The first thing I notice is the gilt edge to the pages. Ostentatious, yes, but I've always liked gilded pages nonetheless.
I skim through the introduction before flipping to the first page and reading in earnest:
"One of the most interesting situations in medieval history was that faced by Lord Gwgan ap Meurig Seisyllwg, ruler of Ceredigion, which was composed of the baronies of Aberteifi and Aberystwyth, and Sir Gaerfyrddin. At 42 years old he was unmarried with no children, and had a brother-in-law who hated him. More importantly, a brother-in-law whose Gwynnedian armies almost doubled that of Gwgan's. And who coveted the bachelor's lands. While his sister Princess Angharad got on reasonably well with him, since she was his designated heir, Gwgan knew full well that no sibling affection would be enough to prevent Prince Rhodri II The Great from crushing him whenever his royalness felt like it.
Not an enviable situation, to be sure, and were the contemporary form of family holiday dinners in vogue back then, no doubt they would be full of tension.
Nor was Gwgan possessed of the wealth necessary to quickly bolster his army. The only thing he had to offer, amusingly enough in a world that sang the praises of feminine virginity, was his own pure self and the prestige of marrying a nobleman. To that end, he hurriedly sought a marriage that would come with a strong enough alliance to keep his brother-in-law from leaping on him.
A match was swiftly found - 23 year old Lady Engeltrudis Chatenois, daughter of Lord Adalhard, who ruled four counties and was in line to inherit three more. While not a formidable military power, there were enough troops combined between the newfound allies to give Rhodri pause - or so Gwgan hoped.
Further, Gwgan was able to convince his nephews who were given land by Rhodri to also ally - thereby providing the pretext to pursue a claim on Dyfed in the months after his son Geraint was born, the latter event neatly eliminating Angharad from immediate succession.
Unfortunately, it turned out that Prince Rhodri was allied with Dyfed and laughingly joined the war to smash his brother-in-law's ambitions, then followed up by invading and conquering Ceredigion after Lord Adalhard's death. More misfortune awaited when Gwgan tried to help a minor ally on the south coast of what is today Wales a few years later - only to end up imprisoned and eventually be ransomed at 49 years old, completely broke and ruling only Sir Gaerfyrddin.
Gwgan resolved to concentrate solely on family matters for the rest of his life - particularly the raising of Geraint, who looked to be a very promising steward even from a tender age."
There's more text, but I don't feel like reading anymore. Gwgan's life sounds as shitty as mine. I'd get a drink, but that would involve going to one of those hateful bars where people don't wear masks or to the gas station where the booze is overpriced.
Instead, I'll sit here and listen to the wind blow outside my upper apartment.