Chapter 1
400 AD Hungary
Alexander Corvinus was pacing impatiently around the chamber. His wife had been in labor for over a day and it was not going well. The midwives were worried and tried to hide it form the warlord. The year had been hard for him without this. His village had been ravaged by a deadly plague leaving him as the sole survivor. Things had seemed to improve when he met Serena, but now he was worried once more. Finally the midwives left the birthing chamber and told him that his wife was safe and sound. She would need lots of rest if she was to recover fully. However that was not what the midwives were truly worried about. It turned out that Alexander was now the father of twin sons. Twins were a bad omen everybody said. Worse his wife as she was giving birth spoke of ill fortune and misery. Alexander brushed all this aside and went to see his wife and sons. As he saw the babies he noticed how perfect they were and how alike. He wondered how they would tell them apart. Alexander looked into his wife's face and saw that she was smiling. "What shall we call them, my lord?" she said. Alexander thought for a while and said "Their names are to be William and Marcus". At once the babies opened their eyes and smiled. Hours later as Alexander lay in bed he wondered the meaning of the omens and hoped that it would turn out to be nothing at all.