Two for Treason

Chapter 1 -Stradbroke

Stradbroke, Suffolk; 30 miles from Norwich

The sleepy hamlet of Stradbroke is located on the estate of Lord Barrow, Duke of Huncote. The village owed much of its success to the lush crops of barley and wheat planted in winter and harvested in late summer. All throughout the cutting season the sheaves are stacked and dried; each stack is built in a neat row. The farmers of the village take great pride in operating as a collective; proud to contribute to the continued growth of the Duke's holdings. Co-operative farming has been the core of the village for many generations. The Duke's bailiff oversees the harvest and arranges for the sale of the crops.

In March of the year 1193, England was in turmoil. Its king, Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned at Trifels Castle in Germany by Henry VI, the Holy Roman Emperor. 100,000 pounds of silver were demanded for his release. During this time England was under the protection of his brother, Prince John who was loathe to make any extreme attempts to raise the ransom. As long as Richard was out of the way, but alive, he could continue to rule without any fear of their nephew Arthur taking the throne.

Prince John, under the guise of raising a ransom, increased taxes on a regular basis. Most villages were unable to continue under the weight of the debt owed to the crown. Lord Barrow had a trading arrangement with Count Wilhelm of The Hague in the Netherlands. This arrangement meant that there was a steady source of income for the village and surrounding county.

Lord Barrow was a staunch supporter of King Richard. While he despised the purpose behind the Crusades and was of the opinion that the king should not have left, his loyalty to his liege lord was unwavering. This loyalty, combined with the riches garnered from his increasingly successful trading in Europe meant that he thought he was beyond the touch of Prince John. He was wrong.

Prince John was furious. "How dare he thumb his nose at my edict?" Sitting on the king's throne in Westminster, he looked down upon the sycophants who groveled for his attentions. The prince was a man of middling height, with high patrician cheekbones and pale blue eyes. His main interests, aside from increasing his own wealth, were fashion and music. On this day he wore hose of a bright blue and a tunic, belted at the waist, of gold and white. "Bartholomew come forward!"

The middle-aged man quickly came forward, "Yes, m'lord?" He bowed low.

"I want you to take care of Huncote. He must be made to realize that he can no longer trade with Wilhelm; his riches are required at home." Affecting a frown of worry and concern, holding a lace embellished handkerchief to his brow, he continued, "We must raise the ransom. I must have my dear brother returned to his home."

"Yes, your highness. What would you like me to do with him?"

John waved his hand, "Figure it out, Bartholomew. I don't care how you make it clear..." His voice hardened, "Just make it clear."

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Bartholomew called for more wine. He was trying to decide how he would take his revenge on Lord Barrow, "the duke of Huncote," he sneered. Years earlier Huncote had won the affections of his intended. Finally, his time had come to be avenged.

"Williams," he said to his sergeant at arms, "I want you to assemble a platoon. Gather your best bowmen and lead them to Stradbroke..."

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Anne Battleforth was a young woman of 19 years. The only child of the local blacksmith, she was doted upon by her father. Standing at 5'6" she was considered tall for a woman; her copper coloured hair was tied at the back with a black ribbon. She was a pretty girl, with a high forehead, a sharp nose and eyes of deep gray. Many of the young men of the hamlet had paid their respects to Eli Battleforth in the hopes of winning her hand.