appear. Matthew says people in England are calling him the Crusader King . They believe he will be the one to deliver Jerusalem.”
“He can have no immediate plans for that,” said Everard, “not if he is planning on attacking Wales.”
“But if he’s already met with the pope to discuss it, it seems clear that he intends to in the future.” Will rolled up the parchment and stuffed it roughly into its case. “Part of me isn’t surprised.”
Everard’s lip curled in a scowl. “Well I’m glad you saw it coming. Perhaps you might have been so gracious as to let us lesser mortals in on your divine knowledge before now?”
“What has he done in the years since you appointed him, Everard? Since he signed the truce with Baybars, what has Edward actually done as our guardian? As far as I’m aware, he’s done nothing to help us continue to secure the peace, reconcile the faiths or open lines of trade and communication between East and West.”
“Those aren’t his duties,” corrected Everard. “When our founder, Grand Master Robert de Sablé, chose Richard the Lionheart to be the first guardian, it was because he wanted a trusted man from outside the Temple who could mediate in disputes between the Brethren and offer advice or financial and military aid.”
“Whatever his duty is, I don’t think it’s to steal money from us for a war,” responded Will.
Everard stared into his goblet. “Brother Thomas spoke of how it would only need one strong ruler to unite a force under him for a Crusade. King Edward could be such a man. He is young and popular and powerful. He knows how to lead and inspire men.” Everard shook his head. “I was impressed by him because of those very things. I thought his authority would be an asset. Richard the Lionheart was his great uncle, for the sake of Christ! How did I let a wolf into the fold?” he murmured into the goblet’s red depths. “How could I have been so eager? So foolish?”
“Why haven’t you told the others? The seneschal at least?” As he asked the question, Will felt a small surge of triumph that Everard had confided in him, not the seneschal.
“It was my fault we were almost destroyed seven years ago. I can hardly bear to tell them that we may face an even worse threat now because of me.”
“What happened with the Book of the Grail wasn’t your fault.”
“When Grand Master Armand de Périgord died, I should have burned the damn thing, not left it lying around for the Knights of St. John to steal. Of course it’s my fault. If you hadn’t retrieved the book for me, the Anima Templi, perhaps even the Temple itself would have been destroyed. And they all know it,” Everard muttered. “I saw Master Seneschal give me that look in the meeting.”
“Why tell me?”
Everard raised an eyebrow. “You’ve made mistakes too, William. I thought you might understand. After all, when you used the Anima Templi’s money to try and have Sultan Baybars killed, you almost caused a war.”
A hot rush of anger and shame colored Will’s cheeks. He stood. “I’ve paid for that mistake, Everard, with interest. You know why I contracted the Assassins, why I wanted Baybars dead. No, it didn’t bring my father back, and yes, it was senseless and wrong. But how many more times must I do penance before you will forgive me? I’m sick of being reminded about it.”
Everard waved his hand. “I’m sorry. Please, sit down. I trust you, William. That is why I came to you before the others.”
Will had never heard Everard say that before. He wanted to be trusted. After his father died, Everard was the only one who could offer the pride Will had craved since he was a boy, since he caused the death of his sister, Mary. It was an accident, but the grief tore his family apart and drove a wedge between him and his father. It was what had caused James to join the Temple as a fully professed knight, relinquishing Will’s mother and his other three sisters to a nunnery
“He can have no immediate plans for that,” said Everard, “not if he is planning on attacking Wales.”
“But if he’s already met with the pope to discuss it, it seems clear that he intends to in the future.” Will rolled up the parchment and stuffed it roughly into its case. “Part of me isn’t surprised.”
Everard’s lip curled in a scowl. “Well I’m glad you saw it coming. Perhaps you might have been so gracious as to let us lesser mortals in on your divine knowledge before now?”
“What has he done in the years since you appointed him, Everard? Since he signed the truce with Baybars, what has Edward actually done as our guardian? As far as I’m aware, he’s done nothing to help us continue to secure the peace, reconcile the faiths or open lines of trade and communication between East and West.”
“Those aren’t his duties,” corrected Everard. “When our founder, Grand Master Robert de Sablé, chose Richard the Lionheart to be the first guardian, it was because he wanted a trusted man from outside the Temple who could mediate in disputes between the Brethren and offer advice or financial and military aid.”
“Whatever his duty is, I don’t think it’s to steal money from us for a war,” responded Will.
Everard stared into his goblet. “Brother Thomas spoke of how it would only need one strong ruler to unite a force under him for a Crusade. King Edward could be such a man. He is young and popular and powerful. He knows how to lead and inspire men.” Everard shook his head. “I was impressed by him because of those very things. I thought his authority would be an asset. Richard the Lionheart was his great uncle, for the sake of Christ! How did I let a wolf into the fold?” he murmured into the goblet’s red depths. “How could I have been so eager? So foolish?”
“Why haven’t you told the others? The seneschal at least?” As he asked the question, Will felt a small surge of triumph that Everard had confided in him, not the seneschal.
“It was my fault we were almost destroyed seven years ago. I can hardly bear to tell them that we may face an even worse threat now because of me.”
“What happened with the Book of the Grail wasn’t your fault.”
“When Grand Master Armand de Périgord died, I should have burned the damn thing, not left it lying around for the Knights of St. John to steal. Of course it’s my fault. If you hadn’t retrieved the book for me, the Anima Templi, perhaps even the Temple itself would have been destroyed. And they all know it,” Everard muttered. “I saw Master Seneschal give me that look in the meeting.”
“Why tell me?”
Everard raised an eyebrow. “You’ve made mistakes too, William. I thought you might understand. After all, when you used the Anima Templi’s money to try and have Sultan Baybars killed, you almost caused a war.”
A hot rush of anger and shame colored Will’s cheeks. He stood. “I’ve paid for that mistake, Everard, with interest. You know why I contracted the Assassins, why I wanted Baybars dead. No, it didn’t bring my father back, and yes, it was senseless and wrong. But how many more times must I do penance before you will forgive me? I’m sick of being reminded about it.”
Everard waved his hand. “I’m sorry. Please, sit down. I trust you, William. That is why I came to you before the others.”
Will had never heard Everard say that before. He wanted to be trusted. After his father died, Everard was the only one who could offer the pride Will had craved since he was a boy, since he caused the death of his sister, Mary. It was an accident, but the grief tore his family apart and drove a wedge between him and his father. It was what had caused James to join the Temple as a fully professed knight, relinquishing Will’s mother and his other three sisters to a nunnery
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