Summary

The Prologue sets up the scene. The story opened shortly after Christmas day, 1386. King Charles VI of France was 18-years-old. He was among thousands of spectators gathered to watch the duel between Jean de Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris, two knights squaring off in a battle until death. The two were locked in a feud, telling different versions of events. Everyone knew God would allow the truthful knight to prevail. There were guards around a woman dressed all in black who would die unless “her champion” won.

Part One opens with Chapter 1, titled “Carrouges.” The author describes the overall setting during the 1300s. At the time of the duel, France had been embroiled in conflict for 150 years. England invaded in 1339, beginning the Hundred Years' War. Then, France fought a brutal civil war as peasants attacked the wealthy. A plague struck in 1348, killing a...