Blackstone swept crumbs from his jupon. ‘There is no doubt in the Prince’s mind that they and the Aragonese will attack Castile. After Cocherel and Auray there are even more men joining bands of routiers. The Pope is worried they will attack Avignon. King Charles has convinced him he will turn the skinners away from the papal city and strike against Granada. The Pope has paid for a crusade, and the French pay the routiers with the Pope’s money.’

‘This new King is a shrewd businessman. He gets the Pope to fund much of his campaign in Spain,’ Killbere said.

Blackstone plunged his greasy hands into a bucket of water. ‘If they seize Castile our Prince will have an enemy at his back. And if we believe the boy, we now have to help a murderer,’ he told them, wiping his hands dry on the cloth offered by John Jacob. ‘We are obliged to be Don Pedro’s ally. It sickens the Prince but the treaty between us is binding.’

‘Not for the first time we’re surrounded by foul men,’ said Jack Halfpenny. ‘De Hayle murders Kynith and rapes and murders helpless villagers for sport and gain, and the King of Castile does it to satisfy his desire for power.’

‘You’re right, Jack. Our Prince loathes Don Pedro for his foul treatment of those who fall prey to his blood-lust. It’s a burden on him so he’s sending Sir Nigel Loring to England to seek guidance from the King.’

‘Then until the King decides there is nothing we need to do,’ said Will Longdon.

‘Not so. The French support Pedro’s half-brother. They want him on Pedro’s throne. If they do that they control Castile and Aragon. They’ve moved quickly.’

Beyard saw the reality. ‘We’re not ready. There’s no time to raise an army.’

‘The Prince has no choice. If any of Pedro’s enemies threaten him, then we must go to his aide. The Prince cannot allow a bastard to rule Castile, a bastard who is a French and Aragonese puppet.’

‘The Pope could stop this war if he knew the truth of the matter,’ Ashford said.

Blackstone shook his head. ‘William, we are caught in a trap. Pedro is already excommunicated. The Pope instructed him to break all association and alliance with the Muslim Emirate of Granada. He has not. He favours their women as mistresses. He has Moors as his bodyguard. He defies the Christian Church. The Pope would welcome him being removed. Do you see how this man stands for everything the Prince hates?’

Killbere poked the fire. ‘What would the Prince have us do?’