This is silliness. There exists ample historical evidence placing mercenary companies—even ones led by high nobility—well within the span of time being given. There's even a name for these things: Routiers (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Routiers). Some other examples pulled out of my head on the spot. Condottieri were active before 1300, as early as 1212. William the Conqueror made liberal use of Flemish mercenaries. William of Ypres, Earl of Kent, organized and led an entire cohort of them for King Stephen of England from 1139 to 1154. The Byzantine Empire institutionalized the Varangian Guard, which for quite some time was commanded by the future king of Norway, Harald III.
