The Last Supper
Unfortunately, the war do not worked very well for the young Duke who lacked military experience and enough means to counter his mighty foe. In August 1202, John’s right hand, Hubert de Burgh, surprise and capture Arthur at Mirabeau
[1], while besieged Eleanor. He brought the captive in Normandy at Château de Falaise where John waited. Arthur was seen by many the rightful heir of Richard and in England start to spread the words that the legendary King Arthur will come back and save the people from tyranny and usurpation. John, who gained another title as “the Usurper” will not repeat his past error to let Arthur escaping again. John ordered two of his servants to castrate Arthur but Hubert de Burgh intervened and the order was annulled. He was sent to Rouen and the John’s left hand, William de Braose, was personally charged with his guardianship.
In late 1203 John spent a fortune on an attempt to relieve the Chateau Gaillard besieged by Philip, but the bad leadership and the logistical difficulties to conduct a both naval and landing action, ensured the complete failure. Frustrated, he attached Brittany, pillaging the undefended Duchy, in hope to distract the French. All in vain, as in the spring of 1204, Chateau Gaillard felt, being stormed by the French after climbed up a garderobe (toilet chute) during the night and entering in the chapel above. The artisan of the storming actions was a Welsh mercenary captain named Cadoc who lead a company of routuriers. Long time ago, Cadoc had change the loyalty from Richard to Philip and he was lavishly paid and employed for special tasks.
While the French stormed the Chateau Gaillard, in Rouen John prepared for the Easter. He was never very religious or pious but tried to keep the appearances. He hardly succeeded and many of his contemporaries blame him to be “without God” or “without faith”. It was the last Thursday before Ester, the evening of the Last Supper and John drink a lot. Then he had the idea to humiliate his “guest” so ordered to William de Braose to bring Arthur to him. Hubert de Burgh was also present in the room as he had just arrived from Poitou for asking reinforcements in as a French invasion was more than likely.
“Oh, my dear nephew, come and drink with me and eat. After all, you are my guest!” sarcastically said John pushing a lamb bone tree quarters gnawed to the young duke who goggle at him. Arthur do not answered.
“You don’t like the finest Bordeaux wine the money can buy? Or they gives you in the gaol to much wine and food?” Arthur looks down disgusted to the drunken king. “I said drink and eat, you bastard!” said John throwing a coup of wine in the Arthur’s face.
“I am not a bastard, you maybe.... And I do not eat and drink with usurpers”, gritted Arthur.
“Oh no, shouted John. You are a bastard. Your father was a coward pederast like you! You think that yours mighty ally will help you? Ha! You will rot in my cages and you will never see the sunlight. I had strip your lands, burned your Brittany and, when I will catch your sister, I will give her to my mercenaries for entertain their mood. And you will watch that. This will be the last thing you will ever see as I will blind you with fire”.
“Now I see why people calls you
Jean sans Terre”, said Arthur with rage. “They should also calls you “
Jean mal-aimée” as nobody had loved you. Even your mother had no love for you and your father, the only one who ever loved you, died from broken heart when he heard that you had betray him.”
The tension in the room could be cut with a knife.
“You do not have faith or reason”, continued the young duke. “You shall be called
Jean sans Dieu, or
Jean sans Raison. In fact, what do you have as virtues? Nothing! You are
Jean sans Virtues,
Jean sans Rien. Oh, I found one even better –
Jean le Pauvre it’s your glorious title!”
[2]
For the king John, already drunk and in rage, that was too much. All his life he tried to get rid of the nickname his father has given to him (sans Terre) and to gather lands and riches. Now, Arthur dare not just to confront him but also to humiliate him in front of his guards and to call him poor and without nothing? Overwrought, John approached to his nephew and put a hand on his throat, starting to strangle him.
Unexpectedly, Arthur draw the dagger from John’s belt and tried to stab him in the chest. But he had a nasty surprise, as John catch his hand and, turning Arthur’s arm, he stabbed the young duke who died in his arms.
Astonished about what happened, John throw a dump glance to the even more astonished and shocked William de Braose and Hubert de Burgh.
“I’m cursed, I’m cursed…” start John to babble, while the blood spread to the floor. After a while, the king come to his senses and ordered that the body to be disposed and nobody will never speak about this ever again.
The entire event was recorded later in the annals of Margam Abbey:
"After King John had captured Arthur and kept him alive in prison for some time, at length, in the castle of Rouen, after dinner on the Thursday before Easter, when he was drunk and possessed by the devil ['ebrius et daemonio plenus'], he slew him with his own hand, and tying a heavy stone to the body cast it into the Seine. It was discovered by a fisherman in his net, and being dragged to the bank and recognized, was taken for secret burial, in fear of the tyrant, to the priory of Bec called Notre Dame de Pres."
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Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_I,_Duke_of_Brittany
[1] OTL, John captured both Arthur and his sister Eleanor but ITTL, Eleanor was in Paris.
[2] Both had spoken French as first language. So, all the nicknames are addressed in French, as well as using Jean instead of John: sans Terre = Lackland; mal-aimee = unloved; sans Raison = without reason; sans Dieu = Godless; sans Rien = without nothing ; le Pauvre = the Poor