Title: The Provocative Gift
Fandom: Henry V
Rating: PG
Length: 432
Summary: The Dauphin of France has sent King Henry V of England a gift of tennis balls
A/N: A few months ago I saw a performance of Henry V by Antic Disposition in Gloucester Cathedral.  Set in France in 1915, it took as its premise English and French soldiers in a military field hospital, who perform the play as an aid to recuperation. The first half of this is written purely as relates to Shakespeare’s play, the second is based on the specific production.


Henry paced in his chamber.  He was still angry from the Dauphin’s slight, but he was now also realising exactly what he’d committed himself to.  Yes, he believed he had a right to the French throne, and had been thinking about how he should best proceed with the claim.  But this ‘gift’, he almost spat as he mentally said the word, of tennis balls, had precipitated the action.  He could not afford to ignore it.  His claim to the English throne, as the son of a usurper, was not so strong others would not take heart from the Dauphin’s actions if he failed to act.

He had been truthful when he had warned the Archbishop of Canterbury to think carefully before making his pronouncement, knowing “how many now in health shall drop their blood” should the Archbishop confirm Henry’s right.  He was aware of it before, but now, now that shedding of blood had become unavoidable.  It was no longer a case of whether, but of how much.

And so he had sent word to the Dauphin warning him how many would curse him for his action when they lost sons, husbands and fathers.  For if English blood were to be shed, Henry would ensure more French blood would be lost.  No-one would ever under-estimate King Henry again.

***

In the absence of any tennis balls, they had used bandages as the gift the Dauphin sent.  There were less now than when they’d started rehearsals.  Men were still coming into the hospital with new wounds, and there were old wounds which needed re-bandaging.  Ironically, the nursing staff would have been delighted to have received a gift of bandages, even had they been sent by the Kaiser himself.

Many of the English, like Stewart, Murfitt and Riley, had signed up in a wave of patriotism, travelling out with friends become comrades in arms, bold and brave, full of health and vigour, ready to fight for their King.  But they had dropped their blood, and limped away, leaving their comrades dead on the field.  The French, like Bernard and Hesper, no longer foes, but allies, were there to fight for country and family against the invaders.  And once more mothers, wives and children cursed those who had begun the conflict.

And if their English and French blood was shed, then more German blood must be lost.  For no-one must doubt the right of those in command.  And more bandages would be needed, and more lives would be sacrificed, and so it would continue as the fields of northern France yet again absorbed the dead.