Impetuously he boxed the ears of the Lyon King.
There was absolute silence which lasted for several seconds. Comyn had been solemnly crowned Lyon-King-at-Arms by King James IV and, since he represented the crown and state, his rank was as sacred as that of a royal person. Never in the history of Scotland had Lyon-King-at-Arms been treated, during the course of his duty, with anything but the greatest respect.
Comyn, startled into silence, was in those ominous seconds uncertain how to act. Then bowing to the Queen he turned slowly and walked from the room.
The silence continued. All three knew that this was an insult which would never be forgotten.
This was the signal for revolt, for it was hardly likely that the nobles of Scotland would accept such a state of affairs. The Queen Regent married in secret, to satisfy her lust, before her husband had been dead a year! The hated Douglases, to climb to the highest positions through young Angus! Lyon King himself insulted by the arrogant Drummond!
The first act must be to set before Albany the urgency of his immediate return; and the best person to convey the need for his presence in Scotland was the insulted Lyon King. He should set out for France immediately.
The Lord Chancellor, Beaton, Archbishop of Glasgow, gave expression to his disapproval of the marriage which had taken place when their beloved sovereign was scarcely cold; and Margaret, urged on by Drummond and Angus, decided that she would deprive Beaton of his office immediately. There were Douglases ready to take over all the most important posts in Scotland. So she sent Angus to Perth to arrest Beaton and take the Seal of Office from him.
The warlike lords lost no time in rousing trouble. The Queen’s supporters — mostly members of the Douglas clan and their hangers-on — were besieged in their castles by the anti-Queen-and-Douglas party. Gavin Douglas was one of those to suffer, and Drummond was in imminent danger of arrest. The Parliament stood against the Queen and it seemed that there were two rulers in Scotland; the Parliament in Edinburgh, and the Queen in Stirling or Perth.
Margaret was growing shrewd. She had immediately written to her brother Henry, telling him of her marriage to Angus and implying that the reason she had married with such speed was because she believed it was the plan of Parliament to bring Albany over and marry her to him. It was true he had a wife living, but she was not enjoying good health and moreover, as she was his cousin, Margaret believed a divorce was planned. She had realized how much against such an alliance her dear brother would be, for Albany was entirely French in sympathy and if he were ruler of Scotland he would never rest until he had brought war into her brother’s kingdom.
The reply from Henry was as Margaret had expected. The last thing he wanted was to see Albany in Scotland, so he gave his approval to the match with Angus and stated that he was happy to accept him as a brother-in-law.
Lyon-King-at-Arms was shipwrecked on his way to France, which caused great hilarity among the Douglases.
“God is clearly of our party!” Margaret said gleefully, and of course the Douglases shared her opinion.
But that did not mean that other messengers were not arriving in France and that Albany was being made aware of his duty to Scotland.
This was the waiting period. The trouble was confined to small skirmishes and had not erupted into civil war. The main reason for this was that Margaret was the sister of Henry VIII who would naturally be watching for any weakness in the Scottish defenses.
Scotland was in no state to withstand invasion from England.
The Duke of Albany had received a communication that the King would be hunting near his estates and proposed staying a night at his château, which threw his household into a state of tension only produced by a royal visit. François Premier, King of a few months, was a man who had already caught the imagination of his people, even as Henry VIII of England had his. Both these Kings were young, handsome, and lusty; and they had succeeded misers. Everywhere they went their dazzling magnificence delighted their subjects; and their reigns had as yet not been long enough for the people to ask themselves whither such kingly extravagances led.
Albany himself had been a friend of François for many years, all during that time when as Duc d’Angoulême the latter had lived in constant fear that Louis XII would produce a son who would oust him from the succession.
But there had been no son and now François was firmly on the throne; and he was honoring his old friend with a visit, which Albany knew meant that the King was going to give him some command.
Albany was eager to serve François, for the friendship between them was a true one; he enjoyed the witty conversation of the young King — the discussions on art, literature, and architecture, for François, lecherous and a keen sportsman though he was, prided himself first of all on his intellectual leanings.
He arrived at the château and was greeted with respectful affection by his friend. The banquet was almost comparable with those served in François’s own palaces and châteaux; and it was the next day, when they hunted together, that Albany learned the purpose of the King’s visit.
When they were riding side by side, François said: “My dear friend, I am afraid I am going to ask you to do something for France which may not be to your taste.”
“My liege, whatever was asked of me by François and France would immediately become to my taste.”
“Spoken like a Frenchman,” answered François with a light laugh. “You are more Frenchman than Scotsman, my dear Jehan. That is why it grieves me to ask this of you.”
“Sire, you are asking me to go to Scotland?”
Francois nodded mournfully. “I have received a plea from the Scottish Parliament. Your presence is needed there.”
Albany was silent, looking at the country about him which he loved, thinking of his wife whom he would have to leave behind, for her health was giving cause for great anxiety, and the rigors of the Scottish climate would surely kill her. He thought of the pleasures of his visits to Court which, now that François was on the throne, would be more enchanting than ever.
“My dear fellow,” went on François, “this is my sorrow as well as yours. I shall miss you. But see what is happening in your barbarous Scotland. The Regent Queen will be her brother’s vassal shortly. She has alienated the majority of the noblemen, but they dare not rise against her for fear of that young coxcomb below the Border. He is an irritant, that young cockerel. We can never be sure when he is going to strike, and the last thing we can afford is a harmonious relationship between England and Scotland; so it is necessary that Henry be in perpetual fear of attack from the North. Scotland must therefore be the friend of France and, if you were Regent, my dear friend, I could happily believe that you would never forget that half of you belongs to us. It is for this reason that I ask you to leave at once for Scotland, to take the Regency.”
“Sire, you have spoken. It is enough.”
“Thank you, my friend. I knew I could rely on you. The English Margaret must be stripped of her power, and the best way of doing this is to take the young King out of her charge. Let that be your first duty. Then, when you are the guardian of the little Princes, when you are Regent of Scotland, Henry’s sister will be powerless to move against us; and the friendship between France and Scotland will be firm.”
“I shall endeavor to obey my master’s wishes.”
“Faith of a gentleman!” cried François. “This might have been a most happy day but for this sad necessity. Would I could prolong my visit. But I must not delay you. You will have some preparations to make for your journey. This day I shall return to Paris and you will be making your way to Scotland. But we shall meet again… erelong.”