Page 60 of Enslaved
When Diana opened the shutters, sunlight flooded into the chamber. “Oh, it’s a beautifully warm autumn day.”
Marcus came up behind her, wrapped his arms beneath her breasts, and dropped a kiss on top of her head. “And here are we, wasting it in bed,” he teased.
“You need a rest; you work too hard.”
“Yes, you are rather exhausting,” Marcus teased.
“You Roman devil, I meant a rest from your legionaries.”
“You promised to tell me about these medieval men you dream about.”
She leaned back against him. “They were great warriors, just like you. They invaded Britain in the year 1066 from France, the place you call Gaul, and that was the last time this island was ever conquered.”
“So, you were enslaved by the Gauls?”
“No, no, they didn’t enslave us. The kings, a dynasty of Plantagenets, and their nobles, ruled for over three hundred years.”
“If there were no slaves, whom did they rule?”
“The peasant class. It was a feudal system where the nobles fought the battles and the peasants worked the land.”
“In effect, they were slaves,” Marcus pointed out.
“In a way, I suppose they were, but medieval men certainly did not buy and sell people.”
“You have great admiration for these men,” Marcus said wistfully.
“The reality of those times was no doubt horrendous, but the legends of those Middle Ages have been romanticized in books and songs. It was an age of chivalry where a knight pledged himself to a lady, not only to protect her but to remain faithful to her, even though most times they could only love from afar.”
“Lip service,” Marcus scoffed. “They pledged constancy, then fucked the first female they encountered under a hedge.”
Diana ignored his coarse comment. “Their armor was very different from yours.”
“How?”
“Well, their helmets had visors on the front to protect the face.” She touched his scar. “It offends you,” he said.
“Oh no, Marcus. I consider it a badge of honor. It adds to your attraction, though it’s wicked of me to think such a thing.”
“Did they not fight with shields and swords?”
“Yes, and they had archers who used bows and arrows. But knights covered their entire bodies with steel armor.”
“How could they maneuver in hand-to-hand combat?” he asked skeptically.
“Not very well, I’m afraid. They progressed to chain mail shirts with a coif to protect the neck and replaced the visor with a fixed nose guard on their helmets.”
“Mmm, a nose guard isn’t a bad idea,” Marcus acknowledged.
“They were magnificent builders. They changed the face of Britain, and their great castles are still standing after a thousand years.”
“Castles?”
“Let me show you.” Diana took pieces of parchment and charcoal from his desk and brought them to the steps that led up to the bed. She perched on the steps while Marcus lounged beside her and Diana proceeded to draw a castle. “They were huge, built of stone, much like your fortress. The walls could be fifty feet high and ten feet thick. They were built around an open bailey or courtyard. They had either round or square towers at the corners and the whole thing was surrounded by a deep moat of water. There was only one entrance for defensive purposes, with a bridge across the moat that was drawn up every night.”
“This is where the king and nobles lived, but what about the other citizens?” he asked with interest.
“Well, the peasants had only thatch huts, and when an enemy threatened, they went into the castle bailey for safety. But merchants and craftsmen lived in towns and built shops, much like we have here in Aquae Sulis.”
