Though Queen in Exile is a fantasy, I based my hero, Kai Darkwood upon real knights. Therefore, I researched knights and weaponry extensively so I could create a believable warrior.
Warriors
in general, and knights in particular, always wore something to protect them in battle. Over the centuries, they've used: leather, metal-studded leather, chain mail, and plate armor. After studying the details and pros and cons of each, I decided to go with chain mail for my fantasy. Chain mail provided a great deal of protection due to the tiny links of metal fused together. It was pretty effective at stopping a blade -- not as effective as the plate armor, but it allowed for a much greater freedom of movement. It was also very heavy and a knight usually needed help getting into and out of his armor. A squire usually assisted with such matters. Because it could be irritating to the skin, knights wore a heavy padded shirt underneath their chain mail. The chain mail often extended down to the knee, has sleeves as long as the wrist. In some cases, it also had a sort of cowl that went over the top of the head, protecting the neck and head. But some knights wore a helmet instead, which covered most of the face.
A tabard was often worn over the chain mail to signify allegiance to a king. Heavy leather gloves protected the hands and heavy leather boots protected the feet. Unfortunately, none of these measure were fail-safe, and a knight can still get himself killed with a direct hit. Still, I wouldn't go out in battle without all the protection I could have.
Of course, you wouldn't catch me on a battlefield, regardless.
My hero of Queen in Exile, Kai, is fiercely protective of not only his king, but of those who need protection, so whenever there is a threat, Kai dons his armor and sallies forth to save the day. Sigh. My hero
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