Chapter 1

My Sire was counted as lucky amongst the other Nobles; siring five sons in a row and at a early age. Ennobled and styled Earl of Norwal by his Majesty himself on valorous field of battle, and given Fiefdom over lands overlapping those claimed by a certain other rebellious (a polite term for treason) Earl, newly created Frontier Nobles had to really earn their titles.

Regginald the eldest was of course His heir. I avoided him as much as I was able as he was an insensitive braying jack-a-nape who’s japes were liable to cause injury.

Markham was second and heir-in-waiting, sent to officer’s training for a military career. He was well suited as he was a brawny soul who’s physicality was ideal for the craft of War. Highly focused and impatient with what wasn’t within his realm of interest.

Griswal was third and at a certain age given over to the High Church to learn Latin and other sacred mysteries. On the few occasions I encountered him thence, he seemed aloof and remote.

Poor Joseph never had a head for numbers being instead distracted by the fruits of the earth. He may have done well as a natural philosopher after the Greek model but instead he was set to learning clerkship with daily tutors to the torment of all.

Almost as an afterthought I, Matthias was placed for my avocation with the Low Friars- just a short dash away from the Redoubt on the back of my spirited pony Dust. I thrived under their guidance having a scholarly bent of mind and I learned much from bee-keeping to brewing and from staves to distillery, in addition to herbs and poultices. I even attempted to aid Joseph with his figures.

I also found time to learn to read and write in English, Latin and Greek, since those were the languages their astounding library of hundreds of books were written in. Histories, travelogues, learned treatises of all sorts, I explored other realms greedily.

I was also instructed in the art of long-bow and my Sire gave a nod toward my learning any other ‘manly’ arts such as equestrianism, wrestling and the sword-dance. The sword-dance isn’t meant for War and Battle but for sport or challenge between the nobility.

My mother retired to her quarters after my birth leaving me to the wet-nurses and nannies and I only saw her a few times thereafter until her death while I was yet a child. The King himself had suggested the marriage between my Sire and my mother, as a punishment or a reward or both. Sort of a seeding of nobility into the newly ennobled bloodline- or of seeding frontier vigor into the waning noble blood of the heartlands, or both. Kings are usually devious sorts who do three or four things at once for every single one which they do.

Not having been shorted in the blessings of the physical sort like poor Jo, I was tall for my age and strong, agile and quick. I killed my first man in a sword-duel of sorts at the age of eleven (I am certain Ollo mistook me for at least 17) when some nobles from the heartlands returning from a battle overcrowded our Redoubt, unused to the hardships of the frontier.