Honor In Horstberg's A Matter Of Honor

Nadine is a woman who is manipulated by a cruel man, the duke of Horstberg. She and Nikolaus de Woernig bear an illegitimate child named Dulsie, a sweet girl with no idea of the conditions of her birth. Nadine meets Lance, the Captain of the Guard in Horstberg. Dedicated to his job and his duty to the city, he is surprised when he ends up falling in love with Nadine. A Matter of Honor is the perfect title for the book because it illustrates the comparisons between a man who does not have honor, and a man who does, whilst showing how when that honor is not present, it can have devastating consequences, while a man with honor can bring happiness and prosperity. Nikolaus de Woernig is the Duke of Horstberg. He is an acrid man; a tyrant and promiscuous,

He cares about others and fulfills his duty as Captain of the Guard with mercy, while dealing justice where it is needed. He is respected and admired, not because of his power or position, but because of how he uses them to benefit people. “”He has a tender heart and a sensitive spirit. But I have seen him stand up to cocky officers and difficult citizens and put them in their place quicker than you can snap your fingers. He is a man among men”” (Michaels 438). He is unique and all his dealings are dealt with honor. He never accuses someone of being guilty without all the facts, nor is he lenient when evidence proves someone guilty. He is exemplary and coveted by many women. His reputation as Horstberg’s bachelor does nothing to help the situation, but when he does find the woman he loves, he never once compromises her, nor does he give her reason to fear he will. Unlike other men in her life, Lance is the definition of honor for Nadine. His character and moral principles are lived every day, and he teaches her to open her heart to good, and not let the bad in the past ruin any happy experience for the future. Even though Lance once works for Nikolaus during his reign, he keeps to his standards, never giving in to sour and immoral

Nikolaus treats Nadine like he has most other women: he makes her fall in love with him, forges a marriage certificate, and conceives a child with her, abandoning the both of them in poverty. He is also responsible for the death of her father, with whom he works. He gets him in trouble with the law, kills him, and takes his property to add to his mountain of wealth. This leaves Nadine and all the other women shattered and desolate. Some choose to let his betrayal break them, while others, like Nadine, choose not to let it overcome them, but to make a new opportunity out of it. For example, Nadine goes to Horstberg, and during that journey meets her future husband, forges an intimate friendship with Abbi, the Duchess of Horstberg, and learns how to forgive and move on from the past: “”I learned that sometimes life dishes out circumstances that are simply beyond our doing, and beyond our control. Bad things happen to good people, and sometimes bad people are behind them. We can’t control what happens, but we can take control of how we handle what we’re given. I came to learn that sometimes things just don’t work out the way we want them to in this life, and I reached a point where I was willing to accept that”” (Michaels 260). Nadine learns from friends around her what it takes to be resilient and stay true to herself, just like