I Love Middle Ages

Love. A beautiful thing to feel yet so dangerous at the same time. Love influences decisions and choices; however, consequences exist. So does breaking laws that were made for the public good. “You have betrayed me!” King Robert Baratheon said as he walked in on an intimate encounter between his wife, Queen Cersei Lannister, and a beggar. The mood darkens as everyone involved in the situation comes to realization about how outrageous this truly is. What will the kingdom think? Baratheon grabs the fool by the neck and storms outside of the castle made of bricks and into the fields of Westeros. Due to fearfulness, Cersei remains in the bedroom, her hands covering her eyes full of tears. She continues shedding tears as the sounds of the king’s sword slaying a human being fill up the room. Robert demands the cadaver to be burnt along with its stockings (The Middle Ages - More About Clothing). As he walked in a fast pace to the horses, he jumped on one and rode to the beggar’s family with the intention to make them pay for their son’s actions. Within five minutes he arrived. Full of anger he walked up to the door of the house made out of sticks, straw and mud, and kicked the door down (Medieval Life - Housing). Helpless citizens is what he faced; but he did not care at all. The king pulled out his sword out of his scabbard that was on his right hip and killed the man of the household with a stab into his heart. “Why are you doing this to us?” asked the woman, crying. “Because your son is an outlaw and you are going to pay for his lawlessness.” With no remorse, he viciously murdered the woman as well. As he was about to leave, he heard whining. When he turned around and glanced around the room, his eyes met the eyes of a tiny puppy. Baratheon was a murderer but he was never a fan of slaughtering innocent animals. After all, he did have three children that would care for this tiny little puppy. He slowly walked up to the dog and kneeled down to gain its trust.

 He smiled, saying “You don’t have to be scared, my family will love you unconditionally.” The dog was covered in the  blood of its owners which resulted in King Robert carrying the dog to the nearby river of Rhine and washing it clean (Rivers of Western Europe). The world was in a crisis after the Fall of the Western Roman Empire and inflation had pretty much gone off the roof but as the king of Westeros, Robert knew that he could get absolutely anything from anyone (The End of the Holy Roman Empire). He started to get back on his way home, riding alongside vertical windmills with a new family member on his arm (Ten Medieval Inventions that Changed the World). The gates opened as he got closer and he passed through them. Taking the dog up to Myrcella’s room, because he had already decided that he wants her to have the dog, he found Myrcella, Tommen and Joffrey playing an intense round of chess (Entertainment in the Middle Ages). Not only was Robert surprised by his children actually spending time together without any sort of arguments happening but also because they were playing for pfennigs (Medieval Money and Coins).

Once the kids saw the dog, they got up and ran to it, petting it. “Are we gonna keep him?” Myrcella asked. Smiling confidently, she received a “Yes.” “Then I want to keep it!” Joffrey intervened. Myrcella got mad and promptly mentioned that he’s the oldest and male so he already has more privilege than her which means that she should be the one getting the dog. Robert agreed and Myrcella received the dog, whom she immediately took for a walk. Upset Joffrey walked to his room while Tommen minded his business. Now there were more important things to focus on such as being cheated on by Cersei. The sunset was approaching as the owls and and nighthawks exhibited their activeness. It was time for dinner, Robert thought as he took his armor off and put on his tunic with a surcoat (Medieval Clothing: Making a Statement). Slowly he got on his way to the dining hall as millions of thoughts were floating through his head past the guards that filled up the enormous space in this beautiful castle.

His family was already at the dinner table, including Cersei. Baratheon sat down and said “Kids, please leave your mom and I for tonight, I will have the servants bring you whatever food you would like up to your room.” The thought of eating whatever they liked in bed made them get up promptly and run up to their rooms without even a single word being said. The married couple sat there quietly, not making any sort of eye contact. “You know I should have you killed for this shame that you have brought upon our family, right?” “I am sorry.” She apologized with her head down. “Look at me.” She still did not. “I said look at me Cersei for the love of God!” She looked at him with tears running down her pale face. “I have given you everything. I have made you Queen of Westeros, given you three beautiful children, the biggest and fanciest castle to live in, everything! And you pay me back by sleeping with a foolish beggar. Look at this table, Cersei. Wine, fresh vegetables, pork, herring, salmon, poultry.

What would you have eaten were you married to him? Cabbage, beans, eggs, oats and brown bread. Maybe cheese if you’re lucky enough (Food & Drink in the Medieval Village). It is insanely disrespectful for you to go against the laws of the public and the God-made laws. What have you thought? What is everyone else going to think once they find out of this foolishness?” She stayed quiet balling her eyes out. “Talk to me for God’s sake Cersei!” he yelled as he got up and grabbed her by the neck. “You don’t even deserve to be talking to me right now,” he took out a knife “you are a failure!” Just as he was about to stab her and end it for all, a door crack can be heard behind him. Robert turns around just to see the face of Jaime Lannister, Cersei’s brother, and to feel a sharp pain in his chest. His lungs compress and he cannot seem to breathe anymore. He looks down to find a sword stabbing through his body like a sagittal plane. Jaime pulls the sword out and Robert falls onto the ground as he speaks his final three words…”God, I repent.” Queen Lannister runs into Jaime’s arms, still crying, but thanking him for his rescue. Jaime hugs her and whispers “It’ll be okay, Joffrey is going to be the new king so we will rule it as a suicide.

I will always protect you, you don’t have to be scared anymore.” Having lost two men that she’s loved within 24 hours was devastating, especially losing the father of her three children. How would she explain this tragedy to them? Should she even tell them the truth? They are only children, she cannot. “I wish he would not have repented” “If you prick us, do we not bleed? If you tickle us, do we not laugh? If you poison us, do we not die? And if you wrong us, shall we not revenge?” (The Merchant of Venice) Jaime answered. “To thine own self be true, I guess.” Jaime smiled, “the course of true love never did run smooth.” “But this is bad!” She insisted to which her brother answered, “there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” After thinking about this statement for a while, she responded, “life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”

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