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But things were about to get still worse. News reached Matilda that Bishop Henry had swapped sides once again and declared his support of his brother Stephen. Matilda pursued the Bishop to Winchester but was caught in an ambush. She was smuggled to safety but her greatest supporter, Robert of Gloucester, was captured in battle. Without him, she knew she could never hope to win so she bought his freedom but the price was high, she had to release her most valuable prisoner by far, her rival Stephen. Still she fought on and in September 1142, Matilda was besieged by Stephen's forces in the burned and blackened city of Oxford. For three months she held out but just before Christmas she decided to risk everything in one last effort to escape. |
