by Jeff Wheeler
“I know,” he said with a sly smile. “Why do you think I suggested Roc-Adamour? For the cheese and soup?”
“I forgot for a moment that you are extremely cunning, my lord husband,” Maia said, striking a chord that resonated richly. It was perfect. She shifted the chord and made it sound strained. “But when you boast of it, it ruins the effect.”
He smiled at the byplay and her choice of words. “Yes, I need your meekness to counteract my temperament. We are well suited for each other, truly.” He strummed his instrument and nodded with satisfaction. “Speaking of which, I think I have a suitor for Jayn Sexton that you would approve of. I know you have worried about her.”
“And who is that?” Maia asked, but they were interrupted by a knock on the door.
Collier frowned and stopped his little tune. “That was too quick for dinner. We only just arrived.”
The door opened and the steward of the manor entered.
“What is it, Fouchon?” Collier asked pleasantly enough, though the expression on the steward’s face showed he sensed his king’s subtle annoyance.
“I am sorry, my lord,” Fouchon said gravely, his voice perturbed. “I had no intention of interrupting you and my lady so soon, but there is a beggarly man just arrived who claims you owe him a great deal of money.”
Collier looked confused and set down the lute. “Oh really? And did he say how much?”
“I think he may be jesting, but he said the sum was twenty-five thousand marks—or a sheriffdom—and . . . even with that limp . . . he said he would chop down the door if I did not let him in and tell you both he was here.” He had an air of suffering. “Shall I have him thrown—?”
Maia shoved away the lute and sprang from the couch so she could rush to the door, hurrying to see her hunter once again.
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I was leery about writing a sequel to the Legends of Muirwood trilogy at first. But I like to challenge myself, and I loved the world and wanted to go back there again. I mentioned previously that the idea of this story came as a dream. But some of the details came as a result of being a history major in college.
As the main characters began walking around in my head and interacting, I wanted to ground them in a setting from our history, much like I did for Lia and the lost Welsh princess Gwenllian in the Legends of Muirwood trilogy. My first thought was to take the backstory of Elizabeth I of England as my inspiration. I once saw a great BBC miniseries The Virgin Queen and had studied her life during my college days. I liked the idea, but it did not work with the plot. As I snooped around Tudor history a bit more, I came across a figure with such a terrible reputation that they even named a drink after her . . . Bloody Mary.
Mary Tudor was the firstborn daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon. As I researched her life, I was intrigued and fascinated, and she became Maia. Many of the scenes in the Covenant of Muirwood series came from Mary’s life and inspired this work. Yes, she climbed out of a window in the manor house where she was locked away to wave to her father and try to bend him with compassion. Yes, she was poisoned in the garret, and they needed to call the court physician. Yes, an earl threatened to smash her head against the wall if she continued to refuse to sign away her station and status. Yes, she was promised to marry the heir of France when they were both little children, and she was sent to the borders of Wales to learn her role as a ruler. Yes, a prince from another realm vied for Mary’s hand and impetuously kissed her. The coronation ceremony in this book came directly from the historical records. One place where I deviated from history is that Mary Tudor eventually capitulated to the threats and signed the act that disinherited her.
She regretted signing it all the rest of her life.
There are moments in history when it feels as if the Medium is controlling events. For example, after Mary became queen, there was a rebellion against her. The army marched on London, and there was no one to stop it. But when they reached the main gate of the city, the army seemed to lose its nerve, and it dissolved almost miraculously. For more on Mary’s fascinating life during the Tudor period, I recommend the biographies by Linda Porter (The Myth of “Bloody Mary”) and Anna Whitelock (Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen).
Not only was Maia’s character influenced by the life of Mary Tudor, but I would also like to thank John Tomson, a reader, who pointed me toward the legend of Saint Aethelreda. She was the daughter of a king who wanted to live a celibate life, yet agreed to marry the king of another realm with the promise they would never consummate it. Part of the legend includes her fleeing to Ely Cathedral and a huge flood coming to surround the abbey to protect her. The story of Princess Aethelreda inspired the idea of having Maia and Collier marry early in the first book, then be kept apart throughout the series. I loved the tension that created in the story and how it led to many complications.
Sadly, the historical figure on whom Collier is based (Francis III, the Dauphin of France) was poisoned at age eighteen and never took the throne. I think the kishion was behind it. Francis was held hostage for many years as a young man and the imprisonment affected him deeply.
I will not get into all the other inspirations for this series. I will say that I started writing it shortly before being released as a bishop, and many of the experiences I had in that assignment added depth and feeling to the story. In many ways I felt like an Aldermaston trying to help people overcome the consequences of their mistakes or the devastating choices of others. And in so doing, I met some wonderful and memorable people who touched my heart and helped make the world of Muirwood even more real.
I hope this series helps people reconsider some of the “myths” they have grown up with and that public morality can impact society for generations. When I first began researching medieval history for Wretched of Muirwood, I learned that Glastonbury Abbey (the monastery on which Muirwood is based) was one of the abbeys that suffered from neglect after Henry VIII passed the Act of Supremacy in 1534. That is why only ruins of the abbey are left today.
Thankfully, Pasqua’s kitchen is still standing.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to the wonderful people at 47North for bringing this series out so quickly. You should all send them a thank-you e-mail! Once again, I’d also like to express appreciation to my small cohort of readers for their continued feedback, input, and encouragement: Gina, Emily, Karen, Robin, Shannon, and Rachelle. And many thanks to the fabulous Angela Polidoro who proved her merit once again with this book!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © Kim Bills
Jeff Wheeler took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to become a full-time author. He is, most importantly, a husband and father, and a devout member of his church. He is occasionally spotted roaming hills with oak trees and granite boulders in California or in any number of the state’s majestic redwood groves.
Visit the author’s website: www.jeff-wheeler.com
