Danielle Fights for the Manoir de Barbaric

Chapter 1: Introduction (Note: The Story Begins in Chapter 2)

This potential what if story assumes that Prince Henry married Princess Gabriella and the story begins as soon as Danielle escapes from Monsieur le Pieu. After escaping from le Pieu, Danielle attempts to reclaim the Manoir de Barbarac.

In a battle with Rodmilla de Ghent for the Manoir de Barbarac, Danielle has a lot going for her. She has proven to be resourceful, intelligent, and brave in (1) saving Maurice by facing the wagon master and challenged Prince Henry to do the right thing, (2) standing up to the Gypsy leader and rescuing Prince Henry, and (3) confronting Monsieur le Pieu to win her freedom.

Danielle also has a strong claim to the Manoir de Barbaric as indicated below.

Concerning allodial land: Allodial land, or allodium, is literally land which has no lord. The holder of allodial land would owe no obligations, as owner of the land, to anyone else

2. If the father and mother be not living, let brother and sister succeed.

Fully heritable children were the offspring of a legal marriage between freeborn parents. A legal marriage was one where a series of specific rites were performed and payments were exchanged between kindreds. The usual legal series was: a betrothal agreement between families; betrothal feast; marriage within a specified time; marriage before witnesses; and an exchange of dower, dowry, and morning after gift. Offspring of a full legal marriage alliance were fully heritable. The legal intention was that those children had first claim to a parent's estate.

27. If any freeman shall die intestate, his chattels shall be distributed by the hands of his nearest kinsfolk and friends, under supervision of the church, saving to every one the debts which the deceased owed to him.

C.71. And if anyone depart this life intestate, be it through his neglect, be it through sudden death; then let not the lord draw more from his property than his lawful heriot. And according to his direction, let the property be distributed very justly to the wife and children and relations, to every one according to the degree that belongs to him.

And Concerning successions: From the Magna Carta

C.l. (Antiqua). Let sisters succeed equally with brothers to the inheritance of the parents. If a father or mother die intestate, let the sisters with the brothers succeed to the inheritance of each parent in equal division without any objection.

C.2. (Antiqua). The children are first in the succession of an inheritance. In the inheritance of him who dies intestate the children are first: if there are no children, the inheritance goes to the grandchildren; if there are no grandchildren, the great-grandchildren are called to the inheritance; but if he who dies leave neither children, grandchildren, father, nor mother, then the grandfather or grandmother will establish the inheritance for themselves.

Also, as the Anna story below shows, Danielle would be able to defend those rights within legal institutions and gain popular support which was very important in the outcome of a case.

Anna (1496-1552) was the daughter of Hermann Buschler, a prominent citizen who had even been the burgermeister of the German town of Schwabisch Hall, within the Holy Roman Empire. As a youth, Anna had simultaneous affairs with a young local nobleman, Erasmus Schenk of Limpurg, and a cavalryman named Daniel Treutwein. Anna's father became so upset at discovering these affairs that he deprived her of most of her inheritance. A scandalized woman, Anna fought in the Hall legal system for decades, eventually winning back some of her inheritance.

Anna's story suggests a rather empowered woman, largely thanks to a Germanic legal tradition which accorded women basic rights which kept men from treating them like "chattel" (Western Heritage, 203). Anna did face difficulties, particularly the fact that as an unprofessional single woman, she needed a male to represent her in court (Burgermeister's Daughter, 111). Had she been a professional woman with marketable skills though, Anna would have received "proper legal status", evidence of some amount of gender egalitarianism.

Furthermore, the story of Anna's battle for her inheritance reveals a great deal about popular opinion. Anna, a known fornicator, initially lost her case. Instead of meekly accepting this ruling, she next sued the city of Hall itself. Eventually, public opinion turned against the once-popular Herman Buschler for his treatment of Anna, and he ultimately lost his position as burgermeister (Burgermeister's Daughter 119-121). Anna's story shows that women did have some rights, and that they also had, at least in this case, the ability to defend those rights within legal institutions. Even more important is evidence of public opinion--instead of siding against Anna as a disobedient daughter causing trouble for her family, Hall's citizens actually sided with Anna against her father. In this, both daughter's obedience to father and woman's obedience to man were turned on their heads, revealing that regardless of religious doctrines of male supremacy, life among laypeople was much more complex.

In addition, Danielle would have a very strong benefactor in Signore Leonardo da Vinci and the testimony of Maurice, Paulette, Louise, and Gustave plus perhaps other dismissed servants would establish that Augusta's intention was for Danielle to receive the Manoir de Barbaric.

And finally, the actions of Rodmilla would work in Danielle's favor. (1) The Manoir de Barbaric at the time of Auguste's death was prosperous with fifteen servants. Rodmilla used up the wealth of the manoir for herself and two daughters until there was only three servants plus Danielle and, Danielle not only didn't share in the wealth, she was utilized as a servant. (2) Rodmilla did not pay Danielle and underpaid the other servants, and therefore they and Danielle could use the legal system to collect the indebtedness or claim the indebtedness voided any claim she might have to the manoir. And (3) Danielle was born a free person and a woman was considered to be an adult at fifteen. Therefore, she was not the property of Rodmilla's to sell. Even if Rodmilla was not punished for the apparent crime, her actions would turn public opinion against her. That, in turn, would aid Danielle in the legal system.

However, Rodmilla would be a formidable opponent. (1) Rodmilla has some advantages by being a Baroness since nobles were given some deference over commoners, (2) she already was known to have possession of the manoir, (3) she was smart, cunning, and ruthless, and (4) Widowhood gave women their husband's lands and authority as shown below.

Widowhood was the saving grace of most unhappy marriages in the Middle Ages. Widowhood gave women their husband's lands and authority. Even though women were the childbearers and rearers, only when widowed did women have a role in the inheritance of land.(Mundy 211).Women could then inherit and bequeath land but could not sit in Parliament (Coulton 617). The rights of widows are even discussed in the Magna Carta. It declares that widows did not need to marry again if they did not want to (Cipolla 59). It is fair to say that women gained not only wealth but freedom as a result of their husbands' deaths.

My conclusion is the first priority, "Widowhood gave women their husband's lands and authority," would be given to Rodmilla de Ghent since a stepparent is still a parent. The second priority, "If the father and mother be not living, let brother and sister succeed," means the right of Danielle to inherit would normally be inferior to those of Rodmilla.

Clearly, if Danielle hopes to be awarded the sole heir to the Manoir de Barbarac, she is going to need to overcome Rodmilla's strong legal position.