THE ROOT OF BITTERNESS

The royal palace was still reeling from Arthur’s demise and the upheaval that had ensued in the kingdom. This angered King Frederic and especially William as it left him in a very uncomfortable position due to the betrayal of William. Frederic, in addition to mourning the deaths of his family members, was horrified to find out that his own son was behind the act.


Out of sheer rage and the desire to bring back law and order to the kingdom, King Frederic immediately ordered Williams’ banishment. The proclamation was unequivocal: Williams would lose the titles and would be exiled out of the kingdom forever. This severe punishment was not only aimed at reminding Frederic that disobedience will not be tolerated but also as a signal that betrayal will be punished severely.


Nonetheless, the personal suffering of King Frederic did not deter him from continuing to rule his kingdom. He then dedicated himself to administration of the kingdom and warfare with vigor in an effort to steady the nation. During his reign, the kingdom had military successes and this brought state of order and stability within the kingdom.


However, Frederic’s luck run out dramatically when there was a loss in the battle field. The loss was one that was not foreseen and it severely affected the king and the kingdom. The cause of this defeat soon became clear: Williams, while in exile, had carefully planned how to take advantage of the weaknesses of the kingdom. He has supplied the enemy with important strategic information that made them win without being compromised.

The plot, then, which shocked most viewers was the fact that Williams had not even been to the battle. However, he had only assembled his trustworthy agents and companions and used all the tools and plans that he built during five years of exile. When King Frederic was out of the country, Williams was mustering troops and laying plans to overthrow his father. His plots complicated matters and made the kingdom defenceless and hence the bad loss.

This is what surprised King Frederic most when he reached the capital of the kingdom, no signs of destruction were seen in the city or in the palace. This was something that different from what Williams had done; he sought to eliminate Frederic’s authority without maiming. The situation left Francis confused and, at the moment, unclear on what ought to be done.

This placed the king at crossroads on what to do with Williams, this is when Henry advised the king to take drastic action. Henry said that it was necessary to have a new plan following the recent occurrences. He said that Williams although has turned against him maybe could be dealt with and brought back into the fold. Knowing and securing the items were important that might help him to influence the future of the kingdom. Which the suggestion put King Frederic into a state of decision as to whether he should accept his son for reconciliation or not – a decision that might be detrimental to his reign.