FEARSOME BRIDES
By Kathryn Le Veque
Copyright © 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 by Kathryn Le Veque
Kindle Edition
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
Printed by Kathryn Le Veque Novels in the United States of America
Text copyright 2010, 2014, 2016, 2018 by Kathryn Le Veque
Kathryn Le Veque Novels
Medieval Romance:
The de Russe Legacy:
The White Lord of Wellesbourne
The Dark One: Dark Knight
Beast
Lord of War: Black Angel
The Iron Knight
The de Lohr Dynasty:
While Angels Slept (Lords of East Anglia)
Godspeed (Lords of East Anglia)
Rise of the Defender
Steelheart
Spectre of the Sword
Archangel
Unending Love
Shadowmoor
Silversword
Great Lords of le Bec:
Great Protector
To the Lady Born (House of de Royans)
Lord of Winter (Lords of de Royans)
Lords of Eire:
The Darkland (Master Knights of Connaught)
Black Sword
Echoes of Ancient Dreams (time travel)
De Wolfe Pack Series:
Warwolfe
The Wolfe
Nighthawk
ShadowWolfe
DarkWolfe
A Joyous de Wolfe Christmas
Serpent
A Wolfe Among Dragons
Scorpion
Dark Destroyer
The Lion of the North
Walls of Babylon
Ancient Kings of Anglecynn:
The Whispering Night
Netherworld
Battle Lords of de Velt:
The Dark Lord
Devil’s Dominion
Reign of the House of de Winter:
Lespada
Swords and Shields (also related to The Questing, While Angels Slept)
De Reyne Domination:
Guardian of Darkness
The Fallen One (part of Dragonblade Series)
With Dreams Only of You
House of d’Vant:
Tender is the Knight (House of d’Vant)
The Red Fury (House of d’Vant)
The Dragonblade Series: (Great Marcher Lords of de Lara)
Dragonblade
Island of Glass (House of St. Hever)
The Savage Curtain (Lords of Pembury)
The Fallen One (De Reyne Domination)
Fragments of Grace (House of St. Hever)
Lord of the Shadows
Queen of Lost Stars (House of St. Hever)
Lords of Thunder: The de Shera Brotherhood Trilogy
The Thunder Lord
The Thunder Warrior
The Thunder Knight
The Great Knights of de Moray:
Shield of Kronos
The Gorgon
Highland Warriors of Munro:
The Red Lion
Deep Into Darkness
The House of Ashbourne:
Upon a Midnight Dream
The House of D’Aurilliac:
Valiant Chaos
The House of De Nerra:
The Falls of Erith
Vestiges of Valor
Realm of Angels
The House of De Dere:
Of Love and Legend
St. John and de Gare Clans:
The Warrior Poet
The House of de Garr:
Lord of Light
Realm of Angels
The House of de Bretagne:
The Questing (also related to Swords and Shields)
The House of Summerlin:
The Legend
The Kingdom of Hendocia:
Kingdom by the Sea
Time Travel Romance: (Saxon Lords of Hage)
The Crusader
Kingdom Come
Contemporary Romance:
Kathlyn Trent/Marcus Burton Series:
Valley of the Shadow
The Eden Factor
Canyon of the Sphinx
The American Heroes Series:
The Lucius Robe
Fires of Autumn
Evenshade
Sea of Dreams
Purgatory
Other Contemporary Romance:
Lady of Heaven
Darkling, I Listen
In the Dreaming Hour
Sons of Poseidon:
The Immortal Sea
Pirates of Britannia Series (with Eliza Knight):
Savage of the Sea by Eliza Knight
Leader of Titans by Kathryn Le Veque
The Sea Devil by Eliza Knight
Sea Wolfe by Kathryn Le Veque
Kindle Worlds (Kathryn Le Veque World of de Wolfe Pack):
River’s End
The Wedding Fountain (Bella Andre’s Kindle World)
Note: All Kathryn’s novels are designed to be read as stand-alones, although many have cross-over characters or cross-over family groups. Novels that are grouped together have related characters or family groups.
Series are clearly marked. All series contain the same characters or family groups except the American Heroes Series, which is an anthology with unrelated characters.
There is NO particular chronological order for any of the novels because they can all be read as stand-alones, even the series.
For more information, find it in A Reader’s Guide to the Medieval World of Le Veque.
Contents
Lord of Winter
Silversword
The Thunder Warrior
Lespada
Bonus Book: Upon a Midnight Dream
LORD OF WINTER
A Medieval Romance
Part of the Lords of de Royans series
By Kathryn Le Veque
Author’s Note
We’ve got a “genesis” of sorts in this book!
LORD OF WINTER turned out to be the beginning of a few things – for example, you’ll see Christopher and David de Lohr, and Marcus Burton, pre-Rise of the Defender, when they were young knights with a lord to serve. And one of the scenes in this book has one of their legendary adventures in it. I was laughing the entire way through it as I wrote it! Typical de Lohr/Burton shenanigans.
We’ve also got the start of the Unholy Trinity, a series that is slated for 2018, in three knights who are a little darker, a little more “edgy”. They have secondary roles here but you get a good feel for the dark side of them. Also in this book is Gart Forbes, hero of Archangel, as a squire and his best friend, Erik de Russe. Erik is the brother of Emberley de Russe, heroine of Gart’s novel, although by the time the novel took place Erik had already passed way in the Holy Land. Still, it’s fun to have a glimpse of the man and perhaps a little sad, even, knowing that he soon meets his end.
More things to note: the weight system discussed at one point in the book is accurate. In 1066, when William the Conqueror arrived, he brought with him the Roman weight system, which is also called the Apothecaries’ system of weights and measures. The pound and the ounce are all part of this system. The “stone” system for body weight that the British use now wasn’t enacted until 1835, and even that has changed a few times since then.
On to one of the battle scenes in this book – whenever I write battle scenes, I really research the area and the topography to make sure I know what I’m writing about when I put it to paper. Here’s an odd tidbit – when I was researching the site for the major battle at the end of t
he novel, I selected a site because, to me, it seemed the most logical location due to the terrain. I must not have been the only person to think that because, weirdly enough, when I looked at the area most closely, that particular location was known as Battle Hill. Strange coincidence!
Lastly, Bowes Castle is a real castle, exactly where I describe it in the novel. So is Cotherstone Castle, and Auckland Castle, Brough Castle, etc. This novel is unique in that no castles mentioned in it, other than Netherghyll Castle, are fictional. All of them are quite real, as is Hugh de Puiset, Bishop of Durham. Bowes Castle, however, has a bit of a fascinating history but one that, during the time when this novel takes places, is lost to history. We know that it did belong to Henry II and that, at this point in time, it was relatively new. If you want to learn more about it, you can read about it here:
Bowes Castle
Anyway, enough of my ramblings. I truly hope you enjoy this novel and the chance to see some of your favorite heroes again. As always, happy reading!
Love,
Kathryn
PROLOGUE
Église Saint-André
Five miles from Taillebourg, France
Year of Our Lord 1179 A.D.
“Please do not leave, my love,” a woman with pale hair and big brown eyes begged. “You cannot leave us. Please do not go; not yet.”
She was clutching the hands of her husband, big hands with big gloves upon them. A knight dressed in heavy protection and loaded with weapons faced the woman as two little girls clung to his legs, whining. Truth be told, he was trying to comfort all three of them.
“I must go now,” he assured her calmly. “Have I ever lied to you, Lizette? Do you truly believe I would put you and the girls in danger? You will be safe here.”
Lady Lizette de Royans shook her head even though she didn’t seem entirely convinced of her husband’s reassurance. It was in the pre-dawn hours of a cold morning during the month of March, a hint of winter chill still in the air. But in a stout manor home built on the banks of a quiet creek, it was warm and smoky and pleasant.
Still, there was fear in the air as the big knight gathered the last of his gear, helped by a pair of knights that had come for him in the darkness. The knight was expected to lead a coming battle, not five miles from where they were. The woman, however, was unwilling to let him go so easily. She clung to him.
“I do not want you to go,” she said quietly, struggling not to weep. “I saw an owl fly across the moon last night. It is a terrible omen.”
The knight gave her a half-smile, kissing her on the forehead. “It was no omen,” he said patiently. “It was a night bird looking for a meal. You will be safe here with Lord Annepont. He is a friend and ally. We have been staying here for over a week, my angel. You knew this day would come. You have been brave to this point and it is my wish that you continue to be brave. The girls do not need to see their mother so terrified.”
The woman glanced at the two small girls, still clinging to their father’s legs. Her expression softened somewhat as she bent down to collect the smaller of the pair, a little girl with her father’s curly blonde hair and big green eyes. The child held out her arms to her father, whining, but he was so loaded down with sharp and deadly objects that he didn’t dare take her in his arms. He bent over to kiss her unhappy face as she grabbed his long hair, trying to hang on to him.
“I must go,” he said, kissing the baby again before kissing his wife. “I do not know when I will return but Taillebourg is not far from here. I am sure you will hear of the battle there but, rest assured, you will be safe here. No one knows you are here.”
Lizette was resigned to the fact that no matter how she pleaded, he was still determined to head into the enormous conflict that had been planned for quite some time. “A big army is gathering, no?”
“The biggest.”
“Will this be the last one for a time, Juston?”
His warm expression faded. “More than likely not,” he said quietly. “Taillebourg is held by Henry and Richard must have it. My angel, you knew this was my life when you married me. I must admit that I grow disheartened with having the same conversation with you every time I go to battle. This is my life and my vocation. We have been married for four years and you knew that the day we wed. Besides… it is not every wife who is permitted to follow her husband from battle to battle. Most women stay home to raise the children, but you have begged to come so I have brought you with me. You should consider yourself very fortunate that I did not leave you at your father’s house in Merignac.”
Lizette tried not to look too guilty. “It is simply that I did not wish to be without you,” she said, touching his cheek. “We have had a good life, Juston. I do not regret following your army, staying in the homes of your friends. If you are injured, I am close enough to tend you, and your daughters are able to see you much more frequently. Nay, I do not regret this at all.”
He nodded, his impatience growing. “Nor do I,” he said, kissing her swiftly one last time. “Now, I must depart. I will send you word when I can but I can tell you that a massive army is being assembled at Taillebourg and a siege could last months. The fortress is quite impenetrable.”
She lifted an ironic eyebrow. “Aren’t those the only ones that Richard wants?”
He grinned. “Those are the only ones worthy of my skill.”
With that, he began to move towards the entry to the manse with his wife and children scurrying behind him. Lizette could see, through the open door, a host of soldiers and knights waiting for her husband. She could also see the ice on the ground outside.
“Will you be warm enough?” she asked, noting that he wasn’t wearing much by way of heavy clothing. “It is very cold outside.”
He glanced at the ice as well. “I have the beautiful robe you had made for me,” he said. “I will wear that if it grows too cold. But you know that cold does not affect me – I draw strength from it.”
He was trying to be jovial at this moment of departure but Lizette couldn’t rise to it. “My great Lord of Winter,” she murmured with some amusement on a title he seemed so proud of. “The cold is your ally. But that is not why Richard calls you that.”
“It is not.”
“You destroy everything in battle like the ravages of a great winter storm.”
She recited it as if those words had been drilled into her. He simply winked at her. “Indeed, I do.” One last time, he bent over to kiss her. “Do not worry. I shall return to you safe and whole.”
With that, he was gone, leaving his worried wife and two sleepy, sniffling daughters who did not want to see their father go away again. They stood in the open doorway, watching as he mounted his charcoal-colored war horse and spurred the animal towards the west, heading to Taillebourg Castle and the bombardment that was soon to begin.
Lizette turned away from the door when he was out of sight, leading the unhappy girls away as the panel was closed by one of the house servants.
But this was no ordinary servant. Having heard nearly the entire conversation between the lady and her husband, as well as the conversations over the past week between the knight and his master, Lord Annepont, the servant knew that something very bad was coming. Although he served Lord Annepont, he had ties to Taillebourg and to Lord Geoffrey of Rancon, the lord of Taillebourg.
A siege was coming to Taillebourg.
It was the worst of all possible news but it was something the servant had caught wind of for the past week through snips of conversation he’d heard between the big knight and Lord Annepont. In fact, the servant’s sister served Mme. Rancon and he was coming to think that Lord Rancon needed to know that the Count of Poitiers’ greatest knight had a family seeking refuge at Lord Annepont’s home. Perhaps he would be well-rewarded for such information so his purpose in sending the news to his sister was greed alone. It had nothing to do with whose loyalties he served.
He simply wanted the money.
But he had to act swiftly. The sun ha
d not yet arisen when the servant sent his young son on an errand to Taillebourg, knowing the lad would not beat the knights there but as long as the siege had not yet started, there was a chance the boy could get a message to the occupants so they would know the identity of the guests of Lord Annepont. He told his son to wait for a reply and for a reward. As his son ran off into the icy dawn, the servant settled back into the kitchens to help the cook for the day, making no mention of what he’d done. He was quite sure that by tomorrow, he’d have a good deal of coinage in his hands.
Unfortunately, his greed would not know fruition. Upon receiving word that one of Richard the Lionheart’s greatest warriors had a family staying with Lord Annepont, it was the beginning of the end for everyone within the Annepont house and hold. Lord Annepont was now viewed as the enemy by those at Taillebourg and the young man who brought the information ended up in the oubliette.
There was no reward forthcoming, only vengeance. Two days after receiving the news of the disloyal Lord Annepont, a group of knights led by a warrior with the surname of Lusignan slipped from the castle prior to the forthcoming battle and burned Annepont’s manse to the ground with the occupants in it. Dorian Lusignan, a cousin to Guy Lusignan of Jerusalem, made sure no one survived.
Juston de Royans did not discover the fate of his family until a month later when he sent one of his knights to Lord Annepont’s manse with a message for his wife. The knight returned in tears and Juston was informed that his family was no more, burned alive right along with Lord Annepont. Witnesses said knights from Taillebourg had done it, with whispers of a man named Dorian Lusignan at the head of it. Juston had spent a solid year trying to track down this Dorian Lusignan to no avail. No one could find a trace of him.
That was when the Lord of Winter’s heart froze over for good.
CHAPTER ONE
In Dextera Dei
“God’s Right Hand” House of de Royans Motto
Siege of Bowes Castle
County Durham
December, Year of Our Lord 1187 A.D.
Armageddon had arrived.
Fearsome Brides Page 1