The Knights Templar- Mordred

For those who've read Devil's Kiss you will know that the Order's ranks were somewhat diminished by the end of the book. So, Dark Goddess brings in a few new faces and the first is the new squire, Mordred.
All my knights (with the exception of Billi) are named after the Knights of the Round Table. There is a reason for this which I may explain at some point but be warned, it's not particularly big and it's not particularly clever and certainly not going to change your life in even the smallest way.
Mordred in Dark Goddess is the new squire. He's an illegal immigrant the Templars literally picked up off the streets. He's young, Ethiopian in orgin, and has just completed his ordeal, with Billi as back up. You know I mentioned those short stories I've got lurking in the desk drawer, this is one of them.
Making Mordred Ethiopian wasn't just on a whim. There are very strong connections between Ethiopia's mythic past and King Solomon, and hence the Templars. The Queen of Sheba was said to have originated from there and her son by Solomon was king. And get this, the Queen of Sheba's name was Bilqis.
The Ethiopian connection is something I hope to explore in the future, and Mordred gives me (and the Templars) a very useful link into that civilization. I don't need to remind you that the Ark of the Covenant is said to be buried there, do I? Good, just checking.