Old Stories: Rory Reveals His Love for the Queen, 767 AD

Apparently there was a story before this one that dramatized how Rory became smitten with Josephine. In the later rewrite he is struck by her beauty the moment he meets her, and his highly romantic bard's soul turns her into a sort of cross between the mother who died tragically when he was little and some sort of idyllic lady in a tale. You will get to read that too.. in a year or two when we run out of these old stories! Tomorrow I plan to offer you the recent rewrite of this particular story as the one I wrote just a couple years ago did not make it into the novel, but it will give you a preview of how I made changes.

It was the first week of November, and fall's slow descent into winter had turned the leaves of the trees to gold, amber and red. A few birds, preparing for their migration southwards, yet lingered in the trees. The air was crisp and chilly. As the young Queen walked down the path she thought of how beautiful the garden was, how wonderful it would be if only Lawrence were there. Nothing seemed real without him…A noise startled her. She looked around but saw nothing. She took another step and suddenly she saw a familiar figure a little ways ahead of her, sitting on a mound with his face in his hands. It was Rory. He hardly stirred until she had gone up to him and touched him, kneeling.Rory jumped at the touch and looked frightened. Josephine laughed softly and kissed his forehead lightly.

"Whatever is wrong, Rory? I shan't bite thee! I've not seen thee about the court since thou'st been here. We've missed thee."

"I'm very sorry, " he answered, "But, but…may I speak frankly with ye? Sure, and I'd be most grateful!"Josephine looked confused. "Why certainly," she said, "Thou'st not ill?"

"Nay, nay! Not physically ill. But there is something very deep in me heart, and I need help."

"Why, Rory dear, of course I'll help you! I'll do anything ye want that is within my power."

"Your Majesty…Jo, may I call you that? Jo, I am in love. So many times I have been infatuated, a girl in every village. But never in love. The lass I love is young, and fair, and good as can hurt me heart so. Also, she…she is married.""Oh Rory, this is terrible!" The Queen was truly sorry for him. "Who is it? Cans't thou tell me her name, or her husband's?

"Aye, Jo, I can, but ye will not care for him having heard it. Her husband is one of the finest men I have ever known. He is almost as dear to me as Shannon, thou' I've hardly met him. The man is Lawrence."

Rory looked at the Queen wildly and threw himself on the grass sobbing, " It is ye I
love, me own fair Jo!"

The Queen turned deathly pale. She stared at Rory in pain. " Oh, Rory, thou knowest I could never love thee!"

He lifted himself from the grass, still sobbing. His blue eyes were flooded with tears that poured down his cheeks. His red hair was tousled. He put his head on her breast, and pleaded, "Never can ye love me, Jo?"

"Nay, Rory. Never as a lover. I can love thee as I love Shannon, and Percy and Erik, but never as I love my lord Lawrence. I shall love him always. There is no man I can love as I do him."

Rory stood. He looked at her quietly and touched her hair. Then he turned and took two or three steps.

"Rory!"

He turned and looked anxiously at the Queen.

"I'm sorry…"He case his eyes downward. "Nay, do not be. I cannot expect love from one loved by such as he. But…but…Josephine looked at him tenderly."I'll never love anyone but ye, Jo. I'll never kiss a maid unless it be ye." Rory tried to smile and walked to her. He kissed her hand, and turned and left, leaving the Queen in a highly confused state.

Nest: Lawrtence's Arrival at Ratherwood

Old Stories: Shannon's Journey 767 AD

f I remember correctly, I did this diary for Shannon because I was on some sort of trip myself, perhaps moving from Sacramento, CA, to Chicago, IL. That puts the accuracy of the month in doubt, but it's all relative. And I think you get to meet a bunch of Shannon's relatives in this one.

The most significant event of this story is the introduction of the virtually iconic Rory McGuinness, who was named also for a character in The Proud Man..

September 767

September 1 - This morn I awoke with Heather at me side. Long I held her to me, for I could hardly bear to leave her. But go I must, so the woman and I arose. I dressed and took a hasty meal. Me saddlebags were packed and me horse saddled. (I was only taking a mount t make me journey shorter.) Heather came out to the courtyard, where I kissed her, silently cursed Sean O'Connery, bade goodbye to me sisters (1) and rode away. That day, otherwise, was uneventful.

The purpose of me journey is to

(a) bring home me illegal son, Seamus and
(b) to encounter me father in Dublin and avenge me mother's grief and death.

I spent the night at a nobleman's manor, me services as a minstrel for an evening in exchanged for food and a bed.

September 2 - I arose early this morn and rode southwest in Alba (2) for Holy Loch. I was able to engage a ferry to Erin. When I was on board, who should greet me but Rory McGuiness. He learned in surprise of me marriage, and that of dear Ronald and Kathleen. We spoke happily together of Erin, both excited for to see home again.
Rory had been in alba a three-month, while it to me was a four-month I had been fro Erin. When we saw Erin's rocky coast in the glint of dawn, we could not conceal our joy.

September 3 - When the ferry had landed and the plank was down, Rory and I rushed out to kneel down and kiss the sand. We got our horses and rode together to Red Bay, where the Scot MacDonnell lives, in Antrim. There was great feasting and celebrating in our honor. I got very drunk and was helped to bed. It was nearly dawn.

September 4 - Dozing off, I felt someone put a light weight on the bed. Then I felt a warm, soft body press against mine. "Heather," I thought absently, but suddenly it occurred to me that she was not with me. I leapt up, naked as I was, and swore. The wanton, a young, fair female, rose in haste, threw half her clothes on and scampered away. Rory McGuinness was at the door roaring with laughter. "Ah, me big, red, O'Neill! Ye must be ill!" He ducked a blow and left. I slept until late morn, and we'll have more celebration tonight. I shall get drunk again.

September 5- Aye, drunk again. I was, but loyal. Heather seems to not know that tho' 'tis not against honor to take a woman when ye are single, it's truly a crime if ye are married, and are bein' unloyal to your spouse. Even an O'Neill. Tonight, another feast, but tomorrow morn, Rory and I shall set off for Dublin. We'll spend as long as I need there, then off to Connemara to get Seamus, and a stop in the region of the Burke clan, then Dungannon, Red Bay, a ferry, the Highland man's manor, and then home. Rory'll stay with me all the way. Oh, how I miss ye, macushla.

September 8 - Yet in Dublin. Not much has happened in the last three days. Oh, how I miss Heather! Me dreams are solidly of her. Sure an' Irish girls are the most beautiful in the world, but Heather is an angel, the most beauteous of them all.

September 9 0- 'Tis Rory McGuinness writing for the O'Neill for he is laid up with a broken arm and three broken ribs. He met up with his father, found out the true story of his birth (illegal) and fought. We've not seen this father again.

September 18 - I have mastered me left arm to write. We are leavin' for Connemara on the morrow. I will see me son who, strangely, I love dearly. Heather is truly a saint to take him. She does not realize me love for her. I wish she did. But, fare well.

September 22 - Plenty has happened to me in the last several days. I hardly know where to start. Of course, Heather has never written. I am angry with her. The second day of our journey here to Connemara, we stopped at a small inn. A bawd came up to me and asked if I wanted a nice, clean place to stay. I answered her, "I had a nice, clean place to stay, but I came here!"

Next, I wanted to say that I have seen wee Seamus. He called me "Daddy" a couple of times, and seems to like me. I love the child so, and am remorseful for the way in which he was beget. But there is nothing I can do now, but give him a home. Third, I shall make thee happy(?) announcement that I am to be excommunicated, for striking a bishop, along with what has gone on all me life. Me father was excommunicated. I hope Heather will have me after this.

September 30 - Och, it has been a month I've not seen her. By Padraig I shall surely shrivel up! But I will be home soon, I'm in Wales now, in Trelane, with Lawrence. He has changed, and I like it not. 'Tis an evil change. He hath little heart. I believe it must be his wife did it. I have heard, and I only, from him of his iniquity. He hath and betrayed his wife. And she only reproaches him.

Ah, women. Like I've said, worthless the whole lot! Heather will do this to me, Emily to Sean, Kathleen to Peter. I take it for granted the only reason my mother did it not to me father is because he was never there to have it done to him, and her loved her not, so 'twould not work. But I care not, I do love. I was just a while ago thinking of the group of four boys I once was one of. There was me, Lawrence and two others, Gregory and Christopher (3). I made predictions that Lawrence would succeed, and I would be the happiest. I was right. Here Lawrence is King, I am a gay troubadour, Gregory was tortured to death in war, and Christopher went mad with a girl having jilted him. Now I see Lawrence on the verge of insanity, and I fully expect to die in this new feud. I am to go to Ratherwood in a few days to meet the Queen. I hears she is a most beautimous woman. I'll not stay long, for both my sake, and McGuinnesses' Well, I must go.

October 7, 767 - McGuinness and I are in Ratherwood now. When we first came, the Queen was all sorrow and loneliness, but word came from her dear husband and has almost been making us ill with her gaiety. She's turned the castle inside out to clean it and get it ready for him. She weeps when I sing me love songs.

She is very beautiful, and a wonderful woman. Sometimes I am tempted to kiss her, and Rory says he feels this, too. She is beloved by all, and tho' awhile ago I cursed her for what was happening to Lawrence, it takes someone like Erik to be on his side often knowing the fair Queen. At times I fell if I were not wed, and Josephine were not wed also, I would ask her to be me wife. But, I be happy in Heather, and lover dearly. And the Queen, tho' obviously weak to Rory's, Erik's and me presence, loves and wants Lawrence. I envy him his bed. I shall be leaving soon. The war in Erin has been delayed by talks, so I may have more time with me family.

October 14 - Home I go in a few days. This will be the last entry of my log, so I'll fill up the page.

Seamus doth grow inpatient for a mamma now. He's beginning to doubt I really mean to give him one. But Jo is substituting well, and little Peter is a wonderful brother for him. But soon he'll have a real one, or at least a half one.
McGuinness has decided he is madly in love with Jo, The Queen. That'll ne'er do!

Well, truly I have naught to say but that I will soon be happy in the arms of me love!

Shannon O'Neill

Notes

(1) I can only guess this should be "sister" and refer to Shannon's sister Kathleen. She is married to Sean's brother Peter. None of these people made it into the novel.
(2)Scotland, where it appears Shannon set out from, making remarkable time.
(3)I have no memory of Gregory or Christopher.

Sounds like a map is in order.. tomorrow.

Finally, a letter FROM Josephine

October 1, 767

Dearest,

I watch for thy letters every day. I live for them.

I wish I could just close my eyes, and it would be Christmas, the months from now to then will be so long.

Who is regent of Christenland's throne?

I hope thou wast wise in soliciting him. Is it Lorin, or Sean, or Shannon?

Was it really five years ago we met? I rather believe it was only three. But, I cannot really remember. It seems ages and ages ago, and yet it all went so fast!

I wish thou couldst understand thou causeth much more grief by being away from me than by killing "him."

Thursday

I thought I would just add a little to this note I started Monday. Truly, I do not think I cold be thee or have thy body, for then I must love myself and that I could not do because I love thee so much. Nay, I would not want to change and be anyone in the world, for now I have thy love.

Please, please be very careful. I know thou sayest that thy illness was not important, because thou wouldst not have me worry. I am terribly afraid that something might happen…heaven forbid!

How couldst I be gay and merry if perhaps thou lay dying away from me, and I not knowing.

No I canst not be gay and merry until I am with thee.

Please come soon.

Thine Sunshine

And there, my friends, is an end to the letters.. from now on.. stories.

The Exile: Back on Track

Well, these letters seem to fall in line with the first set, not the last one from Lorin.. This is where Lawrence gets wind of the queen's dalliance with Sir Robert and takes his rash act of murdering the guy. He is so stricken with guilt and remorse that he exiles himself for a year... hey we had to come up with reasons why they were apart and had to conduct their relationship via letters!

04-17-767

The Fairest Queen Josephine
Chalfont St. Giles
Affyn-Shyre Province
Christenland

My Dearest Bride,

Oh, love! I have just been reading some of thy letters that spoke of Robert. I am so confused! I try not to doubt thee, to pay mind to only the words of love and hope. I try to think of how thou didst beg me to forgive thee and how thou didst implore me in a voice that wept and sobbed. And pride seizes me when I think of how thou chose me as thy lover above all the others, and that Peter is thine and mine together as well as our dear child on its way.

Oh, why did I murder him? 'Tis an insane question to ask for I know right well why I did. But then didn't I realize that this could be the only thing that could stop thy love? Nay, no infidelity on my part, new young man nor careless word could ever truly make thee stop loving me, this I realize and thank God for. But this cruel act of hate could, or so I worry. This unforgivable injustice to thee, my own true love and chosen bride. Now I realize event the separations wouldn't have seemed so bad if I hadn't been so stupidly doubtful of something more steadfast than anyone could even endeavor to imagine.

Never die, my goddess, for with thee dies all truth, justice, beauty, and purity. I truly hope that through mine words thou canst sense my passion for thee, for if thou canst not and my words are in vain, I must surely perish. Oh, pray tell me how I can prove my love for thee and oh most of all forgive a sinner whose soul and spirit have already died and gone to Hell! Tell me the words I should say to thee to make thee forgive me and love me again.

"Tis nay long, in fact I'll wager anytime my child might be born. Whether 'tis Caithness Josephine or Marc Hugh in me looks will be almost complete, thou' I'll confess of I have hopes on one sex rather than the other! Since Peter was a month early I expect the child also shalt be. I hope he is not giving thee great pain as Peter did, for I might surely die knowing that I was the cause.

I am praying that we may forgive and forget and write in happy tense again. I must remain banished for a year or less as punishment, but trust me, my bride, I will not so much as look as a wench favorably, and I will remain true to thee all my life. Every evil and lusty thought that crosses my mind I will tell thee of and pray to the Almighty I might be forgiven for, by thee as well as by Him.

Oh, as soon as thou canst write to me. Send it via Alain, my messenger I have sent to thee. Do ask me questions, for I love to answer them.

All My Love For My Bride,

Lawrence

Read Psalm 6: 1-6

This is in the original letter. I seemed to have adopted Christianity for a while. The verses are, "1 LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath. 2 Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my bones are in agony. 3 My soul is in deep anguish. How long, LORD, how long? 4 Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. 5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave? 6 I am worn out from my groaning. All night long I flood my bed with weeping and drench my couch with tears." In other words, "If you let me die, you will never hear from me again!" Apparently Lawrence was as irked as David was.



July 3, 767

Trelane, Radnorshire

My dearest,

Yea, and so am I overjoyed to hear from thee. It was such a long, torturous time when thou didst not write. I then felt so sure that the world was at its end.

I do so sorrow that I have exiled myself, but thou canst not imagine the pain I felt when I saw him die. It is very cruel ,to tell thee of all people, but it has been held in me so long, so, so long. Even tho I knew thou wouldst not hate me for what I did, I knew if I faced thee, the guilt would surge through me, and I would kill myself for grief I had caused for thee. And now honor holds me to my vow. I would leave now caring not for the personal dishonor, but that I have a responsibility for my subjects. My return would bring dishonor to them as well as myself. And if I were to dishonor myself more than I am dishonored already, think of the dishonor that would be brought to thee and the children.

Do not say it Is my will to be away from thee - my will is to return to thee and take thee away to someplace where we would be alone, completely. Do not say I punish thee for it nigh to drives me insane to feel that I am and 'tis thoughts like that that bring me to drink.

Nay, it is not true that Christenlande suffers at my absence. She has a better ruler at her throne now.

My darling thy words have reached out and steadied me so that 1 reached the solid ground safely. The words thou didst so labor to find were said to me about five years ago, "I love thee… I am safe and oh so content...”

‘Twas the hardest blow I'd e'er received in my life to hear of what should have let remain unsaid. Aye, on what part it was unforgivable, but most joyously thou art forgiven by me. Rather than hold it against thee I would cast myself to the Devil. If there was anything to forgive it is forgiven and somewhat forgotten,

Do not praise me for such scum as I am; is not fit to be held so high in the eyes of an angel amongst mortals.

We are a queer couple, We both seem to despise ourselves yet -we love each other with a. frightening Intensity of truth. If we were to trade bodies, we would be the vainest people on Earth. But I don't think I could take such Heaven.

Nay, do not blame thyself. Let us put the blame on someone else entirely! Who is to blame, he, who advised me to remain In Christenlande. If I had been with thee, Robert would have been just another knight.

'Tis glad I am to know I have not left thee unsatisfied. I would like to tell thee, if it will please thee, that I am overblessed by God at having not only the most beautiful, wisest and purest wife, but one who satisfies my needs to the utmost. How could I want another? I could not be satisfied by another after having tasted of perfection.

Oh, do not speak so as a thrall. Thou kept saying in thy letter, "it's not my place to" and "it is thy will." Nay, nay! Thou art a queen! For my sake do not speak so. Many men want wives who bow down to them but it would make me feel like a. slave merchant.
.
Oh, my Sunshine! I will remain faithful to thee as long as I am thy love, and longer, if it is my place to vow that, I must tell thee of Shannon O'Neill's strange philosophy. He says though I know well that he does not live by it, "As long as ye art emotionally in love with only the wife, and it matters not who ye sleeps with."

Love, I do not ask if thou dost doubt me, but if thou canst doubt me.

I will drink no -more unless I feel the absolute need to. I would not make myself undesirable to thee.

My fate is no longer in thy hands. Since thou dost love me, I will live long and happily!

I have every reason to be happy, I have rank, and almost unlimited power; I am loved by a celestial being, who I love -.with all my heart; I have better friends than a king can normally so much as hope for and I am the father of the two most wonderful children on Earth. Yea, I am content. I wish thou were as happy as I, which is more than I deserve,

Lay aside thy burdens. Cast them on me or Lorin, but give thy concern to enjoyment. Be gay and while I am away, spend time with merriment. I would like to ;find out if I have not ruined thy gift.

I know a way for thee to help me become stronger to resist temptation. In the following letters I will no doubt be mentioning young ladies. I ask thee only to tell me the name of, and what I said about each.

My love, but once have I been untrue to thee. I will not say Robert's, name again for thou hast been so merciful as to never mention Aelf-lynn's.

Lawrence

I didn't explain Aelf-lynn before. She was originally an enchantress who first managed to tempt Lawrence away and then get murdered.. he never knows if they had sex or if he was the one who murdered her. You will find Aelflynn in the novel.. a rather Goth-like herbalist who heals rather than spirits Lawrence away.

Tomorrow, a surprise! A letter from Josephine!