Meanwhile in Cherbourg, Lady Ragnhild (called Ragna), daughter of Count Hubert, is entertaining Father Aldred, a monk and the armarius (librarian) of Shiring Cathedral whose greatest wish is to create a center for books and learning. Aldred is gay and was exiled from Glastonbury Cathedral for a homosexual affair with a fellow monk. Ragna is not a typical noblewoman; she is literate, intelligent, and very interested in administering justice in her lands.