Post by King Adam Aberdeen I on Jul 17, 2008 13:48:27 GMT -6
For the first time since he was 10, Adam opened the door to the Church… Hesitantly, he paused, looking up to the Heavens…. “Dunnae strike me down naew…” followed by a chuckle as one foot after the other stepped thru the doorway… The words of the Chamberlain echoed in his mind…
As Adam made his way slowly down the aisle. The priest who was preparing the alter for the evening mass, glanced toward the approaching figure… then made his way quickly down the aisle. “M’Lord Aberdeen… this is quite the surprise…” Adam nodded… “Ah knaew Father, but Ah ‘ave service o’yae… Ah need tae see the records… and mabbe a bit o’yaer time…”
Over the next three hours, Adam and Father Dunovan discussed what was on Adam’s mind and looked at the birth and death records of those here in Turas Lan and the surrounding area. “Father, Ah dun see where Lord Alan MacRauri’s death bae listed.”
Then Father Dunovan retrived a large dusty book from the shelf and it thudded as he lay it upon the table. Within a few minutes, Father Dunovan pointed to an entry, scribed in neat handwriting, the ink fading to a pale blue. “Tis here M’Lord… the book is notes of Priests… nay obliged tae the public…”
Adam began reading the passage… glancing to Father Dunovan… “The notes say that Lord Alan, his daughter Amira, and the Priest were killed here in the Church…”
The religious leader spoke softly, his head bowed… “Aye M’Lord… Lord Alan, God rest his soul, was killed right here at the alter where he and his daughter was praying… the Priest performing a prayer for their safety… Word, though unwritten, but passed amongst us priests was that the English was closing in on Turas Lan… and that Lord Alan, nor his daughter, would nay leave his city despite pleas for him to safety… As he and his kin knelt with heads down, came in the English Lord… he had them bound… including the Priest… It is said that the English Lord kept asking about a crown… but Lord Alan refused to tell its secret… what ever that be… and the English Lord put his sword in their chests right here… first the Priest… still Lord Alan refused… then his daughter… still Lord Alan refused… then finally the sword was shoved into Lord Alan as the English Lord asked God to condemn the MacRauri’s for all eternity….” The Priest did the sign of the Cross as he spoke about each deceased person. Continuing… “Twas not much later after his death, the calls o’patriotism for war soon sounded…. But all sensibility fell from those who power-struggled for Clan control… It has been that way ever sense, clan war after clan war… at least til the ones from Inverness came…” he smiled… “Has the Lord of the Isles truly returned?” he uttered softly, his hand again making the sign of the cross.
Adam gritted his teeth as he listened to the story… his mind suddenly drifting to days long ago… A young boy sat upon his Mother’s knee as she cried. His small arms around her… in the Scots Gaelic, the small boy spoke…. “Tis awlrit Mama… Ah bae ‘eer tae protec’ yae… Nae Ainglish twill hurt yae… Ah bae so sorra ‘bout Grandda… an’ Auntie Amira….” The small boy too young to realize the true meaning of death, deceit, and power struggles… he did not know what it meant to lose someone, save that of his Mother, Beth, and Auntie M… He did miss Beth… she had been taken away with her Mother back to somewhere… a sigh escaped his lips, frustrated that all he knew had changed when he and his mother had left their home in the beautiful craggy mountains to settle in the fertile plains of where his Father lived [Aosta].
Adam was shocked back to reality by Father Dunovan’s gentle hand upon his arm. “Mae apologies Father….” He responded… “Are ye alright m’son…?” the Father asked… with Adam providing a simple nod as he rose. “Ah appreciate yer time Father… Naew Ah must gae…”
The Father closing the book… “Adam…” the priest took to the personal… all royalty propriety aside… “If ye find it in yer heart… I would like ta see ye at Mass…”
Adam just chuckled… “Mabbe Father… Mabbe… especially since the Lord didn’t strike mae daewn enterin’ taday…and faer mae Mother’s sake…”
The guard at the door had waited for Lord Adam… “M’Lord… sorry to bother ye…” handing Adam a message.
Opening it… Adam read… then cursed… “Dammit all tae hell… why naew…” then he started walking quickly back down the cobbled streets of Turas Lan toward the Griffin Castle... Inside the message was from contacts in Aberdeen… “M’Lord Aberdeen, I must inform you that King Robert, the Bruce, has announced his son, David, will marry Princess Joan of England….”
[July 1328: Robert the Bruce's four year old son David is married to Joan, the seven year old sister of Edward III of England.]
"The Church of God saw Lord fall !
On God's own altar streamed his blood,
While o'er my prostrate kinsman stood
The ruthless murderer e'en as now
With armed hand and scornful brow.
Up, all who love me ! blow on blow !
And lay the outlawed felons low !"
On God's own altar streamed his blood,
While o'er my prostrate kinsman stood
The ruthless murderer e'en as now
With armed hand and scornful brow.
Up, all who love me ! blow on blow !
And lay the outlawed felons low !"
As Adam made his way slowly down the aisle. The priest who was preparing the alter for the evening mass, glanced toward the approaching figure… then made his way quickly down the aisle. “M’Lord Aberdeen… this is quite the surprise…” Adam nodded… “Ah knaew Father, but Ah ‘ave service o’yae… Ah need tae see the records… and mabbe a bit o’yaer time…”
Over the next three hours, Adam and Father Dunovan discussed what was on Adam’s mind and looked at the birth and death records of those here in Turas Lan and the surrounding area. “Father, Ah dun see where Lord Alan MacRauri’s death bae listed.”
Then Father Dunovan retrived a large dusty book from the shelf and it thudded as he lay it upon the table. Within a few minutes, Father Dunovan pointed to an entry, scribed in neat handwriting, the ink fading to a pale blue. “Tis here M’Lord… the book is notes of Priests… nay obliged tae the public…”
Adam began reading the passage… glancing to Father Dunovan… “The notes say that Lord Alan, his daughter Amira, and the Priest were killed here in the Church…”
The religious leader spoke softly, his head bowed… “Aye M’Lord… Lord Alan, God rest his soul, was killed right here at the alter where he and his daughter was praying… the Priest performing a prayer for their safety… Word, though unwritten, but passed amongst us priests was that the English was closing in on Turas Lan… and that Lord Alan, nor his daughter, would nay leave his city despite pleas for him to safety… As he and his kin knelt with heads down, came in the English Lord… he had them bound… including the Priest… It is said that the English Lord kept asking about a crown… but Lord Alan refused to tell its secret… what ever that be… and the English Lord put his sword in their chests right here… first the Priest… still Lord Alan refused… then his daughter… still Lord Alan refused… then finally the sword was shoved into Lord Alan as the English Lord asked God to condemn the MacRauri’s for all eternity….” The Priest did the sign of the Cross as he spoke about each deceased person. Continuing… “Twas not much later after his death, the calls o’patriotism for war soon sounded…. But all sensibility fell from those who power-struggled for Clan control… It has been that way ever sense, clan war after clan war… at least til the ones from Inverness came…” he smiled… “Has the Lord of the Isles truly returned?” he uttered softly, his hand again making the sign of the cross.
Adam gritted his teeth as he listened to the story… his mind suddenly drifting to days long ago… A young boy sat upon his Mother’s knee as she cried. His small arms around her… in the Scots Gaelic, the small boy spoke…. “Tis awlrit Mama… Ah bae ‘eer tae protec’ yae… Nae Ainglish twill hurt yae… Ah bae so sorra ‘bout Grandda… an’ Auntie Amira….” The small boy too young to realize the true meaning of death, deceit, and power struggles… he did not know what it meant to lose someone, save that of his Mother, Beth, and Auntie M… He did miss Beth… she had been taken away with her Mother back to somewhere… a sigh escaped his lips, frustrated that all he knew had changed when he and his mother had left their home in the beautiful craggy mountains to settle in the fertile plains of where his Father lived [Aosta].
Adam was shocked back to reality by Father Dunovan’s gentle hand upon his arm. “Mae apologies Father….” He responded… “Are ye alright m’son…?” the Father asked… with Adam providing a simple nod as he rose. “Ah appreciate yer time Father… Naew Ah must gae…”
The Father closing the book… “Adam…” the priest took to the personal… all royalty propriety aside… “If ye find it in yer heart… I would like ta see ye at Mass…”
Adam just chuckled… “Mabbe Father… Mabbe… especially since the Lord didn’t strike mae daewn enterin’ taday…and faer mae Mother’s sake…”
The guard at the door had waited for Lord Adam… “M’Lord… sorry to bother ye…” handing Adam a message.
Opening it… Adam read… then cursed… “Dammit all tae hell… why naew…” then he started walking quickly back down the cobbled streets of Turas Lan toward the Griffin Castle... Inside the message was from contacts in Aberdeen… “M’Lord Aberdeen, I must inform you that King Robert, the Bruce, has announced his son, David, will marry Princess Joan of England….”
[July 1328: Robert the Bruce's four year old son David is married to Joan, the seven year old sister of Edward III of England.]
