Sicilia 1240 – Nina
If a noble Sicilian girl had brothers, she could acquire an education in the same manner as a dog found scraps under the table. Happily for Nina’s education, she did have brothers, and she gobbled up the scraps that came her way, making herself invisible in a corner of the room where her brothers were being tutored.
Latin was necessary but usually tedious, with its histories, battles and clever mudslinging. The scraps also included Greek, of course, for their island’s landscape was the battlefield of ancient heroes, the place where Odysseus blinded the one-eyed giant and where followers of Dionysus drank themselves into a sacred alcoholic stupor.
Nina suspected her parents would be none too pleased at their sons receiving the latter example, given the natural inclinations of boys with wealth and opportunity. For her own part, having seen her brothers in a fug of Dionysian hilarity, she saw little attraction in being simultaneously deprived of your wits and convinced of your wittiness.
The best lessons were when the tutor, Signor Marco, forgot his charges and his duty to provide a classical education, and indulged in his passion for troubadour poetry. What he called the real troubadour poetry, which had travelled to northern Italy from Provence, then to Sicilia, courtesy of Signor Marco. Nobody else understood a word he declaimed but the sound of the Provençal language had a music that transported Nina’s soul, even before Signor Marco translated the meaning. (read more)
FATE offers tales of history, mystery, and magic—sometimes all three. From Anglo-Saxon conquest to the pursuit of alchemy, from ghostly warnings to hidden identities, these short stories explore the threads of destiny that bind us all. You’ll meet mothers, invaders and long-lost lovers, time travellers and vengeful spirits, each navigating a world where fate plays its hand. Whether you crave historical depth, puzzling mystery, or fantastical wonder, there’s a story here for you.
Available on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited and Paperback
