He was at once supported in his defiance by every man in the chamber, save only the three prelates. The rage Richard had been holding back for the past two days now spewed out in a fiery lava flow of profanities and threats, almost hot enough to blister the air itself. Eleanor had seen too many Angevin eruptions to be daunted by this one, though, and she waited until her son had to pause for breath. “I would speak with the king alone.” Richard swung around to look in her direction, already shaking his head, but she knew he would not countermand her in public, and he did not disappoint. As the men began slowly to file out, she asked the chancellor and two archbishops to remain and also signaled for André to stay, even though his own angry outburst made it unlikely he’d be of much help.
As soon as the door closed, Richard said in a sharp tone he’d never used with her before, “I will not consent to this, no matter what argument you make. Become that misbegotten whoreson’s vassal? When ice burns and fire freezes!”
“Richard, it is meaningless—”
“Not to me!”
“You would be doing it under duress, and the Church holds such oaths to be invalid. Do they not, my lords?” She appealed to the prelates, and they confirmed her understanding of canon law, assuring Richard that doing homage under these circumstances would have no legal consequences.
Richard was shaking his head again. “How can you not see?” he accused, his gaze cutting from the churchmen to his mother. “My men could never respect me again if I agreed to this. Nor could I respect myself.”
“Richard, the one thing you need not fear is losing the respect of your men,” Eleanor said impatiently. “They’d follow you to Hell and back if you asked it of them.”
“You do not understand. Women never do.”
“Mayhap not. But are you truly willing to sacrifice so much to save your pride?”
“It is not a question of pride. It is a matter of honor.”
“You will not be staining your honor by doing this. You will be acting as a king.” Crossing to his side, she looked up intently into his face. “Think what will happen if you refuse Heinrich’s demand. The best you can hope for is that he’ll hold you prisoner in an attempt to coerce your consent. But he’s not only unscrupulous, Richard, he is unstable. No rational man would have been so shameless, so blatant about his crimes. He is intoxicated by his own arrogance, and if you do not let him save face, it is impossible to say what he may do.”
Eleanor gave Richard no chance to respond, glancing back at Adolf. “Can you say for a certainty, my lord archbishop, that Heinrich would not decide to defy the Diet and turn my son over to the French?”
“Of course I could not, my lady. I agree with your assessment of the emperor. The man is dangerously unpredictable. He was motivated by greed when he sought to extort even more money from King Richard. But it is hard to say what he might do if he is not offered a way to save face.”
Eleanor put her hand on Richard’s arm. “Think what will befall your kingdom and your Norman duchy if you are unable to return to defend them. Philippe will overrun Normandy for certes. He could also threaten Anjou, mayhap even Poitou. Your father’s empire would soon be only a memory.”
Richard stared at her, saying nothing. He’d told no one about his eerie dream at Trifels, hearing that familiar, hoarse voice echoing in the darkness of his prison cell. Save my empire. Do not let my life’s work become dust on the wind.
Eleanor was encouraged that at least he seemed to be listening. “We both know John would not be able to stave off the French for long. He is not a coward, but he has rarely bloodied his sword, has never proven himself on the battlefield. He might not even fight for Normandy, willing to content himself with his island kingdom. And what do you think that would mean for the English? A king who cannot command respect is a king who will not be obeyed. Bandits would make a mockery of the King’s Peace, and local lords would feel free to pursue their own wars, just as they did during Stephen’s reign. Do you know how the chroniclers described those years, Richard? They said it was a time ‘when Christ and his saints slept.’”
Richard would have pulled away, but he could not break her grip without hurting her. “You ask too much of me, Maman.”
“I am not the one asking it of you, my dearest son. You were anointed with the sacred chrism on the day of your coronation. You are God’s vicar on earth, for you swore to defend the Church and deliver justice and mercy to the people of England.” The mention of his coronation oath reminded her of another holy vow he’d taken, and she did not scruple to remind him of it, too, even though she fervently hoped he’d never attempt to honor it. “There is something else you must consider. Your chancellor told me that you’d vowed to return to the Holy Land and retake Jerusalem. You can only do that if you regain your freedom and restore peace to the Angevin empire.”
Richard could not dispute anything she’d said and he glanced toward his cousin, saying desperately, “For Christ’s sake, André, make her understand why I cannot do this.”
André looked stricken. “Richard . . . I cannot. I know what you feel, for I feel it, too. But your mother has convinced me. You have no choice.”
The Archbishop of Cologne decided this was an opportune time to intervene. “Queen Eleanor has articulated the reasons for consenting with great eloquence, and I urge you to heed her, my lord king. I can assure you that the homage will not fetter you in any way for it will be made under duress. Heinrich will not benefit from it—but you could.”