William Thatcher

Grew Up… in Cheapside, London, in medieval England. Until age 9, William was raised by his father, a lowly thatcher. Young William says he will one day be a knight. Though at the time this was nearly impossible, William’s father encourages him, giving him the most important piece of advice he’ll ever receive: “If a man believes enough, a man can do anything… A man can change his stars.”

Living… at 9 years old, William was sent away to become a servant to a knight, Sir Ector. Now a young man, he lives with the other servants, Roland and Wat, in the employment of Sir Ector, with whom they often travel to jousting tournaments. Though they’ve picked up a good deal just by watching Sir Ector compete, the three friends are about to discover that jousting is considerably harder than it looks.

Profession… servant to Sir Ector — that is, until William and the others discover their master has died with one final pass to complete in order to win a jousting tournament. Depending on Sir Ector and his prize money to make their living, the three friends decide to impersonate him for the final pass, despite their awareness that impersonating a nobleman is a crime punishable by death.

Interests… sword fighting, horsing around and having fun with Roland and Wat. Between the three lads, they get up to their fair share of trouble and skirt-chasing. Now, the brothers-in-arms are business partners too, in a risky but potentially lucrative situation.

Relationship Status… he has his eye on the beautiful Lady Jocelyn. As in most competitions, he won’t stop until he’s won his “prize.” However, it appears that William is in for a rude awakening, since some women don’t like to be thought of as such.

Challenge… changing his stars. The challenge of breaking through the barrier separating the lowly commoners from the ranks of nobility is nearly impossible. On top of that, William may have to choose between the pride of being noble and the deeper fulfillment of love. He tells Jocelyn, “My pride is the only thing that they can’t take from me.” But she retorts, “They can take it away from you; they can and they will. But love they cannot take.”

Personality… outgoing, driven, yet somewhat awkward. William is a risk-taker and is prepared to do anything to win, even if he can’t remember what the prize is.