The latch jiggled. The door opened a handspan.
“Your Majesty?”
“Come in, Hathui.”
She entered, followed by his crowd of intimate attendants. Captain Fulk and Captain Istvan the Ungrian represented his guard. To create ties of kinship between the great lords of the realm and his personal guard he had taken in a quintet of young lords, one each from the retinues of Liutgard, Burchard, Gerberga, Waltharia, and a cousin related by marriage to the deceased Duchess Rotrudis. A trio of clerics from his schola were led by Sister Elsebet, and she had with her a young monk named Brother Ernoul whom Mother Scholastica had attached to his household so that Sanglant might offer the worthy, clever, and affable youth advancement in the world. He had also acquired four honest servingmen, sons of stewards, chatelaines, or castellans, each one a relative of one of his soldiers who had died. Den’s younger brother swept dust from around the braziers and refilled them with hot coals, while Malbert’s cousin and Johannes’ uncle laid out his robes and finery on the bed so that the seamstresses could repair any last moment’s snags or frays. Chustaffus’ older brother brought a covered pitcher of hot water which he placed beside the basin, waiting until his services were needed.
“Your Majesty,” said Hathui, “there is a cousin of Lord Hrodik whom Biscop Suplicia wishes you to interview. She believes that this lady, a widow without surviving children, would serve you well as chatelaine of your progress.”
“The biscop comes out of that same lineage, does she not?”
“So I hear, Your Majesty.”
“She is putting forward her own kinswoman in hope of gaining influence.”
“Of course, Your Majesty. Yet you must have a chatelaine and stewards in the same way an army needs soldiers and captains. Duchess Liutgard will leave you in Fesse. Duke Burchard is already gone. Their capable servants cannot serve you forever.”
“Let me interview her, then. But I pray you, Hathui, continue asking among the other noble lords for worthy candidates. Alas that so many of Henry’s court died in Aosta.”
Prayers were murmured among the assembled. In their wake, he heard a slight noise from outside the chamber whose direction he could not fix.
“Where is Lord Wichman?” he asked.
They looked around. Hathui answered. “He was with us a moment before, Your Majesty.”