of Jerusalem and in Egypt, they got the strategic victory. This encouraged the Christians to continue the religious campaign.
In England, Henry the Third was preparing a "warming welcome" for his far-away cousin who was returning from the Crusade. His guards would guard the harbour, waiting the Queen to return then capture her as what was set. Would the Queen fall into her cousin's trap? Life was nothing that easy, everyone knows. Life, just like when you roll a thirty-six-sided dice and predict which side will on; life is that complicated.
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26 July 1217...
Henry the Third's guards had been at the harbour for a month. Queen Anaivere's ship returned from the Holy Land were approaching the coast. She, as well as the remaining Crusaders didn't expect a surprise attack.
Right after the Queen stepped down the dock, three platoons of plate-armoured guards with longswords and spears surrounded the harbour and impeded the Queen from escaping.
"There are no ways to run, Anaivere Plantagenet"
Queen Anaivere drew out her rapier and defended. The Crusaders quickly off-boarded, all had swords in hand and devoted to protect the Queen.
"Thou art just fifteen Crusaders left and thou want to fight with us thirty armoured guards?"
The Guard-Captain stepped forward, slowly approached the Queen and her guards, mockingly said with somewhat an arrogant tone. Queen Anaivere surprisedly looked at the Captain, then asked, calmly.
"Lord Macley of Yorkshire, thou are in Prince Henry's side?"
He then proudly replied.
"I only serve the legitimate monarch. I was loyal to His Majesty King John, now I dedicate my service to His Majesty Henry the Third. I'm never in your traitorous side, Your Ladyship!"
He ordered his men to capture the Queen alive, but they were impeded by her guards, the Crusaders. After awhile of sword-duelling, the Crusaders broke off the Lord Macley's surrounding, opened a way for the Queen to flee.
"We open an escape for you. Run away, Your Majesty!"
"I will stay"
"You shall not, Your Majesty. Run away as far as you can to hide from Prince Henry's sight! We can take care for ourselves, just run for your own life, your own safety, Your Majesty!"
"How can I leave my fellow just for my own?"
"England needs you, Nottingham peasants and poor people need you, we all need you, Your Majesty!"
A Crusader had stolen a horse from the Guards. He brought the Queen out of the surrounding, helped her mount the horse and forced her to escape from Prince Henry's henchmen all the way through which she could find. Forcibly accepted, the Queen rode away as far as she could; alas, she found herself, tired and stomach-growled at Nottingham. Henry the Third's guards noticed Queen Anaivere had returned and they reported that to His Majesty. Henry then ordered Queen Anaivere to be captured alive, shackled and chained, forced to kneel down in front of his throne for "treason to the Crown". The Queen acknowledged this, she quickly fled to Loxley, where was still in her occupation.
"How did it come to this? What happened when I was absent from England? What happened here while I was battling in the Holy Land? What happened to my kingdom, to my citizens?"
YOU ARE READING
A Forgotten Legend: Anaivere the First
Historical FictionBy his mother's last will, King John's little niece, Princess Anaivere was made the heir apparent to the throne instead of his later own child. At first, he intended to use his niece as a puppet in order to strengthen his power and get rid of the th...
