Chapter 84: Peace At Last
February, 1303
Aonghas, Lord of Islay scratched the skin above his empty eye socket and looked at the man before him. King Alexander of Scotland was a tall man, with blonde hair, and a blonde beard, he looked like he could have come from the islands to the north of here. Aonghas knew that the terms he would be forced to agree to would no doubt humiliate him, but he had no energy left to fight. His brothers had died, as had their sons. He had lost an eye for all of this, and he did not know if it had been worthwhile.
As the silence continued, Aonghas knew he had to speak before he snapped. “I rebelled to protect the laws of the Isles and to ensure that the Crown did not forget that. I am no traitor.”
There was a smattering of laughter from the other side of the table. The King’s face remained impassive. “By its very nature, rebelling is treason.” John Comyn, Lord of Badenoch and the King’s closest advisor said.
“Not if you are rebelling against an overmighty hand.” Aonghas snapped back.
“An overmighty hand would have destroyed the isles the moment the rebellion began, His Majesty did not do that.” Comyn responded.
Aonghas was about to reply to point out the number of lives lost during this conflict, but before he could, the King spoke. “What is done, is done. Now we must put the realm back together.”
There was an authority to the King’s voice that Aonghas had noticed before, during the battles they had fought, it seemed the man commanded absolute respect. “Very well.”
“What terms are you willing to agree to?” The King asked. Aonghas was surprised by this, he had thought the King would impose the terms on him, not offer him a chance.
Aonghas knew exactly what he wanted. “A recognition of the ancient rights and privileges of the Isles as granted to us by King Alexander II, and the repealing of the laws and strictures imposed since Your Majesty’s coronation.”
“Your rights were never taken away. The strictures however can be removed.” The King said.
“And the laws? They are in violation of the charters that Your Majesty’s father and grandfather granted us.” Aonghas pointed out.
The King smiled. “Those charters have been updated.”
Aonghas wanted to snap with frustration, but he knew the man spoke truly. By agreeing to this meeting Aonghas had inadvertently weakened his own position. “Fine. The charters are updated, what else?”
“Your son and heir John, and your daughter must return with us to Stirling, where your son shall be fostered and your daughter shall serve as a lady in waiting to the Queen.” The King said.
Aonghas wanted to deny this request. He wanted to say that the King had gone too far, but a small voice in the back of his head whispered to him that there was opportunity to be had here. A chance for his daughter to become Queen if she met the King’s own heir at court. And so, he said. “Very well, I agree.”
The King clapped his hands and two pages brought forward two sheets of paper. “The treaty for us to sign and end this business once and for all.” The King said.
Aonghas looked at the man and sighed, he took a quill offered to him by one of the pages, dipped it into the ink pot and then signed the document. Once he was done the King signed the document and then smiled. “Now we move forward.”