THE SHIELD OF LOCKSLEY

CHAPTER 27

As you know, this is paywalled…

Just saying that so you don’t get too mad at me. I mean, don’t you hate it when you start reading and just get into it, and then that big orange block shows up and you can’t go any further? Yeah, I hate it too. That’s why I always tell you in the beginning. It’s also why I write this piece so you’ll have an idea of what’s going on.

So let me tell you what’s going on here. This is the part where history and myth combine and get confused. As far as I know, there was no War with Rome. But there is in Mallory’s Le Morte D’Arthur. The problem with that, was how was I going to make it all work? I had to have Roman Ambassadors on their way to see Arthur, but on the way, stop off and see Modred.

And that’s for two reasons.

One of the reasons is that Modred wants to start a war, and use the Pope as his tool. He feels he can gather an army of scattered Pict tribes beyond the Wall, and with the Pope’s armies, defeat Arthur and take the throne. Then he can turn on the Papal army and throw them out of Briton.

The other reason, is that he can get rid of Grummer who seems to be the brains of his little conclave of knights — that being Bedivere and Lamorak, and now young Locksley. He can do this by killing the Pagan interpreter of the Roman Ambassador. The only other person Arthur trusts enough to act as translator is Grummer. Without Grummer there to control Lamorak, it will be easier to trap him and kill him.

So how did I figure all of this out? Well, I used ChatGPT. I asked for the names of famous Catholics of the day, and was directed to a few saints that lived in Briton at the time. And then I asked who the Pope was. Imagine my elation when I discovered that the Pope died in the very year this story is taking place. I could have a conspiracy, and resolve it, and everything would all fall into place, as if it were somehow serendipity.

You see? That’s what you use Ai for. You ask for the name of the Pope in the year 523, or whatever, and work your way around it.

That’s what makes this story so different from all the others. The politics and back-stabbing all seem to fit and make sense. The Knights have history. Grummer and Bedivere went to Rome and fought there for some petty kings. Bedivere got injured and was laid up for almost a year. During that time, Grummer learned to read, write, and speak Latin. He discovered the writings of Marcus Aurelius.

But hey, you’re not going to know that if you don’t up-grade. I can’t tell you everything that happens. This is just a small part of the chapter. The rest deals with Locksley, and Gwenellyn — yeah, she’s still in the story — as is Brennis, Locksley’s young Squire. And Palomides is off to fetch his niece…and that’s all I dare tell you.