Chapter 14: Regency
Baron Norwood stared up at the young heir of Norfolk, Edward Plantagenet, his teeth gritted in frustration and fear. He had never suspected anything out of the ordinary about this young noble. To him, Edward had seemed like just another young lord living off his ancestors' wealth. However, the potential and prowess he displayed on the battlefield today had transformed him into a genuinely fearsome adversary.
Even the battle-hardened baron, with years of experience on the battlefield, found himself in awe of Edward's leadership and strategic acumen. The gap between their abilities was vast, with Edward's strategies outmatching the baron's in every respect. It was a realization that sent a chill down the baron's spine, as he came to terms with the formidable opponent he faced.
Baron Norwood found himself in a dire predicament. Betrayed by his own men and facing the impending arrival of a substantial force sent by the Earl to subjugate his territory, any hope of pardon or forgiveness had vanished. His erstwhile bandit allies, whom he had patronized, had gone silent for over a week, failing to provide their usual reports. The walls of his once-mighty castle now seemed like a fragile barrier between him and the inevitable consequences of his actions.
"Seems like this is it, Baron," Edward remarked calmly, his eyes fixed on the once-proud noble.
The Baron, feigning innocence and desperation, shouted, "Why have you attacked me? How have I wronged you?"
Without hesitation, Edward turned to Rufus, signaling for him to present the evidence they had gathered. Rufus swiftly retrieved a bundle of envelopes from a leather pouch and handed them over to Edward.
Edward selected one of the letters and thrust it toward the Baron. "This is the ultimate proof of your connections with the bandits, and there are several more like it in my possession," he declared, waving the bundle of incriminating letters.
The Baron's gasp was audible as he saw the damning evidence before him. He couldn't deny the truth, for although his seal wasn't present on the letters, his signature was undeniably affixed to them.
Before the Baron could formulate a response, Edward interrupted, delivering the grim news, "We annihilated your allies to the last man."
The realization of his dire situation weighed heavily on Roger Norwood as the truth about his involvement with the bandits and the consequences of his actions became undeniable.
"As for now," Edward stated firmly, "I am appointed regent of this barony, while you and your family will face prosecution at the Earl's court in Norwich."
The Baron, devoid of any words, simply lowered his head in resignation. Three soldiers promptly escorted him out of the city, leading him toward the waiting army camp, where he would begin his journey to Norwich to face the consequences of his actions.
Edward wasted no time and, accompanied by a contingent of his soldiers, entered the castle. His first order was to dispatch a team of soldiers to investigate the premises thoroughly for any relevant information. With that task underway, he proceeded to the castle's throne room.
Inside, he found the Baroness, along with her sons, seated on the throne. The throne room was a grand display of opulence, a testament to the Baron's wealth and status. Three ornate seats stood at the far end, commanding attention. The central throne gleamed with polished silver, reserved for the Baron himself. To its left, a seat of burnished bronze awaited the Baroness, and to the right, a meticulously carved chair of the finest wood was designated for the heir.
Currently, the mother and her sons appeared visibly shaken, their elegant facade of nobility shattered. Edward surmised that the news of her husband's defeat had likely reached her, leaving her in a state of distress and uncertainty.
"Lady," Edward began, his tone composed, "your husband has been accused of treason against the earldom and is currently being transported to the city of Norwich."
The Baroness, however, reacted with a mixture of shock and anger. "How could that be?" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with fury. "He paid the highest taxes among all the nobles under the Earl, and this is how you repay us?"
Edward met her anger with a calm rebuttal. "There's no use in anger now. The amount he paid as taxes was less than thirtieth of his annual revenue, rather than the lawful tenth of it."
The Baroness had no response to this revelation, and instead, she clung tightly to her children, her fear for their future palpable.
Edward signaled to the soldiers, instructing them to escort the Baroness and her children to the same location as the Baron. As the soldiers approached the Baroness, she cried out, "Don't harm my children!"
"That's not for me to decide," Edward replied, his demeanor unwavering, before allowing the soldiers to carry out their duty and escort the family away.
Sitting on the throne at the end of the grand hall, Edward couldn't help but reflect on the weight of power and responsibility that came with this seat. While not as extravagant as his father's throne, it still exuded an undeniable aura of authority. For a commoner, the thought of wielding such power was nearly unimaginable.
His mind drifted toward the future, which seemed fraught with challenges. The looming Hundred Years' War was a source of concern. Edward knew that it was scheduled to begin the next year, and while he was not yet considered an adult in the eyes of society, this spared him from direct involvement in the battles. However, if history followed its course, his father might pass away in approximately two years, transferring control of the earldom to him rather than his elder sister, who would have inherited had he perished on that fateful day.
Yet, beyond the political and military challenges, there was a shadow that haunted his thoughts – the bubonic plague, also known as the Black Death. Its name was synonymous with dread due to its horrific symptoms and devastating impact on populations. Edward was acutely aware that this deadly disease had the potential to claim millions of lives in a short span of time. With the limited medical knowledge and technology of the era, preventing the spread of the plague was a daunting task. His only hope lay in diplomacy and measures to prevent the disease from reaching the British Isles.
However, that was a problem for a later day. The threat of the bubonic plague ceased to arrive the isles before the next ten years or so.
Edward shrugged off his contemplations and made his way to the baron's study, where he had stationed soldiers for investigation. Several men were standing bearing a collection of documents that had been unearthed during their search. Edward accepted the documents and began to examine them one by one.
What he discovered within those papers left him deeply astonished. They revealed a web of deceit and corruption: embezzlement, tax evasion, exorbitant taxation of peasants, the operation of an illegal loan shark organization, conspiracies against neighboring nobles, and, most damningly, connections with the notorious bandit group. This trove of information was nothing short of invaluable, as it had the potential to significantly undermine the baron's standing in his father's court. The baron would undoubtedly find himself at a disadvantage in the upcoming proceedings.
Edward wasted no time. He instructed one of the men to carry the documents to Rufus and tasked him with dispatching a messenger to deliver them to Norwich without delay. The soldier promptly obeyed the order and set out in search of the commander, Rufus.
Edward devoted the remainder of his day to an in-depth analysis of the information regarding the barony and its trade relations with neighboring regions. His findings painted a grim picture. The wealth within the barony was concentrated among a select few, particularly those with close ties to the baron. These privileged families were astonishingly affluent, while the majority of the population, including small lords and knights in his army, languished in abject poverty. The plight of the peasants was even worse, as they struggled to eke out a living with meager resources. This stark disparity in wealth and living conditions weighed heavily on Edward's mind as he contemplated the challenges ahead.
Edward understood that rectifying the dire situation within the barony would require a well-thought-out plan. However, he also recognized that any major initiatives would need the approval of the two courtiers his father's court had sent to oversee his regency. Edward let out a sigh, resigned to the bureaucratic process that lay ahead, and began the meticulous paperwork required to present his proposed solutions.
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