Heptameron

The prologue to day three begins with the group engrossed in their devotional practice, led again by Oisille, who spent hours preparing the lesson. They attend mass, eat in moderation, and, when it comes time to meet in the meadow, Saffredent invites Parlamente to start off the stories to balance the negative story he told about a woman the previous day.

Story 21 tells of Rolandine, a relative of the queen who, at age 30, was still unmarried due to her father’s neglect and the queen’s dislike. A bastard of a good and noble family, “gallant and worthy” (236), forms a deep attachment to Rolandine, “[c]ompanions as they were in misfortune” (236). The queen forbids the couple from meeting as they are considered an unequal match, so they devise ways to meet privately. Declaring their love for one another, they decide to secretly marry but delay consummation until Rolandine’s father dies or she can obtain his approval. They continue meeting stealthily—speaking through facing windows in the palace, with letters passed by pages—until the queen discovers their affair and imprisons Rolandine, while her gentleman must flee or face death. Rolandine and the queen have a confrontation, and the former is eventually sent away to a remote castle to be isolated.