Before a bright fire in the great audience chamber of Dumbarton Castle
sat King Alexander the Third. By his side stood two youthful pages, one
a lad of sixteen or so, whose delicate complexion and habit of dress
proclaimed him to be English; the other a lad of perhaps the same age,
whose clear blue eyes, flaxen hair, and ruddy cheeks betokened northern
blood. Sitting apart were the King's justiciary and the sheriff of
Dumbarton. At the far end of the hall at either side of the portal stood
two Highlanders, armed with drawn swords.
The king, now at the age of three-and-twenty, was dressed in a long robe
of brown velvet, trimmed with fur. He wore a heavy chain of gold about
his neck, with the device of the thistle resting on his jerkin of purple
silk. The jewelled haft of a dagger was seen in his belt of crimson
leather, and a long sword hung at his left side. His long thin legs were
clothed in tight-fitting hose, and his feet -- which were, perhaps, over
large -- were furnished with warm slippers lined with fur. He sat with
his legs stretched out before him, and with his hands clasped behind his
head.
Presently he yawned, stretched his arms aloft, and stood up, walking to
and fro about the apartment with his thumbs stuck in his belt. In person
he was majestic, and although his figure was too tall and his bones
over-large and ill-covered, yet his limbs were well formed, and he bore
himself gracefully. His countenance was handsome, and it beamed with a
manly and sweet expression, which corresponded with the sincerity of his
character.
Pausing abruptly in his pacing, he addressed the English page.
"We will now see this young lord of Bute," he said. "Go, Edwin, and bid
him enter, and with him our friend Sir Piers de Currie."
Edwin went out. His companion of the flaxen hair fixed his blue eyes
upon the doorway, nervously expectant.
"Ah, my young Harald," said the King in Gaelic. "So, then, you heard the
name of Bute, eh? Are you already weary of courtly life that you so
prick up your ears at the name of an island?"
The youth blushed and looked ashamed, but still furtively watched the
door as it was reopened to admit Earl Kenric. Sir Piers de Currie
entering with him, remained within the doorway until the king should be
ready to receive him.
Kenric was attired in the same fashion as on the day of his throning,
but that he now wore no covering upon his head. He advanced towards the
king, and prostrated himself humbly before him.
"God be your guard, my lord the king," he murmured in that pure English
that his mother had taught him, and raising himself on one knee he took
King Alexander's hand in his own and pressed it to his lips.
"I, your Majesty's humble vassal of Bute," he continued, "Kenric by
name, and son of your Majesty's loyal subject, the late Earl Hamish, do
now come to pay your Majesty dutiful homage for the lands I hold of the
Scottish crown; and on your royal hand I swear to maintain fidelity to
your Majesty as my liege lord and sovereign, and not to enter into any
league with the enemies of Scotland, saving only in the case of unjust
oppression. In token of my loyalty I agree, as the old custom of my
fathers hath ordained, to deliver once every year at the castle of
Dumbarton -- as I have this day delivered -- two well-trained
gerfalcons, and -- and --"
Kenric faltered, for he heard the rustling of a woman's dress very near
him. The young queen had entered.
"Enough," said the king. "And say, now, how does your sweet mother, the
Lady Adela, and how bears she her grief at the sad loss that hath
befallen her? The lord warden of this castle hath already acquainted us
of the treachery of the man Roderic."
"So please you, sire, she is now passing well recovered, and bears her
sorrows most nobly," said Kenric.
"And now," said the King, "how happens it that Roderic of Gigha was
allowed to leave your island alive? Had such a crime as his been
committed within the realms of Scotland it is not thus that the criminal
would have escaped."
"He was duly tried for his ill deeds, your Majesty," said Kenric,
glancing aside at the queen. "He claimed wager of combat with my
brother, whom, alas! he overcame and slew in fair fight. Our steward,
Sir Oscar Redmain, finding him guilty, nevertheless passed sentence of
outlawry upon him -- a sentence which I crave you Majesty to ratify."
"That have we already done," said the King; "and should this villain
again set foot in Scotland, or in any one of the Western Isles, ere his
term of outlawry be duly passed, we shall hold no man guilty who puts
him to the sword -- nay, we shall reward him well. As to the lands of
Gigha they are now forfeit, and the lordship over them, my young Earl
Kenric, shall henceforth be yours."
Then the King drawing his sword touched Kenric on his broad back, saying:
"Earl Kenric, in right of your parentage and in virtue of the future
service which we shall expect of you, we now pronounce you the rightful
lord over the isles of Bute and Gigha, with the title of knight of the
most ancient order of the Thistle."
Sheathing his sword the king then greeted his queen and presented Kenric
to her. This honour so embarrassed the youth that when her Majesty asked
him questions concerning his mother he could scarcely utter a word, but
stuttered woefully.
Daughter of Henry the Third of England, and sister of Prince Edward --
who afterwards gave such trouble to the realm of Scotland -- Queen
Margaret was at this time but one-and-twenty years of age. She was
bright eyed and well featured, with a clear fresh complexion, and her
every movement was of stately grace. She smiled upon Kenric with her
sweet rosy lips, and bade him sit near her and tell her how his mother,
accustomed to the life of the English court, contrived to live happily
in so wild and dull a place as the little island of Bute. But Kenric in
replying noticed only the coronet of pearls that the queen wore in her
glossy hair, the surpassing whiteness of her neck and hands, and the
rich splendour of her purple velvet gown.
Meanwhile the king had received Sir Piers de Currie.
"This young lord of Bute pleases us well, Ranza," said King Alexander,
addressing the knight by the name of his castle; "and we doubt not that
he will prove even as stalwart an adherent as his father, though,
indeed, we had been better pleased had he been somewhat older. Take him
under your care, Ranza, so that he may acquire some of your own skill at
arms."
"Methinks, sire," said Sir Piers, "that there is little need of that,
for since the death of Alpin, the lad's brother, there is none whom I
could teach less to than young Kenric. A little more weight and
strength, it may be, might serve him well. God alone can give him those.
But of skill he requires no more than myself."
"Such praise from you is a recommendation that any man in Scotland might
be proud of, Sir Piers," said the King. "But there is one thing more.
Know you if the lad speaks the tongue of these Norse varlets of the isles?"
"Not speaking it myself, your Majesty, I am but a poor one to question
on that matter."
The King then called Kenric to his side, and bade the young page Harald
address him in his native tongue. At this the flaxen-haired lad leapt
towards Kenric with glistening eyes.
"My good friend," said he in Norse, "be not alarmed at what I shall say.
The King knows not a word of our tongue. Tell me, is it to set me free
that you come hither? Do you come from my father?"
"Your father?" said Kenric. "I know not who your father may be. Methinks
you make some strange mistake!"
"Alas!" said the lad, crestfallen, "then am I the most unhappy youth
that ever lived! But stay; you come from Bute. I heard the King say so.
You have come in your ship. I saw when you entered this room that you
were an islander. My friend, I implore you to rescue me from the hands
of these Scots. Take me away from this land, for I am well-nigh dying to
breathe once more the free air of my island home, and to rove again upon
the wide ocean. Say, will you help me to escape?"
"What!" exclaimed Kenric, "even in his Majesty's presence you ask me to
do such a thing? By the rood, but you are passing bold!"
"Enough," said King Alexander, smiling as he signed to the page to retire.
Then he drew Sir Piers and Kenric nearer to him.
"The death of Hamish of Bute," said he, "is a sore calamity. We could
ill spare him. But as concerning the matter of the Western Isles, the
time has come for speedy action, and we must look to you, Sir Piers, and
to you, Earl Kenric, for the help that we now need. We are about to
despatch an expedition to the outer islands, and it may be that the
mission will not be fulfilled without the spilling of blood. It is,
therefore, necessary that you should gather together a goodly number of
brave men and as many ships as may be available. With these you shall
repair to Jura, Islay, Colonsay, Mull, and, indeed, all the isles that
lie south of Morven; and there gather what knowledge may be gained
touching the power held by Hakon of Norway in these districts. My lord
of Ross will in like manner visit the more northern isles. You shall not
want for help, for we will presently send over to Bute some two or three
ships from Galloway and Cowall. As to the rest, we leave it in your
hands, Ranza, who so well understand the situation. Should you, by
forcibly invading the islands of the disaffected kings, succeed in
conquering them, so much the more to your credit. All we ask is that you
draw not the sword ere you have done all that is possible by the
persuasions of the tongue."
Sir Piers bowed and exchanged glances with Kenric.
"Fortunately for our plans," continued the King, "Roderic of Gigha is
now out of our way. He held one of the smallest of the islands, but he
was assuredly the greatest rascal in them all. Had it been otherwise we
should have hesitated to authorize this bold attempt. But there are many
of the island kings who may be very easily won over from their fickle
allegiance to the crown of Norway, while many have already given us
hostages for their loyal behaviour. Of these last is Earl John of Islay
-- one of the most powerful of the island chiefs. We claimed a hostage
from him, and he sent his son Harald -- the youth who has but now been
speaking with you, my lord of Bute. Alas! the lad is a sorry scamp, and
we can do naught with him. He is ever trying to escape, for he has the
heart and spirit of a viking, and naught will please him but to be
roving the seas. Now his father has of late shown a disposition to
abandon all thoughts of King Hakon. He has duly delivered tribute to us.
We would, therefore, have you visit him early, taking the lad with you,
and on his solemnly engaging to maintain his faithful allegiance to
Scotland you will permit his son to land."
"Then this young viking returns with us, your Majesty?" said Kenric.
"Even so," said the King.
At this point the lord warden of the castle entered the chamber and
begged the King to repair to the banqueting hall, where the morning meal
was now ready. So the King signed to Sir Piers and Kenric to follow him.
"So please you, sire," said Kenric, "we have with us a young man of
Bute, one Allan Redmain, who, if I might be so bold as say so, would be
passing well pleased could he have the honour of kissing your Majesty's
hand."
"Bid the youth come in to breakfast with us," said Alexander.
And Kenric went out to search for Allan, who had begun to fear that he
would after all miss even a sight of the King.
"Who is this Redmain?" asked Alexander of Sir Piers de Currie.
And at that the knight told of how Allan had dived into the linn of the
White Lady falls to save Earl Kenric's life, and the King, who admired
bravery in whatsoever form it was to be found, greeted Allan so kindly
that the lad remembered that proud occasion all the rest of his days.
At noontide the men of Bute were again on board their galley, and when
Kenric and his companions, together with young Harald of Islay, had come
down from the high rock of the castle, the long oars were set in motion
and the gallant ship swept down the Clyde, making the bay of Rothesay
before nightfall.