Dishonorable Gentlemen be Hither and Thither

PRIEST I

1

In the year 1020 A.D King Cnut, King of the English and King of the Danes, would find himself a priest for his court. They would stay loyal for fifteen years until King Cnut's nineteen-year reign would end.

The priest's loyalties moved to his son Harold Harefoot. He would serve him for five years until he died from a mysterious illness as he was preparing from an invasion from the Danes. The priest would move to King Cnut's second son, Harthacnut, who would reign for two years until he drank and died of a stroke at his courtier's daughter's wedding.

The name of this cleric was Stigant. From the city of Norwich, off to the east of England, born to a well-off family with their ancestors English and Scandinavian. Not much was known of Stigant. Only that he arrived and did.

Stigant was advisor to King Cnut's wife Emma of Normandy after both of their children died embarrassingly, with suspicions of them working together even far before that.

Emma's first son Edward succeeded his half-brother for the English Throne after his drunk death and was crowned king in 1043. Stigant was appointed bishop of Elmham, a village on the east, after Edward was officially coronated as king. But, he lost his title in November after Edward deprived his mother of possessions that belonged to his title when there were suspicions of her giving support to a rival for the throne. Stigant would get his job back after a year when nobody could prove his associations with Emma were more than just rumors.

2

After the reigns of Cnut, and his son Harold Harefoot and his other son Harthacnut had ended, Godwin, Earl of Wessex, supported his son-in-law, Edward's, rise to the throne. He supported Edward since they were of the same blood, feeding the old earl's hunger for power. During Edward's reign, his array of support expanded. Advisors, nobles, and priests taken from his mother's old days and through his own chutzpah. Though, Godwin's support would not last.

A town named Dover in the southeast of England had a violent clash with Eustace II of Boulogne, one of Edward's Nobles. Because of such an offensive event, Edward commanded Godwin to punish them for their rebellion. But, Godwin refused his command, claiming he was against destroying one of his own people for the sake of a foreign power. In September 1051, Godwin and his family were exiled from England.

Godwin would come to return with armed forces one year later to declare war against Edward, and won his earldom back. A year after that, the old earl would die of a sudden stroke and his son, Harold Godwinson, would succeed him as the Earl of Wessex.

At that same time, Stigant would be appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury by Edward. Stigant had witnessed charters, contracts, and deeds from Edward through his reign and would climb the ranks to become bishop of Winchester. There had been suspicions that his appointment had been supported by Emma of Normandy and Godwin, showing Stigant's true loyalties. But Stigant knew how to keep his hands clean through the law he watched over.

3

Around the year 1056, there had been rumors of someone that could see into the future. Edward Rex, King of England, ignored these as ramblings of a madman. He did not care much for prophets, as people have always used predictions as political propaganda. But, those prophet's words would only become more enticing.

He claimed in 1055 Harold Godwinson's brother, Tostig, would become Earl of Northumbria. He claimed that this one only one step to the rise of House Godwin's power.

He claimed Edward's nephew Ralph, Earl of Hereford, would die in 1057 and lead to Harold Godwinson succeeding his title, and he would give a portion of his land to his younger brother, Leofwine.

He claimed Leofric, Earl of Mercia, would die in that same time and his son, Aelfgar would succeed him. But it would lead to Gyrth, Harold's younger brother, to succeed Aelfgar as Earl of East Anglia.

He claimed Aelfgar's succession to being Earl of Mercia would bring peace from a war against Wales which was caused by Edward's command to assassinate Welsh Prince, Rhys ap Rhydderch.

He claimed Malcolm Canmore, exiled from Edward's court after his father died in a war against Macbeth King of Scotland, would kill him in 1058. He would take the Scottish throne after his death and would raid Northumbria for its control.

It was the year 1058 and Edward Rex could not afford to doubt the man anymore. He needed to meet the man and see his own face. Search teams were dispatched, religious documents written, contracts signed, bounties made. The Prophet would be able to say all the predictions he could in his private meeting rooms, with all the advisors and nobles he could talk to.

                                                                                             4

Stigant, Archbishop of Canterbury, was reviewing records and testimonies for the House of Wessex. He was in his old age, but his spirit remained young. It was a common occurrence for him as these papers needed to be the most safeguarded against. Nonetheless, they were not safe enough.

He noticed several of those documents had different handwriting, slanderous accusations, and claims that were never even uttered nor would ever be wanted by The King himself. But Stigant was not one who liked drama and attention. He covered and resigned those pages with none to witness. Not a soul would know the treachery that lived among.

A few days after that discovery, there was news The Prophet was found and invited to the court. The noblemen, advisors, and The King all sat in their room in silence.

He was expected to come at noon, and it was only a few minutes until that would strike. Edward Rex asked his knights if anyone had come in saying they were invited, and they declined. The silence pierced the hearts of anyone who heard it.

A guard exclaimed that it was now officially noon, and one of the nobles stood up. He was hooded, robed blue, and not wearing anything that showed his title. He walked to the center of the room and uncloaked himself. He was of respectable stature and wearing a blue tunic. Nobody could name who he was nor his face, not even Edward. Even though the name of every man in his court was written on his heart.

The guards went to seize the man, but Edward told them to halt. He knew only The Prophet could know a way of entering his safely guarded court without anyone noticing. He was left to stand in the middle, with piercing silence staying in the room.

"Why?" uttered Edward.

The Prophet said he had come to warn Edward, warned his reign was fragile, warned rivals would seize the throne, and warned England's days were numbered. He said he had come from a different time, a different place, a place full of knowledge. And, if the whole of England wanted to live, they had better listen to him. If they did, he would bring support from the divine and great things to come.

The Nobles of the room stood to ask for their own fates and their own fortunes. The Prophet said he would not answer, for their fates were tied to The King. He warned if they had known what the future would bring, they would be stuck reliving it over and over again. If you knew the future, you were stuck in the future. Only those that did not know the future had the ability to change it.

Stigant kept note of the mouthy fellow, him trying to sound mighty to appeal to royals. Maybe anyone could have seen what he saw coming, and he only seeked power. Perhaps he was a propagandist, a doomsday sayer, a sower of discord. He had no such way of proving such accusations. But, Stigant could only keep his hands back, hide in the shadows, and have an escape route always at the ready.

5

Stigant would return to his place at Canterbury Cathedral, contemplating the meaning of The Prophet's visit. As it approached midnight, The old Archbishop had noticed something at his bedside. It had been a note with five pounds weighed on top of it, something a rich man would keep in his pocket.

On the note it displayed a symbol with writing below it. The symbol was a circle with three equilateral triangles pointing to its center, all evenly spaced around and the writing read

"We know who you are

Keep yourself silent

And you will find peace and riches

More than you could ever know"

Stigant saw things ofdivine proportion happening. He did not know his place in it. He could handleall the dual, maybe even triple, loyalties he had to serve, but Stigant's waslosing his grip on the hands of fate. All he had to do, all he could do, was tosleep and wait, if he could even sleep at all.