A Spider's Web
by Isobel McDuff and Lady Isabella
Scotland: a land of clans, of lochs, of divisions and of fierce pride. And for Edward Longshanks, first by that name and King of England, Scotland was a gigantic problem. Despite his puppet, John Balliol, as Scotia’s anointed ruler the peace was uneasy and revolts were becoming widespread. And from this tumultuous background two Scots came to the foreground: one destined to be King and the other to die as a hero of Scottish independence.
One of these men was the son of Robert Bruce of Annandale whose own father was a contender for the Scottish throne so many years ago. With the death of the Little Maid of Norway Scotland was once again without a ruler and the Scottish nobles made perhaps their biggest mistake – they allowed Longshanks to decide their new king and with it Scotland’s future. It is then no surprise that Longshanks chose Balliol, the Toom Tabard, as King leaving the Bruce family out of Royal spoils. But the great Bruce family was resilient and quickly found themselves important and much more wealthy in Edwards’s court. Through such a newfound fortune they drew resentment and the Scottish people knew that they could not look to the Bruce family nor its young Earl of Carrick for help. Instead they turned to a commoner, a man willing to fight for them, and their country.
This man was William Wallace who after being outlawed due to several incidents with a local Sheriff and the death of his beloved, Marion, raised Scotland’s banner in a cry of freedom – a cry to which hundreds of Scots flocked to. While Wallace fought the English, Robert Bruce entertained the English King, and while doing so changed sides several times. Was he an opportunistic leader who cared nothing about his fellow countrymen or just more realistic than Wallace had been? With the death of Wallace at the hands of the English Scotland was left with no leader and its once fierce rebellion was threatening to collapse. It is during this crucial time that Robert Bruce made his final stand – this time for the Scots, and carried Wallace’s cry for freedom that eventually led him to Scotland’s throne.
A Spider’s Web is the story of a land conquered, yet fiercely independent, and it’s larger neighbour to the South intent on squelching all resistance as told by our humble writers.
