The Blood of the Fifth Knight
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Another key player in the rebellion was Eleanor’s uncle, Raoul de Faye, Seneschal of Poitou. There were rumours of a relationship between him and Eleanor, but there is no proof. Her first marriage to Louis was annulled on the grounds of consanguinity, which perhaps explains those that sprung up about Raoul.
Henry had many mistresses, and Rosamund Clifford is the most famous in modern times. Very little is known about her other than that she died around 1176 in Godstow Nunnery near Oxford. Ruins of Godstow still exist. But Rosamund has, through the ages, caught the popular imagination, and she is the subject of many legends and works of art. One story is that Eleanor found her through a snagged silken thread in a maze outside Woodstock Palace, pursued her by means of the thread and then murdered Rosamund. The theme of Eleanor murdering Rosamund has many and gruesome variations, but Eleanor was imprisoned at the time of the younger woman’s death. Henry paid for an elaborate shrine to Rosamund at Godstow. It was removed in 1191, two years after Henry’s death, on the orders of a disapproving visiting bishop.
The concepts of religious belief, science, sorcery and magic as we understand them were a lot more fluid in this time period. Exorcism, for instance, was accepted practice for expelling demons. But with a few tweaks, the same practices could be used for the mortal sin of summoning them. Prayers were said over healing herbs, which were also deemed to be magical. Yet it is clear that in the medieval mind, the devil and his followers were present in the world, and the fears that he could manifest himself were very real. The Sorceress of Berkeley is one account, written around 1140 by William of Malmesbury. Tragically, burning of sorcerers was an acceptable practice.
Most people know that the menagerie at the Tower of London eventually became London Zoo. But the first menagerie was housed at Woodstock, Henry I’s hunting lodge. In 1235, Henry III moved the animals from there to the Tower. Foreign rulers added to the collection with gifts of exotic animals. Records state that the menagerie at Woodstock contained camels, lions, lynxes, a leopard and a porcupine. Choosing the most lethal was not difficult.
Acknowledgements
Some wonderful people have helped to bring this book into existence. My agent, the peerless Josh Getzler, persuaded me it should exist in the first place. He then made sure the right version existed. It was no mean feat. My beta-readers (who also moonlight as the dearest of friends), Judy Bailey, Graham Mather and Paul Fogarty, provided sage advice and the naming of abbots. Thomas & Mercer’s Emilie Marneur has brought this unlikely Cinderella to the ball once again, with Katie Green and Jill M. Pellarin on expert pumpkin transformation. And of course to my adored Jon and Angela, without whom I’m nothing.
About the Author
Photo © 2012 Angela Channell
E.M. Powell is the author of medieval thriller The Fifth Knight, which was a number one Amazon Bestseller. Born and raised in the Republic of Ireland into the family of Michael Collins (the legendary revolutionary and founder of the Irish Free State), she now lives in the northwest of England with her husband and daughter and a Facebook-friendly dog. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, International Thriller Writers and Romance Writers of America. She is a reviewer for the HNS (fiction and nonfiction). Find out more by visiting www.empowell.com.