The Red Comyn Survives

On February 10th 1306 Robert the Bruce met in the Greyfriars church in Dumfries with his chief rival John 'the Red' Comyn to settle their differances and untied against Edward Longshanks of England. The Comyn was weary of the Bruce and refused so the Bruce, in a fit of anger, drew his sword and stabbed the Comyn. He ran outside to tell Roger de Kirkpatrick what he had done, Kirkpatrick, who had his own quarrel with the Comyn, went into the church to ensure that the Comyn was dead.

The Bruce was crowned shortly after by the church he was close to and quickly fled from the Comyn's supporters who wanted revenge. What followed was a short civil war and Bannockburn then Scottish indepedance under the Bruce.

So what if the Red Comyn had escaped Dumfries with his life? How would things be different with the Bruce's chief rival alive and against him instead of the weak independant clan? And what would the future of Scotland be without the Bruce being totally dominant in Scotland?
 
The result, I would imagine, could be painful for Bruce. With Comyn escaping alive (but presumably wounded), then Bruce will have to face a Comyn clan even more bent on vengance than in OTL. However, the Comyns were pretty riled up at Bruce as it was anyway, and they had a natural leader in the shape of the Earl of Buchan - the Red Comyn was often somewhat rash and impetuous, which may mean that the anti-Bruce faction plays more into Bruce's hands, at least later on. It bears thinking that Comyn also had no love lost for the English either, so he may not be all that willing to fully co-operate with them in the medium run. If his survival results in the death of Bruce, I could see Comyn eventually rallying the surviving 'patriot' forces around himself and having himself declared King of Scots, once Longshanks presumably is dead.
 
So it would be another civil war between Robert the Bruce, King of Scots and the Clans that supported him and John 'the Red' Comyn, King of Scots, and the Clans that supported him.

This plays into Longshanks hands and all he has to do is live long enough for the two sides to mutilate each other then he can march in with his army and take control again.

Of course Longshanks didn't live to be on the battlefield at Bannockburn in 1314 and this different civil war is likely to drag out just as long as the OTL one did, so he might not even be a problem.

If the Comyn's and their supporters do allow themselves English backing then the Bruce will struggle to hold on to his crown but as you said the Red Comyn was very anti-english so the chances of the Comyn accepting English help is very low unless he has no other alternative.

If nothing else the Bruce would be villified a bit more for his attempted murder of the Red Comyn.
 
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