Draco A Medieval Scottish Roma - Jayne Castel Page 0,93
it.
William Wallace, of course, is the famous Scottish freedom fighter. My depiction of Wallace isn’t the Mel Gibson, Braveheart version (sorry!). Instead, I followed the historical records of him as a huge giant of a man with thick dark hair and beard. He was also reputed to have had a terrible temper. Not a man to mess with!
The year 1301 is also in the midst of the Scottish Wars of Independence (although they weren’t called that at the time). When this series begins, there was a period of unstable peace although later that year Edward I of England resumes his campaign. The laird of Dunnottar, Robert De Keith, was an English prisoner as I describe, and he did have a wife named Elizabeth. However, his brother, David, is fictitious, as is Lady Gavina.
While it’s true that Edward’s son did occupy the south-west of Scotland as his father focused on the other territories, I couldn’t find any mention of Edward residing in Stirling at this time. However, that doesn’t mean he didn’t!
I did a bit of research into Edward of England. Indeed, he went by the name of Longshanks (due to his considerable height), and did have the moniker: The Hammer of the Scots (something that ties nicely into our curse). He was tall with dark-blond hair and ‘icy blue’ eyes. He was also reputed to be quite handsome, although a drooping left eyelid marred his looks slightly. Edward was said to have a powerful voice, despite a slight lisp, and a terrible temper when riled. He was clever and a good fighter. He also hated William Wallace.
In 1301, Edward was 62 years old—getting on in years to be campaigning so heavily in Scotland. Nonetheless, he was still a force to be reckoned with. Edward was a formidable man and a great leader, and he was lucky in love. He was happily married to his first wife, Eleanor (who bore him fifteen children!), and when she died, he grieved her terribly. In her memory, Edward ordered the construction of twelve elaborate stone crosses marking the route of her funeral procession between Lincoln and London. His second wife, Margaret, was around forty years his junior! However, despite the age gap, their union was also a happy one.
As a bit of historical background, in July 1301, Edward launched his sixth campaign into Scotland (I bring his campaign forward by a few months in this series), aiming to conquer Scotland in a two-pronged attack. One army was commanded by his son, Edward, Prince of Wales, the other, the larger, was under his own command.
Just as there isn’t any historical mention of Edward being in Stirling, there isn’t any of him attacking Dunnottar during 1301. His siege on the castle is entirely a figment of my imagination. However, his hatred of William Wallace was real—and I like to think that if he’d known where the Wallace was hiding out in this period, he would have marched off to try and capture him!
Later in 1301, in the months after this novel concludes, Scot forces attacked Prince Edward’s army at Lochmaben in early September and also threatened Robert Bruce's Turnberry Castle, which Edward had taken earlier in the year. Scottish rebels also threatened the king's army at Bothwell in the same month. Despite over six months of hard campaigning, Edward was having difficulty keeping control over southern Scotland. The two English armies met to winter at Linlithgow, but in January 1302, Edward agreed to a nine-month truce.
John Comyn has a small role in this novel. He was a leading Scottish baron and magnate who played an important role in the First War of Scottish Independence. He served as Guardian of Scotland after the forced abdication of his uncle, King John Balliol, in 1296, and for a time commanded the defense of Scotland against English attacks. I couldn’t find out if he was actually in Stirling in 1301, but since he was Guardian, I thought it probable. In later years, his relationship with the Bruce was strained (Robert the Bruce famously murdered him), but in this series I have him enlisting Bruce’s help to win back Stirling while Edward is distracted.
In this series, I have most definitely bent and shaped historical fact to suit the story I’m telling. However, I’ve done so with respect to the historical figures and events involved—and whenever possible, I’ve tried to stick as close to the ‘truth’ as I can. When it comes to events that aren’t recorded, I like to think that I’m merely ‘filling in the blanks’ of history. So many historical events were never written down … who’s to say Edward I of England didn’t make a wee trip to Dunnottar in 1301!
It’s easy to get carried away with the fascinating history, but this series is first and foremost a work of fiction. As much as I love research and incorporating fascinating details, they can never overshadow the love story.
CHARACTER GLOSSARY
The three immortal centurions:
Maximus—from Ostia, Italia
Cassian—from Brigantium, Hispania
Draco—from Valentia, Hispania
William Wallace—Scottish freedom fighter
The De Keiths
Robert De Keith (former laird of Dunnottar, currently imprisoned by the English)
Elizabeth De Keith (Robert’s wife)
Robbie De Keith (Robert and Elizabeth’s young son)
David De Keith (Robert’s younger brother—former laird of Dunnottar Castle, now deceased)
Gavina De Keith (David’s wife, née Irvine)
Donnan De Keith (Steward of Dunnottar)
Iona De Keith (Donnan’s wife)
Heather De Keith (Donnan and Iona’s eldest daughter)
Aila De Keith (Heather’s younger sister)
The Irvines
Shaw Irvine (laird of Drum Castle—brother to Gavina De Keith)
The Galbraiths
Logan Galbraith (laird of Culcreuch Castle)
Lena Galbraith (Logan’s wife)
Cory Galbraith (Logan and Lena’s son—the eldest of four sons: Rory, Aran, and Duglas)
Iain Galbraith (cousin to Cory, former blacksmith of Fintry)
Blair Galbraith (Iain’s younger brother, smith at Dunnottar)
The English
Edward I, King of England
Hugh De Burgh (Edward’s commander)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks so much to my wonderful readers. Your emails and social media messages mean the world to me—it’s such a thrill to know that my stories touch you. I took a bit of a risk with this series, and it’s great to see that you love it!
Thanks as well to the wonderful Otago/Southland Chapter of RWNZ (Romance Writers of New Zealand). It would be difficult to find a more supportive group anywhere!
And a huge thank you to my husband, Tim, whose tireless work helped make this series rock!
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Find out more about the hero and heroine of Book One of THE IMMORTAL HIGHLAND CENTURIONS
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MORE WORKS BY JAYNE CASTEL
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THE KINGDOM OF THE EAST ANGLES
Book #1: Dark Under the Cover of Night
Book #2: Nightfall till Daybreak
Book #3: The Deepening Night
The Kingdom of the East Angles: The Complete Series
THE KINGDOM OF MERCIA
Book #1: The Breaking Dawn
Book #2: Darkest before Dawn
Book #3: Dawn of Wolves
The Kingdom of Mercia: The Complete Series
THE KINGDOM OF NORTHUMBRIA
Book #1: The Whispering Wind
Book #2: Wind Song
Book #3: Lord of the North Wind
The Kingdom of Northumbria: The Complete Series
HISTORICAL ROMANCE SET IN DARK AGES SCOTLAND
THE WARRIOR BROTHERS OF SKYE
Book #1: Blood Feud
Book #2: Barbarian Slave
Book #3: Battle Eagle
The Warrior Brothers of Skye: The Complete Series
THE PICT WARS
Book #1: Warrior’s Heart
Book #2: Warrior’s Secret
Book #3: Warrior’s Wrath
HISTORICAL ROMANCE SET IN MEDIEVAL SCOTLAND
THE BRIDES OF SKYE
Book #1: The Beast’s Bride
Book #2: The Outlaw’s Bride
Book #3: The Rogue’s Bride
The Brides of Skye: The Complete Series
THE SISTERS OF KILBRIDE
Book #1: Unforgotten
Book #2: Awoken
Book #3: Fallen
Book #4: Claimed (Bonus novella)
THE IMMORTAL HIGHLAND CENTURIONS
Book #1: Maximus
Book #2: Cassian
Book #3: Draco
The Laird’s Return (Bonus festive novella)
EPIC FANTASY ROMANCE
LIGHT AND DARKNESS
Book #1: Ruled by Shadows
Book #2: The Lost Swallow
Book #3: Path of the Dark
Light and Darkness: The Complete Series
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author Jayne Castel writes epic Historical and Fantasy Romance. Her vibrant characters, richly researched historical settings and action-packed adventure romance transport readers to forgotten times and imaginary worlds.
Jayne is the author of the Amazon bestselling BRIDES OF SKYE series—a Medieval Scottish Romance trilogy about three strong-willed sisters and the men who love them. An exciting spin-off series set in the same story-world, THE SISTERS OF KILBRIDE, is now available as well. In love with all things Scottish, Jayne also writes romances set in Dark Ages Scotland ... sexy Pict warriors anyone?
When she's not writing, Jayne is reading (and re-reading) her favorite authors, cooking Italian feasts, and taking her dog, Juno, for walks. She lives in New Zealand's beautiful South Island.
Connect with Jayne online:
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Email: [email protected]