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Page 295
accompany you. Before giving her permission, the Queen made two conditions. One, that I should accompany you as your shield bearer."
The King's blue eyes opened wide. His mouth opened too, but indignation choked his voice. When Richard had been a very young, very bold, and very inexperienced fighter, an older, stronger man, more sensible and cautious was necessary to save him from inadvertent suicide. Simon had ridden with Richard, nominally to "bear his shield" and actually to protect him. Richard was many years past needing such protection or advice now. Simon met his affronted eyes and his rich laugh rang out.
"I said you would slay me outright for such a presumption, my lord, but the Queen insisted I use those words. She said she was still your mother, that she did not fear the enemies you would face but the allies following behind."
Simon had chosen his words carefully. He had not said the men or the vassals following. That would have been an open and bitter insult to the nobles foregathered in the Hall, and would have been false. Richard's own people loved him well. He had said "allies." There were grunts and mutters of approval. It was the open belief of all of Richard's subjects that Philip of France, who said the sweetest words and gave the kiss of peace most tenderly, loved the English king so well that there was nothing he would not do to help Richard from this vale of tears into a happier afterlife.
The indignation died out of the King's face and a kind of awe took its place. The ability of his mother to see into the future always startled Richard. Most often he refused to credit her warnings. They were usually concerned with complicated political "if-thens." This, however, was a clear, practical matter in which he saw excellent sense. Philip had been so excessively loving that he had offered a band of high-born French knights to fight under Richard's personal banner. It

 
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