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Swiftly Simon gathered his own household guard, the only men available to him, and rode through the night. He was not happy, believing that he was summoned to the aid of the King in some final struggle, but he did not delay an instant nor withhold a single man. The reward of his faithfulness was to bring Queen Alinor the news of her release. |
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Sir Andre and Sir John knew. that rumor in all times flies on swift wings, but real news travels slowly. To them, as to every man, the intentions of the new King were of paramount importance. Here was a source of real news, a man to whom royalty and royalty's highest servants spoke their minds. It was no wonder that both men hung upon Simon's words as if pearls were tumbling from his lips. |
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Nor did Simon stint them. To his mind, there was no reason to do so. Simon was a good judge of men, and he knew that these were of his own kind. That they were Lord Rannulf's choice spoke for them. That they had supported and protected their lady when it would have profited them greatly to desert her, spoke even more clearly of their characters and honor. Unarmed and at ease, he gave both the good news and the bad. The good was simply that Lord Richard was a man of high honor. The new King had no intention of punishing the lords who were faithful to his father. Indeed, even such servants of the dead King as William Marshal were in high favor and would be rewarded rather than punished for abiding by their oaths to the King. |
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The bad news followed naturally from the good. Lord Richard had taken the Cross, and he was determined to hold by that oath as well as by others. He had no intention of begging release from his vow to go on Crusade on the expedient grounds that the realm newly come into his hands needed its King. He would come to England as soon as he could to reform the bad customs that had developed during the last years of King Henry's reign, but he would also come to |
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