Preface
Welcome to the preface, of sorts, to The Badger And The Oak. This story is one taking place in the late High Middle Ages of the Holy Roman Empire, a setting often passed over in favor of grander happenings elsewhere in the world. As such, it is not a hero's tale, but one of deuteragonists Justine and Kaetherlin. To get some things out of the way: no, there is no heterosexual explanation and yes, the story is a slowburn. I understand that patience is always finite, so take these words as a promise that I have no intention of baiting readers. That said, it will take quite some time for our deuteragonists to properly meet. I also have no intention of writing graphic sexual assault into my story despite its obvious presence in less egalitarian times as well our own modern world. There will, of course, be other unpleasant themes such as violence, sickness, death, and homophobia as befitting of the setting. While I am not a historian, I have made a reasonable effort to preserve histo