It is 1 May 1232 , almost twenty-one years since The Time of the Wolf .
(Robin of Sherwood , Series 3 , Episodes 12 & 13)
The Fifth Crusade has been fought and lost , and England is now ruled by Henry III ,
cultured but capricious son of King John and Isabella of Angoulême .
The King quarrels constantly with his earls , but has recently healed a breach with Ranulf de Blundeville , sixth Earl of Chester and uncle of John le Scot (Earl of Huntingdon , Ranulf’s heir and Robin Hood’s cousin) . The marriage of John le Scot to Helen , the daughter of Llewelyn , Prince of Gwynedd , has stopped raids on Ranulf’s borders , but the land-hungry Llewelyn is still marauding Marcher territory further south . Meanwhile , the King’s
extravagance means he has little cash to spend on eliminating the Welsh threat .
Troubled in spirit and in search of divine approval , John le Scot wants to restore the earldom of Huntingdon to the now-pardoned Robin Hood . But by so doing , he could provide Llewelyn with the excuse he seeks to wage war on England . The Earl of Chester is determined to prevent this national catastrophe regardless of individual cost .
Pardoned in 1217 for helping to suppress Louis of France’s claim to the English throne , Robin is now Sherwood’s Chief Forester , safeguarding his domain with the lightest of touches . Under his rule , villagers prosper , oppression is extinct , and , surrounded by his men , Robin has convinced himself that he is content . Except … he has not seen Marion since leaving her at Halstead Priory . He is about to leave on a mission of mercy which will test his self-control to the limit .
And he has just become the quarry of the most powerful earl in England .
© Vanessa Greatorex , 2005
[ Bericht 59% gewijzigd door isapaardje op 26-01-2006 21:55:47 ]