Page 115 of Bound By Honor
It was said that Bishop Wishart brought out the royal robes he had kept hidden from Edward to put on the new king. Though Edward had taken the rightful crown, a circlet of gold had been fashioned for the day and was set upon Rob’s head by Isabella, Countess of Buchan, in defiance of her husband, a Comyn. As a MacDuff and the sister of the young Earl of Fife, who was held hostage in England, it was hers to do, for it was the hereditary role of the MacDuffs to crown the Scottish kings.
Bishop Lamberton had apparently reached Scone two days later on Palm Sunday in time to celebrate High Mass for the new king.
In April, when signs of spring were everywhere, Angus dispatched galleys to all the chiefs in the lordship, letting them know what had transpired should they not have received the news. It was time, he told them in his message, to celebrate their new king, a friend to the lordship, and to prepare for the war that he had warned them would come. “We will raise our banners and our swords for our true king, Robert Bruce!”
Having heard The Maclean of Duart Castle had a litter of wolfhound pups, he asked the captain of the galley going to Mull to bring back a pup for Alexander. They named the gray ball of fur that returned “Cormac” and six-year-old Alexander and his hound soon became inseparable.
Because of his former service for England’s king, Angus received news in late June that Edward had sent Aymer de Valence, brother-in-law to John Comyn, north with a force of three thousand men. Their orders were to lay waste the land and to capture or kill Robert Bruce. Pursuant to Edward’s instructions, they hunted the new Scottish king under the dragon banner that announced they were freed of any bounds of chivalry. Even Bruce’s women could be assaulted or killed. It was well Angus received no orders for he would not have obeyed them.
As de Valence traveled north, his force grew to six thousand men. King Robert had gathered to himself the lesser number of four thousand. In contempt for the knightly code, de Valence betrayed a challenge he had accepted from Scotland’s new king to meet him on the field of battle. Instead, the English knight attacked at night near Methven where Rob and his force were camped. Chaos ensued as the camp was roused. The English did not capture King Robert or the women with him, including Queen Elizabeth. They escaped into the night with two hundred followers. Those who did not manage to escape were slain, receiving no mercy at the hands of the English.
From the Scots, Angus received word that, in August, Rob and his men were heading west when he was ambushed at Dal Righ by John MacDougall of Lorne, the son of Alexander MacDougall, who murdered Angus’ brother. Rob was able to escape only by valiant efforts that left many dead and wounded.
“He is coming here,” Angus told Duncan and John.
“How do you know?” asked Duncan.
“He was heading west when he was attacked by the MacDougalls. He knows I will give him shelter. In truth, I will give him more—the strength of the Isles will be his. I am certain he will come to us. All is not yet lost.”
In September, Duncan sent a message to Angus by a fast rider from Saddell:
He is here. I will bring him and the few others to you by galley. Two are wounded, one badly.
When a galley flying Duncan’s MacAlasdair pennon appeared off Dunaverty the next day, Angus told Áine to prepare to receive the king. With John, he descended the headland to the beach where a cold wind greeted them.
The man who climbed down from the galley appeared the same as before only thinner in a misfitting tunic and without his sword or mail. His dark auburn hair had grown longer and his only weapon was a dagger at his side. As he came closer, Angus could see his haggard visage and the haunting look in his eyes.
“My lord king,” Angus said, bowing. Then, straightening, he smiled. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Because his friend was now King of Scots, Angus did not feel free to embrace him as he had before. Rob must have sensed his hesitation for he strode to Angus and threw his arms around him. “Angus! My friend. How glad I am to see you. And you may call me Rob, save when the formal address might be important.”
“My brother, John,” said Angus, gesturing to the man standing with him.
“I would have known it by his appearance, his likeness is yours.”
The king held out his hand and John grasped it. “Your Grace.”
Seeing only a few others jumping down from the galley to join Duncan on the beach, Angus asked, “Are there more coming?”
Rob dropped his gaze. “Alas, these few are all I have left of my army, Angus. Aymer de Valence attacked us at night at Methven. Only two hundred escaped with me and most of them fell before the MacDougalls. We were heavily armored and awkward on our horses against their axes. We barely got away with our lives. I feared for the women, so we gave them our horses and sent them to safety. Elizabeth, Marjorie, Isabella, the Countess of Buchan, and my sisters, Christian and Mary went to Kildrummie Castle with my brother, Nigel, and two knights, Sir Alexander Lindsay and Sir Robert Boyd. After that, we abandoned our plate and mail armor and our swords and set off on foot, with our daggers, traveling light.
“If it had not been for Malcolm, Earl of Lennox, who escaped Methven after us,” Rob continued, “we would not be here today. He came upon us as winter approached, trudging across his lands, exhausted, freezing and near starving, too afraid to light a fire to cook what meat we had. Lennox thought we were poachers.”
“Where is Lennox now?”
“I do not know. He was to follow us in his galley but we have not seen him.”
Angus could see Rob was haunted by the memory of the friends he had lost; it was tearing at his soul. “Do not despair. You are in the Isles now. There are thousands here who will fight for you.”
Rob nodded. “I had hoped it might be so.”
Seeing the others coming toward them, Angus said, “You met my cousin, Duncan, at Saddell. Might John and I meet those who came with you?”
The king turned to the men approaching with Duncan but spoke to Angus. “Sir Gilbert Haye, who was with me at the siege of Stirling. He was captain of my guard at Methven, which may explain how I survived.”
Sir Gilbert dipped his head of dark hair. His face revealed a man of many battles, stern and lightly scarred.
“And Sir Neil Campbell,” said the king, “who I think is known to you. Both were with me at Scone. Also with me are my brothers, Sir Thomas, Sir Edward and Alexander, Dean of Glasgow.” Then to those he had named, the king said, “My good friend, Angus Og Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, and his brother, John.”
