This is a work of fiction, though some of the characters herein were real historical figures, if not well-known to many except Slovenists and those who studied Holy Roman Empire regional ministerial politics during or leading up to the Great Interregnum of the 13th century. This work takes place before such events, in 1213. While the Lords of Pettau and the Lords of Montpreis (and other peripheral characters from the broader ruling class milieu) were real people, all other characters, including major ones, are fictional. Pettau (Ptuj) castle, while markedly different in the 13th century than it is after its baroque reconstructions by the House of Leslie, is presented here as a mixture of experiences gleaned from many site visits, some knowledge of the form of the original castle, and lots of imagination.