Between Two Queens

Prologue: 1347

In 1347, Hungary was one of the largest and most powerful kingdoms in Europe.  The lands ruled by the king not only consisted of Hungary, but Croatia as well.  The land of Bosnia was in Croatia, and was governed by a ruler known as a Ban.  A Ban ranked roughly somewhere between a duke and a count, and was usually elected instead of hereditary.  However, it was different in Bosnia.  Since 1250, the Kotromanic dynasty ruled the land, and the title "Ban of Bosnia" passed from father to son.  In 1347, Stephen II, grandson of the first Kotromanic Ban ruled Bosnia.  Between Catholic Croatia and Orthodox Serbia, most of the people of Bosnia followed their own church, the Church of Bosnia, which was considered heretical by both the Western and Eastern Churches.  However, in the 1340s, more and more Bosnians were converting to Catholicism.  In 1347, after years of switching between churches, Ban Stephen II finally decided his family shall bow to the Catholic Church.         

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Five children gathered around a hearth.  They had just gotten back from a feast held in celebration for their and their fathers' baptisms.  A man carrying books slowly walked behind them.  The children's nursemaids were sitting on a bench nearby.  The man made his way over to them and bowed.  

"Master Michael! The brightest man in the land has finally agreed to tutor the Kotromanic children?"  One nursemaid said in surprise.  

"Yes. Ban Stephen and his brother, Lord Vladislaus, have finally seen the light and converted to the True Faith, and their children with them.  It is now time to get these children educated, well at least the boys anyways.  As for the girls, they can go to the convent to learn about their new faith, and also learn how to be good Catholic woman."

"But Master, I think Ban Stephen and his brother want their daughters to marry, not become nuns."  said the nursemaid.  

"Yes, I know that.  It is common practice in the Catholic Church to have high-born girls educated at convents, so they will be faithful, obedient wives someday."  

"Actually, the King of Hungary's mother wants the girls to be sent to her court someday."  another nursemaid said.

"Yes, well King Lajos of Hungary is Ban Stephen's overlord.  Actually the Ban is one of his Grace's most powerful vassals.  Of course the royal family will want to see to the Kotromanic children's future, especially that they follow the same faith now."  

"You must be Master Micheal?" Michael turned around to see a girl with long, brown braids standing behind him.  He immediately recognized her as one of the Kotromanic children.

"Yes indeed, my lady."  Michael said.  

"Beta- your father does not want you to interrupt the courtier's conversations!" a boy said.  

"I have the right to ask questions, Tvrtko!  And do not call me Beta!"

The nurse stood up.  "I think it's time the children should get ready for bed.  Take the two little ones up to bed, and I'll fetch a storyteller for the other three until they settle down." the nursemaid said addressing the other.  

The nursemaid grabbed the two smallest children- a boy and a girl by the hand, and led them out of the room.  The other three were crowding around Micheal, asking him questions about his stack of books.  

"Has your father found any suitors for you yet, my lady?", Michael asked the girl who questioned him earlier.  

"Not yet, I'm only eight after all!  He's in no hurry!"  

"There is a storyteller waiting for you in the room over." the nursemaid said to the children, as she turned them away from their new tutor, gesturing for them to go into the next room.  

"Maybe your father will marry you to a king?  How grand will that be?"  Micheal said jokingly to the girl.  She giggled back saying "How wonderful will that be!  But the Kotromanics are so inferior to any royal house, so that can never be..."  The nursemaid grabbed the girl by the shoulder.  "Elizabeta- you heard me the first time.  Go into the next room!"  

Dutifully, the girl curtsied and walked into the other room.  The nursemaid closed the door behind her and headed back to Michael.    

"Oh- forgive me Master, but I was so busy with the children, I forgot to introduce myself!  I'm Ursula- once nursemaid, and now attendant to Ban Stephen's daughter, Elizabeta."  

"So it's Elizabeta who belongs to the Ban.  I heard that he has just one daughter and the other four children belong to his brother."  said Michael.

"Yes. That is correct.  Those other four children- the older boy is Tvrtko, he's seven, that other girl is Maria, she's ten, and the two smaller children who went to bed- are Vuk, five, and Katarina, three.  All of them, except Katarina are currently being educated."

"Is Elizabeta literate?" 

"Yes- well in the Cyrillic script anyways.  She and her cousins can't read or write the Latin alphabet.  The Bosnian Church- which they just left, did not use Latin.  All of it's masses and teachings were in Serbian."

"And all of it's masses were outdoors." continued Michael.  "It was almost like a pagan religion.  Hopefully it will fade away now since the Ban and his family have converted.  Oh- and is Elizabeta his heir also?"

"Well, it depends on the day.  Some days the Ban says he will leave Bosnia to Elizabeta.  Other days he says he will leave it to his nephew, Tvrtko.  But if it does go to Elizabeta, she would need a suitable husband who will be the real ruler of the land."

"Yes, always the man who is the real ruler."  Michael said.  "Elizabeta can really benefit from a convent education.  I just met her, but I can already tell that she has dreams.  She could grow up to covet her husband's power!"

"Yes."  Ursula said.  "That's what being her father's only child does to her.  Whatever her future holds, she will be no meek woman, that's for sure!"   

"Has she a mother?" asked Michael?

"Her mother died two years ago.  She currently is in the care of Jelena- Vladisluas' wife and mother to the other children, save Maria.  She was born from an earlier relationship" 

"Even though the Ban is growing old, he could still remarry and father a son."

"Well, he's thought about that.  But he just wants to think about strengthening Bosnia now.  It has always been hard to find a desirable wife for him, since he followed a heretical religion.  Not many powerful lords wanted their womenfolk wed to a heretic."

"It's good for Elizabeta, too. I think that now since she's baptized, it will make her a more desirable bride for a foreign lord."

Ursula sighed.  Elizabeta was growing up so fast.  She no longer wanted to call Ursula a nurse, but an attendant instead.  But Elizabeta was like a daughter for Ursula, who had no children of her own.  She had served Elizabeta since the day she was born.  She knew one day she would have to marry, but would Ursula be ready to hand over Elizabeta, and more importantly, would Elizabeta be ready for what lies ahead?