The Black Death was a horrible occurrence that afflicted much of Asia. It killed spread by means unknown to the people and killed quickly, for there was no cure. The Black Death eliminated what is estimated to be almost one-third of England's population, but this deadly plague also benefited the lower people of England. Imagine a settlement in which a wealthy lord has been lucky enough to survive the plague. He used to have hundreds of serfs bound to him, but the plague killed all but twenty. The lord realizes that he needs the serfs and can't live the life he is used to without them. To keep them from moving on, he pays them wages, something they have never had before. The serfs stay, but many leave to live in cities, as soon as they have earned enough money.

This time picture a different manor. The lord and his lady have been killed by the plague. After it passes, the serfs loot the manor, and leave their village for their first time, to take their skills to developing towns. The plague undermined the feudalism system, and while it didn't help many nobles, it freed many serfs and helped bring equality.

Our Pope, Urban II, had just announced that he was sending warriors to the Crusades. When my friends and I heard this, we knew what would happen. The nobles would get all of the glory, and we would be left in the dust as we always have been. But this time we were going to change it. We knew it would take the lords and their vassals weeks, maybe months, to stop fighting. We went around town, and formed our own army. We then marched off towards Palestine, the Holy Land. Some of our troops attacked German Jews while we were passing through Germany, but the most devoted of us kept going.

Then the Turks came. The people who had attacked our pilgrims in the holiest of cities would now try to not even let us into Palestine. We charged towards the oncoming troops, who met us on horseback. We all fought bravely, but as I looked around, Crusader after Crusader was dying and the Turks were not stopping. Injured, five of our number made our way slowly back to England. I served no further purpose on this Earth, but to tell the approaching army of knights where the Turks were strongest and weakest. Then, succumbing to my wounds, I took a breath, and moved on.

I arrived home and walked in the door. I had hardly been able to wait this long. It had been two years since I had lost all my family, and the final part of my father's will was to be read. At thirteen, I, Louis XVI, had taken the throne, after my elder brother and father were lost to sickness, my mother to grief. My father had left instructions for me to follow on this day, and so I would. I went to his room, opened his desk drawer, unsealed the envelope, and read the instructions. I read them again. And again. I could hardly believe my eyes. My father had requested that in light of the anniversary of his treaty with Austria, I was to marry Marie Antionette.

I was stunned. Austria was miles away on horse back or carriage which meant days or even weeks of travel. I didn't know what to do. I did want to leave home, it was all I had left of my family, but I couldn't desecrate the memory of my dear father by denying his wishes! Quickly, I wrote to the royal family of Austria, and sent my messenger off with as much haste as possible. A fortnight later, he returned with the reply. Marie Antoinette was to come to France, instead. She became liked by my people, but they tired of her, and bad choices on both our parts led to our capture and execution during the Reign of Terror.