Of Lords and Commoners: Book 1 (Lords and Commoners Series) Read online

  Of Lords and Commoners

  Book 1

  Lynne Hill-Clark

  Copyright © 2016 by Lynne Hill-Clark

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded or otherwise), except for short quotes for review purposes only, without prior written permission from Hill-Clark & Associates, the copyright owner of the book.

  This is a work of fiction. All characters and events are purely the imagination of the author. Any resemblance to anyone, living or dead, is coincidental.

  Cover design by We Got You Covered

  Published in the United States

  Third Edition: 2019

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Other Books By Lynne Hill-Clark

  Dedication

  Quote

  Prologue

  1. Chapter 1 Ludus 1260 A.D

  2. Chapter 2 Ludus 1260 A.D

  3. Chapter 3 Ludus 1260 A.D

  4. Chapter 4 Ludus 1260 A.D

  5. Chapter 5 Ludus 1260 A.D

  6. Chapter 6 Ludus 1260 A.D

  7. Chapter 7 Ludus 1260 A.D

  8. Chapter 8 Ludus 1260 A.D

  9. Chapter 9 Ludus 1260 A.D

  10. Chapter 10 Ludus 1260 A.D

  11. Chapter 11 Ludus 1260 A.D

  12. Chapter 12 Ludus 1260 A.D

  13. Chapter 13 Ludus 1260 A.D

  14. Chapter 14 Ludus 1260 A.D

  15. Chapter 15 Ludus 1260 A.D

  16. Chapter 16 Ludus 1260 A.D

  17. Chapter 17 Ludus 1260 A.D

  18. Chapter 18 Ludus 1260 A.D

  19. Part II Chapter 19 Ludus 1260 A.D

  20. Chapter 20 Ludus 1260 A.D

  21. Chapter 21 Sibiu 1260 A.D

  22. Chapter 22 Targoviste 1260 A.D

  23. Chapter 23 Bucharest 1260 A.D

  24. Chapter 24 Bucharest 1260 A.D

  25. Chapter 25 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  26. Chapter 26 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  27. Chapter 27 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  28. Chapter 28 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  29. Chapter 29 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  30. Chapter 30 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  31. Chapter 31 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  32. Chapter 32 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  33. Chapter 33 Constantinople 1260 A.D

  34. Chapter 34 Copenhagen 1260 A.D

  35. Chapter 35 Copenhagen 1260 A.D

  36. Chapter 36 Copenhagen 1260 A.D

  37. Chapter 37 Copenhagen 1260 A.D

  38. Chapter 38 Copenhagen 1260 A.D

  39. Chapter 39 Ludus 1261 A.D

  40. Chapter 40 Ludus 1261 A.D

  41. Chapter 41 Ludus 1261 A.D

  42. Chapter 42 Ludus 1261 A.D

  43. Chapter 43 Ludus 1261 A.D

  44. Chapter 44 Ludus 1261 A.D

  45. Chapter 45 Ludus 1261 A.D

  46. Chapter 46 Ludus 1261 A.D

  47. Chapter 47 Ludus 1261 A.D

  48. Chapter 48 Ludus 1261 A.D

  49. Chapter 49 Ludus 1261 A.D

  50. Part III Chapter 50 London 1261 A.D

  51. Chapter 51 London 1261 A.D

  52. Chapter 52 London 1261 A.D

  53. Chapter 53 London 1262 A.D

  54. Chapter 54 London 1262 A.D

  55. Chapter 55 London 1262 A.D

  56. Chapter 56 Copenhagen 1262 A.D

  57. Chapter 57 Copenhagen 1262 A.D

  58. Chapter 58 Ludus 1262 A.D

  59. Chapter 59 London 1262 A.D

  60. Chapter 60 London 1262 A.D

  61. Chapter 61 London 1262 A.D

  62. Chapter 62 London 1262 A.D

  63. Chapter 63 London 1262 A.D

  64. Chapter 64 London 1262 A.D

  65. Chapter 65 London 1262 A.D

  66. Chapter 66 Copenhagen 1262 A.D

  67. Chapter 67 Middle East 1262 A.D

  68. Chapter 68 Middle East 1262 A.D

  69. Chapter 69 India 1262 A.D

  70. Chapter 70 India 1262 A.D

  71. Chapter 71 India 1262 A.D

  72. Chapter 72 India 1262 A.D

  73. Part IV Chapter 73 Ludus 1284 A.D

  74. Chapter 74 Ludus 1284 A.D

  75. Chapter 75 Copenhagen 1284 A.D

  76. Chapter 76 Copenhagen 1291 A.D

  77. Chapter 77 Copenhagen 1291 A.D

  78. Chapter 78 Copenhagen 1346 A.D

  79. Chapter 79 Copenhagen 1346 A.D

  80. Chapter 80 Constantinople 1346 A.D

  81. Chapter 81 Constantinople 1346 A.D

  82. Chapter 82 Europe 1352 A.D

  Epilogue

  About Book Two

  Notes to the Reader

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  Other Books By Lynne Hill-Clark

  The Lords and Commoners Series

  Of Lords and Commoners Book 1

  Of Princes and Dragons Book 2

  Of Gods and Goddesses Book 3

  A Woman’s World Series

  Coming in 2019

  This book is dedicated, with much love, to Steve. Thank you for everything!

  Thee, whom the Angels desire to look into, may my heart ever hunger after and feed upon; and may my soul be filled with thy sweetness.

  Saint Augustine’s Prayer Book (1947)

  Prologue

  We ran swiftly through the forest. Teller was on my left and a familiar young man was on my right — though I did not know his name. Odd — why could I not place him? I cared deeply for him. A dear friend, a lover? Surely not.

  My home came into view in a small meadow. Sunlight filtered down through the surrounding tall trees, illuminating the small house. As we entered my home I looked to Teller, only he was no longer human; he was a large gray wolf. A brief glance around confirmed my suspicion — we were all wolves. Behind us were many others — my pack. I would die for them, as they would for me. We were in full hunting mode. Teller crouched down and stealthily headed for the common room, where I knew my father would be. The familiar wolf on my right headed up the stairs after my brother, no doubt. Yet I did not care — I was hungry.

  Father sat sleeping in his favorite chair. He had been waiting up for someone, probably me. Just as Teller lunged for Father’s throat, I bit into Father’s leg. The iron-sweet taste of blood flooded into my mouth.

  I woke with a start, sitting straight up in bed. I spat to get the taste of blood out of my mouth and used my sleeve to try to wipe away the imaginary substance. It was not the first time I had had that awful dream. I slowly lay back down. Just a dream, it is not real, I tried to comfort myself. Yet the nightmare was becoming more and more vivid as the years passed. Don’t be a fool, Vallachia — the dream does not even make sense, my voice of reason argued. Teller and I would never kill my father and I would not let someone harm my brother!

  It was the middle of the night. As tired as I was, I did not allow my eyes to close. I feared falling back into that nightmare. I stared across the hall to my brother’s room, resisting the urge to crawl into bed with him, as I would have done when I was a child.

  Chapter 1 Ludus 1260 A.D

  As I washed dishes in the tavern, something suddenly jabbed me in the ribs. I let out a scream and jumped. When I turned around, Teller was laughing heartily.

  He stopped laughing long enough to say, “I can’t believe you are still fooled by that. You are easy to scare.”

  He had always enjoyed startling me, much to my dislike. One would think I w
ould have become accustomed to it but I had not. “Teller! Why must you always do that?” I yelled. My heart was pounding; I had nearly jumped out of my skin. I took the dishrag from over my shoulder and tried to hit him with it but he easily dodged it.

  This brought a fresh round of laughter from him.

  “I’m glad I amuse you.”

  “You always have.” His voice was full of affection, which lessened my irritation.

  He looked different; he had grown a beard! Well, most of a beard. I marched up to him and scratched his furry chin with my fingertips. “What is this?”

  “My little brother and I have been in the mountains for the past week, gathering wood for your uncle.”

  “So that is where you have been?” I tilted my head and studied him for a moment. He was no longer a little boy. How had that happened? He was now a handsome man. With dark hair and olive skin, he looked quite unlike my brother and me, with our flaxen hair and fair complexions. Teller was the oldest of the local smithy’s sons. Like me, he had a lot of responsibility. He had to help provide for his five younger brothers.

  Teller shifted uncomfortably under my stare. “What is it? Do I have something on my face?”

  I smiled. “No. Well, not apart from that awful hair.” I preferred him looking younger, more like my childhood friend.

  “Then I will be sure to get rid of it.” His eyes were a dark green. Sometimes they could appear almost black but now they sparkled like emeralds.

  Uncle Ezekiel approached and looked between us for a moment. With a frown he said to Teller, “Back already?”

  “Yes, sir. We have a full load of wood on the cart outside.”

  “Good, then you had best get to work unloading it.”

  Teller nodded to Ezekiel and shot me a dashing smile before turning to leave.

  I did not want Teller to go. “Wait. Are you hungry? I could make something up for you and your brother.”

  “We have already eaten but thank you anyway.” Teller’s smile was warm. It was a smile that changed everything.

  A new and strange feeling came over me. Though I had no name for it, it was wonderful! I shook my head and returned to the washing. The washing was easy; it made sense, unlike this odd and unfamiliar emotion.

  Uncle Ezekiel watched me thoughtfully for a moment then went back to repairing one of the tables in the dining area. He clearly had something on his mind. As I worked, I could see Teller and his brother through the window as they unloaded the wood from the horse-drawn cart behind the tavern. I noticed for the first time that Teller was more muscular. He is no longer the skinny boy I grew up with. He was starting to resemble his father, Ivan, who was a giant of a man. This thought made me frown, as I had never cared for Ivan. Hopefully, Teller would inherit only his father’s physique and not take on the man’s despotic and even, at times, violent personality.

  Mari walked by outside, interrupting my thoughts. She greeted Teller and changed her previous course to approach him. Teller returned her greeting cheerfully. She brushed the palm of her hand across his jaw. Though I could not make out what they were saying, it was surely about his new facial hair. As I watched this scene, my spirits fell. The ugliest feeling rose up inside me. Whatever it was, it was alarming. Their greeting was nothing new or odd. The three of us had been friends our whole lives. Yet for the second time that morning, I was suddenly overtaken with a strange new emotion. Only this time it felt horrible.

  I grabbed the dishrag from over my shoulder and stopped washing to wipe off the tables. It was watching Teller and Mari together that had brought this feeling on. Perhaps if I stopped watching them, the unwanted feeling would go away — it did not. Ezekiel stopped working on the table when he saw my face. He moved to survey the scene outside.

  I continued to busy myself.

  “How old are you, Vallachia?” Ezekiel asked. “About seventeen?”

  I thought about it for a moment. “That is about right. Maybe eighteen, as it is spring.” The only reason I knew which season I had been born in was because Father had always referred to me as his spring flower. That was what truly mattered, not a precise age.

  Spring was the greatest of seasons, not only because it signaled the end of the cold but because it was our holiest season — the Paschal. Our religious rituals lasted throughout the entire spring, with many feasts and fasts.

  “Most girls would have been married for a couple of years by now. They might even have children of their own. Don’t you think it is time you married?” Ezekiel asked.

  This stopped my table scrubbing, as I paused to ponder marriage — something I had not done very often. Father seemed to be in no hurry for me to marry. Once a girl came of age, she was viewed as a burden on a large family. Girls were often betrothed at a young age and married off as soon as it was deemed appropriate. This way their husbands could take over the responsibility of providing for them. Marrying off one’s daughters while young also lessened the chance that they could become pregnant out of wedlock. This was a sin — the greatest of taboos — and rarely happened.

  Usually I was so busy that there was little time to ponder marriage. I finally said, “Uncle, I have my hands full tending to Father and Brother, not to mention that you need me here. I could not possibly take care of a husband, let alone children as well.” Marriage had seemed like an extra obligation — one I did not need. Most girls did not have responsibilities outside the home but my uncle’s children were too young to help in the tavern. Since I was the only other suitable relative for the job, it fell to me.

  Ezekiel frowned. “Perhaps we expect too much of you. You should be allowed to marry and start your own family. I could manage here without you … somehow.” He said this last word quietly, as if to himself.

  That settled the debate about marriage in my mind. My family needed me. “Don’t fret, Uncle. I enjoy taking care of my father and brother and helping you.”

  Chapter 2 Ludus 1260 A.D

  I could hardly sleep that night. Why did seeing Mari and Teller talking cause me to feel so miserable? Normally, I would have retired momentarily from the endless tavern chores to join my friends. Mari and I would have proceeded to tease Teller about his new facial hair. That would have been normal. This emotion was not. I did not want Mari touching him. Why? What did it matter? I could not understand what was happening. Something was wrong with me. I hated the feeling and prayed for it to go away.

  The only one to whom I could turn was my wise father, Adam. He was a gentle man — which I supposed was where the term gentleman came from. Pleasing him was my life.

  Father was gifted in working with wood. After he married my mother he added a small kitchen on to his one-room house for her. The kitchen was partially partitioned off from the common room. After I was born, Father added the second story onto our small home. Above the common room and kitchen were three small bedrooms.

  Our mother had died shortly after my brother, Josiah, was born, so we had never really known her. All I recalled of her was a soft voice singing me to sleep. Her face was blurry in my mind’s eye. Father claims she was the most beautiful woman in the village, which meant the entire world, as people did not travel much — not common people anyway. Josiah and I must have gotten our blond hair from her, yet we had Father’s blue eyes. Father would tell us stories of his precious Valentina; he still missed her very much. I had always hoped that the memory of her made it easier for him to remain unmarried. As a deacon of the Holy Orthodox Church he was only allowed to marry once. Since he had outlived his wife, marrying another was forbidden. He would never give up his place in the church for a second wife. In fact, once my brother and I were grown he might choose to take the vow of celibacy and be ordained as a bishop. This would bestow on him a higher rank in the church.

  Father was tall and lean with dark wavy hair. He had been taken with the words of the New Testament at a young age and happily became the religious leader of Ludus. He was the voice of reason and peace in our village. He preached about
concepts that many men had difficulty understanding, such as “turning the other cheek” and “loving your enemies.” After all, men were valued for their bravery and idolized for their willingness to take up arms. Loathing one’s enemy was a more intuitive notion than the teachings of Christ.

  “What is the matter, my dear?” Father asked over the modest breakfast I had prepared. “You haven’t touched your gruel and you look as if you hardly slept.”

  I stood to take my bowl still full of porridge to the kitchen. “I don’t know what is wrong with me, Father. There is this horrible feeling that will not go away. All I can think about is Teller and Mari together in the tavern yard yesterday. Perhaps some evil, or a demon, has possessed me.”