Draco A Medieval Scottish Roma - Jayne Castel Page 0,92

few developments I didn’t expect at all! When I planned the book, I was thinking more of a typical ‘enemies to lovers’ story, but this tale developed into something much more complex. Draco was more troubled and damaged, and Gavina more mature in her thinking than I’d expected. It’s one of the joys of being a writer—those times when your characters ‘take over’.

There were quite a few things to tie up, including the tense situation with Edward of England and breaking the curse. I often find it hard to say goodbye at the end of my trilogies—so to that end, I’ve written a novella that tells Elizabeth and Robert De Keith’s story. It’s a festive novella, just in time for Christmas. Look out for it a couple of days after the release of DRACO!

Once again, there’s quite a bit of historical background that went into this novel (read my historical notes below for details on it).

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HISTORICAL NOTES

Once again, these notes are lengthy—but worth the read if you like a bit of historical background insight!

As those of you who’ve read the entire series will know, this story hinges around the story of the Ninth Legion—a legion of around five thousand men who marched into the wilds of Caledonia in around 118 AD and were never seen again.

The Ninth legion was also called ‘the Hispana’, or Spanish legion. The generals and commander would have all been Roman, but most of the legion was made up of soldiers from Hispania (Spain). Draco comes from what is now southern Spain, and the Roman fort of Valentia, now the town of Valencia.

An important thing to note here, regarding Draco’s Moorish origins, is that I have taken a bit of ‘creative license’ with history in this series (considering it’s all about immortal Roman centurions that shouldn’t come as too great a surprise!). The Moors weren’t established on the Iberian Peninsula during the time of the Roman Empire—although there was quite a bit of existing trade between the Berbers of North Africa and the continent. However, I really wanted to show the breadth of cultural diversity within the Roman Empire, and as there were North African colonies too, I decided to shift the Moors’ arrival forward a few centuries. Draco’s original name, Amestan, is of Berber origin. It means ‘Protector, defender’, which is perfect for his character, and ties into what would have been his actual heritage.

Halley’s Comet is a prominent feature in the whole series. Back in the Dark Ages and Medieval period it didn’t go by that name (as it was named after the scientist who ‘discovered’ it in 1758). Instead, there are references to it being called ‘the fire-tailed star’. Maximus calls it ‘the Broom-star’, which was actually a name that Chinese astronomers attached to the comet. Halley’s Comet appears in our skies every 75-76 years, and in ancient times it was often heralded as an ill omen. The comet actually appeared in the night-sky in the months preceding the Norman invasion of England, something that the English blamed for their defeat. The Bayeux tapestry even shows the comet! The year in which this series takes place, 1301, was a year in which the comet was sighted.

At the beginning of the novel, I mention the Chapel of Saint Margaret of Scotland in Edinburgh Castle—this place is real, as is the saint herself. She was a pious Scottish queen, married to King Malcolm III. She famously died in 1093 just days after hearing of her husband’s death in battle. Her saint’s day is actually 16 November, although for the purposes of my novel, I shift it to June!

Dunnottar does mean ‘fort on the shelving slope’ in Scottish Gaelic: Dùn Fhoithear. The castle is a mighty stronghold perched on cliffs on the north-eastern coast of Scotland. As I mention in my story, the castle was taken by the English in the final years of the 13th Century and then liberated by William Wallace and his men. When the English garrison realized they were doomed, they locked themselves inside the chapel, hoping to find sanctuary there. However, Wallace showed them no mercy and burned the lot of them to death inside