It has always been the case that barons and earls do everything in their power to sire an heir. Some twenty-three years ago, Baron Bedwyr of Lanrith, in eastern Cornumbria on the border with Albion, was gravely concerned that his wife was barren. Unable to repudiate her because her kinfolk were influential at the king's court, he summoned the Keeper of Von's Hill to minister to her.
At that time, the Keeper was Guen, fair of face and hair. She attended Bedwyr's wife throughout the winter, but the Baroness did not conceive. Still, Guen remained high in Bedwyr's favour: he allowed her to return to Von's Hill when spring came and the snows thawed rather than punish her for her failing.
Rumours abounded in the villages of the barony, but old heads nodded and tongues wagged when news came from Criggen Varras that the Baroness' kin had fallen from favour at court over the winter. The villagers soon agreed that Guen had prophesied that the news would come, and none were surprised that the Baron swiftly divorced his wife because she was barren and put her away in a nunnery.
Bedwyr soon married a second time, forming an advantageous alliance with another landed lord. Guen birthed a boy-child, who she named Cador. Some claimed the boy resembled the Baron, and others that he resembed Myrddin of the High Places, and others that he resembled the tinker who passed through one spring. Guen kept her silence, and told no-one who the father was.
In time, Bedwyr's second wife bore him a son and heir, who he named Osric, and girl-children also. Bedwyr rode occasionally to Von's Hill, perhaps seeking the advice of the Keeper. The Baron made astute political and economic decisions, and old heads nodded and tongues wagged. The villagers soon agreed that the Baron was wise to seek out the Keeper, who everyone knew had the gift of prophecy, and to ignore the feeble protests of the priests who claimed she served not just the True Faith but older powers also.
In time, Guen the fair died of a sudden sickness, and another woman came from the village to take her place as Keeper of Von's Hill. Her son, Cador, was then but twelve years old, tall and handsome, but still a callow youth. He came down from Von's Hill and walked to the Baron's castle, where he stood before Bedwyr in the Great Hall and commended himself to the Baron. In return, Bedwyr stood before his vassals and knights and acknowledged Cador as his son, setting old heads nodding and tongues wagging.
Cador spent the following years at his father's court, learning about fighting, hunting, and other arts of war. However, he was truly his mother's son in spirit, possessing her Gift and her interests in healing and the True Faith. Even though he was two years younger, Osric remained Bedwyr's heir, perhaps because he was born in wedlock, perhaps because he was his father's son in spirit.
As Cador and Osric grew close to manhood, Osric took on a greater role as his aging father's right hand. Eventually, Cador reached his 21st year, and immediately left Lanrith with his father's blessing to wander the world in search of adventure and truth.
Notes
Von's Hill had been a place of power for all history, long before the Selentine Legions had come to Ellesland, but the old gods had been hedged out by the power of the True Faith many years earlier. There has always been a woman at Von's Hill as Keeper, once Myrddin's priestess and seer, but now a servant of the True God. The local priests disapprove, but the villagers know Von's Hill is a holy place and still venerate the god(s) of that place.
Guen was a 3rd Rank Mystic. Her son, Cador, knows what her abilities were. She taught him that the old gods have generally chosen to make way for the True God, but are still part of a sometime crowded world of spirits and men. Cador has no evidence that Guen did or did not have a special gift of prophecy, as all the events she is reputed to have prophesied took place before he was four.
Bedwyr is a Knight and Osric will be knighted when he comes of age next year. Bedwyr is a greybeard now, while Osric is strong of body and loud of voice. Cador is on good terms with both, and all understand that he is Osric's heir, not Bedwyr's, and will remain Osric's heir until Osric marries and sires a son.
Bedwyr's first wife is Abbess of a nunnery. Bedwyr's second wife is still Baroness, but is sickly and spends her days in prayer and solitary contemplation.