Chapter 4 – Council of Six
The king’s advisory council, the Council of Six, gathered in the Chamber of Knights to discuss the protests in Montuga and the continued unrest in France. Five of the six dukes who comprised the council had to suffer the indignity of having to arrive at the palace well in advance of the crack of dawn. The protestors’ vigil at the palace gates during daylight hours had now entered its third week. As the convenor of the Council of Six and the Commander of the Royal Guard, Duke Le Riche was the only councillor who resided in the palace itself. In accordance with custom, he opened the Council’s session.
‘Your graces, I realise that you were all obliged to commence your day at an inconvenient hour this morning in order to ensure your attendance here….’
‘Forgive me your grace,’ duke Enrico Enelli interjected. ‘But I think I speak for all the non-resident members of this Council when I say that inconvenient or ungodly does not begin to describe the hour at which most of us were required to rise in order to ensure our attendance at the palace gates prior to first light. At the risk of overstatement, several of our number would never dream of permitting our butlers to wake us before ten.’ As he considered the king, Enelli adopted a more deferential tone. ‘Of course I intend no disrespect to the Crown, your majesty. But I would venture to say that your majesty’s Council is eager to know how much longer the protestors’ outrageous siege will be tolerated.’
It did not escape the king’s notice that Enelli’s comments drew several murmurs of approval.
‘It should no doubt please you all to be informed that your graces have been summoned here for the purpose of discussing these protests,’ Le Riche pointed out. ‘I respectfully invite his majesty to take the floor.’
Several moments of silence prevailed as all eyes fell upon the king. The latter waited for several moments more prior to breaking the silence.
‘Even in the absence of a siege such as the present one, it can happen that your king can from time to time lose touch with the views of the nobility. It is for this reason that this Council was established.’ The king paused to light his pipe. As he did so he made a point of making eye contact with each council member in turn. ‘The news from France continues to be disturbing. No doubt these reports serve to encourage the protestors here in Montuga.’ The king again paused as he puffed on his pipe. ‘I do not doubt that you have all been approached by concerned peers.’
‘Quite so, your majesty,’ duke Petard said. ‘Most are extremely concerned, of course.’ He paused. ‘But I presume that what your majesty actually wishes to know is whether any unanimity exists about a fitting response to the protests?’
The king nodded.
‘There is no such unanimity to speak of, your majesty. The views amongst the nobility of Montuga are wide-ranging,’ Petard said.
‘I am not sure I agree.’ Duke de Ville interjected gingerly. He used his handkerchief to mop up a few beads of sweat on his forehead. ‘Most nobles I have encountered incline to the view that your majesty should grant a royal audience to the protestor’s leaders. They fear that if the protests are simply ignored, things could turn as ugly as they have done in France. These are not my views of course…’
‘Any contrary views?’ the king interjected.
‘Indeed there are,’ Enelli replied. ‘Most of my acquaintances and my neighbours feel that we should simply send in the royal guards.’ Enelli could always be relied upon to provide robust, but not necessarily diplomatic, solutions to any problem.’
‘Those who espouse such views conveniently ignore the real likelihood of future French intervention in Montuga if the protests are violently put down,’ muttered the king.
‘The difficulty, your majesty, is that unless some concessions are made, the protests may turn violent irrespective of whether the protests are ignored or suppressed,’ Le Riche said.
‘I do not need to be reminded that violence could erupt at any moment,’ the king lamented irritably. ‘Wise commanders avoid placing their armed forces in close proximity to that of other military forces unless they intend to launch an attack or mean to invite one. Here I sit without a choice. This situation…’ The king interrupted himself as he pointed in the direction of the crowd at the palace gates. ‘…is like storing open kegs of gunpowder in a tavern full of pipe smoking and drunken revellers.’
Silence dominated the chamber for a while.
‘At the risk of stating the obvious, your majesty, France is the problem. None of us knows how she will respond to any action we might take,’ duke Petard said. ‘No-one can say whether France will end up as a republic, a monarchy or something in-between. We have always managed to avoid provoking France in the past. But how do we continue to do this when we have no idea about who will control France in the next week, the next month or during the next year?’
The king glared at the council members for a while without saying anything.
‘Ten months ago, it was this Council’s unanimous advice that the republicans in France were on the verge of seizing power,’ he eventually said. ‘Is that not so, your graces?’
‘Indeed, your majesty,’ Petard replied. His expression was a little sheepish.
‘And was it not also this Council’s advice that, to avoid any affront to an inevitable republican government in France, I should close the Montugan border with France?’ The king’s eyes narrowed as he glared at Petard.
‘It was indeed this council’s advice that a French republican government was likely to frown upon any sanctuary granted by Montuga to fleeing French aristocrats.’ Petard shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘The treaty …,’ he added as an afterthought.
‘And you will recall that I, reluctantly, and against my better judgement, closed the border post.’ The king frowned at the Council members while rubbing his chin. He turned to Le Riche. ‘Do we have any way of knowing how many French nobles were refused entry to Montuga at that post?’
‘Not any exact number, your majesty,’ Le Riche replied. ‘But we have reports suggesting it is several dozen.’
‘And amongst those who were refused entry to Montuga and who were forced to return to France, many no doubt encountered other nobles heading in the opposite direction - to Montuga?’
‘Indeed, your majesty,’ Le Riche agreed. ‘I am told that word of the closure of that escape route spread quickly amongst the fleeing noblemen.’
‘And we also know, do we not, that the closure of the border was responsible for the capture and subsequent execution of many French nobles by the revolutionaries? Is that not so?’
Most of the councillors nodded with bowed heads. None met the king’s gaze. No one replied.
The king continued.
‘Am I to understand that this Council now believes that the outcome of the rebellion in France presently hangs in the balance?’ As he relit his pipe, the king’s eyes fell on Petard.
‘Forgive me, your majesty,’ Petard replied. ‘My reference to any uncertainty in France is directed solely towards the time scale, and not at the outcome we predicted. My view in regard to the latter remains unchanged.’ He glanced at the rest of his peers. ‘I believe that the same can be said of the rest of the Council.’
No-one contradicted Petard. The only sound in the Chamber was that of the king puffing on his pipe.
‘I fear that this Council makes too much of supposed divisions in the French military and in the Church there,’ the king remarked. ‘I doubt either will permit the demise of the French monarchy. And neither, I am led to believe, will the Austrians or the Prussians.’ He paused to cough. ‘Have any of your graces considered the consequences for Montuga if Louis remains king of France?’
In the absence of any response, the king resumed.
‘Permit me to enlighten you. If Louis’ rule persists, he and the French nobility, not to mention the monarchies across Europe, will judge our decision to close the border to fleeing French nobles most harshly. The consequences for Montuga could be grave.’
‘Should Louis remain king of France, your majesty, our decision to close the border could certainly only be judged as senseless or cruel with the benefit of hindsight,’ Petard said. ‘Surely the closure will be seen as the precaution which it was.’
‘I am afraid, your grace, that your benevolent assessment of our collective guilt serves only as an apt demonstration as to why no-one should be a judge in his own cause.’
The king’s remark solicited a few wry smiles. The interlude was fleeting and the king continued.
‘Circumstance occasionally draws a bystander into a conflict between two others, compelling him to abandon neutrality and to choose sides. Should this bystander lack the power to influence the outcome of the conflict, it is essential that he should choose wisely. The blood of all who died as a result of the border closure is already on our hands. Make no mistake, the survival of this kingdom depends upon whether or not this Council chose correctly.’
‘Your majesty is of course not bound by this Council’s advice,’ Le Riche intervened.
‘That may be so, your grace,’ the king replied. ‘But, I relied upon this Council’s advice that King Louis’ fall to the republicans was imminent, and did so against my better judgement. Of course, I did not possess a crystal ball and, clearly, neither did this Council. But ten months have since passed. If the republicans have failed to remove Louis by now, I can only presume that it is because they are unable to do so. If I knew then that Louis would still be the king now, I would have kept the border open to all French aristocrats seeking sanctuary in Montuga.’ Some members of the council shifted awkwardly in their seats as the king again glared at each councillor in turn. ‘But let us leave France to one side for a moment, your graces.’ The king’s gaze fell firmly on Le Riche. ‘You are the commander of the royal guard. If the people of Montuga were to revolt, could we suppress it with five hundred royal guards?’
‘Your majesty, if your subjects were to raise a peasant army, I estimate it would number around nine thousand,’ Le Riche responded.
‘Yes, but that would be an army without military training or proper weapons,’ interjected Enelli.
‘Even so, a force of that size armed with pitch forks and such like cannot easily be contained,’ Le Riche cautiously pointed out.
‘His grace forgets that your majesty can also count on the support of the nobles,’ Enelli said. ‘Most of us have some family members, servants, and several mercenaries who protect our estates. That should add another seven hundred men to your majesty’s guards.’
‘Still, my question remains,’ the king reiterated.
‘I believe that the royal Guard, reinforced by the numbers the nobles can muster, would prevail against any peasant uprising in Montuga, your majesty,’ the Duke replied
‘Assuming of course, for the sake of this argument, that France does not intervene,’ the king added.
‘Yes your majesty. This assumes a united nobility and royal guard.’
‘Surely your grace jests about the prospect of nobles joining a peasant revolt?’ The king’s tone was dismissive. ‘I cannot conceive of Montugan nobles fighting alongside revolutionaries against their own.’
‘These are unpredictable and grim times, majesty. Many dread that the violence of the revolts in France will spread to Montuga. Certain nobles fear being dragged from their homes to face execution in the streets. It is not fanciful to imagine that some may consider choosing to side with the revolutionaries in order to ensure their safety. We have only to look to France to see examples of such conduct.’
‘And what chance is there of traitors amongst the royal guard?’ inquired the king.
‘I consider a clear majority of the royal guards to be loyal to the crown, your majesty,’ Le Riche replied.
‘Let us hope that you are correct, your grace. After all, I remain the king of Montuga, so ordained by God.’ He glanced assertively at each of the members of the Council in turn as he spoke. ‘As king, I am accustomed to issuing edicts and to having my wishes treated by others as their commands. I have no intention of conducting negotiations with people from the street about any limitation of the powers granted to me by divine right and by right of royal succession.’
‘Forgive my impertinence, your majesty, but what is to be done if the protests should turn violent?’ duke Le Riche enquired.
‘I wish to avoid a violent response, but not at all costs. Our need to avoid playing into the hands of the French republicans must not come at the price of the stability of the kingdom. If we spend all of our time trying to avoid offending French sensitivities instead of doing what we know to be best for Montuga, we might as well surrender our independence to France now. I will not permit that to happen.’ This remark elicited a respectful round of tapping on the table from the Council members.
The king paused as he produced a silk handkerchief into which he coughed. ‘There is one other matter. There was much talk of two dozen armed and masked riders on horseback who apparently rode in support of the protestors. I wish to know who they are and what has become of them?’
‘At this stage little is known about them, your majesty. There are rumours that armed riders started fires on a few estates last Sunday evening. As yet I have been unable to ascertain their identity,’ Le Riche replied. ‘They have gone to ground.’
‘You are responsible for my security and that of the kingdom your grace.’ The king’s tone became firmer. ‘I suggest you make it your business to find out who these people are. If it should turn out that any of them were royal guards, then I expect you to arrange for their execution. Royal guards swear an irrevocable oath to me. I will not abide anyone who swore an oath to me seeking to interfere with my divine and absolute right to rule. Even if they are not royal guards, I want to know who they are so that we can fashion a plan to deal with them.’
‘Of course, your majesty,’ replied Le Riche.
‘What of the siege of the palace? Might I be permitted to ask about how much longer your majesty intends to permit it?’ Enelli inquired.
‘If the siege was an all-hours affair, I would have acted immediately. Evidently the peasants realise this and that is why they limit it to the daylight hours,’ the king replied. ‘To answer your question, I shall permit the siege for a while longer in the hope that they will become bored and lose interest. I choose to do this in order to avoid spilling the blood of my subjects and to avoid any consequences such action might bring.’
‘But what if the protestors do not end the siege, your majesty?’ asked Le Riche.
‘Then I will have no choice but to respond with a firm hand. I shall not permit this siege to persist indefinitely. That will be seen as weakness instead of restraint, and it would undermine the authority of the monarchy.’
‘I am most pleased to hear this, your majesty,’ Enelli said. ‘As it is, it becomes harder each day to tell the difference between the siege and a visit from my mother-in -law. Both are as uninvited as they are unbearably long.’