– Submitted by Mistress Arianna of Wynthrope.

As promised by Their Majesties, Titus and Anna Leigh, at the Rapier Muster in the Shire of Silva Vulcani today, a Writ of Summons was issued for the first Master of Defense to be made in Æthelmearc.

Duchess Dorinda Courtenay was called before Their Majesties and instructed to present herself on Friday, May 1st at the Celebration of the Art of Rapier in her home shire of Heronter, there to be elevated by Their Highnesses, Timothy and Gabrielle, as the Principal of Æthelmearc’s Order of Defense and first gentle in our realm to receive a peerage for prowess in rapier.

Her Grace was Æthelmearc’s second Duchess, having first been crowned Queen in March of A.S. XXXIII (1999) and again in September of A.S. XXXV (2000). She is also a Mistress of the Pelican and Laurel, a Companion of the White Scarf, and the 5th Jewel of Æthelmearc. She has served as Kingdom Rapier Marshal, organized fencing at numerous events including Æthelmearc War Practice, and commanded Æthelmearc’s fencers in

battle at Pennsic as Rapier Warlord. Once the cadet of Don Iago Benitez, as a White Scarf Duchess Dorinda in turn took Mark le Gabler as her cadet until he was inducted into the White Scarf last September. She has also been tireless in her service to the Society, autocratting or assisting with the running of Heronter’s largest annual event, Harvest Raid, for at least a decade; serving her Shire as exchequer; using her scribal skills to create numerous scrolls of great beauty and teaching others to do likewise; and marshaling youth combat as well as adult and youth fencing.

The wording of the writ:

Let all of Aethelmearc rejoice!

Their Majesties Titus Scipio Germanicus, King by Right of Arms, and Anna Leigh, Queen by inspiration have been granted the ability to recognize excellence in the field of Rapier.

If Excellence is the bar, there is none more worthy than Duchess Dorinda.

She has served as Inspiration. She has served as Warlord. She has served as Mentor. She has served as Advisor. We are not just recognizing her for these services, and countless other that she renders, it is how she serves.

She embodies the values that we most want our order to encompass for the Known World to gaze upon.

She is welcoming and gracious, nurturing and supportive, chivalrous and courteous. She is well respected and beloved by all. We would have her nurture the new peerage with the same loving care she has guided our Rapier community with from its very infancy.

We ask that she presents herself at A Celebration of Rapier on May 1st, Anno Societatus 50 in the Shire of Herontir where she will be the guest of honor at a joyous celebration of our new peerage.

Done by our hand, this 15th day of February, Anno Societatus 49

Titus, Rex, Anna Leigh, Regina