Parliament at York, 1314

[Dirty Chai]

After catching the king off guard at Berwick, the Earls of Lancaster and Warwick forced the king and his remaining household - including his queen - to accompany them to York for parliament, rather than let him go free and by ship. Once at York, arriving late July, Edward did manage to slip away for a few days to the village of Oulston, 17 miles away, "on account of some important and special business", and empowered men to open parliament without his presence, but within a couple of days he was forced by necessity to return to York and face his barons.

The parliament meets in the keep of the castle this day, where the bottom floor has been cleared out so that the hundreds of barons can crowd around and congregate, while the king sits on a curule chair in one of the alcoves formed by the roundels of the tower. A similar chair is at his side for his wife, the queen Isabel, to sit at his side. Still deprived of all his favorite finery and preferred ornaments, Edward sits without a crown (though this is common outside of parliament and other ceremony, for they are uncomfortable) and without much in the way of adornment; he wears a herigaut coat with the sleeves tucked at the top and a cotehardie of brocade underneath it. Late in summer, these extra layers were once again permissible by the sun. Two rings sit his hands, roughly simple in make - one carries a sprig of broom, the planta genesta of Geoffrey of Anjou - and the other carries no insignia, shamefully standing in for his lost wedding ring which once matched his queen's.

Edward takes his seat, hesitantly and reluctantly, and this signals the beginning of parliament.

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(Prestige will be much less important here - or at least, Lancaster and Warwick's prestige will much more weighted - due to the presence of the threat of military force etc)

King's prestige: wip..

[Trot]

Warenne steps into the parliament a small grimace on his face as he takes his place among the assembled lords. With Lancaster men surrounding the keep it was clear who would be making most of the decisions today.

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[Gandalfus]

Lancaster's men were both in and out of the city itself; most were encamped just beyond the walls, but a few handfuls were allowed in every once in a while to indulge in the pleasures of the city. The Earl himself was of course present in the Parliament at York Castle, his clean shaven face, slender frame, and imposing height causing him to be easily recognised amongst the throng of nobles. Around his hip he wore a long dagger - nay, a short sword - which he idly grasped the hilt of. Stood at the forefront of those gathered, Thomas had taken pains to ensure that it was not possible for the King to ignore his presence.

[General Brewster]

John Charleton, Lord Powys walked into the chamber where parliament would be held. Being one of the first to arrived he made sure he'd take a spot close to the people that mattered. at 46 years of age he had attended parliament more than one and knew what to expect. However the crushing defeat at the hands of the Scot's and rumors about Lancaster and Warwick forcing this parliament on the King did make one wonder what to expect.

[Lord William]

Maurice de Berkeley arrives at York in the company of the King, he'd like to think that he was his bodyguard though the King did have his own personal guards. Maurice took a seat near the King and waited for the proceedings to begin. Though he held no grudge or ill will toward Thomas Lancaster and his band, Maurice's loyalty was with the King and would ensure his reign remained intact and absolute.

[General Brewster]

Maurice de Berkeley arrives at York in the company of the King, he'd like to think that he was his bodyguard though the King did have his own personal guards. Maurice took a seat near the King and waited for the proceedings to begin. Though he held no grudge or ill will toward Thomas Lancaster and his band, Maurice's loyalty was with the King and would ensure his reign remained intact and absolute.

John frowned when he saw Maurice de Berkeley enter parliament and take seating as if it was the norm... Surely the son of a nobleman who is nicknamed 'The Wise' should know parliament is only for peers. John couldn't let this go and chose to rise from his seat.

John was an imposing man, tall and broad. His face looked old, no doubt the result of being a Marcher Lord. He spoke with a clear and deep voice which echoed trough the hall. "My good King and peers in attendance. I have but one small thing to say before thee all." John cleared his throat and turned to look at Maurice de Berkeley. "This man, Maurice de Berkeley is not a member of peerage and thus should not be allowed to attend to parliament. I call for his immediate removal!"

[Jokern]

John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond, entered the castle and took his place among the other lords. His appearance was a bit cleaner than at Berwick, with a decent robe for once. The ride south had been decent enough, though the presence of Lancaster and his followers had not made it any easier. A few of the common foot soldiers had hurled insults and laughed when their sergeants were not looking. John dreaded the outcome of this parliament, fearing the worst from his cousin Thomas. Richmond would have to be strong.

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Roger Mortimer, having finally reached York where parliament were to be held, entered the hall. He was dirty and exhausted from the ride south, yet it seemed he had made it. He stepped forth to the dais where King Edward sat, kneeling before his liege. Roger brought forth his satchel and presented it.

"My King, God's blessings upon you. I, Baron Mortimer, return from captivity with a gift from Robert de Bruce."

[Lucius Malfoy]

Among Lancaster and Warwick's supporters was the Baron de Percy of Alnwick, Henry, who had decided to side with Lancaster over the King, given their recent turbulent history. He had been among the nobles who refused the summons that resulted in the disastrous defeat at Bannockburn. Henry suspected that, if he had gone himself, much of his men and perhaps himself would have died in Scotland. His own son would have to bury him as a wooden effigy and without a corpse to give his heir closure. He coughs slightly, feeling a tightening in his chest before it dissipated. This was going to be an interesting Parliament.

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On the King's side stood Baron d'Ufford, one of the countless loyalists who had followed the King to Scotland. His mind was still occupied with the death of his brother and the fatherless state of his nephew, Edmund, who would soon hear of this news. Robert watches as Lancaster, Warwick and their own supporters entered the Parliament. This is going to be rough... thought the baron as he turns to the King, wondering how things would go from here.

[Alexandrine]

Ralph Neville entered the hall of the keep in which parlement was seated today. It was rare Ralph Neville was involved in these kinds of things; since a few years he decided to travel less and pay more time at home. He was over 50 and felt a bit older then that - he also looked like a bit older. His son however was a energetic man who liked court life and all these things. Ralph had thus decided that he would represent their family at the capital city. But now - after this grave defeat, Ralph was worried. And more peers felt like that, he knew. Especially in the North, which are now at the mercy of the Scots. That is why Ralph decided to go to parlement himself - of course York was no so far from Raby, which made the journey less bothersome.

[Xion]

The Earl of Pembroke walks into the assembling parliament with a neutral expression on his face, knowing this will likely include at least one argument between the partisans of the King and those of Lancaster over Bannockburn, among other issues. Pembroke takes a seat close to the king.

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The Baron of Okehampton and Plympton arrives and takes a seat among the nobility, waiting for parliament to begin.

[Mary The Quene]

The Queen walks into the hall of the keep where parliament is held today. The Queen wore yet another elaborate piece of dress, worth the annuity of many lordships, with jewelry being particularly standing out. Her household was waiting outside this room, for a queen does not travel without a large court of her own. After some delay she took the seat next to her husband, her eye's gazing down to Lancaster from her dais.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Warwick and Beaumont were present, though obviously on different sides of the chamber.

[Dirty Chai]

John of Brittany, Earl of Richmond, entered the castle and took his place among the other lords. His appearance was a bit cleaner than at Berwick, with a decent robe for once. The ride south had been decent enough, though the presence of Lancaster and his followers had not made it any easier. A few of the common foot soldiers had hurled insults and laughed when their sergeants were not looking. John dreaded the outcome of this parliament, fearing the worst from his cousin Thomas. Richmond would have to be strong.

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Roger Mortimer, having finally reached York where parliament were to be held, entered the hall. He was dirty and exhausted from the ride south, yet it seemed he had made it. He stepped forth to the dais where King Edward sat, kneeling before his liege. Roger brought forth his satchel and presented it.

"My King, God's blessings upon you. I, Baron Mortimer, return from captivity with a gift from Robert de Bruce."

Edward leaned over in the chair, resting his palms on his thighs as he eyed the kneeling baron from Wigmore - one of the lords and knights of his own generation who were knighted with him at the Feast of the Swans a year before his father died, and whom often accompanied him and his household about. Mortimer had even been in Edward's coronation. Here he was now, though, dirtied and unkempt but alive and free. He'd not even stopped to bathe himself?

He leaned further and took the satchel, feeling unexpected weight in it. Unfolding it in his lap, the king's seal was revealed - returned and undamaged.

The king's head raised back up with a struck expression. "He freed thee Mortimer to return this?"

John frowned when he saw Maurice de Berkeley enter parliament and take seating as if it was the norm... Surely the son of a nobleman who is nicknamed 'The Wise' should know parliament is only for peers. John couldn't let this go and chose to rise from his seat.

John was an imposing man, tall and broad. His face looked old, no doubt the result of being a Marcher Lord. He spoke with a clear and deep voice which echoed trough the hall. "My good King and peers in attendance. I have but one small thing to say before thee all." John cleared his throat and turned to look at Maurice de Berkeley. "This man, Maurice de Berkeley is not a member of peerage and thus should not be allowed to attend to parliament. I call for his immediate removal!"

Edward frowned from his chair, turning his gaze to the Lord Powys. As there were hundreds of barons, the king had a scribe of sorts at his side to help him remember them all, but there was no need with this one. The Charletons were country gentlefolk from Shropshire, but John was a page and then a squire for Edward's father for decades. When Edward became king in 1307, he had the marcher from Wellington raised to a knight, and five years ago Edward sanctioned and pressured the Welsh heiress of Powys into marrying him. Somewhere along the way, he'd been styled a baron, and at parliaments thereafter he had barony-by-writ.

"Seigneur de Powis," he spoke with as loud a voice he could without yelling, "sir Maurice is a knight, and I am the king. Surely I can empower a man of noble birth to attend parliament, no?"

Edward found no issue with Charleton personally - he was a man loyal and well-rewarded - but the marchers were a troublesome lot as a whole. With no Welsh prince to quarrel with, Edward suspected, they were now looking elsewhere for their struggling. One had gotten so enormous in largesse that his father had felt compelled to marry Edward's favorite and closest sister - the one he actually knew and remembered - away to one of them. In the years since, she'd changed, and now he no longer shared much in common with her and their interaction became stilted and strained. He resented the de Bohuns for that. Where was sympathetic Elizabeth? Gone. The marchers were not to be trusted - they steal and manipulate and slander. Even le Despenser and d'Amory were unscrupulous - at least they were his men. Luckily, at least, Charleton was another of those - or at least, Edward thought so. And Edward used to assume much - now, however, he looked at even those he previously considered allies with some suspicion, for they seemed to so easily turn on you.

[Jokern]

Edward leaned over in the chair, resting his palms on his thighs as he eyed the kneeling baron from Wigmore - one of the lords and knights of his own generation who were knighted with him at the Feast of the Swans a year before his father died, and whom often accompanied him and his household about. Mortimer had even been in Edward's coronation. Here he was now, though, dirtied and unkempt but alive and free. He'd not even stopped to bathe himself?

He leaned further and took the satchel, feeling unexpected weight in it. Unfolding it in his lap, the king's seal was revealed - returned and undamaged.

The king's head raised back up with a struck expression. "He freed thee Mortimer to return this?"

Mortimer looked up at King Edward, his chest swelling with pride of his feat.

"He did, my King, and I was also instructed to deliver a message from him. He sends his regards and condolences for the death of Lord Gilbert de Clare, whom he stood vigil over. This is a sign of good will, for de Bruce wishes to make peace."

[Gandalfus]

"We should concern ourselves with more relevant matters, my lords."

Chimed Lancaster, loudly cutting through the argument about whether Baron Berkeley's son had any right to be there or not. Parliaments usually began with such trivialities, but after the debacle with the King at Berwick he was impatient to begin. The Earl folded his arms across his chest.

"Like the enforcement of the Ordinances that have since been ignored, and thus England has been led into disaster."

[Lord William]

"We should concern ourselves with more relevant matters, my lords."

Chimed Lancaster, loudly cutting through the argument about whether Baron Berkeley's son had any right to be there or not. Parliaments usually began with such trivialities, but after the debacle with the King at Berwick he was impatient to begin. The Earl folded his arms across his chest.

"Like the enforcement of the Ordinances that have since been ignored, and thus England has been led into disaster."

My Lord Lancaster, you've mentioned that England has been led to this disaster and now I ask you by whom?

Maurice knew who was responsible for the recent defeat, but he wished to clearify Lancaster views since it seems as if he blames the King.

[Pontifex Maximus]

Warwick, overcome with a sudden and irrepressible rage, draws his sword and lunges towards Berkeley. It was time to end the man's life and claim his lands as his own.

[General Brewster]

Feeling betrayed by his king for not respecting the rules of the land. Charleton overcame with rage, at the same time Warwick bursted towards Maurice, Charleton drew his sword and charged at the king. Hoping to burry it deep into his thick skull.