March 15

As the spring thaw coincided with a relentless north-easterly gale, the Witham waters threatened to reclaim the lower Brattleby pastures. Sir Percival Brattleby, then a Captain of the Yorkist rearguard, abandoned his march toward Barnet to command a desperate assembly of tenantry. Under the flickering light of pitch torches, Percival stood waist-deep in the freezing mire, directing the placement of heavy oak timbers and local limestone to reinforce the crumbling sluice gates. His younger brother, Father Thomas, led the women in a rhythmic chant of psalms to steady the rhythm of the shovelers through the grueling midnight hours.

By dawn on the sixteenth, the breach was held, saving three hundred head of prize cattle and the winter wheat crops. This act of local preservation, though it delayed Percival’s arrival at the King’s side, solidified the bond between the House and its people. The 'Ides Wall' still stands today, a moss-covered testament to the night the Brattlebys chose the survival of their soil over the glory of the battlefield, proving that a Baron’s first duty is to the land that sustains his name.

In the presence of the Lord of the Manor, the arrangement of the high table must reflect the precise proximity of blood. When a cadet branch of the House returns for the spring quarter, they are to be seated according to the seniority of their progenitor’s birth, yet never above the direct heir of the primary line, regardless of their worldly titles or military honors. It is a grave breach of etiquette to allow a knight of a secondary branch to supersede a younger son of the presiding Baron, for the sanctity of the direct lineage is the bedrock of our House’s stability.

Furthermore, silence should be observed by all guests until the Baron has broken the bread and shared the salt. When addressing a cadet member, one must use their territorial designation—such as 'Brattleby of South-Wold'—to ensure no confusion arises. Proper deference in seating prevents the slow erosion of order that often precedes the decline of great families; therefore, the Master of the Revels must consult the heraldic rolls before a single chair is drawn.

Clean the lampreys thoroughly, removing the spinal cord which carries a bitter humours. Scald them in boiling water to loosen the skin, then slice into thick medallions. Sauté the pieces lightly in clarified butter with a dusting of ginger and salt until the flesh firms. Prepare a deep coffin of shortcrust pastry, lining the base with a thin layer of seasoned breadcrumbs to absorb the rich juices that will depart the fish during the bake.

For the sauce, simmer red wine vinegar with cinnamon and saffron until the liquid takes on a deep golden hue, then thicken with more breadcrumbs until it coats the back of a silver spoon. Pour this galantine over the lampreys within the pastry walls and fit a heavy lid, crimping the edges tightly. Bake in a bread oven until the crust is the color of a ripened wheat field. This dish is best served lukewarm, allowing the spices to permeate the density of the lamprey meat.