My children, although in their early teens, had grown to be strong, educated individuals. Lark, my lovely little girl, took great pleasure in writing poetry to recite at the dinner table; Uncle Lothar had taken it upon himself to teach her the arts, something he greatly enjoyed. In amongst this, she was taught how to sing and dance, how to look after children and large households. She was a testament to me, and I cherished her deeply.
My sons, William and Henry, were just as magnificent. William was a great leader, and skilled in the arts of archery, sword-fighting, horse-riding. He was the apple of my eye, always begging to participate in my meetings with Burchard; I obliged, he was to control the empire upon my death and it was important to me that he learnt everything about it. Henry, on the other hand, was a very shy child. He hated the outdoors, he hated large crowds - there wasn't much, other than the horses and the war map, that he did not hate. He enjoyed reading books, keeping to himself, and learning to sew with Lark. I had no opposition to his preferences, but I encouraged him to participate in his lessons with William.
Today, I had dragged Lothar and the boys on a hunting trip within the castle grounds. We were surrounded by forests laden with deer, pheasants and other wild beasts; the sun was shining, the conditions were perfect.
We had ridden deep into the forest, the only sounds being ourselves. William's bow and arrow were strapped to his back, he sat upright in his saddle, surveying the land. "Father, may I ask you a question."
"Of course."
"When I am sixteen, am I to choose a wife?"
He plucked an arrow from his back, lining it up on the bow.
"Indeed. Whomever should strike your fancy, within reason of course, we have a kingdom to protect." I joked, he smiled.
"What if I do not wish to marry. You did not marry."
"Then choose a concubine. I am not religious, therefore marriage is not important to me, the safety of my kingdom does. However, the woman you choose may think differently. You may have a wife and pleasure women that wait on you hand and foot, it is for you to decide William."
He nodded, holding his bow up, aiming it into the woods, drawing the string back.
"Suppose I have already chosen a woman, made up my mind already." He released the arrow, it hurtled through the air, striking a bird.
"Then humour me."
He jumped down off his horse, tying it to the tree, gently patting it on the head. He spoke to it for a moment, earning a whinny.
"I choose Lark. She is witty, pretty, and well-versed in the realm. I should like to have her by my side."
I chuckled, he turned to me with a scowl as if to ask why I was laughing. "My boy, your sister is betrothed to the Dauphin, and has been since she was a few hours old. You must choose another."
He ran off into the tall grass, emerging with a pheasant in hand, tying it to his horse.
"The Dauphin is a colossal bore. He's greedy, and weak, and a spoilt brat who -"
"And a powerful ally. The French have long been an enemy of this kingdom, and when you and your siblings were born I deduced that your sister would be the best way to unite our countries. If he is as weak as you say he is, she will have enough agency over him to keep our countries at peace. You will do well not to dwell on your emotions, you have a kingdom to run."
He scowled at me as he clambered onto his horse. "The Dauphin is spoilt, is he?"
"More so than I before you say anything." He proclaimed, wiping the blood from his arrow, putting it back into the sheath.
"Your brother does not complain this much. He has no choice, he too is betrothed and has been since you were born. We can talk more about women tomorrow, finish your hunt." I pointed ahead, he rolled his eyes, spurring his horse on. I hoped that his stubborn, entitled nature would not get the best of him in making his decision on a wife; there were plenty of young women like Lark within the country and on the continent, he just needed to have the patience to find one.
I sighed, watching him ride off, plucking another arrow from his back.
Lothar and Henry joined me, Henry had a handful of plants.
"Where is William?" He asked, tucking the plants into a leather pouch on his side.
"Wallowing in the woods. Perhaps you should join him and soothe him."
Henry nodded, commanding his horse forwards, I watched as his cloak billowed behind him.
"William grows more akin to you as the days pass. You wonder why he is so stubborn and so firm in his desires when you are exactly the same." Lothar chuckled, hopping down from his horse. He let his horse graze on the long grass, leaning back, looking up at me with a grin as he stroked its head. I frowned, leering over him.
"What do you mean by that?"
"How many hours have I spent coaxing you out of a foul mood? There's only so much that my mouth can do. But, I do it because you have to fulfil your duties. If I wasn't there to gently encourage you then nothing would get done."
