There are a surprising amount of Royals out there for a world that generally claims to be democratic. Britain's got 'em, Denmark, Belgium, Spain, Japan. Some countries they're still very much in charge like Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates, but for the most part they exist as figureheads and subjects of celebrity gossip. All of them are united in the...
LXVIIGive Unto OthersOdile2110 The remuneration for a day's work was meagre. It amounted to nothing more than the use of a second-hand blanket and a meal that was double the size of what Odile normally had to eat. That was all. But it was something. Edith was helping to boil a pot of stew on a stove, while Odile doled it out into wooden bowls that were gr...
XXXVI Unto the Next Generation Iris 2054 Iris had never participated in a demonstration before in her life. There'd never been anything in the twenty five years of her life that had stirred her up enough to do more than make the most passive protest. Normally, Iris wasn't very sure what she really believed in, especially when the object of protest was...
It is the year 1296 and King Edward I of England, commonly called “Longshanks”, has invaded Scotland due to John Balliol's, the Scottish King's treachery. Not only did John Balliol refused to support the English military action in France, he even signed a treaty with King Philippe IV which promised mutual help against any English invasions. Edward I, a milit...
XXIVThe Good of the CountryLord Newbury2077 It was an uncomfortable fact that Lord Newbury's title was neither ancient nor especially honourable. But it was a title of which he was very proud although the only privileges it endowed on him were those of status and hereditary wealth. There was no political power associated with the hereditary title and there...
*** One that I've always liked, the original title was "For the Love of the Banshee", but it wouldn't fit in the title field on Lit. once you add the chapter numbers. :( Anyhow, in case you're not aware or might not care, more likely, there is more in common than Gaelic between the Irish and the Scots. They sound different and all of that, but there are som...
LXXXVIII War Odile 2111 There were several things that could have killed Odile. So much devastation was happening at more or less the same precise moment in time that there was an embarrassingly rich choice of lethal candidates. But whichever it was, it happened far too suddenly and with absolutely no warning for Odile to take evasive action, not that th...
Author's note: The first part of this was recently posted. You're advised to read it before you read this. My thanks as ever to my muse, for her inspiration and editing, and to raconteuse, who has greatly assisted with editing. And of course, to my readers, whose support and interest has helped sustain my writing. If you're new to Melanie, there are two ea...
Author's note: This is the first story I've posted to this site in some years, but since I long ago forgot my old password, I'm using a new but related name. All characters are at least 18 years old. This is pure fiction, although as with most of my stories, it draws on personal experience. All background described is both real, and accurate. The story s...
Note: To avoid confusion, I changed the name of one historical character from Sir Jean de Vienne to Sir Luc de Vienne. This part has been the most difficult to write. It covers a long period in two significant locales. I had debated on cutting this short, but I felt it was a critical part of the story that you need to understand for the rest to make sense. A...