WEBVTT - Rival Queens (Part 1)

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of iHeartRadio and Grimm

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<v Speaker 1>and Mild from Aaron Mankie listener discretion advised. A lone

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<v Speaker 1>messenger galloped through the gates of Paris, urging his horse

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<v Speaker 1>forward at a swift pace. From a tower in the

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<v Speaker 1>city's main palace, the queen eagerly watched the messenger's arrival.

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<v Speaker 1>She took the messenger's urgency as a positive sign. After all,

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<v Speaker 1>Queen Brunhild and her husband, King Sigbert, the First of Austrasia,

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<v Speaker 1>were on the verge of a decisive victory that would

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<v Speaker 1>unite two neighboring Frankish realms under their rule. So this

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<v Speaker 1>sudden incoming news must mean that the opposition had surrendered.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe the enemy king had even been killed. Five hundred

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<v Speaker 1>and seventy five would certainly be a year to remember

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<v Speaker 1>for Brunhild, but not for the reasons she had hoped.

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<v Speaker 1>The messenger confirmed that a king had been slain, but

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<v Speaker 1>the victim was Brunehild's own husband. Despite having a vastly

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<v Speaker 1>superior army and a robust kingsguard, Siegbert had apparently been assassinated.

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<v Speaker 1>Brunehild must have been stunned, but she knew she couldn't

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<v Speaker 1>afford to panic or fully mourn what had been, by

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<v Speaker 1>royal standards, a respectful and productive marriage. Being all too

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<v Speaker 1>familiar with Francia's fickle politics and the Merovingian dynasty's history

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<v Speaker 1>of violent betrayal, she was well aware that she could

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<v Speaker 1>easily meet a similarly dire fate, as could her three

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<v Speaker 1>young children, if she didn't play her hand exactly right.

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<v Speaker 1>In the following hours, as many of Brunhild's nobles defected

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<v Speaker 1>and as she frantically strategized, she likely had little doubt

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<v Speaker 1>about who would have had the cunning to have engineered

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<v Speaker 1>such a shocking murder. This was not the first time

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<v Speaker 1>Brunhild had felt the bitter sting of losing a family

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<v Speaker 1>member to the machinations of her main rival, and between

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<v Speaker 1>the swirling rumors and peculiar piece male details of King

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<v Speaker 1>Siegbert's death, this crime had all the hallmarks of Queen Fredegund.

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<v Speaker 1>Sure Enough, forty miles away, Fredegund was triumphantly emerging from

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<v Speaker 1>her hideout after pulling off the Hail Mary of all

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<v Speaker 1>hail Mary's. Like Brunhild, Fredegund was well versed in the bloody,

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<v Speaker 1>rapidly shifting tides of her opposing kingdom's ongoing civil war.

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<v Speaker 1>It must have been gratifying to accept her husband's odd

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<v Speaker 1>gratitude for saving them from the jaws of defeat, but

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<v Speaker 1>she knew time was of the essence. They had to

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<v Speaker 1>press their advantage quickly, because as her rival was far

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<v Speaker 1>too intelligent and resourceful to be underestimated. Calling on allies,

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<v Speaker 1>making desperate deals, and hoarding treasure were all frequent components

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<v Speaker 1>of Queen brune Hild's calculated tactics. Brunehild holed up in

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<v Speaker 1>her Parisian palace as her enemies closed in, suddenly every

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<v Speaker 1>bit as vulnerable as Fredigund had been mere days before.

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<v Speaker 1>Looking down from her tower once again as a much

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<v Speaker 1>larger force galloped through the city gates, Brunehild was surely alarmed,

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<v Speaker 1>but she was staunch in her belief that she still

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<v Speaker 1>had enough tricks up her silken sleeves to impact the

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<v Speaker 1>future of Francia. Little did she know that her subsequent

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<v Speaker 1>moves would further cement one of the greatest royal rivalries

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<v Speaker 1>of all time. I'm Dana Schwartz, and this is noble

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<v Speaker 1>blood it's tricky to pinpoint the precise birth of Queen

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<v Speaker 1>burn Hilds and Queen Fredegen's rivalry. Part of their immense

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<v Speaker 1>animosity was personally fostered and part was inherited, So it's

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<v Speaker 1>helpful to first understand in broad terms, the geopolitical landscape

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<v Speaker 1>in the lead up to their unprecedented ascensions. The old

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<v Speaker 1>King of the Franks, Clotar the First, ruled an empire

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<v Speaker 1>that encompassed present day France, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, parts

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<v Speaker 1>of Germany, and a good portion of Switzerland. When he

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<v Speaker 1>died in five hundred and sixty one, his four sons

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<v Speaker 1>divided those lands into four kingdoms. After one brother died,

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<v Speaker 1>that left three to share custody of Paris, while each

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<v Speaker 1>also ruled their respective realms. Siegbert ruled Austria, Chilperic ruled

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<v Speaker 1>news Astrea, and Guntram ruled Burgundy. What a fair and

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<v Speaker 1>harmonious decision. Right Naturally, this set up ushered in an

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<v Speaker 1>era of extremely violent unrest due to the king's competitiveness,

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<v Speaker 1>but arguably even more so because of their marital choices.

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<v Speaker 1>It's important to note that, unlike queens of various other empires.

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<v Speaker 1>Queens of the Merevingian dynasty were not crowned on their own,

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<v Speaker 1>Their power almost entirely depended on marriage. Brunehild was a

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<v Speaker 1>well educated daughter of a Visigoth king, and according to

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<v Speaker 1>many contemporary descriptions of her at the time, she was

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<v Speaker 1>quite beautiful and charming. The news that her father had

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<v Speaker 1>strategically betrothed her to King Siegbert would have been daunting.

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<v Speaker 1>It meant traveling over one thousand miles with a massive

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<v Speaker 1>dowry from Spain to the foreign land of Austria Asia,

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<v Speaker 1>all at the age of around eighteen, But despite being

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<v Speaker 1>far from fluent in the native language and customs, Brunhild

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<v Speaker 1>received quite the welcome there in the spring of five

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<v Speaker 1>hundred sixty seven, especially because she came with a prestigious pedigree.

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<v Speaker 1>This put her in stark contrast to the numerous women

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<v Speaker 1>of lower socioeconomic status with whom Siegbert's brothers had had

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<v Speaker 1>various trysts and eyebrow raising relationships. This wedding was extremely lavish,

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<v Speaker 1>and Brunhild was reportedly embraced by the Austrasian court and public. Fredegund,

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<v Speaker 1>on the other hand, had a highly contrasting trajectory. She

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<v Speaker 1>came to Chilbrick's palace in Nutria as an enslaved girl.

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<v Speaker 1>She was likely captured as a young child, but little

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<v Speaker 1>is known about her origin, particularly since she seemingly wanted

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<v Speaker 1>to keep her humble root hidden as she began to

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<v Speaker 1>climb the ranks of power. The more favorable accounts of

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<v Speaker 1>Fredegund describe her at the time as a savvy, young,

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<v Speaker 1>strawberry blonde girl of pleasing generosity. She initially became a

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<v Speaker 1>favorite mistress of the king, but becoming a queen would

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<v Speaker 1>be a tall order. Fredigund purportedly first had to convince

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<v Speaker 1>Chilbric to divorce his first wife and send her to

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<v Speaker 1>a convent. Then Fredigund had to deal with Chilbric getting

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<v Speaker 1>married again. Not wanting to.

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<v Speaker 2>Be upstaged by his brother Siegbert and his big name,

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<v Speaker 2>big title bride, Chilbric married Brunhild's sister in another exceedingly

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<v Speaker 2>opulent wedding in five hundred and sixty eight, two brothers

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<v Speaker 2>marrying two sisters too. Some of the citizens and nobles

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<v Speaker 2>of Austrasia and Neustria. The notion of such closely knit

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<v Speaker 2>royal families likely seemed like it would bring increased peace

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<v Speaker 2>and prosperity, as legend has it, Fredigund had other ideas.

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<v Speaker 2>She continued her close relationship with Chilbric, striving to finally

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<v Speaker 2>sit on a throne herself. After Chilbric's second wife grew

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<v Speaker 2>unhappy about his ongoing affair, he supposedly had her strangled

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<v Speaker 2>in her bed. Many claimed that Fredigund had put him

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<v Speaker 2>up to it, although again this could have been gossip

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<v Speaker 2>and slanderous rumor. Whatever the case, Chilbric's first two wives

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<v Speaker 2>were out of the picture. Apparently he didn't even bother

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<v Speaker 2>to appear upset about it, as evidenced by the conspicuous

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<v Speaker 2>absence of a duly sincere acknowledgment of the loss, let

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<v Speaker 2>alone any sort of basic investigation into Brunhild's sister's death.

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<v Speaker 2>Only three days later he married Fredigund. The celebration was

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<v Speaker 2>far more rushed as would be expected given the lack

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<v Speaker 2>of planning time and gigantic dead elephant in the room. Nevertheless,

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<v Speaker 2>this meant that two incredibly formidable women, Fredagund and Brunehild,

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<v Speaker 2>were sisters in law as well as respective queens of

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<v Speaker 2>Neustria and Australia, and although one had allegedly had a

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<v Speaker 2>hand in killing the other's sisters in the grand scheme

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<v Speaker 2>of things, their rivalry was only just beginning. Brunhild was

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<v Speaker 2>reportedly devastated by her sister's death. She had no other siblings,

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<v Speaker 2>and only months before she had learned about her father's passing.

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<v Speaker 2>While grieving her family's plight in her distant foreign palace,

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<v Speaker 2>it's easy to imagine Brunhild also fearing a similar fate

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<v Speaker 2>for herself. Frankish laws and customs were such that there

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<v Speaker 2>seemed to be little hope of holding her ex brother

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<v Speaker 2>in law or Fredigund specifically accountable for their murder. For all,

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<v Speaker 2>Brunhild knew, one day, she too could be killed in

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<v Speaker 2>her bed, and no one from Australia or beck Home

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<v Speaker 2>would be willing or able to pursue significant retribution. But

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<v Speaker 2>giving up was not in Brunhild's nature. She knew that

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<v Speaker 2>even if her husband Siegbert was sympathetic to her sadness

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<v Speaker 2>and outrage, and according to some accounts he was, he

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<v Speaker 2>could not take decisive action without the support of a

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<v Speaker 2>sizable portion of his court Brunhild was also painfully aware

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<v Speaker 2>that for all those ambitious, self interested nobles, the idea

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<v Speaker 2>of avenging a short lived foreign queen of a neighboring

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<v Speaker 2>kingdom was simply not sufficient motivation in steadily making alliances

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<v Speaker 2>and learning the desires of various factions. However, Brunhild discovered

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<v Speaker 2>a broadly enticing carrot that she could dangle at the

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<v Speaker 2>end of her justice seeking stick. Traditionally, Frankish brides at

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<v Speaker 2>that time were given a quote mourning gift after consummating

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<v Speaker 2>their marriage. To win the hand of such a high

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<v Speaker 2>profile bride, as Brunhild, Sigbert had promised her an extravagant

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<v Speaker 2>villa to secure a marriage with Brunhild's sister, Chilpric had

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<v Speaker 2>upped the ante and offered her essentially the southern third

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<v Speaker 2>of his lands. Here, Brunhild saw a legal opportunity. Technically,

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<v Speaker 2>valuable holdings in Francia were supposed to pass to the

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<v Speaker 2>deceased's family, and since her sister had no children and

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<v Speaker 2>Brunhild herself had just given birth to a succession secure

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<v Speaker 2>cacuring sun, Brunhild could make a pretty solid case that

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<v Speaker 2>those gifted lands should pass to her. Many Austrasian nobles

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<v Speaker 2>loved the prospect of increasing their kingdom's boundaries and overall wealth,

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<v Speaker 2>and after a fair amount of official wrangling, Siegbert used

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<v Speaker 2>that claim as grounds to invade. The larger Australian army

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<v Speaker 2>soon overwhelmed their opposition and surged towards the Nustrian capital

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<v Speaker 2>of Sissan. This forced Fredignd and her husband to flee,

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<v Speaker 2>bringing as much of their treasury with them as they

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<v Speaker 2>could mobilize. With victory imminent, Brunhild and Siegbert moved to Paris,

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<v Speaker 2>their prospective new capital for there soon to be larger country. Meanwhile,

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<v Speaker 2>Fredegund hid in a bunker about forty miles away. Defeat

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<v Speaker 2>seemed inevitable as the Australian forces approached. She was probably

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<v Speaker 2>still bleeding from what had been a traumatic birth of

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<v Speaker 2>her second son, and her husband was off preparing for

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<v Speaker 2>the likely end of his kingdom and his life. But

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<v Speaker 2>just like Brunhild, Fredigund was not one to simply surrender.

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<v Speaker 2>As a last gasp plan, she summoned two enslaved boys

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<v Speaker 2>whose loyalty she trusted, possibly having first connected with them

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<v Speaker 2>while serving the Royal family herself. She then gave them

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<v Speaker 2>a nearly impossible suicide mission kill King Siegbert. According to

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<v Speaker 2>a detailed account of the time, Fredigund knew there was

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<v Speaker 2>no way to confront Siegbert outright, considering he was surrounded

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<v Speaker 2>by thousands of soldiers, had numerous formidable guards, and was

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<v Speaker 2>even an experienced fighter himself. The only real chance her

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<v Speaker 2>young agents had was to exploit Siegbert's seeming hubrious by

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<v Speaker 2>launching a sneak attack while he was celebrating his military victories.

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<v Speaker 2>Infiltrating these celebrations was actually not overly difficult. According to

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<v Speaker 2>some sources, the Austrasian invasion was so fast and convincing

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<v Speaker 2>that many Neustrians were practically tripping over themselves to switch

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<v Speaker 2>to their aggressor's side. The two boys were apparently able

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<v Speaker 2>to pose as two such defectors. The trickiest part, then,

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<v Speaker 2>was striking the final blow. Fredagund counted on the fact

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<v Speaker 2>that most Frankish men carried utility knives known as scram saxes.

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<v Speaker 2>The blades were so omnipresent that her chosen assassins would

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<v Speaker 2>be able to openly carry them, even if they were

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<v Speaker 2>able to reach the king, though they might only be

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<v Speaker 2>able to get one or two jabs in, so those

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<v Speaker 2>had to count. This is where fredagh Une's grim innovation shows,

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<v Speaker 2>because she supposedly gave them an added secret weapon, fast

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<v Speaker 2>acting poison. By that time, poison made from herbs or

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<v Speaker 2>berries had been used in countless murders, but it typically

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<v Speaker 2>had to be directly ingested. Fredegund was clever enough to

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<v Speaker 2>know that. Similar to many paranoid Roman emperors, Siegbert was

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<v Speaker 2>presumably careful to avoid such devious methods, and likely even

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<v Speaker 2>employed official tasters to check his food and drink. Which

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<v Speaker 2>he needed was a poison that could kill upon direct

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<v Speaker 2>contact with a wound. The only two such substances known

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<v Speaker 2>to have existed during this Frankish era were snake venom

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<v Speaker 2>and wolf spain. Both required careful preparation and their potency

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<v Speaker 2>rapidly decreased when exposed to the air, meaning that in

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<v Speaker 2>order to be effective they had to be applied to

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<v Speaker 2>a knife a relatively short time before use. If the

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<v Speaker 2>tales are to be believed, Fredagund was knowledgeable enough in medicine, or,

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<v Speaker 2>per some claims, in witchcraft and the Dark arts, to

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<v Speaker 2>make or procure one of the two deadly toxins. She

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<v Speaker 2>then gave it to the boys in a small vial

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<v Speaker 2>and directed them to apply it to their knives only

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<v Speaker 2>once they were within close enough range of Siegbert. Against

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<v Speaker 2>all odds, Fredagun's loyal assassins followed her orders. They stalked

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<v Speaker 2>their target, and they stabbed him with their poisoned daggers.

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<v Speaker 2>The two boys were immediately caught and killed by guards,

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<v Speaker 2>but soon the king was also dead. Fredagun's diabolical plan

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<v Speaker 2>had tilted the entire fate of Francia. As soon as

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<v Speaker 2>the news of Siegert's death reached Brunhilde in Paris, she

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<v Speaker 2>would have known that she and her children were in

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<v Speaker 2>grave danger. She had a few options, though given the

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<v Speaker 2>Frank's line of succession and generally minimal respect for widowed queens,

0:17:16.200 --> 0:17:19.360
<v Speaker 2>it would be foolhardy to try to claim the Australian

0:17:19.480 --> 0:17:23.720
<v Speaker 2>throne outright. Her five year old son was the official heir,

0:17:24.160 --> 0:17:28.720
<v Speaker 2>which normally would ensure her position to a degree, except

0:17:29.000 --> 0:17:33.600
<v Speaker 2>they were isolated fairly far from home soil. Brunhild could

0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:37.320
<v Speaker 2>attempt to flee with her son and two daughters, but

0:17:37.400 --> 0:17:41.440
<v Speaker 2>traveling as a family for several days through what could

0:17:41.640 --> 0:17:47.000
<v Speaker 2>become increasingly hostile territory would leave them extremely open to attack.

0:17:48.000 --> 0:17:52.240
<v Speaker 2>Brunhilda's court was also rapidly shrinking, as most of her

0:17:52.280 --> 0:17:57.000
<v Speaker 2>nobles and guards began escaping or defecting. If she were

0:17:57.080 --> 0:18:00.199
<v Speaker 2>closer to her royal treasury, she would have been able

0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:03.359
<v Speaker 2>to bribe many of them to stay, since Marevni and

0:18:03.440 --> 0:18:07.120
<v Speaker 2>queens may have lacked power in other areas, but were

0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:11.760
<v Speaker 2>often able to exercise control over their realm's tangible riches,

0:18:12.440 --> 0:18:17.840
<v Speaker 2>alas handing out IOUs to flighty aristocrats and nervous soldiers

0:18:17.920 --> 0:18:23.280
<v Speaker 2>was not going to fly during such a chaotic span. However,

0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:27.119
<v Speaker 2>Brunhild was savvy enough to have brought along her own

0:18:27.320 --> 0:18:30.920
<v Speaker 2>stash of gold. It was not a large enough fortune

0:18:30.960 --> 0:18:34.320
<v Speaker 2>to pay a whole army, and would probably be stolen

0:18:34.400 --> 0:18:39.520
<v Speaker 2>if transported, so rather than feutally trying to retain all

0:18:39.560 --> 0:18:44.720
<v Speaker 2>of her allies, Brunhild set her sights on her key enemies.

0:18:45.359 --> 0:18:50.840
<v Speaker 2>Between her personal wealth and remaining reputation, she figured she

0:18:51.119 --> 0:18:56.280
<v Speaker 2>might have just enough leverage to draw Fredigound and Chilpric's

0:18:56.280 --> 0:19:00.439
<v Speaker 2>full attention. She was essentially opting for a life last

0:19:00.600 --> 0:19:05.160
<v Speaker 2>ditch move utilized by many a brave matriarch within the

0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:10.639
<v Speaker 2>animal world, stay and distract her attackers for long enough

0:19:10.800 --> 0:19:16.160
<v Speaker 2>that her children might reach safety. Brunhild's gambit paid off

0:19:16.359 --> 0:19:20.600
<v Speaker 2>to an extent. She ensured that her son and daughters

0:19:20.640 --> 0:19:25.439
<v Speaker 2>were safely snuck away by those few individuals still loyal

0:19:25.560 --> 0:19:29.520
<v Speaker 2>to her. Then she waited several days for the Neustrian

0:19:29.680 --> 0:19:34.200
<v Speaker 2>army to reach her. This gave Brunhild's son enough time

0:19:34.280 --> 0:19:38.040
<v Speaker 2>to make it back to Metz, the Australian capital, where

0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:41.080
<v Speaker 2>he was crowned king at the tender age of five.

0:19:41.800 --> 0:19:45.000
<v Speaker 2>Her daughters briefly made it back over the border too,

0:19:45.080 --> 0:19:49.440
<v Speaker 2>but they were eventually captured by Neustrian scouts and would

0:19:49.560 --> 0:19:54.640
<v Speaker 2>later be leveraged by Chilbrick as hostages. As for Brunhild,

0:19:55.040 --> 0:20:00.800
<v Speaker 2>she had to anxiously anticipate her enemy's arrival. Defenseless yet defiant.

0:20:01.600 --> 0:20:05.440
<v Speaker 2>Who would find her her impulsive brother in law, more

0:20:05.560 --> 0:20:09.440
<v Speaker 2>agents of her vindictive sister in law, and what would

0:20:09.440 --> 0:20:13.160
<v Speaker 2>they want to do with her? Ultimately, it was Chilpric

0:20:13.200 --> 0:20:17.840
<v Speaker 2>who purportedly found Brunhild waiting in her chambers. He could

0:20:17.880 --> 0:20:20.639
<v Speaker 2>not have been thrilled that she had managed to sneak

0:20:20.680 --> 0:20:25.280
<v Speaker 2>her children away, but seizing her hoarded treasure likely perked

0:20:25.359 --> 0:20:30.360
<v Speaker 2>up his spirits somewhat, and, rather than immediately sentencing her

0:20:30.400 --> 0:20:34.399
<v Speaker 2>to death, likely thanks at least in part to Brunhild's

0:20:34.440 --> 0:20:38.840
<v Speaker 2>careful persuasion, he ordered that Brunhild live out the rest

0:20:38.840 --> 0:20:42.639
<v Speaker 2>of her days in a convent. To many, this must

0:20:42.640 --> 0:20:46.520
<v Speaker 2>have seemed like a natural and all too common end

0:20:46.920 --> 0:20:51.679
<v Speaker 2>to a promising young queen's rule. But as history would

0:20:51.720 --> 0:20:57.960
<v Speaker 2>soon show, neither convent nor conventional wisdom could permanently snuff

0:20:58.000 --> 0:21:04.639
<v Speaker 2>out a royal rivalry as incandescent as Brunhild and Frediguns.

0:21:07.240 --> 0:21:12.560
<v Speaker 2>It's difficult to definitively say whether Fredagund and Brunehilde ever

0:21:12.680 --> 0:21:16.600
<v Speaker 2>met face to face in the direct aftermath of Siegbert's death,

0:21:17.080 --> 0:21:19.879
<v Speaker 2>but there is a reasonable argument to be made that

0:21:20.000 --> 0:21:25.560
<v Speaker 2>Fredagund meaningfully impacted her husband's pivotal decision to force her

0:21:25.640 --> 0:21:29.240
<v Speaker 2>opposite number to become a nun. Even in a time

0:21:29.280 --> 0:21:33.560
<v Speaker 2>when female agency was drastically limited, It's hard to think

0:21:33.600 --> 0:21:36.200
<v Speaker 2>of many more effective cards to play in a power

0:21:36.240 --> 0:21:38.879
<v Speaker 2>struggle than if it weren't for me, you'd be dead.

0:21:39.600 --> 0:21:44.720
<v Speaker 2>Factoring in that Fredagun's poison tipped plan had also helped

0:21:44.720 --> 0:21:48.400
<v Speaker 2>her and her husband upgrade from cowering in a bunker

0:21:48.840 --> 0:21:53.280
<v Speaker 2>to once again luxuriating in palaces. Her new clout as

0:21:53.400 --> 0:21:57.840
<v Speaker 2>queen was off the charts. On top of that, Fredagund

0:21:57.920 --> 0:22:02.040
<v Speaker 2>had already had a demonstable degree of influence over her

0:22:02.119 --> 0:22:07.240
<v Speaker 2>husband's actions prior to rejuvenating their country's war efforts, so

0:22:07.520 --> 0:22:11.919
<v Speaker 2>was said that he became exceedingly deferential to her afterward,

0:22:12.320 --> 0:22:16.959
<v Speaker 2>particularly when it came to handing out punishments. On a

0:22:17.040 --> 0:22:21.520
<v Speaker 2>personal level, It's possible that Fredagund could have empathized with

0:22:21.600 --> 0:22:26.199
<v Speaker 2>Brunhild's plight as a desperate mother of young children, but

0:22:26.440 --> 0:22:31.480
<v Speaker 2>given the cruel nature with which Fredigund judged many other victims, though,

0:22:31.880 --> 0:22:36.240
<v Speaker 2>the idea of executing Brunhild was presumably even more tempting

0:22:36.320 --> 0:22:41.040
<v Speaker 2>because of that. However, by that point Fredagund would have

0:22:41.080 --> 0:22:45.639
<v Speaker 2>been well aware of other pressing economic factors, and in

0:22:45.720 --> 0:22:50.479
<v Speaker 2>potentially hashing those out with her husband, they ostensibly reached

0:22:50.520 --> 0:22:56.600
<v Speaker 2>the conclusion that Brunhild was simply worth more alive. After all,

0:22:56.680 --> 0:23:00.520
<v Speaker 2>the war had taken its toll on Fredagun and her

0:23:00.600 --> 0:23:05.160
<v Speaker 2>husband's personal wealth, as well as their country's treasury, which

0:23:05.200 --> 0:23:10.480
<v Speaker 2>again per precedent, was often overseen by the queen. Brunhild,

0:23:10.640 --> 0:23:13.600
<v Speaker 2>on the other hand, had coughed up a small fortune

0:23:13.640 --> 0:23:17.840
<v Speaker 2>when captured, and it was possible that the Neustrian rulers

0:23:18.200 --> 0:23:21.720
<v Speaker 2>saw her as a cash cow whom they could somehow

0:23:21.760 --> 0:23:27.960
<v Speaker 2>extort for more riches. Perhaps even more importantly, Fredegund would

0:23:28.040 --> 0:23:32.960
<v Speaker 2>have known that, despite their latest upswing, her side was

0:23:33.000 --> 0:23:37.879
<v Speaker 2>still in a delicate position in the larger war. They

0:23:37.920 --> 0:23:42.440
<v Speaker 2>didn't have the resources or manpower to launch a full

0:23:42.600 --> 0:23:47.440
<v Speaker 2>scale counter invasion of Austrasia, and also had other foes

0:23:47.520 --> 0:23:51.879
<v Speaker 2>to consider. Brunhild had worked to form ties with the

0:23:51.960 --> 0:23:56.240
<v Speaker 2>ambitious Byzantine court, and the Visigoths might soon pose a

0:23:56.280 --> 0:24:00.479
<v Speaker 2>threat as well. The Neustrian monarchs had gotten off easy

0:24:00.600 --> 0:24:06.160
<v Speaker 2>after the strangling of Brunhild's sister, partially because her Visigothic

0:24:06.320 --> 0:24:10.560
<v Speaker 2>family had been struggling to sort out their own succession

0:24:10.640 --> 0:24:16.600
<v Speaker 2>crisis after Brunhild's father's death, but the Spanish realm seemed

0:24:16.680 --> 0:24:22.159
<v Speaker 2>to be gradually solidifying, so if Fredagund and Chilprick killed

0:24:22.240 --> 0:24:26.440
<v Speaker 2>their last remaining princess, that might have meant eventually fighting

0:24:26.560 --> 0:24:32.160
<v Speaker 2>on multiple fronts. The discovery that Brunhild had already managed

0:24:32.320 --> 0:24:35.639
<v Speaker 2>to sneak her son off to Australia would have only

0:24:35.680 --> 0:24:40.000
<v Speaker 2>increased the queen's value as an insurance play and make

0:24:40.200 --> 0:24:44.399
<v Speaker 2>killing her even more risky. Fredagund, being both a mother

0:24:44.680 --> 0:24:49.000
<v Speaker 2>and a budding military strategist by this point, could have

0:24:49.160 --> 0:24:52.760
<v Speaker 2>easily envisioned how effective it would be to tell a

0:24:52.960 --> 0:24:56.800
<v Speaker 2>resentful little king tread lightly if you ever want to

0:24:56.800 --> 0:25:01.240
<v Speaker 2>see your mother again. So all in an all, Brunhild's

0:25:01.400 --> 0:25:05.800
<v Speaker 2>nunnery banishment was logical enough, and there was plenty of

0:25:05.880 --> 0:25:10.480
<v Speaker 2>precedent for dispatching widowed and or deposed queens in that way.

0:25:11.280 --> 0:25:15.240
<v Speaker 2>That said, in handing out such a relatively common sentence,

0:25:15.760 --> 0:25:21.040
<v Speaker 2>Fredegund and Chilpric should probably have been more careful when

0:25:21.240 --> 0:25:28.080
<v Speaker 2>specifically choosing and monitoring Brunhild's new holy home. Brunhild was

0:25:28.119 --> 0:25:32.600
<v Speaker 2>sent to a small convent in Ruam, a Neustrian stronghold,

0:25:32.920 --> 0:25:37.240
<v Speaker 2>where life was by all accounts strict. None Recruits had

0:25:37.280 --> 0:25:40.400
<v Speaker 2>to live by a harsh code, and they were almost

0:25:40.560 --> 0:25:44.080
<v Speaker 2>entirely shut off from the outside world. But it was

0:25:44.160 --> 0:25:49.520
<v Speaker 2>actually the world inside this particular convent that would be

0:25:49.720 --> 0:25:55.520
<v Speaker 2>critically useful for the socially skilled Brunhild, because, according to

0:25:55.840 --> 0:26:01.399
<v Speaker 2>some sources, one of the other top inmates there was

0:26:01.560 --> 0:26:07.840
<v Speaker 2>none other than Chilbrick's first wife, and in her Brunehild

0:26:08.320 --> 0:26:14.879
<v Speaker 2>found a similarly infuriated ally none life could not nullify

0:26:14.960 --> 0:26:21.320
<v Speaker 2>these cloistered women's ambitions. If anything, it amplified them. Sure,

0:26:21.440 --> 0:26:25.560
<v Speaker 2>Brunehild and her new guide were basically captives in this

0:26:26.000 --> 0:26:30.359
<v Speaker 2>austere house of God. Yes, their odds of mounting a

0:26:30.640 --> 0:26:36.560
<v Speaker 2>successful revenge mission against Fredagund must have seemed low, But

0:26:36.800 --> 0:26:42.280
<v Speaker 2>ask any bedding enthusiast when does a single queen ever

0:26:42.359 --> 0:26:49.640
<v Speaker 2>beat a pair. That's the first part of the unparalleled

0:26:49.760 --> 0:26:54.480
<v Speaker 2>story of Brunhild and Fredagun's rivalry. But stick around after

0:26:54.520 --> 0:26:57.959
<v Speaker 2>a brief sponsor break to get a fuller sense of

0:26:58.000 --> 0:27:06.240
<v Speaker 2>what it was like to attend a franket wedding. Brune

0:27:06.320 --> 0:27:11.520
<v Speaker 2>Hills and Fredigoon's marriages are intriguing for many reasons. They

0:27:11.560 --> 0:27:15.879
<v Speaker 2>obviously afforded them both queens status and laid the foundation

0:27:16.160 --> 0:27:22.840
<v Speaker 2>for contrasting yet unusually devoted royal relationships. Because the queen's

0:27:22.960 --> 0:27:28.560
<v Speaker 2>respective nuptials also involved kings wanting to outdo or undermine

0:27:28.680 --> 0:27:34.280
<v Speaker 2>their sibling rivals. These events also provide stellar windows into

0:27:34.400 --> 0:27:38.399
<v Speaker 2>another component that practically everyone who's bent a wedding is

0:27:38.520 --> 0:27:43.919
<v Speaker 2>curious about the food. According to biographer Shelley Puick in

0:27:44.000 --> 0:27:47.760
<v Speaker 2>her book The Dark Queens, the Bloody Rivalry that forged

0:27:47.840 --> 0:27:52.840
<v Speaker 2>the medieval world, quote, the tables were loaded down with food,

0:27:53.000 --> 0:27:57.119
<v Speaker 2>we would have no trouble recognizing today loaves of white bread,

0:27:57.440 --> 0:28:02.119
<v Speaker 2>beef slathered in brown gravy, carrots and turnips sprinkled with

0:28:02.200 --> 0:28:06.360
<v Speaker 2>salt and pepper. The Frank's love of bacon was renowned too,

0:28:06.720 --> 0:28:09.960
<v Speaker 2>as were their sweet tooths, so much so that the

0:28:10.119 --> 0:28:14.160
<v Speaker 2>kings themselves owned many of the sugar refineries of the era,

0:28:14.640 --> 0:28:18.119
<v Speaker 2>the bee hives. The honey was used to sweeten the

0:28:18.160 --> 0:28:23.280
<v Speaker 2>cakes baked for special occasions. As rushed as Fredgon's and

0:28:23.480 --> 0:28:29.240
<v Speaker 2>Chilprick's wedding was, cake was supposedly still served there and

0:28:29.359 --> 0:28:33.359
<v Speaker 2>in some ways grounded. Details like that can add just

0:28:33.480 --> 0:28:36.960
<v Speaker 2>as much insight into the lived experience of the day

0:28:37.400 --> 0:28:42.840
<v Speaker 2>as devious betrayals and momentous battles. It's humanizing to imagine

0:28:42.880 --> 0:28:47.120
<v Speaker 2>all those wedding guests clustering around the dessert table as

0:28:47.120 --> 0:28:50.640
<v Speaker 2>they struggled to cope with the awkwardness stemming from the

0:28:50.720 --> 0:28:55.000
<v Speaker 2>fact that the previous queen had been murdered seventy two

0:28:55.080 --> 0:28:59.120
<v Speaker 2>hours prior. What better way to avoid saying the wrong

0:28:59.200 --> 0:29:04.080
<v Speaker 2>thing and by nervously gobbling honeycake. All in all, these

0:29:04.120 --> 0:29:08.400
<v Speaker 2>folks might as well have tried to enjoy every sweet

0:29:08.440 --> 0:29:12.200
<v Speaker 2>respite they could get, because in Francia, the land of

0:29:12.360 --> 0:29:18.680
<v Speaker 2>dueling Queens, there were plenty more murders, backstabbings, and even hasty,

0:29:18.840 --> 0:29:23.560
<v Speaker 2>awkward weddings on the horizon. See You Again Part two

0:29:24.000 --> 0:29:35.680
<v Speaker 2>next week. Noble Blood is a production of iHeartRadio and

0:29:35.840 --> 0:29:39.440
<v Speaker 2>Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey. Noble Blood is hosted

0:29:39.560 --> 0:29:43.560
<v Speaker 2>by me Dana Schwartz, with additional writing and research by

0:29:43.600 --> 0:29:48.320
<v Speaker 2>Hannah Johnston, Hannaswick, Courtney Sender, Amy Hit and Julia Milaney.

0:29:48.960 --> 0:29:52.600
<v Speaker 2>The show is edited and produced by Jesse Funk, with

0:29:52.760 --> 0:29:59.200
<v Speaker 2>supervising producerrima Ill Kali and executive producers Aaron Mankey, Trevor Young,

0:29:59.320 --> 0:30:03.760
<v Speaker 2>and Matt Frett. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the

0:30:03.840 --> 0:30:07.959
<v Speaker 2>iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your

0:30:08.000 --> 0:30:08.760
<v Speaker 2>favorite shows.