In the years near 1000 A.D., the Vikings and their king, Sweyn Forkbeard, constantly attack Engla-lond. A weak king, Ethelred II, rules the Anglo-Saxons. He tries to pay off each Viking attack with a steep tax called the "Danegald," but again and again the pagans return. A masked vigilante called the Golden Cross tries to aid the people of Engla-lond and rally them to warfare, but this rebel is constantly way-laid by the king’s most trusted advisor, Eadric Streona. Eadric Streona, Ealdorman of Mercia, is a charming master of the king's court who always manages to get what he wants; but what he wants remains a mystery to all.
Ten short stories explore this setting through the eyes of ten different characters: from a blushing maid and bold mother to a daring soldier, an unready king, and many others. Some characters are fictional, but most are real figures of history. Altogether, the Lost Tales introduce the people who will fight, love, and betray each other until the rightful king claims the throne of Engla-lond in the complementary novel, "Eadric the Grasper."
While interconnected by the novel and each other, each story stands independently as a snapshot into this ancient world. You can read or download the stories individually (and in any order you so choose) on my blog, or you can download one ebook of all ten. If you prefer paperback, it is available for order online.
Golde the Mother
The First Lost Tale introduces the mother of Eadric Streona. It sheds light on Eadric's strange childhood, and raises the question of who fathered the boy who would become notorious as one of the most treacherous men in England.
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Ethelred the King
This haunting short story illustrates the scandalous circumstances surrounding Ethelred's rise to power at the age of eleven, and shows why the entire reign of so-called "Ethelred the Unready" seems to have been cursed.
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Aydith the Aetheling
Aydith's story is that of a young aetheling who, despite her royal blood, can get no one to listen to her willful opinions. With the encouragement of a kind hearth companion named Hastings, perhaps she will find another way to help her ill-fated country.
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Athelward the Historian
Lord Athelward, an ealdorman who also wants to write history, finds his peace of mind disturbed when a strange woman named Golde and her young son Eadric show up on his doorstep with a ridiculous proposal.
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Alfgifu the Orphan
Aydith's story is that of a young aetheling who, despite her royal blood, can get no one to listen to her willful opinions. With the encouragement of a kind hearth companion named Hastings, perhaps she will find another way to help her ill-fated country.
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Hastings the Hearth Companion
A royal hearth companion named Hastings fights on the front lines of battle for duty and the Golden Cross, but he entertains unrealistic notions of how his mistress, Aetheling Aydith, might reward him.
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Hildred the Maid
In the year 1005 A.D., a terrible famine strikes Engla-lond. When a poor young woman named Hildred grows desperate enough to break the law for her survival, a rising thegn named Eadric takes her fate in his hands.
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Canute the Viking
As a teenager, Canute struggles to find his place among a fortress of Jomsvikings and the differing religions surrounding them. An unexpected relationship with another Jomsviking, forbidden by the Christians, may force him to choose.
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Runa the Wife
Runa expects to live her entire life isolated in the woods until she meets Thorkell the Tall. She tries to conform to society through a traditional marriage, but at a very high cost to them both.
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Edmund the Aetheling
In the tenth and final Lost Tale, young prince Edmund suspects a plot against his father's life. He turns to his siblings, Aydith and Aethelstan, for help, but King Ethelred heeds none of them. Will they ever find someone they can trust?
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