Read Online The Archer's Gold: Medieval Military fiction: A Novel about Wars, Knights, Pirates, and Crusaders in The Years of the Feudal Middle Ages of William Marshall ... (The Company of English Archers Book 7) by Martin Archer - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Martin Archer
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cook and the newly returned castle servants on a couple of matters before we even sat down on the benches and took our first sips of ale.
Firstly, Thomas tells the servants, so long as we are here the straw and everything on the floor of the castle's great hall is to be swept out before they serve the food and no one is to ever piss or shite on the floor the great hall or anywhere else in the keep or bailey or dungeons. They and everyone else in the castle are to go outside and use the holes that have been dug for that purpose - or else.
For another, he tells the two servants when he sees the portions they are bringing to us, the boys being smaller than the men are does not mean they are to be given smaller portions. To the contrary, the boys are at all times to be fed all they want until they stop eating.
"And two eggs and cheese for each boy every morning in addition to their bread and gruel and breakfast ale, every day."
The lady listens intently as Thomas gives his orders to the servants and then during our supper when we discuss the battle and its implications for us and our travel plans.
She also addresses many questions to Thomas about the boys and their schooling and his orders about the piss and shite. It's something she hadn't heard.
Her questions are so sincerely asked that Thomas becomes ever more charmed by her and animated with his answers and explanations. It's been years since I've heard him talk so much to a woman. He much prefers the company of men.
About all we know about the lady when we sit down at the table is that she is not a grieving widow. That much is certain from her joyful response to the news that the lords had fallen.
At the time it didn't seem right to question her about her reaction - so it was not until we are finishing the last of the meat and the boys are getting sleepy that we learn about her and the reason for her joy.
"You now know a bit about us, dear lady, and how it is that we ended up here and had the pleasure of meeting you." Thomas observes with a friendly smile.
"But we know nothing about you except that you and your maid are recently arrived. How is it that you are here?"
"My cousins made me come here with them a few days ago," she says with a bitter tone in her voice and a grimace on her face.
"They were the only men left in my family after my father's death and the wars in France so I didn't have a choice. They said it was for my safety since they wouldn't be able to protect me if they left me at home."
"But, of course, it wasn't about my safety at all - they brought me south to marry me off again, this time to one of the local lords, probably someone named Courtenay from what I overheard."
"Ah, I think I understand," Thomas offered with a great deal of sympathy as Henry, Peter, and I nodded our understanding.
"Your cousins brought you here to marry you off?" Thomas inquires. "Your husband and father must be dead and you have no brothers. Is that it?"
"Not quite, my dear bishop, not quite." she replied with a bemused and somewhat sad look on her face visible in the flickering candlelight.
"It's true that my father is dead and I have no brothers, I never did have any brothers actually. But my husband isn't dead, or rather the man who used to be my husband; he's still alive, of course."
"The problem was that our marriage was never consummated. It was allowed by the pope after my father died so my husband could get the lands I would inherit, and then later the pope annulled it because we were distant cousins and my husband wanted to marry someone with more land."
"Well that must have taken some coins," I comment as I take a big swig of ale and swish it through my teeth as I put down
Firstly, Thomas tells the servants, so long as we are here the straw and everything on the floor of the castle's great hall is to be swept out before they serve the food and no one is to ever piss or shite on the floor the great hall or anywhere else in the keep or bailey or dungeons. They and everyone else in the castle are to go outside and use the holes that have been dug for that purpose - or else.
For another, he tells the two servants when he sees the portions they are bringing to us, the boys being smaller than the men are does not mean they are to be given smaller portions. To the contrary, the boys are at all times to be fed all they want until they stop eating.
"And two eggs and cheese for each boy every morning in addition to their bread and gruel and breakfast ale, every day."
The lady listens intently as Thomas gives his orders to the servants and then during our supper when we discuss the battle and its implications for us and our travel plans.
She also addresses many questions to Thomas about the boys and their schooling and his orders about the piss and shite. It's something she hadn't heard.
Her questions are so sincerely asked that Thomas becomes ever more charmed by her and animated with his answers and explanations. It's been years since I've heard him talk so much to a woman. He much prefers the company of men.
About all we know about the lady when we sit down at the table is that she is not a grieving widow. That much is certain from her joyful response to the news that the lords had fallen.
At the time it didn't seem right to question her about her reaction - so it was not until we are finishing the last of the meat and the boys are getting sleepy that we learn about her and the reason for her joy.
"You now know a bit about us, dear lady, and how it is that we ended up here and had the pleasure of meeting you." Thomas observes with a friendly smile.
"But we know nothing about you except that you and your maid are recently arrived. How is it that you are here?"
"My cousins made me come here with them a few days ago," she says with a bitter tone in her voice and a grimace on her face.
"They were the only men left in my family after my father's death and the wars in France so I didn't have a choice. They said it was for my safety since they wouldn't be able to protect me if they left me at home."
"But, of course, it wasn't about my safety at all - they brought me south to marry me off again, this time to one of the local lords, probably someone named Courtenay from what I overheard."
"Ah, I think I understand," Thomas offered with a great deal of sympathy as Henry, Peter, and I nodded our understanding.
"Your cousins brought you here to marry you off?" Thomas inquires. "Your husband and father must be dead and you have no brothers. Is that it?"
"Not quite, my dear bishop, not quite." she replied with a bemused and somewhat sad look on her face visible in the flickering candlelight.
"It's true that my father is dead and I have no brothers, I never did have any brothers actually. But my husband isn't dead, or rather the man who used to be my husband; he's still alive, of course."
"The problem was that our marriage was never consummated. It was allowed by the pope after my father died so my husband could get the lands I would inherit, and then later the pope annulled it because we were distant cousins and my husband wanted to marry someone with more land."
"Well that must have taken some coins," I comment as I take a big swig of ale and swish it through my teeth as I put down
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