Where Did the Bone Man Come From?

It seems a very odd idea--a man in a bone fortress who the warriors use for target practice after dinner by pitching their leftovers in his direction. Did I make this up? No, reader reader, to be honest I made up very little when writing Courting Trouble. Helmstan's story is part of the history / mythology that was circulating in 802 Wessex. As I researched the period I came up with many gems like this one, and I wove them into a tale grounded in the history of this place and time. Helmstan's plight was a way for me to get the idea of the depravity and barbarism of Beorhtric's court across to readers. Egbert's "rescue" of Helmstan also gave an interloper to Court a vehicle to show off how macho he is--or was he acting out of altruism? You'll have to decide that for yourself--

The Chalice

Cynethrith, the heroine of Courting Trouble, is visiting the abbey her mother founded. As Christianity was taking root in Anglo Saxon England, rich patrons demonstrated their piety by establishing abbeys and furnishing them with treasures and relics. Cynethrith describes what she sees. 

The altar, covered with a gold-embroidered frontal, held a silver and gold chalice [my mother] had commissioned in East Anglia: around its rim fantastic birds interlaced so cleverly that you could hardly tell where one began and the other ended. Her father had bought the imposing altar cross of gold and precious stones from a Byzantine trader. In its center a tiny vial contained a drop of St. Etheldreda’s blood. My eye came back to the chancel arch—its grappling angels and demons carved by a sculptor my mother had brought in from Kent—then was pulled to the center of the choir where, in darkness beneath the floor, lay my mother.

From the Sketchbook:Scene 2

This chapter of Courting Trouble tells us why the people of Wessex do not like their King. A power hungry and resentful prince sets his warriors against the legitimate king, killing him while he is visiting his mistress. All who are eligible and of age to take the king's place are killed in the skirmish. The mistress is burned for infidelity, and her husband remarries a very young girl. Wessex's enemy, Mercia, takes over the kingdom by installing the puppet king Beorhtric.

Elfwinne, a Lady of the Court

Elfwine is a lady at King Beorhtric's court in the novel Courting Trouble. She is a friend of the queen, Odburh. In the following passage, the novel's heroine, Cynetrith, is introduced to Elfwinne, who entertains her friends with a riddle.

“This is my friend Elfwinne,” [Prince Athelstan] said.

“Nice to meet you,” I said, smiling warmly.

“You have the greatest smile,” said Athelstan. The young man accompanying Elfwinne grimaced.

“And this,” said Athelstan, indicating the youth, “is my best friend Yurmin.”

“Hello, Yurmin,” I said. He seemed to be far away.

“I just heard this one today,” said Elfwinne. “ ‘Outside I’m ornamented. Inside I’m dark. A lady takes care of me and, when her lord is feeling valiant, takes me to him. He upends me and puts a hairy thing in me. It’s a tight fit. Soon he’ll be thrusting. What am I?’”

We all looked at each other and giggled.

The Villagers

The villagers are scheming to get the royal entourage out of town. They don't want to feed the court while they winter in Winchester. Courting Trouble

The villagers had assembled under the yew trees, and the royals were the hot topic. One of the women had apparently heard a good one about the queen.

A Visit to the Abbey

The novel's heroine, Cynethrith (pronounced KIN uh trith) visits an abbey to see her best friend, Athelflad (Ath el flad), a nun. An excerpt from the novel Courting Trouble.

I closed my eyes and inhaled the incense. One of the nuns was playing a lyre. She led the sisters in singing psalms. I opened my eyes and watched them. In the choir two groups of nuns faced each other, novices in front, the others on a step behind them. There were about thirty members of the order then, and all but one were at Nones that day. Their white faces gleamed in the candlelight. They seemed transported. They radiated a purity I found both admirable and totally alien.

I spotted Athelflad. She was second in from the altar. I found her voice reedy, but she loved to sing and was completely enthralled by the music. I shut my eyes again and prayed that an atheling would fall in love with me, preferably one who wouldn’t have any connection to King Beorhtric. When the service was over I waited for Athelflad outside the church. Her dark hazel eyes sparkled when she saw me.

Meet Werwulf

Meet the characters who populate Courting Trouble. Today we'll feature Werwulf, one of King Beorhtric's (pronounced (BEE OR Tricks) feral warriors, with an excerpt from the book that describes how he treats a lover.

. . . the group included 30 warriors, many of them famous heroes like Unferth, Werwulf and Erpwald, whose reputations spread before them like road dust before horses’ hooves. One of the priests traveling with the group had told . . . the latest story about Werwulf.

“He had a beautiful lady friend at their last encampment whom he treated very well. He gave her gold rings and a jeweled belt. He brought her to court—everyone knew her. The night before they were to leave Werwulf visited the lady in her bower and made love to her.

“ ‘I must leave you, my lady,’ he said. ‘And how will you fare without me?’

“The lady wept. Then she said, as they must part and there was no help for it, she hoped she would find a younger lover. Werwulf took her in his arms, embraced her tenderly, and bit off her nose.”

Meet the Troubled Court: King Beorhtric

Meet the characters who populate Courting Trouble. Today we'll feature His Majesty King Beorhtric (pronounced (BEE OR Trick), with an excerpt from the book that describes the heroine's first glimpse of the drunkard king.

I entered the chamber. The light was dim and the first thing I noticed was the smell. The sour breath of the sleeping monarch hung in the air like the still fog of a summer morning. I set down the pitcher and turned to look at Beorhtric. He was lying on his back on the bed, his legs apart. His tunic had worked its way up above his waist, and his penis was practically lost in a great mass of gray and black pubic hair made even more eye-catching by the pale white of his skin. A linen sheet, intricately embroidered along one end with colorful interlocking beasts, covered only his chest and then trailed onto the floor. There was a pillow under his neck, and his head fell back, diminishing the effect of the great wattles of flesh beneath his chin. His mouth was open. He snored loudly and with great inventiveness.