The novel opens with eighteen-year-old Simon Foldre out for a ride on the stallion Bel. The skittish and spirited stallion belongs to the horse breeder Swein who has suggested that Simon ride him before buying.
Suddenly they see a man sprinting for his life out of the nearby New Forest. Simon recognizes him as Edric, a hunter but really considered a poacher for the illegal snares he set in the king's forest. Edric is being pursued by Prince Henry, King William II's brother, the royal marshal Roland Montfort carrying a javelin, and the royal huntsman Oin Fitzbigot.
As Edric races towards Simon and his manservant Certig, Bel suddenly runs towards him, blocking his path. Simon attempts to shield Edric, but Roland's javelin flies into the poacher's back, killing him. This act of cruelty stuns Simon who silently wonders, "Could you not have given him a lash or two, and sent him home?"
Prince Henry thanks Simon for helping them to catch the poacher as Oin introduces Simon to the prince. He tells the prince that Simon would "make a good hunting companion to the king's friend Walter Tirel of Picardy." Simon is the only son of Fulcher Foldre, King William I's loyal swordsman who married the beautiful daughter of an English duke. Simon tells Prince Henry that his mother's father was Usher of Aldham, whose English family had lived on the lands for generations. However, Roland insults Simon.
It is 1100 A.D., thirty-five years after William the Conqueror had arrived in England with an army of knights and squires and defeated the English king, Harold I. The English landholders were forcibly removed from their land which was given to the Normans and the English aristocracy were replaced by the French-speaking Normans. The resulting bitterness led to rebellion by the towns in the north which was brutally put down by William the Conqueror. Farmsteads and villages were destroyed by William and his son continued his mastery over the country by giving his family and friends positions of power and allowing his men to take what they wished. The Norman conquerors did not learn English but the English learned to speak the language of their conquerors. Neither the English nor their Norman conquerors trust one another. There have been gradual social and political changes in the ensuing thirty-five years since the Norman conquest. Norman aristocrats and English noble families have intermarried, and some English noblemen have been given minor stewardships.
Prince Henry mentions that since Walter Tirel was wanting to hunt with an English varlet who knows the woods, Simon might take on this task. Simon knows that to serve in this way, to help with the quiver and arrows and know is a wonderful opportunity. But he is also aware that there is tension between Roland and Walter whose forbearers had some sort of contention. Roland further insults Simon by telling the prince that they cannot allow the Count of Poix to be with an "English dog". Prince Henry agrees but allows his command to stand. However, in a show of Norman authority he simply takes the stallion Bel and the expensive tack telling Simon that this will ensure the king's permission that he can hunt with the royal party tomorrow. And so after being pricked by Roland's sword, Simon rode home on the sweet-natured Blackfire with Certig walking beside them. For Simon, this first day of August, the Feast of Peter in Chains was a day of misfortune.
Simon and Certig head back to Aldham Manor, the lime-washed house where he and his widowed mother live. Behind their house which was built many years ago by Simon's grandfather, lies Foldre Castle, built by his father, complete with a drawbridge. On their way home, they meet one of Simon's tenants, Plegmund who has an enormous load of oats on his oxen cart. Gilda Shipman, who along with her brother trade wheels of New Forest cheese across the channel for Low Countries linen, questions Simon as to her brother's mood. He tells her of Edric's murder by Roland Montfort and feels shame that he did not protect Edric.
At home, Simon's mother, Widow Christina as she is called tells him that William drinks, that the eldest brother Robert is in Jerusalem on a crusade and that the younger brother Henry wants to be king. That very evening they are visited by Walter Tirel, Count of Poix, Bertram a guard who appeared to be a knight with his supple leather armour, and a young hearld named Nicolas. When Walter demands a horse like that "gifted" to William, Simon explains that the horse was neither a gift nor a purchase, not even his to give away. Walter quickly realizes that Simon and his mother are not "horse-rich" as the Marshal Roland claimed. Simon explains to Walter that Marshal Roland misled him to shame both Walter and Simon, neither of whom he likes. Walter attempts to give Simon gold to pay for the loss of a rooster and the horse and saddle that were taken, but Simon doesn't take it. Instead he tells Walter that Swein the horsebreeder will be pleased to accept the money and provide Walter with a horse. Walter tells Simon he will enjoy hunting with him.
Meanwhile Marshal Roland is on the hunt for conspirators hoping to take the throne. He and Prince Henry discuss the situation in London, each verbally parrying and testing the other. Roland does not want the king to go hunting as he believes that there is a plot against the king's life. The next morning Simon rides out with Certig, carrying the well wishes of his mother, Christina. They see Gilda and her brother preparing their ship, Saint Bride to be taken out. They arrive at the royal lodge, an imposing building of stone arches, to find the king not yet up. Simon, dressed in a forest-green hunting cloak and riding his placid mare, Silk notes that there are many men. While they wait, they meet Walter Tirel's guard, the knight Bertram de Lis who tells them that the king is still asleep and that Prince Henry has ridden north on an urgent errand. He also tells Simon and Certig about how Walter Tirel murdered Count of Bologne for insulting Walter's brother, Nivard. From Walter they learn that the king may not go on with the hunt, that Prince Henry has been sent to London to investigate the reports of violence there.
After Roland repeatedly insults Walter Tirel, the latter suggests that King William follow through with the hung in New Forest, with his marshal, Roland Montfort as his valet. The hunting party enters New Forest and includes King William and his marshal, Roland Montfort, Walter Tirel and his varlet Simon along with is his guard Bertam, the huntsman Oin fitzBigot, Vexin of Tours. They wait for the appearance of the deer, who will mistake their grazing horses for a herd of deer. At the appearance of a magnificent stag, Walter lets fly a birch arrow. However it flies wide in an arc and Simon traces its path "to the green-shrouded figure groping towards the holly bush"
Simon rushes towards the figure whom he believes is Roland Montfort, only to discover it is King William. Simon knows that not only is Walter Tirel now in grave danger but so is he. The king is first discovered by Marshal Roland but after he sounds the alarm, Simon fells him with a punch. Next on the scene is Vexin of Tours who flees in terror. Simon and Walter return to Certig, Nicolas and Bertram and they ride fast out of New Forest. Realization dawns on Simon that he might be blamed for the king's accidental death and he flees in terror from Walter. But Walter of Tirel manages to catch up to him and tells Simon that he will protect him. As they flee to the coast in the hopes of escaping with the help of Gilda and her brother Oswulf, Simon wonders just how much longer he has to live.
Discussion
The King's Arrow is a well-written historical fiction novel for young readers that is set thirty-five years after the Norman Conquest of England. After the death of the English king, Edward the Confessor in 1066 A.D., William Duke of Normandy invaded the country. Edward who was childless, had named William as his successor.
King William Rufus was William II, King of England from 1087AD to 1100 A.D. He was the third son of King William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. who ruled over Normandy. He was referred to as William Rufus likely because he had red hair. He had three brothers, Robert II Duke of Normandy, Richard, and Henry (who became King of England upon William's death). William never married and left no heirs. He was in conflict with the Catholic church but he had strong loyality from his soldiers as he was a brilliant military leader. He defeated Malcolm III, king of Scotland who invaded the lands ruled by William several times and was able to extend his rule over parts of Scotland.
William died while on a hunting expedition with his brother, Henry in New Forest on August 2, 1100 A.D. after being shot in the lung by an arrow. His death and the circumstances surrounding it have been questioned throughout history. Hunting was a nortoriously dangerous sport and it is possible William's death was accidental. Others consider that it was an assassination by Henry who wanted to rule England. Henry became King Henry I after William's death. The man considered responsible was Walter Tirel, an Anglo-Norman nobelman. Tirel was part of a hunting party that included King William, William's younger brother Henry, Robert de Beaumont, Robert's brother Henry de Beaumont, Robert Fitzhamon, William of Breteuil, Tirel's brother-in-law Gilbert of Clare, and Gilbert's brother Robert of Clare. After William's death, Walter Tirel fled the country to his estates in Normandy. It will never be known what really happened on that day in the New Forest.
Author Michael Cadnum uses these events as the backdrop for his novel, The King's Arrow. The novel is divided into five parts: One: The Javelin's Song, Two: Kingdom of Fire, Three: Blood Royal, Four: The King's Arrow, and Five: Chase End. The story is told from the perspective of the fictional character, eighteen-year-old Simon Foldre, who is of English and Norman descent. Simon is caught up in the political intrigue surrounding King William II, his brother Prince Henry, and William's Marshal, Roland Montfort. The death of William II is presented as an hunting accident, but which was possibly intended that day by another hand. In the novel, after the pursuit by Roland Montfort and his murder by Climenze, Nicolas tells Walter and Simon that he believes "the lord prince... plotted his brother's death" which shocks Walter Tirel. However Nicolas tells Walter, "...'I believe you accidentally killed a king who was going to die today by another hand." The novel ends on a happy note with Walter safely in Normandy, and Simon enjoying a peaceful life and prospect of marriage to Walter's beautiful sister, Alena.
The author offers a realistic portrayal of Norman England, a conquered country, its people struggling under the rule of the French Normans who look down on them as "dogs". A good portion of the novel is devoted to portraying life under Norman rule in tenth century England. For example, the New Forest was "...natural wild land" that had been claimed by William the Conqueror who had taken the land from the "traditional inhabitants" - that is the English, and used for "royal sport". When Simon tells Prince Henry that his maternal grandfather, Usher of Aldham's ancestors have been on the land since "Noah's flood", Roland refers to them as "leeches" and refers to Simon as "one of our two-legged English dogs..." To Simon, the marsha's sergeant, Gertain and his men are "imperious" and greedy, often taking whatever they want from the English. This is demonstrated by Prince Henry who simply steals the stallion Bel from Simon, not offering anything for it and casually remarking that Simon can walk home.King William later tells Simon "Think of the horse as a tax.' Simon smiled grimly. Life was a hazard course of fees, taxes, duties, to be paid by service, silver, or livestock."
The development of the setting for the novel is crucial for the events that follow. Once the hunt happens, and King William is killed, the pacing of the novel moves swiftly along, with the flight out of New Forest and Simon and Walter's attempt to escape England aboard the Saint Bride. The story offers a somewhat happy conclusion with Walter safely away from England, Simon settling into life in Normandy, his mother safe, and Prince Henry now crowned King of England.
The King's Arrow offers a realistic portrayal of life in early Norman England. It is suitable for older teens as there is some crass dialogue, implied sexual content and several violent murders.
Book Details:
The King's Arrow by Michael Cadnum
New York: Viking 2008
208pp.
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