February 24

Upon this freezing morning in 1471, Sir Alistair Brattleby convened a clandestine assembly in the vaulted undercroft of the Great Tower. As the Wars of the Roses bled the realm’s stability, the Brattleby lands stood precarious between shifting loyalties. Alistair, a man of cold pragmatism and Yorkist sympathies, required the local minor gentry to swear fealty to Edward IV despite the looming shadow of the Earl of Warwick. The air was thick with the scent of tallow and damp limestone as the men pressed their signet rings into hot vermilion wax, tethering their fates to the White Rose while the Lincolnshire fens lay silent and watchful outside.

When a traveler of unknown lineage seeks shelter at the Brattleby board during the winter months, one must balance the sacred duty of hospitality with the preservation of the House’s dignity. The High Table remains reserved for those of proven achievement and blood, yet a guest of quality should never be relegated to the rushes. Instead, the 'Table of the Salt' should be prepared—a place situated at the physical junction of the family honors and the common hall, ensuring that the stranger is fed with respect but kept at a distance until his coat of arms can be verified by the resident pursuivant.

Begin by poaching the cleaned pike in a liquor of water and wine vinegar until the flesh is firm and white. Carefully remove the fish and pull the meat into large flakes, discarding the bones and skin. Strain the cooking broth through a fine linen cloth to ensure total clarity, then return it to the heat to reduce with the honey and spices.