A broken promise. A bitter conflict. And a woman’s elusive chance to love or die. 1458. Young Frenchwoman Estelle de Montavon sails to Cyprus imagining a bright future as tutor to a princess. Instead, she is betrayed by those she loves most—and forced into a dangerous new world of scheming courtiers, vicious power struggles, and the
terrifying threat of war.
In 2020, I began the Sea and Stone Chronicles, a new series about ordinary people living under the rule of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St. John in medieval Rhodes, Greece. As I delved into books and articles about the knights, I learned they had a long history in Cyprus, too. In fact, one of the historical figures I planned to write about, Grand Master Jacques de Milly, had spent part of his career in Cyprus. Curious, I dug deeper.
I was astonished to learn a teenaged, widowed queen had ruled Cyprus for a moment in time during the exact era of my research. In 1458, fifteen-year-old Queen Charlotta took the throne alone, held off her power-hungry half-brother’s massive siege and—when her second husband Louis of Savoy proved a weak leader—sailed around the Mediterranean entreating allies to help save her crown. Furthermore, she was in Rhodes visiting Jacques de Milly when he died in the summer of 1461.
When I unearthed the fact that, several years later, Queen Charlotta had her infant son interred in Jacques de Milly’s tomb, I became even more intrigued. Though the histories don’t reveal much about either of these leaders’ personal lives, this detail sprang out at me. Whatever their relationship had been like, she chose to bury her only child alongside him. I imagine her husband, King Louis, had no say in the matter. He was not in Rhodes at the time.
At that moment I knew I had to write about this woman and her world. I chose to tell Queen Charlotta’s story through the eyes of fictional Estelle, daughter of a falconer. She’s a character who has inhabited my heart since I first wrote a story starring her in an anthology a few years ago, and she plays a minor role in my novel Island of Gold.
Estelle became a skilled scribe in childhood, and developed a talent for languages once she arrived in Rhodes from France with her family. Plus, as a French-born person, she offered value to the Lusignan court of Cyprus, which was steadily losing touch with its French roots all through the late medieval era. This became especially apparent in the mid-fifteenth century, after King Jean married Queen Eleni Palaiologina, who turned the court rapidly Greek.
Though their daughter Charlotta grew up for all intents and purposes a Greek girl in her mother’s apartments, she had to communicate with her husbands and potential allies in French. By all accounts, her French was terrible. The need for trusted interpreters only grew stronger as civil war loomed between the queen and her half-brother. While Estelle is fictitious, the royal court of Cyprus depended on skilled interpreters and scribes to carry out its diplomatic work, and there were undoubtedly people like Estelle working closely with the queen.
During the medieval era of the Lusignan kings. Cyprus was a true melting pot and a magnet for travelers. French was the language of high administration while Latin was used for writing trade contracts. The locals spoke a blend of Greek, French, Arabic, and Italian (all essential for trade). I refer to this language in the book as “the Cypriot dialect”. By the fifteenth century, Cypriots who claimed French roots used an oddly accented, archaic French of the middle ages. Travelers visiting the island in that era from France could not understand them. This is why Estelle’s status as a French-born person was so unusual in the Cypriot court, as was her ability to speak, read, and write the French that Westerners used.
In The Queen’s Scribe, Estelle’s language skills become as valuable as gold when the royal court retreats to Kyrenia Fortress and a civil war begins between the queen and her half-brother, Jacco. When the queen crosses the Mediterranean Sea beseeching allies for help, Estelle is at her side, witnessing every triumph and every disaster along the way.
I hope that by shining a light on this extraordinary queen whose ambition and courage burned bright for a few short years in the fifteenth century, The Queen’s Scribe builds awareness of a woman of power who has been lost in the mists of time.
Estelle became a skilled scribe in childhood, and developed a talent for languages once she arrived in Rhodes from France with her family. Plus, as a French-born person, she offered value to the Lusignan court of Cyprus, which was steadily losing touch with its French roots all through the late medieval era. This became especially apparent in the mid-fifteenth century, after King Jean married Queen Eleni Palaiologina, who turned the court rapidly Greek.
Queen Eleni and her daughters
Though their daughter Charlotta grew up for all intents and purposes a Greek girl in her mother’s apartments, she had to communicate with her husbands and potential allies in French. By all accounts, her French was terrible. The need for trusted interpreters only grew stronger as civil war loomed between the queen and her half-brother. While Estelle is fictitious, the royal court of Cyprus depended on skilled interpreters and scribes to carry out its diplomatic work, and there were undoubtedly people like Estelle working closely with the queen.
Kyrenia Church Ruins
During the medieval era of the Lusignan kings. Cyprus was a true melting pot and a magnet for travelers. French was the language of high administration while Latin was used for writing trade contracts. The locals spoke a blend of Greek, French, Arabic, and Italian (all essential for trade). I refer to this language in the book as “the Cypriot dialect”. By the fifteenth century, Cypriots who claimed French roots used an oddly accented, archaic French of the middle ages. Travelers visiting the island in that era from France could not understand them. This is why Estelle’s status as a French-born person was so unusual in the Cypriot court, as was her ability to speak, read, and write the French that Westerners used.
In The Queen’s Scribe, Estelle’s language skills become as valuable as gold when the royal court retreats to Kyrenia Fortress and a civil war begins between the queen and her half-brother, Jacco. When the queen crosses the Mediterranean Sea beseeching allies for help, Estelle is at her side, witnessing every triumph and every disaster along the way.
I hope that by shining a light on this extraordinary queen whose ambition and courage burned bright for a few short years in the fifteenth century, The Queen’s Scribe builds awareness of a woman of power who has been lost in the mists of time.
Amy Maroney
Amy Maroney studied English Literature at Boston University and worked for many years as a writer and editor of nonfiction. She lives in Oregon, U.S.A. with her family. When she’s not diving down research rabbit holes, she enjoys hiking, dancing, traveling, and reading. Amy is the author of The Miramonde Series, an award-winning historical fiction trilogy about a Renaissance-era female artist and the modern-day scholar on her trail. Her new historical suspense series, Sea and Stone Chronicles, is set in medieval Rhodes and Cyprus. Find out more from Amy's website: https://www.amymaroney.com/ and find her on Facebook and Twitter @wilaroney
# # #
About the Author
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you for commenting