March 16

Upon this damp morning in late Lent, Sir Percival Brattleby, weary from the lingering ache of an arrow-wound sustained at Agincourt's precursor skirmishes, gathered the tenantry beneath the Great Oak. In a rare gesture of seigneurial clemency triggered by a Narrow Escape from a hunting accident the week prior, he affixed his green wax seal to a parchment granting three families of swineherds their freedom. The air was thick with the scent of wet bracken and the nervous anticipation of men who had known only the soil of the demesne for generations. Young Thomas the Tanner acted as witness, his steady hand guiding the quill for those who could only make their mark with a cross.

Lady Elenor Brattleby watched from the solar window, her rosary clicking against the stone sill as she observed this reshaping of their feudal geography. While the granting of liberty was seen by some neighbors as a weakening of the estate, Sir Percival viewed it as a strategic planting of loyalty in a shifting political tide. The day concluded not with a feast, for the fast of Lent was strict, but with a distribution of salt-herring and rye bread among the new freemen, cementing a bond of gratitude that would see the House through the coming agrarian unrest of the century.

When a traveling friar or an unbeneficed clerk seeks hospitality within the Great Hall, one must navigate the delicate hierarchy of the salt with precision. It is a common error to seat such men of learning too low, yet to place them above a landed squire is to invite silent rebellion among the gentry. The Chronicler advises that a separate side-board, draped in clean linen, be prepared near the hearth. This acknowledges their spiritual status while maintaining the secular order of the bloodline.

Ensure that during the discourse, the Baron addresses the clerk first on matters of philosophy, but the Knight first on matters of the chase. In this manner, the House of Brattleby demonstrates both its piety and its practical mastery of the social fabric. Neglecting the clerk's comfort is a sign of a boorish house; over-exalting him is a sign of a weak one. Balance is the sovereign virtue in the management of the hall's geography and the distribution of the pottage.

Begin by poaching the pike whole in a broth sharpened with verjuice and steeped with saffron until the flesh is firm and golden. Once cooled, carefully remove the skin and bones, flaking the white meat into a ceramic bowl. In a separate mortar, grind the almonds with rose water and honey until a thick, creamy paste forms, mimicking the richness of dairy butter which is forbidden during this holy season of abstinence.

Layer the flaked fish with the almond cream in a decorative mold, alternating with sprinklings of currants and the pungent heat of the grains of paradise. Press the mixture firmly and set it in the cool buttery overnight. When turned out upon a pewter charger, the dish should stand proud and resilient. Serve with toasted wafers of manchet bread to the senior members of the household, ensuring the spices are evenly distributed to signify the host's wealth and devotion.