Before Pero de Alava entered his life, Francis Whitehall was barely surviving on the manna of the land, a reaper of the fickle spoils of officiated melees and jousts. Behaving like a young man with time on his side, the aging knight travelled Europe and played at war. The games were his last great enthusiasm. Out there in the grassy fields, far beyond his scarcity and despair, Francis Whitehall was immortal, a satisfied man, a lone champion dispensing justice with a lance, reinventing light with a sword, restoring law and order.
The ten-day tale of The Crystal Crux Series is happening in the year 1198 but here in Chapter 16 of Betrayal, the reader is transported back in time to 1184, to the day when Pero de Alava and Francis Whitehall’s lives first crossed paths.
Their relationship is one of the anchors to the story and the reader gets to learn firsthand how the two of them came to be so close.
In a time when knighthood is becoming less and less honorable, the ranks being filled by rich, spoiled, entitled young men who only play at games and have never actually had to fight for anything, never had to go to war, Francis sticks out. He’s a sore reminder of what knighthood once was, and many don’t want to remember the old ways.
“Wife, where are you?” Francis, weighed down by his hauberk, sweat beads dripping down his nose, long blond hair flailing about, ransacked the family’s canvas tent like a barbarian committing terrors. It was Germany and it was hot.
Francis Whitehall lives in a tent. A very large tent, but a tent, nonetheless.
Midonia finally came. She tossed open a flap that served as a door to an adjacent room and barked at her husband like a quarrelsome little dog. “I do not know what you did with that stupid piece of cloth.” She planted her tall intentions in the ground and made no effort to enter the room and aid his search.
It doesn’t take the reader long to realize that this is not a happy marriage. Francis and Midonia have not been wed long, and they have an infant child, Anne.
The family’s prospects are not good and Midonia is not happy living in this tent, running around Europe from tournament to tournament to make ends meet.
Francis soon gives up his search for the surcoat he was seeking in order to hold his daughter who is in the next room.
Nine years before proposing to Midonia, Francis had cut the ends off his family’s orange pennon and served as chief banneret for Lord Geoffrey Clayton Wolfe in Palestine.
Not that long ago, Francis was prosperous and respected, and had many men serving under him.
“Praying doesn’t put food in the belly. You have supped long and hard at that barren trough and are none the better for it. I say let the spirit wither and die so long as the body remains healthy and fit. Damn the gods for want of proper things. We should have a castle appointment, Francis.”
Midonia is not religious and doesn’t really care what Francis has to do to make their life better. She has no problem berating her husband with bitter, often harsh words.
“I know you are a good man, Francis, and you know how much it pains me to say that. Wise up and recant your oath to the Wolfe. Leave him and bind yourself to a worthy lord, to a great man with great possessions and land to distribute. We must have a castle appointment. We must have it soon. I can’t keep living like this.”
And here we see the problem.
Francis is still sworn to serve Geoffrey Clayton Wolfe and won’t renounce his pledge. We don’t know why yet, but the Wolfe is unable to help Francis.
“Midonia, we have walked this road before. The destination will not change. I cannot and I will not renounce my oath. I pledged my constancy to the Wolfe and only he can release me from that debt.”
“But you won’t let him.”
“No, I will not.”
“He has expressed his willingness to release you. He’s ruined. He knows it. His vassals have recanted. They sought other fields. What makes you think you are better than them? He doesn’t expect you to carry on like this, no one does.”
Geoffrey Clayton Wolfe is ruined and can’t help Francis and his family, but Francis stubbornly holds onto that oath he made to him.
Midonia doesn’t understand Francis’ reasoning and cannot see this ending well for them. And as their discussion becomes more heated, she does the unthinkable and slaps him. She slaps Francis, a knight.
Francis, furious, raises his hand to strike her, a blow that could badly injure her, but stops himself.
“Damn you Midonia!” Francis growled. “This is the end of the debate. Violence towards my person can never happen again.” Francis lowered the arm to a non-threatening position. “My gage with the Wolfe is irrevocable. Your viperous tongue cannot poison it. I am a knight of Christ. I will not share with you this sinful fruit. I will not reward an eye for an eye or strike you down though you be the devil himself.”
Francis, showing great restraint, is trying to make clear to his wife that he’s not going to change his mind. His reasons for devout loyalty are apparently deeper than mere words. The oath is spiritual.
Francis sees things as good and evil, right and wrong, holy and profane.
“I will not be recalcitrant. I am not like those who are. I am not a perfect man, but I have no mind for dishonor. For as long as I breathe, I will profess the truth of God. His rod and his staff comfort me. They are all that comfort me.”
And lastly, we get a glimpse of the loneliness and despair Francis is feeling, in his occupation and in his marriage. He feels like he has nowhere else to turn for comfort but to God.
His honor is important to him, even more so than his wife and child. His devotion to the oath has led the family far astray with no perceptible way home. And still Francis is holding onto the hope that there is something else out there for him, for them, for the Whitehalls.
That’s all I have for you today.
We’ll be reading more about Francis and Midonia in the next installment. They aren’t done arguing yet. Nothing has been resolved.
Until next time, stay inspired and keep reading.
Author Allen M Werner 
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