"So, how did you and Sesil meet? Seeing you two standing together just now gave me a start."
"It's a long story. I'll tell you the details when we have more time. In short, I was shipwrecked and blown off course. God be praised, I eventually reached Normandy and happened to land at Caen.
I was in a rather terrible state, so I had to seek shelter at a nearby monastery. It turned out to be a convent, and they were very reluctant to take us in. That's why I presented your insignia. I never expected to find a princess in a monastery."
"Is that so? When Mother was pregnant with William, she had a very difficult labor. The old man prayed to God, vowing that if she delivered the child safely, he would dedicate the next one to God. And so, the old man sent Sesil to the monastery when she was just a little girl.
That old man must have been delighted when he saw Sesil was a girl. It meant he had a legitimate excuse to avoid paying a dowry. He's just that selfish."
