• Knight diary
    Ashley Bucholtz

    Hello, my name is Jasper. I am a knight in the castle. I have many responsibilities and rewards to being a knight. I was told by my teacher some time ago that keeping a book with my own words in it is a good habit. He gave me my first book many years ago, while I was still a squire. Since then I have filled up at least five books and in the first entry of each one I always tell of my life and how I got to be a knight. While I was a squire the knight that taught me had said that I was to grow up to be a great knight. His wife also said that I was a great writer. She is the one who convinced him to let me keep a journal. My lord, Edward, has given me a new book to write in every time I run out of room. He likes the idea of me marking my path through life. I am his favorite knight. He told me so himself only just a month ago. He has made me the highest knight and given me all the great honors. He said that if Mathilda, his wife, were ever to not have a child that he would make sure the nobles ahead of him knew that he wanted me to be in charge. He loves me like his own son and he always has. I know that I am getting ahead of myself so I will start at the beginning. When I was born my parents knew that I was to become a knight and they set it up with the lord so that I was to have a knight to teach me. The day I turned seven, my mother shipped me off to live with Master Sanku. He taught me many things as I was a page even though I know he should not have started until I was fourteen. His wife taught me to read and every night as I waited the table made me spell the words that she said before I got to place down the food. After dinner each night she would take out a piece of paper the lord gave them and write words and made me tell her what they were. While I was nine and ten the words were things like “Cat” or “house. When I became eleven the words were much harder. The words were more like “salary” and “beautiful”. Even as I got older they got harder. When I turned thirteen Master Sanku started to teach me to ride a horse. It was fun learning, even though I fell off many times. He also taught me to hunt and how to properly use weapons. When I turned fourteen Master Sanku accepted me as a squire and he started to really teach me things. He taught me the care of weapons. How to make sure they did not get grime on them and to keep sharp knives. He also told me one very important thing; always wipe your blade on the grass after a fight. That would make sure no blood got stuck onto the sword. I had to serve as his bodyguard and his assistant. I would accompany him everywhere. He would tell me things about the places we went to. Once we went far out, beyond Amabilisaedes to a land called Normandy. There he told me about the different people living there and how they went about life. When we visited the castle he would tell me what all of the rooms were and he would tell me who lived in them and what they did for a living. I learned many things about other knights and the lords, also the bakers and shoemakers. Sanku taught me how to wield swords and he taught me the main pressure points on the body. We would go out to the yard and we would challenge each other. I remember that he always won but as I learnt more he won by less and less. I figure now if I challenged him I would beat him.
    When I was more around the age of sixteen he told me of the king, Famine, and what he had to do. He had always just left out the king before. He also made me do more things on a horse including jumping and riding through trees. We would have races through the forest and sometimes he would get some of the other nights and squires to accompany us. After a while our races turned into javelin contests. Trying to see who could stay on their horse the longest. I won every single one of those contests.
    As I came closer to the age of my knighting Sanku taught me of the code of chivalry. He told me I better not be one of the knights who do not listen to the code or else he will have my head. I reckon he was just joshing me but ever since then I have always obeyed the code. The code was that I will be Brave, Generous, and Truthful. I am to protect the women of the church as well as the children. I am to love the church and do all in my power to strengthen it.
    The code had never said anything about Peasants or serfs but by the time for my knighting there was a law passed that said no more mistreating of the peasants will come from the knights. Even before that law I had always been nice, if not loving to every peasant I saw.
    Now is the time I will tell of when I got knighted. It was the day after I turned twenty-one that the knighting was to happen. The night before I fasted and prayed in the church for the whole night. In the morning I was cleansed and dressed and brought to the priest. He then went through the ceremony. He dressed me in the white gown, the white belt, and other clothing garments. Then the Lord came in and armed me with my sword passed down from my father. He then prayed for the sword and dubbed me on either shoulder. After that we prayed and I was dismissed. Now as a knight I serve in the lord’s army and I battle alongside my former teacher. The lord says I have great potential still. I am the head knight and I am proud. I, Jasper, head knight of Amabilisaedes serve and protect our land. I protect the lord, the king, and also the peasants from siege. Never will another knight get past me and continue the kill on our land. I will now end this entry, with my regards, have a nice day and I will write more in the future. May god be with you, forever and ever. I bid you farewell.

    Head Knight Jasper