Brother Cadfael’s Penance (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael Number 20), Ellis Peter. Open Road Media (ASIN: B00LUZNZB0) 2014 (first published in 1994).

Summary; Olivier, Cadfael’s son from his crusading days, is held hostage without ransom. Cadfael forsakes his vows to save him.

Frustrated by the stalemated civil war and Maud’s imperious and inadequate leadership, Philip FitzRobert switches sides to King Stephen. Philip is son of Robert of Gloucester, half-brother of Maud, and her most staunch supporter, so this hurts. Philip’s castellan also surrenders Faringdon. But not all of his men, among whom is Olivier of Bretagne, abandon their loyalty to Maud. They are held hostage for ransom. With an attempt at peace talks, a list is published. Olivier’s name is missing and his whereabouts unknown.

Olivier, if you remember, is Cadfael’s son from his crusading days. When he left Maria, the woman he loved to return home, he did not know she was with child. He only learned of this after his vows, when he and Olivier crossed paths. In passing, Olivier mentioned his mother’s name and the circumstances of his birth. However, to not interfere with Olivier’s life, Cadfael kept this knowledge secret, except to his confessor.

The bishops, tired of war and wanting to recruit for another crusade, bring Stephen and Maud together for a peace conference, offering safe conduct for all, including Philip and the castellan, Brien de Soulis. Hugh Beringar is among those attending. Cadfael secures permission from Radulfus to go to the conference to seek information about Olivier. But he must return with Hugh. Anything further is a breaking of his monastic vows.

When they arrive, Cadfael recognizes Yves Hugonin, Olivier’s brother-in-law, who Cadfael had rescued as a child. Yves is also seeking news of Olivier. But in his impulsiveness, he attacks de Soulis, accusing him of treachery. Order is restored, and in an audience with Empress Maud, he is both disciplined and given hints that she would not be displeased were de Soulis to be killed.

The peace talks fail. And Cadfael fails to get an answer to the whereabouts of Olivier. But before the proceedings end, at the end of Compline, Yves, one of the first to exit, trips over something and cries out. It’s a body. Brien de Soulis is dead, stabbed in the heart. And because of the earlier incident, Yves is the prime suspect. But Empress Maud invokes the safe conduct, and he leaves with her troops. But before they reach their destination, he is seized, most likely by Philip’s men.

Cadfael learns of this. He and Hugh also look at the body. They find de Soulis was killed with a dagger thrust, face to face with someone he had no reason to suspect. It couldn’t be Yves, an open enemy. They also find a strange seal among de Soulis’ possessions. Cadfael makes a fateful decision to break his vows and part from Hugh. He believes Philip is holding Yves, and Olivier.

On his way to Philip’s castle, La Musarderie, Cadfael finds one more clue confirming Yves innocence. He learns the seal belonged to one of deSoulis’ captains. Supposedly, he set his seal to the surrender of Faringdon before going on an errand. He was found dead, supposedly thrown by a horse. Everything points to de Soulis as his murderer, because he wouldn’t agree to the surrender. Someone else had a motive to kill de Soulis.

When Cadfael arrives at La Musarderie, he sees Philip, presenting the evidence that secures Yves release. He also learns that Philip is holding Olivier. Philip offers no explanation. He names no ransom. Though moved, he even rejects Cadfael’s offer of himself in place of his son.

Yves returns to Maud. Hoping to secure Olivier’s release, he reveals that Philip himself is at La Musarderie. Robert of Gloucester, Philip’s father, is away. Maud uses the opportunity for revenge. Not only will she besiege and conquer La Musarderie. She will take and hang Philip. Even Yves knew this would be disastrous. It would mark an escalation of the war. He gets word to Cadfael at La Musarderie.

Will they find a way to avert this grievous mistake? And will Cadfael somehow succeed in rescuing Olivier? And even if they manage to escape the sack of the castle, what will become of the apostate Cadfael? Will he have saved his son only to lose his vocation and his soul? And should Olivier learn that Cadfael is his father, how will he respond to this knowledge? When Cadfael parted from Hugh, in disobedience to his abbot, he risked all that was sacred. But would he succeed or would he lose all?

In John 15:13, Jesus says, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Cadfael embodies these words in the last of the Cadfael stories. We wait with bated breath in wonder that, even with faint hope, Cadfael risks all.