A Crusader with System in the Middle Ages

’Are they happy about the union between Tuscan and the Normans, or are they already plotting a rebellion?’

’Are they happy for her, or are they filled with doubt?’

Regardless, she would do everything in her power to hold onto Tuscan, crush all the rebels, and mercifully hang a few of the ringleaders.

It would take time, but she firmly believed that Tuscan belonged to her—and would be entirely hers.

She glanced over, then looked away, lifting her chin to focus on the altar’s soft glow.

Pope Gregory VII stood before the altar. He was not a tall man, and his skin was dark. His features were severe, his cheekbones square; his entire face looked like a canvas filled with straight lines and right angles.

He rarely smiled and almost never revealed his small, even teeth. Only the cleft in his chin softened his features somewhat. It was a true face of the Middle Ages, a living portrait of Judgment Day.

Even his body was blocky like a stone, giving an impression of obstinance rather than vigor.

Pope Gregory VII disliked luxury for luxury’s sake. Though his white robes seemed plain, they were brought to life by a gold-and-red embroidered stole, filling the entire sanctuary with an aura of majesty. He presided over the wedding and the mass, his every gesture and movement imbued with solemnity.

He knew that magnificent vestments and majestic palaces could inspire joy for the gospel of God in the hearts of the people—a joy that must be like a surging, endless tide.

He understood that even those whose souls had been purified would still be awestruck by the magnificent, worldly adornments of God within the Church of the Lord of Heaven.

The Pope himself was the vicar of Jesus Christ on Earth, the absolutely infallible and highly respected pontiff—a truth the common people believed without question.

The Kings and Princes, however, were not nearly so devout.

The faith of the Nobility had to be purchased with gold and jewels, silks and brocades. They could only be persuaded by the enormous bishop’s miter on the Pope’s head, the magnificent pendants on his robes, and the gold and silver embroidery on his vestments and Cloak.

But today was not a formal diplomatic occasion, and Gregory wanted to be more at ease.

His dear friend, Gerard’s Otto, stood behind him, dressed in magnificent, jewel-embroidered bishop’s robes.

Eric wore a blue silk robe. It should have been embroidered with his family crest, but Eric was not fond of it, so the robe was blank, merely trimmed with gold thread at the edges, which looked somewhat strange.

When Matilda joined him at the steps of the altar, she saw how Eric was dressed and, for some reason, let out a sigh of relief.

At the very spot where they met, sunlight poured through a Church window, bathing her and Eric in a slanted, clear, golden shaft of light.

He removed his gloves and offered his hand, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly in greeting. His palm was much larger than Matilda’s, and a strange thought suddenly popped into her head: ’If he were to suddenly slap me, my face would probably change color.’

She gave her head a little shake, casting the strange notion from her mind, and placed her right hand in his.

Then they knelt together and bowed their heads.

To Matilda’s surprise, the communion wine was held in the wedding gift she had given Eric the day before: a beautiful crystal vase.

Pope Gregory began his questions:

”Are you of legal age to marry?”

”Are you within the degrees of kinship forbidden to marry?”

”Do your parents consent to this marriage?”

”Have the banns of marriage been announced three times?”

”Does anyone object to your marriage?”

Eric and Matilda answered each question in turn.

”Before me, please tell me: are you willing to be joined as husband and wife?”

After receiving their answer, Gregory looked at Eric. ”Please, make your vow to your wife. God will grace this wedding from the Celestial Realm, and He will bless this marriage.”

Eric knelt on one knee, pressing his forehead against Matilda’s fingertips. ”With God as my witness, I will protect her, ensure her health, and shield her from disaster, forever. I swear this on my faith in God and on my own honor.”

Gerard’s Otto came forward, holding the Bible, upon which rested a gold ring. After praying over the ring, he sprinkled it with Holy Water as was custom, intoning, ”May the Creator and Protector of all mankind, the generous Giver, the eternal God, bless this ring.”

Eric then took the ring. He placed it on Matilda’s left index finger, then her middle finger, and finally settled it on her ring finger, saying:

”In the name of the Holy Father, the Holy Son, and the Holy Spirit,

With this ring, I thee wed,

With my body, I thee worship,

And with all my worldly goods, I thee endow.”

According to tradition, the ring was to be worn until the end of one’s life on the finger the groom ultimately chose. In reality, after placing the ring on each of the three fingers of the left hand in succession, the groom could choose any of those three for its final resting place.

As the wine, with its metallic taste, spread across her tongue, she heard Gregory begin the final pronouncement that declared the marriage official.

She felt as though she was being bound into this marriage, even helping her own captor tie the knots. The feeling came upon her as she accepted the blood of the Savior and promised to obey Eric in all things.