Sworn Loyalty - A Medieval Romance, page 20
Lord Paul reached over to give a fond tweak to Ralf’s cheek. “Ah, but where Cecily dashes head-strong into danger, Ralf is always there to see her through to the other side,” he pointed out. “They adore each other. As long as they are together, they will be fine.”
Michael nodded in agreement. “The lad has quick reflexes,” he praised. “He will make a fine swordsman.” At Mary’s amused look he quickly added, “And Cecily too, of course.”
Mary gave a proud pat to her daughter’s head, causing the lass to squirm. The girl’s eyes were fixed determinedly on the tart that lay before them on the table.
Ygraine finished cutting the first square of tart, and, before Mary could take the plate, the cook had placed it proudly in front of Ralf.
Mary could have predicted what would happen next with her eyes closed.
Cecily, outraged that Ralf had something she did not, lunged a pudgy fist toward the fragrant dessert. Ralf, quick as an owl pouncing on prey, had her wrist pinioned to the table, keeping his treasure for himself. The two pulled and grunted, each determined not to give one inch.
Erik moved to stand behind Mary, fondly running a hand along her neck. “They are a treasure,” he murmured.
Mary chuckled. “And feisty, too.”
Erik lowered his head to tenderly kiss her cheek. “I always did value a bit of feistiness,” he teased.
Cecily had managed to move her hand forward and cradle half of the tart, but Ralf’s determined grasp meant she could not move any further. Then the lad’s eyes lit up. With his free hand, he cupped the other half of the apple dessert. Carefully, attentively, both twins lifted the tart up off the table, and brought their heads in. Their noses touched as they nibbled at the sides of their birthday treat, contented sighs emerging from the depths of their small bodies.
Erik ran a hand fondly through Mary’s hair, drawing her against him. “I pity the man or woman who tries to come between those two,” he murmured. “I see a lifetime of adventures in their future.”
Lord Paul stood and moved over to the fireplace. A large sheet of fabric hung above the mantle, with a long, green ribbon attached to it. “Are we ready?”
Mary looked up at Erik with curiosity. He had taken full control of the painting project, and she promised not to look until he was done with it. She was eager to see the results. Would it just be his first born son featured in the image? Or would he have included the younger sister as well?
Erik wrapped his arm tighter around her waist, and then gave a nod to Lord Paul.
The ribbon was freed, the fabric fluttered to the ground, and Mary stared at the image in open-mouthed surprise.
All four of them stood represented in the painting, standing on the front steps of the keep. Erik’s blond hair shone in the sun, the leather of his tunic fitting him like a second skin. In his arms he cradled Cecily. Her small hand was wrapped around his wrist, and she looked up at her father in absolute adoration. Her other hand held a small tambourine.
At Erik’s side stood Mary, her embroidered green dress elegant in the morning light. She held Ralf in her arms. Ralf was looking across at his sister, gazing at her with protective attention. A small wooden sword hung at his hip.
A forest-green banner fluttered from the keep above them, bearing the house standard. But, as Mary looked more closely, she realized it was not the standard she had known for over ten years. There were the crossed swords, yes, but integrated with them was a shimmering tambourine bearing a celtic knotwork design. The effect was stunning.
Her eyes misted with tears, and she leant against Erik. Her throat closed up with emotion.
His voice whispered low in her ear. “So, do you like it?”
Mary could barely get the words out. “Like it?”
She slid an arm around his waist, looking up, and their gaze caught for a long, time-suspending moment. Mary felt his love to her very core, and there was nothing else she could possibly want out of life.
Her voice was a mere whisper. “Thank you. Thank you for saving me.”
His voice was hoarse. “We have saved each other.”
He leant down, his lips pressed to hers, and the world became brilliant with infinite possibilities.
Dedication
To Peter and Elizabeth May, for their enthusiastic support of my writing dreams. Their knowledge of historic England, and their patience in touring me through a variety of sites in England, was a help beyond measure.
To my fellow writers Erin, Kevin, and Ruth – their insight into the story was immensely helpful.
To uncle Blake, who reads through each book I write and offers both advice and cheerleading.
To editors Danielle and Jody. Your ability to polish my words is phenomenal. Jody’s famous “pages of red ink” are stunning in their thoroughness, and by now she can practically write in my voice when she makes suggestions.
To Bob See, my darling partner in life for eighteen years and counting. He supports me, encourages me, cooks delicious food for me, and drives me to IPPY award ceremonies when I’m petrified to go on my own. I couldn’t do it without you.
Glossary
Ale - A style of beer which is made from barley and does not use hops. Ale was the common drink in medieval days. In the 1300s, 92% of brewers were female, and the women were known as “alewives”. It was common for a tavern to be run by a widow and her children.
Blade - The metal slicing part of the sword.
Chemise - In medieval days, most people had only a few outfits. They would not want to wash their heavy main dress every time they wore it, just as in modern times we don’t wash our jackets after each wearing. In order to keep the sweaty skin away from the dress, women wore a light, white under-dress which could then be washed more regularly. This was often slept in as well.
Cider – A beverage made by pressing and fermenting apples. By default, cider in the middle ages was alcoholic.
Drinking - In general, medieval sanitation was poor. People who drank milk had to drink it “raw” - pasteurization was not well known before the 1700s. Water was often unsafe to drink. For these reasons, all ages of medieval folk drank liquid with alcohol in it. The alcohol served as a natural sanitizer. This was even true as recently as colonial American times.
Garderobe – an indoor toilet in a castle; usually simply a hole over a long drop to a ground-level sewer.
God’s Teeth / God’s Blood – Common oaths in the middle ages.
Grip - The part of the sword one holds, usually wrapped in leather or another substance to keep a firm grip in the wielder’s hand.
Guard - The crossed top of the sword’s hilt which keeps the enemy’s sword from sliding down and chopping off the wielder’s fingers.
Hilt - The entire handle of the sword; everything that is not blade.
Mead - A fermented beverage made from honey. Mead has been enjoyed for thousands of years and is mentioned in Beowulf.
Pommel - The bottom end of the sword, where the hilt ends.
Tip - The top end of the sword, where the blade comes to a point.
Wolf’s Head – A term for a bandit. The Latin legal term caput gerat lupinum meant they could be hunted and killed as legally as any dangerous wolf or wild animal that threatened the area.
Parts of a Sword
About the Songs
Medieval life was rich in songs and stories. Most people could not read or write, so the way they preserved tales was to put them to music. People did not have television or radio. To entertain themselves, they would sing and play songs together.
The first song Mary sings, about the cherry with no stone, comes from “Songs and Carols: Printed from a Manuscript in the Sloane Collection in the British Museum” edited by Thomas Wright. The book was published in 1836 and is now out of copyright so you can find it for free on the web. This song is song number eight (viii). The Sloane manuscript itself is thought to be from the mid-1400s, but the songs undoubtedly had been sung for centuries before finally being written down.
The second song, about a love being far away, is based on the song “My Lief is Faren in Londe” – i.e. my love has gone away to the country. This song is mentioned in The Nun’s Priest’s Tale in the Canterbury Tales, written by Chaucer at the end of the 1300s. The song was already well known by then. A documented source for the full song is Secular Lyrics of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries by Rossell H. Robbins.
The third song is part of the famous Corpus Christi Carol, first written down (as far as we know, of course) in 1504. It is thought by many to represent the suffering of Christ. The woman by his side is supposed to represent Mary. For example, the word “pall” in the song refers to a funeral cloth.
About Medieval Life
When many of us think of medieval times, we bring to mind a drab reality-documentary image. We imagine people scrounging around in the mud, eating dirt. The people were less than five feet tall and barely survived to age thirty. These poor, unfortunate souls had rotted teeth and never bathed.
Then you have the opposite, the Hollywood Technicolor extreme. In the romantic version of medieval times, men were always strong and chivalrous. Women were dainty and sat around staring out the window all day, waiting for their knight to rescue them. Everybody wore purple robes or green tights.
The truth, of course, lies somewhere in the middle.
Living in Medieval Times
The middle ages by and large held a warm, pleasant climate. Crops grew exceedingly well, and there was plenty of food. As a result, the height of people was around the height of modern humans. It’s amazing how nutrition influences our health!
The abundance of food also had an effect on the longevity of people. Chaucer (born 1340) lived to be 60. Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204) was 82 when she died. People could and did lead long lives. The actual “average age” of someone who survived childhood was 65.
What about their living conditions? The Romans adored baths and set up many in Britain. When they left, the natives could not keep them going, and it is true they then bathed less. However, by the middle ages, with the crusades and interaction with the Muslims, there was a renewed interest in both hygiene and medicine. Returning soldiers and those who took pilgrimages brought back with them an interest in regular bathing and cleanliness. This spread across the culture.
While people during other periods of English history ate poorly, often due to war conditions or climatic changes, the middle ages were a time of relative bounty. Villagers would grow fresh fruit and vegetables behind their homes, and had an array of herbs for seasoning. The local baker would bake bread for the village - most homes did not hold an oven, only an open fire. Villagers had easy access to fish, chicken, geese, and eggs. Pork was enjoyed at special meals like Easter.
Upper classes of course enjoyed a much wider range of foods - all game animals (rabbits, deer, etc.) belonged to them. The wealthy ate peacocks, veal, lamb, and even bear. Meals for all classes could be flavorful and well enjoyed.
Medieval Marriage
Marriage choices were critical for both sons and daughters. Wealthy families would absolutely arrange “proper” marriages for their children. This was about the transfer of land far more than a love match. Parents wanted to ensure their land went to a family worthy of ownership, one with the resources to defend it from attack. It was not only their own family members they were concerned with; each block of land had on it both free men and serfs. These people all depended on the nobles – with their skill, connections, and soldiers – to keep them safe from bandits and harm.
Yes, villagers sometimes married for love. Even a few nobles would run off and follow their hearts. But they would have first seriously considered the potentially catastrophic risks which could result from their actions.
Here is a modern example: imagine you took over a family business that employed a hundred loyal workers. Those workers depend on your careful guidance of the company to ensure the income for them and their families. You might dream about running off to Bermuda and lounging on the sand, but would you sell your company to any investor who came along? Would you risk all of those peoples’ livelihoods, people who had served you well for decades, to satisfy a whim of pleasure?
Medieval Women
In pagan days women held many rights and responsibilities. During the crusades, especially, with many men off at war, women ran the taverns, made the ale, and ran the government. However, as men returned home and Christianity rose in power women were relegated to a more subservient role.
Still, women in medieval times were not meek and mild. That stereotype arrived with the Victorian era, many centuries later. Back in medieval days, women had to be hearty and hard working. There were fields to tend, homes to maintain, and children to raise!
Women strove to be as healthy as they could because they faced a serious threat - a fifth of all women died during or just after childbirth. The church said that childbirth was the “pain of Eve” and instructed women to bear it without medicine or follow-up care. Regardless, midwives did their best to care for new mothers, but childbirth still took an immense toll.
Childhood was rough in the middle ages – only 40% of children survived the gauntlet of illnesses to adulthood. A woman who reached her marriageable years was a sturdy woman indeed.
In medieval days a person could live a long, happy life, even into their eighties – as long as they were of the sturdy stock that made it through the challenges of childhood. This was very much a time of ‘survival of the fittest’. Medieval living conditions quickly weeded out the weak and frail.
So medieval women were strong - very strong. They had to be. Still, would they fight?
Women and Weapons
Queen Boudicia, from Norwalk, was born around AD60 and personally led her troops against the Roman Empire, and quite successfully, too. She had been flogged - and her daughters raped - spurring her to revenge. She was extremely intelligent and quite strategic. Her daughters rode in her chariot at her side.
Eleanor of Aquitaine, born in 1122, was brilliant and married first to a King of France and then to a King of England. She went on the Second Crusades as the leader of her troops - reportedly riding bare-breasted as an Amazon. At times she marched with her troops far ahead of her husband. When she divorced the King of France, she immediately married Henry II, who she passionately adored. He was eleven years her junior. When their relationship soured, Eleanor separated from him and actively led revolts against him.
Many historical accounts write of women taking up arms to defend their villages and towns. Women would not passively let their children be slain or their homes burned. They were able and strong bodied from their daily work. They were well skilled with farm implements and knives, and used them with good success against invaders. Their victories were celebrated as brave and proper, rather than dismissed as an unusual act for a woman. A mother was expected to defend her brood, to keep her home safe, just as a mother tiger protects her cubs.
Numerous women took their martial skills to a higher level. In 1301 a group of Italian women joined up to fight during the crusade against the Turks. At a tournament in 1348 there were at least thirty women who participated, dressed as men.
This is not as unusual as you might think. In medieval times, all adults carried a knife at their belt for daily use in eating, chores, and defense. All knew how to use it. Being strong and safe was a necessary part of daily life.
Here is an interesting comparison. In modern times, most women know how to drive, but few choose to invest in the time and training to become race car drivers. In medieval times, most women knew how to defend themselves with a weapon: they had to. Few, though, actively sought the training to be swordswomen. Still, these women did exist, and did thrive as valued members of their communities.
So women in medieval times were far from shrinking violets. They were not mud-encrusted wretches huddling in straw huts. They were strong, sturdy, and well versed in the use of knives. Many ran taverns, and most handled the brewing of ale. Those who made it through childhood and childbirth could expect to enjoy long, rich lives.
I hope you enjoy my tales of authentic, inspiring heroines!
About the Author
Lisa Shea is a fervent fan of honor, loyalty, and chivalry. She brings to life worlds where men and women stand shoulder to shoulder, steady in their desire to make the world a better place for all.
While her heroines often wield a sword, they equally value the skilled use of their intelligence, wisdom, courage, and compassion.
Lisa has written twelve medieval romance novels. She has also written a modern-day murder mystery romance novel.
Please visit Lisa at LisaShea.com to learn more about her background and interests. Feedback is always appreciated!
Lisa Shea’s library of medieval romance novels:
Seeking the Truth
Knowing Yourself
A Sense of Duty
Creating Memories
Looking Back
Badge of Honor
Lady in Red
Finding Peace
Believing your Eyes
Trusting in Faith
Sworn Loyalty
In A Glance
Each novel is a stand-alone story set in medieval England. These novels can be read in any order and have entirely separate casts of characters.
Lisa has also written a modern murder mystery novel:
Aspen Allegations – A Sutton Mass. Mystery
All proceeds from sales of these novels benefit battered women’s shelters.
As a special treat, as a warm thank-you for buying this book and supporting the cause of battered women, here’s a sneak peak at the first chapter of Finding Peace.
Finding Peace was awarded a 2013 Silver Medal from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.
Finding Peace Chapter 1
England, 1212
“Anger is short-lived madness.”
— Horace
“God’s Teeth, next the badgers and wolves will march by two-by-two,” scowled Elizabeth with vehemence as she lugged the soaked saddle off her roan and dropped it in a sodden heap on the cracked bench. The fierce November storm crashed down all around her, hammering off the thin roof, reverberating through the small stable’s walls. The lantern hanging in the corner guttered out dense smoke, barely holding off the deep gloom of the late hour.
