FOREBUILDING: an addition to a keep that sheltered the stairs which went up to the entrance. For reasons of defense, no keep had an entrance on the ground floor.
GEAS: a fate, combined with an unbreakable compulsion to seek that fate.
HAUBERK: armor; the mail shirt made up of linked rings or chains of metal; it had a hood that went over the head and could be laced at the neck and extended a little below the knee, being split in the middle, front and back, almost to the crotch so that a man could mount and ride a horse.
HOSEN: dialectic plural of hose. In this book specifically, the mail leggings worn to protect the legs in battle.
KEEP: technically the innermost, strongest structure or central tower of a medieval castle, the place that served as a last defense; in general used to mean the whole castle.
MANGONEL: an engine of war; a military machine for casting large stones.
MEINIE: a household guard; the group of men-at-arms employed by a nobleman.
MERLON: the part of an embattled parapet between two embrasures (crenels); a higher portion of wall behind which archers or men-at-arms could be protected.
NATURAL SON, DAUGHTER: a child born out of wedlock; an illegitimate child.
THE NORMANS: technically, descendants of the men who had come to England with William the Bastard (the Conqueror) but expanded to include later arrivals from all parts of France.
PROVENDER: food, especially dried or preserved food, like wheat or salt meat and fish.
ROWEL: to use a spur, a moderately sharp metal spike attached to the heels, to prick or stab a horse so that it would run faster.
SAESON: an English person; the word in medieval times was used by the Welsh in a derogatory sense.
SEE: the abode of a bishop or the diocese he controls.
SOLAR: a withdrawing room, usually better lit than the great hall, reserved for the use of the lord and lady and their invited guests.
TERCE: approximately 9:00 a.m.
WAIN: a large open vehicle, usually four-wheeled, drawn by horses or oxen and used for heavy loads.
WIMPLE: a veil of linen or silk worn by women and so folded as to envelop the head, hair, chin, sides of the face, and neck.
WITCH’S FAMILIAR: the animal through which magic—usually evil—was performed; most often the familiar was a cat, but it might be anything at all.
About the Author
Roberta Gellis was driven to start writing her own books some forty years ago by the infuriating inaccuracies of the historical fiction she read. Since then she has worked in varied genres—romance, mystery and fantasy—but always, even in the fantasies, keeping the historical events as near to what actually happened as possible. The dedication to historical time settings is not only a matter of intellectual interest, it is also because she is so out-of-date herself that accuracy in a contemporary novel would be impossible.
In the forty-some years she has been writing, Gellis has produced more than twenty-five straight historical romances. These have been the recipients of many awards, including the Silver and Gold Medal Porgy for historical novels from the West Coast Review of Books, the Golden Certificate from Affaire de Coeur, the Romantic Times Award for Best Novel in the Medieval Period (several times) and a Lifetime Achievement Award for Historical Fantasy. Last but not least, Gellis was honored with the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Roberta welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
Tell Us What You Think
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Also by Roberta Gellis
Heiress 1: The English Heiress
Heiress 2: The Cornish Heiress
Heiress 3: The Kent Heiress
Heiress 4: Fortune’s Bride
Heiress 5: A Woman’s Estate
Roselynde Chronicles 1: Roselynde
Roselynde Chronicles 2: Alinor
Roselynde Chronicles 3: Joanna
Roselynde Chronicles 4: Gilliane
Royal Dynasty 1: Siren Song
Royal Dynasty 2: Winter Song
Royal Dynasty 3: Fire Song
Royal Dynasty 4: A Silver Mirror
Print books by Roberta Gellis
Heiress 1: The English Heiress
Heiress 2: The Cornish Heiress
Heiress 3: The Kent Heiress
Heiress 4: Fortune’s Bride
Heiress 5: A Woman’s Estate
Royalty Dynasty: Siren Song
Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer ebooks or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.
www.ellorascave.com
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