Messengers from Hampshire, panicked and worried, ask for help to resist a new fleet that has landed in the south.
Refugees soon arrive to tell that there was already a battle and that the knights of Hampshire were destroyed. The enemy king, Cerdic, has taken Hantonne City.
Not much later, some British messengers come, but they are all strangers. They bear word from their lord, King Cerdic. These messengers seem British.
“Yes, indeed,” they say, “from the lands of the Gewessi.” They say that their lord is the rightful King of Gewessi, but that he wishes to explain things himself. They say that King Cerdic wants to speak to his neighbors about peace. The king guarantees hospitality to whomever comes to listen to him.
The Gewessi were one of the old tribes. Vortigern was their last leader.
“Our lord wishes to explain for himself,” they repeat, and that is all they will say of it. “You are invited to come in peace to a feast. We are your guides and your guarantee of safe conduct.”
The knights demand some proof of that guarantee, and the leader among them says, “I am Cynric, the son of the king. I will be your hostage, here to guarantee your return.” Cynric is a handsome young knight in his early 20’s, well-dressed and well-mannered in the Saxon way.
The ride is uneventful. The land does not seem devastated, though of course the peasants are mostly in hiding. The city shows signs of plunder, but that is normal. The castle is occupied by the Saxon lord, and there the party is welcomed into the Great Hall.
Cerdic, King of the Gewessi, is a handsome man, mannered in the British way but speaking with a Saxon accent. Cerdic welcomes everyone and spreads a lavish feast. Judging from the service and food available, the people of Hantonne may already be accustomed to their new lord.
After dinner, Cerdic makes his presentation, welcoming everyone and expressing hope that they can continue to be friends and peaceful neighbors. For after all, that is the way among fellow Britons.
“Yes, fellow Britons,” he says, “For I am one of you more than I am a Saxon, as measured the civilized way where all of importance comes from the father’s side. And my father was British.
“Measuring that civilized manner further, we know nobility is superior to normal humanity. I could not come from more noble stock, for my father was the High King of Britain. Indeed, my father was King Vortigern, the noble lord who ruled this island before the Pendragons. And indeed, though it counts less, my mother’s own father was a king as well.
“I have many powerful connections among the Saxons. They are not as savage as you seem to believe, and in my future kingdom they will be my subjects, just as the British shall be; and both shall be equal, if I do not have to conquer."
“So I invite you to join me and my army, for surely there will be battles in the future, and I am sure you would wish to be on the winning side. I will be happy to accept your homage and loyalty, and I would treat you well and justly. Join me.”
With that, he looks briefly into each individual’s eyes. “Discuss this among yourselves.” He leaves the hall. The meal and drinking goes on.
Some of the other British knights serving Cerdic circulate among the visitors for the rest of the night, talking about their great and honorable lord. They stress his generosity and his battle prowess. They explain that Cerdic has been on the continent, fighting against the Franks and Danes. He was in several battles in Britain when he was younger, of course. Cerdic was raised in Saxony by his mother when her husband was foully murdered through the magic of the wicked Merlin.
Back in Sarum, Countess Ellen decides not to submit to Cerdic.