Sisters of The Bruce 1292-1314 (Abridged Version )

Sisters of The Bruce Chapter 12.8

                                                                                                  VIII

Norway

Bergen

December 1302

After so long sitting beside the hearth, Isa felt the need for fresh air. She had used the last of the woollen thread for her current project: an embroidered cushion for Effie to sit upon at the window in her library. Pulling on thick leather gloves, she placed her warmest cloak around her shoulders, gathering the fur-lined hood well in under her chin. Dodging puddles of mud and ice, Isa and her maid wandered down to the harbour and the busy stalls. Isa sighted Otto's ship pulling into the crowded wharf. He saw her waving and raised his hand in acknowledgement. It took some time before the crew disembarked. Under the trader's arm was a rolled parchment with its distinctive lead seal, obvious even at a distance. Leaving Aiofe to continue with the task at hand, Isa returned home at some pace, eager to read her brother's news.

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Turnberry Castle

Dearest Isa,

I hope this finds you well in Bergen. It is now October, but by the time this reaches you, you will have heard I have turned traitor and am back in the peace of Edward of England. I hope you know me better than to believe I would ever give up my country, but it is true I concluded an agreement in February of this year with Edward. For the present, we do not fight the Old Lion. As you may have guessed, this is all because of the Comyns and their machinations to destroy us. Bear with me, for to give you a more fulsome picture, I must backtrack a little.

After Falkirk, Wallace gave up the Guardianship. I was asked to take it on jointly with John Comyn of Badenoch. Bishop Lamberton persuaded me it was in the interests of Scotland to balance our factions in government. I knew from the first it was a mistake to work with those rogues and so it proved. Having made a mess of an attack on the English garrison at Roxburgh Castle, we met in Council at Selkirk. One of Comyn's men tried to claim the lands of William Wallace on the grounds he had left the country without permission. When I defended the Wallace position, John Comyn grabbed me by the throat. Luckily, Lamberton intervened, or I do not know what might have happened. The Council ended with the Bishop joining us as a Guardian and at least I did not have to talk so much with Comyn. We tried to arrange a truce with the English at the end of 1299, but Edward refused. Worse still, the Comyns stirred up the tenants of Balliol in Galloway to attack both Annandale and Carrick. As a result, I was forced to defend our people directly and thus resigned from the Guardianship; I knew, effectively, I was at war with Comyn.

We beat off an English invasion in 1300 and also heard the work of the Scottish church was rewarded with a Papal Bull which ordered Edward to leave Scotland in peace. Not that this convinced Edward to leave our lands for long. In June of 1301, Edward invaded again with two huge armies. Whilst Sir John Soulis slowed the main force – led by the king himself as it trundled forward from Berwick towards Edinburgh – I commanded my own men who fought the forces of the Prince of Wales. We checked the prince's momentum and he was forced to give up Carrick and head for the east coast and his father. Equally, Edward had failed to cross the line of the Forth and by late autumn was back in England.

1302 started well – with a truce for the year. It soon became apparent the Comyns were planning for the return of 'King' John Balliol. He had been placed in the hands of the French king by the Pope and, now, the Comyns were working to bring their cousin back to the Scottish throne. As you can imagine, this would have been the end of the house of Bruce in Scotland. Balliol had already tried to wrest Annandale from us in 1295, and it was likely he would proscribe us all on his return from France. This meant I had no choice but to sign an agreement with Edward if we were to survive. I was able to do so as Edward also feared a French invasion via Scotland. Moreover, I gained the wardship of poor Kirsty's young son, now Garnait is dead. I will ensure he is safe and will protect the boy and his mother of course. That is the least I can do for such a good man.

I was able to get the permission of the Earl of Ulster to marry his daughter, Elizabeth de Burgh. You will know this already, having heard it from Kirsty. I had first seen her all those years ago at the English court where Edward and her father were just back from campaigning in France. Now, she is my wife. I wish you could meet her just to see how happy we are together, even in the midst of all this mayhem and worry. She is a great strength to me, and wise in many ways knowing Edward so well. He holds her in great affection, which I think was mutual – until I came into her life. It irks me to say this, but Edward can be a fine and generous man to those who are no threat to him.

Elizabeth sees him for the black-hearted devil he is and how he means to crush Scotland – and me with it – into submission. I expect the king thinks her family ties will bind me closer to him. We shall see, but first there remains the problem of the Comyns. I miss your laughter and wise advice.

As ever

Rob