Originating in the Victorian era in 1840, the English Afternoon Tea gave the ladies and ladies of the aristocracy an elegant, formal name to gather and laugh and show off their beautiful costumes. Of course, what these ladies and ladies didn't know was that someone had already started the era of afternoon tea in Windsor more than 300 years ago.

Thick black tea, which does not take a year and a half at sea to reach the UK, is automatically fermented by sea and replaced with cider, pear wine, wine or ale. There were no sandwiches, strawberry tarts, puffs, biscuits, chocolates, and cakes, and instead of the aristocratic foods that could be found at the time, such as fruits, fruit pies, and fine hams.

The two ladies who participated in what were actually the "afternoon drinks" today were Frances Howard, daughter of the Earl XIV of Oxford, now the Countess of Surrey, and Miss Isabel from the family of Sir Augustine in Richmondshire, north.

The afternoon tea took place under an old tree in the back garden of Windsor Manor by the Earl of Surrey, and the time coincided with the standard start time of afternoon tea, which is 4pm. The difference from the popular afternoon tea more than three centuries later is that the afternoon tea at this time did not have tea, porcelain and music, but only a pleasant and good mood.

Mrs. Surrey, who was full of curiosity and freshness about Isabel Walton, began a long journey of knowledge while sipping a glass of pear wine. Among them, what made Mrs. Surrey feel the most incredible was that the young lady from the northern knight family in front of her only liked to wear men's clothes, and she also hung a sword with a hand and a half at her waist like a knight.

Mrs. Surrey's 19-year-old husband is a knight with exceptional knightly skills and dazzling military talents, and she has also been forced to receive a lot of knightly education during the more than a year of her life with her husband. Mrs. Surrey said insightfully, "Do you know what kind of sword you are wearing, Isabel?" ”

Isabel didn't expect that the wife of a high-ranking nobleman also knew about knightly weapons, and said with a smile: "Francis, how did you get a knightly education?" Don't tell me it's because your grandfather helped Henry VII ascend to the throne and start the Tudor dynasty. ”

Frances pouted and said, "Even so, didn't my grandfather also go into exile in France and go to prison?" What's more, he is only a second son. ”

"Wow, your grandfather really wasn't easy. Well, how did you find out about knights? ”

"Isabel, did you and the Duke of Richmond spot a very large house on the left side of the road before we came to the square?"

"Well, I saw it, I thought it was the residence of your servants."

"Actually, that building is a very large indoor arena."

Immediately in the jousting competition, Isabel certainly knew what it meant. However, in the 16th century, the tournament had long lost its former glory and glory, and was reduced to a kind of knightly game in the court of Henry VIII. Isabel nodded: "I heard my father say that there will be a martial arts competition immediately, is this kind of competition still allowed in the kingdom?" ”

"Of course not, it's illegal in the civil society. My husband, who grew up in the court, was familiar with this kind of knightly competition. Later, because he had won several competitions, he was appreciated by His Majesty the King. Therefore, he built such an indoor horse competition arena at home. ”

"Well, can you tell me what you know about the knight's sword?" Isabel thought Frances's Oxford accent sounded good, so she kept smiling and listening to the other party's tirade.

"You are wearing a cross-edged double-edged straight sword called a hand-and-half sword, the length of the blade is generally half the height of the user, and the length of the hilt is preferably 1/3 of the length of the blade. Because it was suitable for knights wearing full-body plate armor, knights throughout Europe, including kingdoms, began to use it in the 15th century. Frances blinked, slowly stating as she recalled her husband's education for her.

"Well, yes, go ahead."

"There are many other names for this sword, which can be called hybrid swords, gauntlet swords, one/two-handed hybrid swords, and longswords."

"Frances, can you tell me which country the best hand half-sword comes from?"

"Come to think of it, I remember Henry seemed to say it. Wait, the words are on my lips, why can't I remember? ”

Isabel pursed her lips and smiled and lay on the lawn, muttering a grass root in her mouth, her hands resting behind her head and closing her eyes, just as the ladies and ladies of the centuries later used afternoon tea to pass the long afternoon, she was enjoying the peace and tranquility of the Earl's Manor in a leisurely mood.

Frances, who was sitting on one side of the lawn, racked her brains and drank a whole glass of pear wine before excitedly saying, "Isabel, I remember." Henry told me that the best hand-and-half-sword came from Germany. ”

Isabel was lying on the lawn and was about to fall asleep, barely opening her eyes to look at her: "Yes, you're right. Frances, you can say whatever you want. I love to listen to whatever you say, okay? ”

"Isabel, you... Are you asleep? Frances laughs when she notices that she is not in the right state.

"Well, your accent is wonderful, catchy, and perfect for my lullaby." As Isabel finished speaking, the grass in her mouth also slid onto the lawn beneath her.

When Frances saw her like this, she stopped talking, but leaned against the trunk of the tree, imagining the life in the north that Isabel had told her. At this moment, a maid walked briskly towards the two from the back door of the manor. When he came to Frances, he saluted and said, "Madam, my lordship, I would like to ask Miss Isabel to go to the parlor at once." ”

Frances stretched out her right index finger and shook it, then pointed to Isabel who was asleep next to her, and whispered, "Help me up." ”

When the maid lifted her up, Frances stepped aside and whispered, "What is the matter with my husband calling Miss Isabelle?" ”

"My lord said that His Majesty's chamberlain had come to the manor and asked the Duke of Richmond to enter the palace at once. Now, the Duke was in the parlor and wanted to say a few words to Miss Isabel. ”

"I see, Miss Isabel will be here soon."

After the maid left, Frances walked over to Isabel and squatted down and gently nudged her: "Isabel, wake up, wake up!" ”

"What's the matter? Let me sleep a little longer! Isabel muttered to roll over.

"Wake up, the Duke wants to see you."

Isabel opened her eyes and looked at her carefully: "What's the matter, the duke wants to go back so soon?" ”

Frances stood up and looked at Isabel who was still lying on the lawn, with a reserved look: "His Majesty the King wants to summon the Duke of Richmond. ”