Prologue: The Dark Ages

With the fall of the Roman Empire everything went to ruins as far as a central governing authority was concerned. Soon many warriors and so called kings began a reign of terror which each sought their little kingdoms. Smaller realms were overrun by larger ones but no scope were able to conquer everything like the Romans had. Most realized their limits and settled into small fiefdoms. Everyone living in this atmosphere were subjects to the King. And he ruled with an iron hand to the point that his people were overtaxed, overworked, and overly oppressed. Nothing could be done and this is where serfs were the lowest form of life. Animals were worth more than a human being. The Church also played a role in making the serfs and even those who were more fortunate that to disobey the King was disobeying God Himself. So kings and clergy united to excommunicate anyone who didn't accede to the King's will.

About 650 AD Morath, a bandit and pillager, invaded a quiet peaceful land the people called Vandah known locally as the Valley of Plenty. Vandah had only two entrances or exits. To the south where the Kingdom of Baytar was already settled and prospering under the King Feldore. A peaceful man who did not harbor any ideas of making his small realm any larger. Like Vandah, it had many valleys where crops were plentiful in summer and his subjects led a life of hard work but yielding a tranquil existence. For decades Vandah and Baytar existed with no thoughts of going to war against each other. Traders from the East on their yearly excursion brought their wares for both realms to traffic in items from far beyond these two small kingdoms. Spices, clothes of silk and other delicate items, opiates, ornate cooking vessels and many other things. Vandah and Baytar traded their copper, silver, iron, and small bit of gold for these luxuries.

The second entrance was a small mountain pass twenty feet wide and two miles long of craggy rock of slate on the ground. Pieces sheet rock fell from the two mountainous hills onto the narrow pass that made it virtually impossible for an enemy army to invade this rich fertile land. Vandah stretched from there the Irish Sea surrounded by many miles of mountains of stone where the snows of winter sent fresh water into Vandah with its host of many brooks, streams and the large river that eventually ended by pouring into the sea. Fish were plentiful in the river and streams.

However Morath need not worry about supply wagons from being ripped and torn to shreds by the sharp rocks that lay in the two mile path into Vandah. He and his men were used to living off the lands they had invaded before moving on to ravage another. His men and horses crossed that two mile stretch unnoticed taking their time not to injure themselves or their steeds.

When he surveyed the rich fertile valley before him, he decided to do what all warlords eventually did. He set himself up as King and renamed the land Morathia. He took half the people who were prospering in their crops and made them build a strong castle by the Irish Sea. It took almost ten years but when it was finished, it was almost siege proof.

Walls of stone forty feet high and sixteen feet thick. The ceiling was made of a strong wood known at that time as hardwood. When the final pitch was spread on the beams it made the castle waterproof.

In the meantime he acquired a wife from the population. A beautiful girl with dark hair and blue eyes. He took away her drab wear and gave her gowns of silk and velvet for summer and silk and wool for winter. After a year, she bore him a son who was called William. Morath lived another twenty years then died of consumption at the age of sixty-six.

His son took over as King and doubled the taxes on his subjects. He had much of his father's personality. He ruled in fairness but again with an iron hand. He held court for all offenders of the King. William often found many of the uneducated serfs innocent of petty crimes like killing a hare to provide meat for his family though the law strictly forbid such hunting by the lowly population. Then he'd be ruthless when it came to wife beating, stealing another man's belongings, or disobeying his edicts which were clearly explained to all by criers bearing parchments of the King's will. Many were hung as lesson to all that William wouldn't stand for these transgressions.

William sent to the Kingdom of Fedora for a Princess to be his wife. He paid for her with a handsome settlement but her dowry brought back more than half he paid for the Princess. Her name was Diana and a rare beauty. It was love at first sight for William. Her presence took his breath away and he treated his Queen with as much love as any man was able to give. It took Diana longer to love him. He was a savage in her eyes for years before being worn down by his gentleness toward her. He gave everything she asked. Merchants coming from the Kingdom of Baytar brought their wares and found William to be an open purchaser of their goods. Mostly for his wife. It was at her request that the King bring some clergy into Morathia so she could have prayers and spiritual guidance. He readily did this for her. Three men of the clothe were invited into his realm to be their spiritual leader. It was a wise political move for him and it made Diana very happy. When he sought her out for intimacy, she gave in with no question finally loving the man she thought to be a savage.

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