A New Dawn for Bertha

Bertha's Tale - episode 4

A creative retelling, based on truth but not intended to be read as historical fact.

Bertha’s Voice 
c. A.D. 580 
Canterbury, Kent

Bertha slipped off her horse as they paused outside the crumbling city walls; somehow it didn’t feel right to parade through a city so marked by decay. She rubbed his neck affectionately and rested her head on his cheek. He had been a good companion these past few days. Nuzzling in, she took a deep breath before straightening herself into the posture of a queen. Taking on this persona would take some getting used to: it was so far from the quiet, simple life of an aristocratic abbess that she had dreamed of. She had accepted her fate, and would allow herself to be shaped into the person God had created her to be, but she would need to perform, as it were, for a while until her mind caught up with the reality of her new role.

A brusque voice snapped her from her mental wanderings. “The palace is only a short walk from here, hlæfdige.¹ Would you like one of the men to take your horse?”

She gripped the reins imperceptibly tighter. “No, thank you. I can manage.” Her fingers ached with the cold. “Let’s be on our way. They will be waiting for us.”

He tilted his head in respectful acknowledgement. “Of course, hlæfdige.” She appreciated the title he used to address her.