William the Bastard: 1038 to 1047

Pursuing Norman knights

You have opted to stay for the nonce. By the expediency of night flights at speed on horseback, and hiding in abbeys, or with trusted friends for brief spells, you manage to stay ahead of your murderous kinsmen.

Your household servants and guardians wonder aloud several times, if you ought to throw yourself on the mercy of king Henry of France: he is your natural lord, but you are proud of your ancestors' hard-fought battles to win their independence from the French king. So you hold out for something better than "throwing in the towel" and running to king Henry for help.

Your scrabbling existence continues frantically for a couple of years.

Then king Harold in England dies and Harthacnut is crowned. He likes his half-brother, Edward the atheling, your cousin, who has been living in exile at the Norman court (and since the death of the archbishop, in increasing penury): Harthacnut invites Edward over to live at the English court.

Your choices are still limited:
Try to identify your assassins. If you strike swiftly, you may be able to kill them before they kill you.
Flee to England to take up residence with cousin Edward, who is fond of you, and is rumored to be the next king of England, if the hedonistic Harthacnut dies without issue.
Throw yourself on the mercy of king Henry of France. He is your nominal suzerain, even though the kings of France have not had any realistic control over Normandy for over a generation.