Edward I

In my historical romance novels, I like to include real people and events of the time the books take place. In my latest release, Warrior' Possession, I included King Edward I, who was both adored and reviled – during his time and still to this day. Many are familiar with his portrayal in "Braveheart," but while he was indeed called "Hammer of the Scots" and "Longshanks" (he was very tall for a man of the time, which is where that nickname came from), he was not evil, as he was portrayed in that film. There's a lot of huge inaccuracies in that film, but I'll save that for another time.

Yes, Edward was a brutal man – being a king at the time almost required that. Very few within the nobility of the time dared to oppose him. Those who did were met with brutal retaliation. He crushed his enemies quickly and conquered Wales and Scotland with ruthless methods. Warrior's Possession is set at the end of the Welsh wars, when the rebellion had been crushed and Wales united under the English throne. The act of drawing and quartering those convicted of crimes had not been utilized for a very long time until Edward brought it back in use. Yes, there are two ways of drawing and quartering – a lot of people are familiar with the method in which the victim's hands and feet were tied to four horses which were then driven away, causing the victim to be torn apart. But the method that Edward used is far more brutal. I portray the first time Edward used it, against the last Welsh prince, Dafydd, in Warrior's Possession. I even included some of the remarks made by Edward and the executioner, as they were recorded by the authorities of the time. I can't say for sure these are the exact spoken words, but as this was a very big event at the time, chances are they were recorded faithfully. In this drawing and quartering scenario, the victim was first dragged to the execution location, then hanged by the neck until almost dead, before being cut down. At that point, the victim was disemboweled while still alive, then beheaded. The quartering came when the body was cut into four pieces, with each one being sent to the farthest corners of the realm. Yucky stuff, I know. In Warrior's Possession, Gillian didn't handle seeing such gruesomeness very well.

But Edward was also a revered king. His Parliament is what today's Parliament is based on - he made it a permanent institution. At that time, Parliament was held wherever the king was traveling to. He loved his first wife, Queen Eleanor. Even though the marriage was arranged, the pair had a deep abiding love for each other. They were truly a "Golden Couple," tall, blonde and both very attractive, by accounts from the time. There are legends about Edward nearly dying from being stabbed with a poisoned blade during his last Crusade, with Eleanor sucking the poison from his wound, though there is no proof this actually happened. But when she died, Edward's grief was so profound, he had twelve large crosses built wherever her funeral train stopped during the journey back to London. Three still stand – in Geddington, Northampton and Waltham. Fragments of most of the others are all that remain in museums and historical societies. 

In Warrior's Possession, I tried to portray Edward as that loving husband as well as the brutal king he was known to be. He was known for his generosity to those loyal to him, and ruthless toward those who dared betray him. However, his biggest mistake was marrying his eldest son, also Edward, to Princess Isabella of France (who, btw, was only 8 years old at the time of William Wallace's death). Edward adored his son but was also frustrated by him, as the younger Edward did not have his father's skill as a soldier or statesman. The political alliance Edward hoped to make with his son's marriage ended up with the younger being a weak and ineffectual king who ultimately was murdered by his wife and her lover. But that's a story for another post.

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

A month into unemployment and I no longer feel like I'm simply on vacation. The transition wasn't as hard as I thought it would be – though saying goodbye to the best boss I ever had and my other colleagues was difficult. The extra month of working did a lot for my self-esteem, that's for sure. It was a reminder that I was a vital part of a successful business group who did things others couldn't – and we were one of the leanest-staffed groups and operated in a super cost-effective manner. Sigh. All good things do come to an end.

In any case, I've spent the last month catching up on household chores that had long fallen by the wayside (cleaning and organizing closets, cabinets, etc.), being a SAHM and all the tasks and errands that go along with that.

And writing. I'm back in medieval England again. The intentions were to get started on my planned Viking books, but the third Warrior book, Warrior's Possession, took over instead. My long-time critique partners know this book under a different title, and I never thought I'd ever attempt to get it out there again. But with the last two Warrior books, it made sense to go back and see how it all began.  And that's when all the changes started. I knew I'd have to make some drastic revisions, but it seems I'd forgotten more about this book than I remembered. Not to mention finding a plot point that affected the other two books.

Gillian Marlowe is given in marriage by King Edward to one of his favorite earls. Royce Langley, known as The Panther, wants no part of marriage – he doesn't trust women in general, but in order to subdue the Welsh rebellion for good, he has no choice. And the only way he can gain the estate is by marrying its daughter. Of course, discovering his bride is half-Welsh and is apparently keeping secrets, won't make gaining these lands very easy on him.

In the book's original incarnation, Royce was a much kinder hero. I've toughened him a bit, and given him some very naughty ideas on how to deal with his rebellious wife. Gillian, adept at using a longbow and an accomplished falconer, does not like having her freedom curtailed. Both find themselves attracted to the other, but neither wants to give in. Of course. ;)

Most women in the medieval era were, unfortunately, objects to be used by the men in their lives. But in actuality, there were some very powerful women who made their own choices and gained their own power. Eleanor of Aquitane, queen to two kings and the mother of two more, had political clout of her own and wielded it wisely.  Queen Margaret of Norway was not a woman to be dismissed, either – she united three Scandinavian kingdoms. There was Isabella, the wife of Edward II – she used her position to usurp her husband's power and eventually have him murdered. And there were several other unmarried noblewomen who held land and could wield as much power as their male counterparts – depending, of course, on the benefits their holdings provided the king. Power was one thing, respect another, and the two didn't always come together in a neatly wrapped package.

Gillian is cut from the same mold as some of those women – she will defend her home and her people, to the death if necessary, and fight for her own freedom. Of course, her husband doesn't think she has the right to do so, so this naturally leads to some very interesting confrontations. And if you're familiar with my other books, whether they be the Warrior books or others, you know how my heroes handle their women!

The difference in this book is, I think, that while Gillian was married off without her having any say in the matter, technically, she isn't being held captive, at least in the typical sense. So even though she's strong and capable, in a way, she is still trapped. Often, marriage or the convent were the only choices for many noblewomen, and once there, no way out. So amid the clutter of the contrived and drawn-out plot devices I've been deleting, a stronger Gillian has emerged, and in challenging her husband, she has created a fiery situation that neither may survive. Of course they will, if nothing else, all of my books have an HEA. They're romances! It's getting to that happy ending that's the fun part!

In any case, some very powerful historical women  have helped me shape Gillian into the character she has now become. Even some more modern than just those from her time. Which women inspire you?