When recently discussing Bound by an Oath one of my daughters asked me who was my favorite character. I couldn’t immediately answer her. I like most of them. But I did realize one thing that had not been evident to me before – Aethelreda and Fra Paulos are two halves of my own alter ego. Put together, they make the kind of person I would like to be.
Aethelreda is a feisty young Celtic Queen. She is 99% a product of my imagination, and 1% modelled on Boudicca of the Iceni who led her people on a murderous series of raids to try and free themselves from Roman rule. Aethelreda is intelligent, clever, and capable. As she ages throughout the novel she grows in wisdom, and she learns to think through problems before acting on them. Today we might call her an over-thinker, but it works for her!
Fra (brother) Paulos is a Roman monk from Ravenna where there really was a monastery in the fifth century. Paulos is 80% a product of my imagination and 20% based on historical monks like Saint Francis of Assisi, and a monk or two that I have known, personally. He is mature, calm, and devout. The two characters of Aethelreda and Fra Paulos fit together like the yin and yang symbols.
Blaedswith of Wingham is one of the more complicated characters in the book. At the start of the novel she is a collaborator, and she and her deceased husband have grown rich providing silver for the Romans. She has a hard edge to her personality, caused by constantly being at odds with her own people. Not to give any spoilers here, but she has changed significantly by the end of the book!
All of the characters are fictional, except for Popes Innocent and Leo. All of the settings are real, except Lower Combe where the Cantii people live. It is located somewhere on the coast of Kent, near present day Dover.
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