Det pratas under påskfesten om att saxare landstiger både i sydost och i norr, men kung Uther anser att hotet från norr är ingenting att bry sig om och vill fokusera på att möta upp saxarna i syd. Vi får stämma bekantskap med den sluge sir Tarran som smider ränker mot sir Cyndrwyn som dödade hans bror i envig, vilket medför att ett rykte sprider sig över lokalen att sir Cyndrwyn har bedrivit trollkonst och setts lägga paddskin på folk.
Court was held at Leicester, in Lindsey.
Special Guests
Gossip
“It’s so terrible! I heard that a thousand Saxons landed to reinforce King Hengest! He’s the devil’s son,
that’s for sure.”
“I’ll trust Prince Madoc to take care of us. He’s handsome enough, and he talks boldly enough. But the truth will depend on how he fares in battle, of course.”
“Well, I’ll say it’s too bad he is illegitimate. No bastard will automatically inherit. It’ll be difficult, you can be sure, unless his glory is truly great when the old king dies.”
“Listen, darlings, it’ll take something monstrous to get rid of tough King Uther. Madoc will have to be waiting a long time for any inheritance!”
“But don’t you think it’s bad luck to talk that way?”
“Say, did you know that Merlin has gone away?”
“Well, he comes and goes at his will.”
“Yes, but he is gone again, and at such a time…”
News
Madoc: “Spies say another Saxon army has landed in the east! Is there no end to these devils? His name is Aethelswith, but we don’t know his plans. The king has ordered Duke Lucius of Caercolun to be ready. But our army isn’t going to be distracted. We’re going to attack King Aelle, as we’ve planned, even though certain of our cowardly vassals are not reporting. Disloyal bastards, that’s what they are! Caercolun won’t be there, but that’s at the king’s orders. But that Gorlois of Cornwall — he’s the worst of the lot!”
The army will assemble at Sarum.
Royal Conversation
“We are going to attack the Saxons under King Ælle. We will march out as soon as the roads are clear, with whatever troops have mustered. We do not need those errant nobles. No doubt they too are under attack from the Saxons, who must have emptied their lands to all come over here.”