"...the intimacy in their relationship is tender, vulnerable and real, one
of the best romantic relationships I've read..I loved, loved, loved this
book and can't wait to read the next in the series..."
M.M. Carter, Amazon Reviewer
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A
generation after Arthur Pendragon ruled, Briton lies fragmented into warring
kingdoms and principalities.
“It is dangerous to become attached to a du Lac. He will break your
heart, and you will not recover.”
So prophesies a wizened healer to
Annis, daughter of King Cerdic of Wessex. If there is truth in the old
crone’s words, they come far too late for Annis, who defies father,
king, and country to save the man she loves.
Alden du Lac, once king of Cerniw, has nothing. Betrayed by
Cerdic, Alden’s kingdom lies in rubble, his fort razed to the ground and
his brother Merton missing, presumably dead. He has only one possession
left worth saving: his heart. And to the horror of his few remaining
allies, he gives that to the daughter of his enemy. They see Annis, at
best, as a bargaining chip to avoid war with her powerful father. At
worst, they see a Saxon whore with her claws in a broken, wounded king.
Alden has one hope: When you war with one du Lac, you war with
them all. His brother Budic, King of Brittany, could offer the deposed
young king sanctuary—but whether he will offer the same courtesy to
Annis is far less certain.
Book Extract.
"...I hear you surrendered,” he said, a
faint hint of glee in his eyes.
Alden, who was still contemplating
what Oeric had told him about his brother, looked up. “Good news travels fast.”
“As does bad.”
“It wasn’t something I wanted to do.
I had no choice.”
“That is what they all say, isn’t
it?” Oeric laughed. “And who is this fine-looking woman by your side?” Oeric
turned his attention to Annis.
Annis raised her head reluctantly.
She had never met King Oeric, although she had heard a lot about him, mainly
about his skill as a warrior from her brother, who liked to talk about worthy
opponents to anyone who cared to listen. His appearance surprised her. Oeric
was an old man, older than her father was. His hair was a soft white, his face
wrinkled. His eyes were watery and the colour of a foggy blue sky. His clothes
were lavish and skilfully embroidered. He smiled a welcome, showing gaps in his
mouth where his teeth had been knocked out. Alden was right; she could see he
was mentally undressing her with his eyes. He made her feel sick.
“What is your name, my dear?” Even
the way he spoke to her was lewd.
“Annis.”
“Annis?” Oeric raised his bushy white
eyebrows. “A pretty name for a pretty girl.” He licked his lips. “And what are
you doing in the company of Lord du Lac?”
Alden had to stop himself from saying
king. The slight on Oeric’s part hit its mark well.
Annis nervously glanced at Alden. “I
am his wife,” she whispered, fearing the lie.
“His wife?” he whispered back and
then he laughed, turning his attention away from her and back to Alden.
“You lose a kingdom, but have the
time to find a wife. Where did you pick her up? The dungeons?” Those gathered
in the hall laughed at their king’s jest. “What did you do, my dear? Was it
something horrid?” he asked Annis, stepping closer to her.
Alden’s arm shot out and pulled her
closer to him. “The where and why has nothing to do with you.” There was a
warning in his tone that he meant for Oeric to hear.
“You speak to me like a King. You
forget yourself,” Oeric said, his eyes blazing with anger. “You cannot speak to
me as an equal anymore. Annis, Annis.” He rolled her name over his tongue. “Of
Wessex?” he stated, his eyes widening. “You married his daughter?”
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About the author
Born
in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England,
surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology.
Glastonbury—the fabled Isle of Avalon—was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her
home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.
At
nineteen, Yarde married her childhood sweetheart and began a bachelor of arts
in history at Cardiff University, only to have her studies interrupted by the arrival
of her first child. She would later return to higher education, studying equine
science at Warwickshire College. Horses and history remain two of her major
passions.
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