In the year 1299, as the 14th century loomed, Europe found itself engulfed in a storm of religious fervor and social upheaval. Fear of an impending apocalypse gripped the hearts of many, driving some to abandon moral contemplation altogether, surrendering instead to the chaos of drunken revelry and debauchery. Amidst this turmoil, devout Christians sought ways to cleanse their souls in anticipation of Judgment Day. Visionaries like Father Paul urged sinners to retreat from the world, embracing prayer, meditation, and self-denial as shields against the allure of temptation. Meanwhile, Father Gregory advocated walking the path of redemption through confession, prayer, and acts of penance, such as embarking on a pilgrimage to sacred sites. Burdened by their own transgressions, Lady Elenor of Ramsay Castle and Sir Thomas Thornham took up the confessions of Thornham villagers, journeying to the revered shrine of Saint James at Santiago de Compostela to prepare spiritually for the uncertain future ahead.

The relentless Holy War between Christians and Muslims, known as the Crusades, had ended in a stalemate, leaving Christian crusaders defeated and disheartened. Many returned home, spirits crushed, while others, morphing into mercenaries, roamed Europe as marauding forces, sowing terror and chaos. Thomas Thornham, upon returning from these wars, was a man plagued by the futility of lost lives and guilt from his mercenary exploits. Haunted by his past, he confessed to his priest his defiance of the feudal obligations laid upon him: obey his father’s command to wed the young Elenor and manage the lives of the peasants under his dominion at Ramsay Castle and Thornham village.

In the maneuvering game of power and property, noble marriages were meticulously orchestrated by parents or guardians. Young girls of title and fortune were commodities, traded to seal alliances. Many such girls faced marriages to strangers, only to perish in childbirth. Elenor’s own mother succumbed during childbirth, leaving Elenor with a deep-seated dread of marriage and motherhood. When Guerrard Ramsay failed to pay his levy (scutage) to the Earl of Leicester, Sir Robert Thornham took over Ramsay Castle and Thornham, paying the debt and arranging for a marriage between the young Elenor and his son Thomas to merge their domains. With Ramsay’s passing, Sir Robert assumed guardianship over Elenor.

Elenor, now fourteen, and Thomas, aged twenty-two, found themselves caught in a reluctant engagement. To Thomas, Elenor remained a "brat," and to her, he was still the tyrant who once imprisoned her in the chicken coop. Neither wished to fulfill the marriage pact. Father Gregory proposed a pilgrimage, urging them to travel as chaste companions, delaying their marital decision. He believed the pilgrimage, blending movement with prayer, could help resolve their inner and spiritual conflicts.

As the 13th century drew to a close, the feudal system showed signs of decay. During the prolonged absences of knights and vassals, peasants and merchants gained newfound independence. Their toil sustained life in a grim and destitute world, and many peasant women took on traditional male roles, even forging new families. Returning Crusaders were met with indifference, their services unneeded by a society that no longer relied on knights for protection. In Thornham, people turned to vice, engaging in drunken brawls and debauchery to escape their woes, exacerbating the chaos. Father Gregory, seeking redemption for the villagers, proposed that Elenor and Thomas take the confessions of Ramsay-Thornham’s people to Santiago de Compostela. By bringing back a scallop shell as a token of absolution, they hoped to usher in a new chapter with renewed hope for the century ahead.