Introduction

Introduction and cast of characters

This story is a continuation of two previous historical romance stories, the first a short Novell the other a novel, entitled “The Archer” and “The Archer’s Apprentice”.

Familiar characters, some are fictional (the real ones can easily be found online) The year is 1125

Robert “Robin” Archer of Oaklea, was born in February 1103, now 22
Lady Elinor, born March 1103, also age 22
Sir William Archer, father of Robin, Sheriff of Bartonshire, born in Wales 1086, now 39
Alwen, half-sister of Robin and wife of Will Archer born 1091, now 34
Father Andrew, parish priest of Oaklea born 1060, now 65
Hugh Smith, one of the bastards of Oaklea, born November 1102, now 22
Count Gervaise the Short, Lady Elinor’s husband, born 1077, now 48
King Henry I of England, youngest son of The Conqueror, born 1068, now 57
Rebecca of the Red Hand, 1094, now 31, Jewish banker, daughter of the late Jacob, born in Bristol, long-time family friend of the Archers and banker to Kings and Abbots.

New characters Empress Matilda “Maudie”, daughter of Henry I, widow of Henry V Holy Roman Emperor (1086-1125) born 1102: age 23, widowed, childless

Queen Adeliza “Adele” of Louvain, Queen of England, devoted wife of Henry I, married 1120, born 1103 now 22, childless

Margrett Lady Pitstone, Common Law wife of Henry I, Mother of Elinor, born 1076, now 49

The Black Knights, an order of about 150 black shielded knights who guard and support King Henry on a rotation basis; after some time in service they are granted arms and manors in gratitude by the King.

Squires Alain, Gilbert, Giles, Jaimes are Breton Squires who lost their knights in battle, were abandoned, but Lady Elinor has just taken them into her service.

Black Friars, are conventional monks from monasteries who work with Rebecca to maintain and protect trade, paying bills and passing on deposits and loans and use her banking services for insurance and finance. Usury (charging bank interest) was forbidden by Canon Law and both Christians and Mohammedans used Jewish bankers for guaranteeing payment in international trade and financing investments, as did Cathedrals, Monasteries, Convents, Royal and Duchal governments.

September 1125 England, Flanders and Normandy The state of the world in which this work of fiction is woven: It is Michaelmastide, late September, 1125. Lady Elinor’s half-sister Empress Matilda is a few months older than Elinor and presently in mourning for her husband Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor, who died of cancer in May four months earlier. Betrothed when she was 8 and Henry 24, she married age 12, was widowed at 23, and will eventually be married again at 28 in another arranged marriage to a husband she will learn to despise.

In 1118/1119 the Empress was regent Queen of Italy, and it is a title she still aspires to. She sold up her lands in Germany and moved to Normandy in 1125 to rejoin King Henry of England’s court, but she is young and not keen to remarry until the squabble over the dissolving Empire, including the vacant and disputed kingdoms of Germany and Italy are resolved. King Henry has no male heir to either the Throne of England or the Duchy of Normandy, his only son William Adeline having died by misadventure in 1120.

In order to have a new son, King Henry quickly married young bride Adeliza of Louvain, a descendant of Emperor Charlemagne, but has still not produced a child after four years and, at age 57, time is running out. King Henry has still to proclaim his eldest daughter Matilda as his heir, and has spoken to her about the possibilities while her husband the Holy Roman Emperor was still dying of cancer with no legitimate heir.

The barons of England are being sounded out about Henry’s succession plans in secret and some have voiced their objections to the Holy Roman Empress Matilda ascending to the throne of England as Queen upon her father’s eventual demise. Eligible noble bachelors are pushing their suit on the recently widowed Empress but to no avail. Usually with no son as heir, the next in line would be a male nephew but the nearest possibility is Henry’s brother Robert’s son William Cato, a long-time enemy of Henry, who is in the pocket of Louis VI the King of France.