In the year 1066 while Guillaume le Batard de Normandie was wresting the English crown from Harold Godwinson, Guy was beginning his second year as Comte de Macon at the tender age of 11. The 20 years that followed would be a period that saw him often referred to as “The Silent count.” A period that would essentially start and end with the death of a wife.

At eleven the sudden rise to power could be expected to either cow or inflate the boy, but with his Mother’s quiet hand on his shoulder as de facto regent Guy remained steady and completed his education without fuss. While his tutors stated he was of reasonable ability, they spoke warmly of the energy he brought to everything he attempted. While there were other boys more brilliant, there were few who used every ounce of their ability.

Returning to court full time Guy took over the reigns of the county and began to investigate his demesne, finding amounts of frustration everywhere. The technical capability of his subjects were poor, the manpower he could muster to arms was small and poorly led and the infrastructure in place made travel difficult, forcing trade and other opportunities to route through neighbouring counties.

Everywhere smacked of a county that had been treading water, waiting for a leader to reappear.

As Guy began to assert control so his mother glided into the background to give him room, her last action being an introduction for Guy to Jehanne de Geneve, daughter of Gerold Comte de Geneve.

Taking place in the halls of Guy’s liege, the Duke of Burgundy, the marriage of Guy and Jehanne was really the first announcement of Guy’s presence to the greater realm of French lords. Soon after the pair would announce they were expecting a child.

However, the end of 1071 would bring bad news.

As the date for delivery of Guy and Jehanne’s first child drew near Jehanne was taken abed and sickened considerably, her health slipping away by the day. She was taken early to the birthing room and the attendants spent that day and the one following walking the Chateau de Macon opening cupboards and drawers and untying knots where they were found to help things along.

Sadly this seemed not to help and when Guy saw Jehanne’s midwife next she was graven faced. His wife had passed away, taking their baby, a daughter, with her.

Following this news Guy sought solitude, certainly falling into grief but his greatest problem was his feeling of the arbitrary nature of life. Regardless of standing, choice or circumstance it seemed life could be snuffed out with no rhyme or reason as Guy had seen with both his Father and Bride in the space of six years.

With no heir in place and worried by Guy’s slide into depression his Mother Beatrice reintroduced herself into his life until she saw Guy return to hunting and other sport at which point she began bringing new ladies to the court not realising that Guy had already met his new wife, in the shape of an Italian woman in the court in Burgundy by the name of Paola.

Seven years older than Guy, Paola had no standing and two sons already in tow. Guy’s mother was initially against the union, but Guy and Paola had already spent a year consoling each other as Paola had lost her husband around the time of Jehanne’s death and this tragic connection became the touchstone for their relationship.

Over the next five years Guy would work hard to modernise the County, adding a timber yard and library and some basic roads, improving the equipment available to the army where possible and attempting to improve their training too. Although Guy felt that the army was still held back by his Marshall and Uncle Robert de Macon and trusted them to do little more than stand in line under Robert’s leadership.

During this time Guy and Paola were blessed with two sons, Henri and Bertrand and a Daughter, Francesca and the Husband and Wife were rarely separated.

In 1084 Paola’s first son with her first husband, Urbano de Mora, was raised to the position of Steward of Finances for the County of Macon, Simon de Macon was installed in place of his Father Robert as Marshall of the Army and Simon’s wife, Carola d’Appiano was installed as the County’s emissary and Chancellor.

Finally Guy felt he had people in positions of power that he could mostly trust to improve the county… and then he returned home from hunting to find Paola in flagrante delicto with the Bertrand, Count of la Marche.

This was the point where Guy’s time as a silent member of French nobility ended. In a rage he had Paola dragged into town, stripped, beheaded and buried in an unmarked grave, then sent word to la Marche of his intent to claim the title there and see the 17 year old Bertrand ousted. At the same time emissaries were en route to Burgundy where they informed the Duke that Macon would no longer offer fealty.

Guy set off for the French court and offered allegiance to the King of France directly, no longer to report to the King through another. While there King Matthieu took a liking to Guy’s sister Constance, (something to do with her “energetic” and “lusty” personality), who was something of a black sheep in the Macon family as she had been born considerably after the death of Guy’s father.

Suddenly Constance moved from something of an outcast to Queen of France and the de Macons had gone from vassals of a local Duke to a family with the King’s ear.

On return to Macon, Guy told his Marshall Simon to raise whatever they had that passed as an army and make plans and provisions enough to take the forces to Spain, where Guy would lead them himself.

It was time for The Silent Count to make some noise.