Louis was fighting with more success than she had dared hope for. With a satisfied Hugh de Lusignan on his side they were bringing victory to France. In various towns the citizens had surrendered to him without a fight, believing that they could not stand out against the French.
However Bordeaux stood firm for the English and since the newly created Earl of Cornwall had arrived with the veteran Earl of Salisbury, there was little news, which Blanche sensed meant there were no more easy victories; and perhaps this was at the root of her anxieties.
While she was awaiting an account of Louis’s activities Joanna the Countess Flanders arrived at court. She had come, she said, to ask the Queen’s help.
Blanche was wary. Louis was not on good terms with Flanders and at this time Joanna’s husband, Ferdinand, was imprisoned in the Louvre where he had been sent more than ten years before by Philip Augustus. The trouble between them had flared up in the year 1213. This was at the time of King John’s excommunication when Philip Augustus had thought it was opportune to make an attempt to seize the Crown of England to which he asserted Blanche had a claim. Philip had summoned his vassals to meet him at Soissons that they might prepare themselves to aid him in his venture, but Ferdinand failed to arrive.
Philip Augustus proceeded with his project which was doomed to failure because before he could set sail John – shrewdly – had called in the help of the Pope. Instead of being a country under the Interdict which would have been easy to attack, England was under the wing of the Pope and Philip realised that it would be folly to take up arms against Rome.
Fuming, Philip declared that the attack could not now take place as Rome instead of himself had subdued England.
In his angry mood he learned that Ferdinand of Flanders was seeking to make an alliance with John and if he could not declare war on John he could on Ferdinand. Ferdinand had grown reckless because of a prophecy a soothsayer had made in the presence of his mother-in-law, the Queen of Portugal, and she had lost no time in writing to tell him of it. The seer had said that the King of France would be defeated by Ferdinand in battle and in a dream she had seen him entering Paris where the people welcomed him with great delight.
Poor Ferdinand must have been extremely gullible to believe such a prophecy for even if the King of France had been killed, he had a son whom it seemed likely the people of France would welcome more eagerly than they would the Count of Flanders.
Alas for Ferdinand, the prophecy proved far from true. It was the King of France who was victorious and he, Ferdinand, who became the prisoner. Philip knew that a man with such grandiose ideas represented a threat and it was not long before Ferdinand found he was indeed in Paris but his lodging was a small chamber in the tower of the Louvre, where he had remained ever since.
Now his wife Joanna had come to court and was begging an audience with the Queen. Blanche guessed that the Countess of Flanders was once again going to plead for the release of her husband and was wondering whether it might not be expedient to consider releasing Ferdinand. Perhaps he would be grateful to the King – after all it was not Louis who had imprisoned him. And he would know that if he was a traitor to the crown once more it would be the end of him.
She was surprised that it was not of her husband that Joanna wished to speak.
Joanna was a strong domineering woman. It was through her that Ferdinand had inherited Flanders, and she was not one to forget it. During her husband’s stay in the Louvre she had governed Flanders and had proved herself an able ruler.
Now Blanche immediately recognised her as another such as herself and felt a great respect for her.
Joanna said: ‘You think I have come to plead for my husband. That I might well do, for it is many years since the last King made him his prisoner and he has paid for his follies.’
‘I will speak to the King of the matter,’ said Blanche. ‘I am sure he will be ready to consider your request.’
‘I thank you, my lady. What concerns me now is Flanders. A cheat and an impostor is trying to wrest it from me and I have come to ask your advice and help.’
‘Pray tell me what this means,’ said Blanche.
‘You may remember that my father Count Baldwin went on a crusade to the Holy Land some twenty years ago. From this he never returned.’
‘I have heard it,’ said Blanche.
‘He led the Fourth Crusade and was made Emperor of Constantinople. Then … he disappeared.’
‘How so?’
‘He was captured by the Saracens and it was said that he was put into one of their prisons.’
‘So many Christians never again saw the light of day after they were taken by that enemy.’
‘I believe my father died in his prison, but now this impostor of whom I spoke has appeared. He has a look of my father and claims that he is he.’
‘But he cannot prove this.’
Joanna raised her hands in a gesture of despair. He tells many tales of the Holy City and his adventures there. He swears he is the Count of Flanders.’
‘But you, his daughter, must know.’
‘I do know. He is not my father.’
‘Well?’
‘My lady, there are many who believe this, and some accept it because they do not love me and resent being ruled by a woman. Many people are rallying round him. They are accepting him and rejecting me.’
Blanche thought: Yes, I can understand you would be a stern ruler. Just perhaps, but perhaps somewhat harsh. And the people of Flanders are not fond of you so they would replace you by this man even if he is an impostor.
‘Well?’ said Blanche.
‘I want your help, my lady, and that of the King.’
‘How far has the matter gone?’ asked Blanche.
‘Very far, I fear. You see, my lady, there are unscrupulous men in Flanders.’
‘Not only in Flanders,’ replied Blanche grimly.
‘These men see a chance of enriching themselves,’ went on Joanna, ‘for to gain their support this man is giving them land and titles and promising them easy living.’
‘Has he, do you think, really deceived them?’
‘I am not sure. He has a certain look of my father but he is shorter by two inches and again and again he shows clearly that he is a trickster.’
‘What can I or the King do for you?’
‘You might ask him to court. You might question him. I believe that he would be less arrogant in your presence. If he were asked certain questions he would most assuredly give the wrong answers.’
‘Have you asked him these questions?’
‘I have and he has not satisfied me, but it is believed that I so enjoy ruling Flanders that I will do anything to stop his taking authority from me.’
Blanche considered. Ferdinand was in fact Louis’s uncle for he was a brother of Isabella of Hainault and she knew that Louis had a strong feeling for his mother’s family. He often talked of Isabella – whom young Louis was said to resemble – although he had never known her. He had heard that she was both beautiful and gentle and he was very regretful that she had died two years after he was born and he could not remember her. He would want to help if he could; and she was certain that now the plight of Ferdinand would be brought to his notice he would want to release him.
Blanche said that she would send a messenger to Louis and let him know what was happening in Flanders and in the meantime she and Joanna would put their heads together and try to work out some plan for putting the impostor to the test.
It was Blanche who suggested that they send for Sybil of Beaujeu, who was the sister of the true Count of Flanders; surely she who had been brought up with her brother would know whether this man was really Count Baldwin or an impostor.