Summer 1338, Northern Holy Roman Empire

The journey from sea to city took more than a week. Much of the journey was on rickety poorly-kept roads though fields and woods. Joan found the forests much like England and the castles they rested at much like ones she stayed in. If she didn't know any better, it would be as if she never left. It was both a familiar comfort and somewhat eerie, like stepping into a mirror where everything is the same but different because she couldn't anticipate what was just around each corner.

Because of their large party and royal status, a couple harbingers were always sent ahead of the King's party to arrive first at noble houses. They announced the King's approach and to make sure they were welcome and the lord had the space and supplies to house the group for a night. King Edward would introduce Joan to every house as his beloved daughter. Everyone conversed mostly in Latin, which gave Joan a chance to practice her lessons or in the local German, which Joan did not know. She constantly asked and remembered important words and phrases to try to understand more at the next lord's estate.

"You will not find much English here," King Edward told her after a few days. "They only speak that in our country. But you may find French-speaking people, maybe Polish, maybe Flemish--that is your mother's tongue. You are my diplomat-in-training, Joan. I hope you soak up all the language you can. Learn some German as we go." Joan took her assignment seriously.

While in England, Joan mostly played imagination games or with dolls and other figurines while adults didn't play at all. In the Holy Roman Empire, she observed in many castles that everyone played card games, often for money.

The King learned quickly and played the game Karnöffel, a local favourite. Joan asked to play, but her father asked her to watch first. He played against 3 other noblemen, one of whom they were staying with.

"See, here I have five cards, four face down, and this one is face up. My card is the lowest, so I go first. The next player goes and..." The other players put down a higher numbered card also in the same acorn suit. "See he wins and now leads, but I have a higher card, so I take this trick. See the types of cards are acorns, leaves, hearts, and bells and each suit has the same cards."

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Once Joan saw her father put down a card with a "K" and a picture instead of a number. "Oh, a king! You win!"

The men chuckled. "Not quite. The king, or kaiser, beats all the common cards, but as in life, he is trumped by three things: the Pope, who has power over all kings; the Devil, who tempts all men with sinful temptation; and Karnöffel which is..."

"God?" Joan guessed.

"Karnöffel means...to cudgel, to thrash, to flog...to be rough, uncouth, and violent," one gentleman said.

"It means a scrotal hernia!" another says. "Now that's violence!"

"Not in front of my daughter!" King Edward said.

Joan felt horrified. "How can the highest power be that?"

"Well, it's a silly card game name. Of course, our Lord is the highest power, and He can be good and gracious, but He can also be very cruel and smite those who've done wrong. God looks out for us but sometimes, the means of which He can punish us is beyond what our minds can imagine. That trumps all else, more than kings and popes and the Devil himself, is the wrath of the Almighty. His wrath is stronger than His mercy."

"Hmm," she said.

This gave Joan a lot to think about. How could priests talk of God's love for all and then such terrible things happened to good people? What was He trying to tell his disciples?

She hadn't given close thought to it before. She was told what the Bible said and tried to read it for herself when she practised Latin, but she hadn't thought about the contradictions between God's love and hate. Everything she did was to be a good girl to please her parents and God. In return, she thought they would reward her with love in return. She wasn't sure what she would do if she did her best, and God still punished her.

Joan watched more rounds of the game and put religious philosophy aside. The king played as a partner to the man across from him against the two men sitting beside him. Sometimes King Edward won and sometimes he lost, but he drank much during the games and seemed merry all night. Joan was just glad to be by his side.

The next day, Joan asked to play.

"It's a four person game," he said. Joan frowned. "Oh, you know what, a quick game or two. I'll find two willing to play against us. But then we must continue our journey soon to meet the Emperor."

He did find agreeable players and introduced her as, "my partner, Princess Joan." Her heart could not be more filled with joy. This trip was indeed the best thing to ever happen to her.