by Lara Adrian
“My lord,” said Sebastian, helping Gillianne up when she was slow to stand. “It is my honor and my great pleasure to introduce my bride, Lady Gillianne of Montborne.”
The king's grunt of acknowledgment seemed more a leonine purr of appreciation. “Well met, my lady,” he said, his blue eyes glittering with unsuspecting interest. To Sebastian he said, “Your wife pretties up this court like a gem, Montborne. I do hope you will bring her here often.”
Sebastian cleared his throat and pulled Gillianne a little closer to him. “All due respect, my lord, but Gillianne is a treasure I intend to hoard selfishly for all my days.”
He looked at her and she smiled, and the king and queen and the throng of hundreds in the room faded away to nothing, as was always the case whenever Sebastian was looking into his lady love's eyes.
~*~
Thank you for reading Black Lion’s Bride. I hope you enjoyed it! If you liked this book--or any of my other releases--please consider rating the book at the online retailer of your choice. Your ratings and reviews help other readers find new favorites, and of course there is no better or more appreciated support for an author than word of mouth recommendations from happy readers. Thanks again for your interest in my books!
Lara Adrian
www.LaraAdrian.com
Black Lion’s Bride - Behind the Story
Author’s Note
(from the original print edition of the novel)
What would you think of a book set in the Holy Land during the crusades, where the heroine is a Syrian assassin sent to kill the king of England, unless the hero can stop her?
That's what I asked my editor, as I pitched my story idea to her at the 2000 RWA National conference.
“I love it,” she said. “It sounds like a fun book to write.”
And it was . . . until the unimaginable happened on September 11, 2001.
I was putting the finishing touches on the manuscript when a friend called to tell me to turn on the TV. Like everyone else who sat in their living rooms or at work, transfixed in horror, I could not believe what I was seeing. Some days, I still can't believe the attacks actually happened. But they did, and while we will rise above our sorrow and fear, we will, as a nation and as individuals, be forever changed. It is my hope that we will emerge a stronger, more unified community, and that peace can still, one day, be ours.
I'm a hopeful romantic; I have to believe and trust wholeheartedly that love truly does have the power to conquer all. That message is at the core of all romantic fiction, and is a large part of what I find so appealing about it, as both a reader and a writer.
With regard to Sebastian of Montborne and his assassin bride, I hope you enjoy their love story in the spirit in which it was intended. I would like to share with you some of the interesting things I discovered in my research for this book, many of which found their way into the story.
The mysterious clan of the Assassins did, in fact, exist. A radical Ismaili sect, they first gained notoriety among the crusading Christians with the murder of King Richard's sometime ally, Conrad of Montferrat. Their leader at that time was Rashid al-Din Sinan, a reclusive man of great power, who commanded his agents from a mountain fortress called Masyaf. It was said that Sinan's grasp on his followers was so strong, men would willingly fling themselves to their deaths off the ramparts of the castle upon his command.
Some early scholars believed that The Old Man of The Mountain bewitched his agents with hallucinogenic drugs, such as hashish, from which the name “assassin” is purportedly derived. This hypothesis has earned its share of doubt, skepticism I tend to share. The Ismaili doctrine is essentially one of authoritarianism; to the believer, there is no individual right of choice. He must follow the teachings of his leaders without argument or sway. It is not so hard to imagine--particularly today--that Sinan's followers, steeped in the fanaticism of his preaching, would be perfectly willing and able to carry out their covert, and often prolonged, missions without the aid (or the potential hindrance) of mind-altering drugs.
While the Assassins generally targeted non-Christians, they did occasionally reach beyond their established enemies, as evidenced by the alleged revenge-based murder of Conrad of Montferrat, then King of Jerusalem. Historical sources have never confirmed that Richard the Lionheart was ever in danger from Sinan's agents, but there were rumors of animosity, and I have taken the liberty in this novel of saying, “What if . . . “
I was very impressed, and quite often surprised, to find that the Arab nations of the twelfth century enjoyed many technological advances over their English counterparts--things like plumbing, irrigation, architectural advances, and an appreciation for intellectual pursuits. Perhaps you recognized the ancient Arabic game that Sebastian and Zahirah played in this book. The strategy game of shatranj is better known by its popular European incarnation, chess. It is believed that the checkered game board and miniature warrior pieces were first brought to England and France by the soldiers in the Third Crusade--as I am sure Sebastian and Gillianne would have done upon their return to Montborne. Chess became a popular form of entertainment in the Middle Ages, enjoyed by both men and women of the noble classes. The pieces underwent some changes from the original Arabic version, making it more Anglicized and giving certain pieces more freedom and power.
The most significant changes were the addition of the Queen and Bishop, replacing the Arabic Firz (prime minister) and the Alil (elephant), respectively. For the sake of simplicity and reader understanding, I used the more widely recognized European pieces in my story. I also changed the game board from its Arabic red-and-black squares to the black-and-white battlefield you see in chess today. One other interesting bit of trivia: Shah mat, the Arabic declaration of victory in shatranj eventually became the more English, if less relevant, “check mate” we still use after the execution of the winning move today.
I hope you enjoyed this book, as I hope you will enjoy all the rest still to come.
Tina St. John
May 2002
About the Author
LARA ADRIAN is the New York Times and #1 internationally best-selling author of the Midnight Breed vampire romance series, with more than 2 million books in print in the United States and translations licensed to more than 17 countries. Her books regularly appear in the top spots of all the major bestseller lists including the New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, Indiebound, Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, etc. Her debut title, Kiss of Midnight, was named Borders Books bestselling debut romance of 2007. Later that year, her third title, Midnight Awakening, was named one of Amazon.com’s Top Ten Romances of the Year. Reviewers have called Lara’s books “addictively readable” (Chicago Tribune), “extraordinary” (Fresh Fiction), and “one of the best vampire series on the market” (Romantic Times).
Writing as TINA ST. JOHN, her historical romances have won numerous awards including the National Readers Choice; Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer’s Choice; Booksellers Best; and many others. She was twice named a Finalist in Romance Writers of America’s RITA Awards, for Best Historical Romance (White Lion’s Lady) and Best Paranormal Romance (Heart of the Hunter). More recently, the 2011 German translation of Heart of the Hunter debuted on Der Spiegel bestseller list.
With an ancestry stretching back to the Mayflower and the court of King Henry VIII, the author lives with her husband in New England, surrounded by centuries-old graveyards, hip urban comforts, and the endless inspiration of the broody Atlantic Ocean.
Connect online at:
www.LaraAdrian.com
www.MidnightBreedSeries.com
www.facebook.com/LaraAdrianBooks
www.twitter.com/lara_adrian
www.goodreads.com/lara_adrian
www.pinterest.com/LaraAdrian
A note from the author
Dear Reader,
While you may know me best as the author of the Midnight Breed series--dark, sexy contemporary vampire novels with a gritty, urban fantasy edge--I actually got my s
tart as a published author writing medieval romances. Years before Lucan, Dante, Tegan and the rest of the Order’s warriors first stormed into my imagination with fangs bared and guns blazing, there was Gunnar and Cabal, Griffin, Braedon and a few more dark knights in not-so-shiny armor who’d leapt from my keyboard and into my heart.
As a midlist author in the late 1990s and early 2000s, my print runs were very small, which meant my books were extremely hard to find in stores, even during their first weeks on sale. And when readers can’t find your books to buy them, small print runs eventually dry up and those books disappear forever. At least, that used to be the case. Now, thanks to the Internet and independent publishing, I’m delighted to have the opportunity to resurrect my original releases and offer them to my readers with beautiful new cover treatments and great indie ebook prices, too!
Starting with HEART OF THE HUNTER, the first in my Dragon Chalice paranormal medieval series, I will soon be reissuing all seven of my historical romances (written under the name Tina St. John). If you like my Midnight Breed series, I think you’ll find much to enjoy about the Dragon Chalice books in particular. Centered on a quest for a mythical cup forged of dark secrets and hidden powers, the Dragon Chalice series allowed me to infuse my dark medieval romances with the mystique of mythical kingdoms, dark magic and dangerous shapeshifters.
The book you’ve just read, BLACK LION’S BRIDE, satisfied my creative itch to write a medieval romance set somewhere more exotic than the usual locations of England or Scotland. What could be more enchanting than an Arabian Nights-inspired romance between a deadly seductress from a faraway land and a courageous, noble warrior pledged in service to King Richard the Lionheart? It was fascinating to learn about the Middle East during the time of the Third Crusade. Little did I know that my research and the writing of this book was taking place just months before the September 11 attacks on the United States. Nevertheless, it remains a very special story to me, and I hope you enjoyed the romance and intrigue between the Black Lion, Sebastian of Montborne, and his beautiful enemy bride.
All of my books, no matter their settings or time periods, feature strong alpha heroes who are dark and dangerous on the outside, but loyal and true when it comes to the woman who eventually scales his forbidding emotional walls and conquers his heart. I’m excited to bring you these long out of print titles from my backlist, and I can’t wait to introduce you to all of the other new characters and stories still to come in my future releases.
To stay informed of upcoming releases, please visit www.LaraAdrian.com and sign up for my private email newsletter. You can also find me on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/LaraAdrianBooks), Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/lara_adrian), Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/lara_adrian) and Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/LaraAdrian).
Thank you so much for reading my books!
All best,
Lara Adrian
Tina St. John
Complete list of titles by
New York Times & #1 internationally
best-selling author
LARA ADRIAN
Midnight Breed Series
Kiss of Midnight
Kiss of Crimson
Midnight Awakening
Midnight Rising
Veil of Midnight
Ashes of Midnight
Shades of Midnight
Taken by Midnight
Deeper Than Midnight
A Taste of Midnight (ebook novella)
Darker After Midnight
Edge of Dawn (hardcover release 2013)
NightDrake (ebook novella, reissuing 2012)
A Glimpse of Darkness (ebook collaborative novella)
LARA ADRIAN
writing as TINA ST. JOHN
Dragon Chalice Series
Heart of the Hunter
Heart of the Flame
Heart of the Dove
Warrior Trilogy
White Lion’s Lady
Black Lion’s Bride
Lady of Valor
Lord of Vengeance
~*~
Read on for a sampler of
LARA ADRIAN’s
best-selling contemporary vampire series
and award-winning historical romances
~*~
THE MIDNIGHT BREED SERIES
(Edgy, dark contemporary vampire romance)
KISS OF MIDNIGHT (Book 1)
New York Times & USA Today bestseller
"KISS OF MIDNIGHT is dark, edgy and passionate, an irresistible vampire romance."
--Chicago Tribune
Insatiable desire. Endless seduction.
One touch is just the beginning.
He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle's deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night--or this man--is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed--a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.
Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind--and the unwitting humans existing alongside them--from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.
Here, in the arms of the Breed's formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all . . . .
~*~
EXCERPT
It was wrong to pursue the woman.
Lucan knew this, even as he had waited on Gabrielle Maxwell's apartment steps that evening, showing her a detective's badge and photo ID card. It wasn't his. It wasn't real, in fact, only a hypnotic manipulation that made her human mind believe he was who he had presented himself to be.
A simple trick for elders of his kind, like himself, but one he seldom stooped to use.
Yet now, here he was again, some time past midnight, stretching his slim personal code of honor even thinner as he tried the latch on her front door and found it unlocked. He knew it would be; he'd given her the suggestion while he had talked with her that evening, when he had shown her what he wanted to do with her and read the surprised, but receptive, response in her soft brown eyes.
He could have taken her then. She would have Hosted him willingly, he was certain, and knowing the intense pleasure they would have shared in the process had nearly been his undoing. But Lucan's first duty was to his Breed and the warriors who had banded together with him to combat the growing problem of the Rogues.
Bad enough that Gabrielle had witnessed the nightclub slaying and reported it to the police and her friends before her memory of the event could be erased, but she had also managed to take pictures. They were grainy, almost unreadable, but damning just the same. He needed to secure the images, before she had a chance to show them to anyone else. He'd made good on that, at least. By rights, he should be back at the tech lab with Gideon, IDing the Rogue who had escaped outside La Notte, or riding shotgun around the city with Dante, Rio, Conlan, and the others as they hunted down more of their diseased brethren. And so he would be, once he finished this last bit of business with lovely Gabrielle Maxwell.
Lucan slipped inside the old brick building on Willow Street and closed the door behind him. Gabrielle's tantalizing scent filled his nostrils, leading him to her now as it had the night outside the club and at the police station downtown. He silently navigated her apartment, through the main level and up the stairs to her bedroom loft. Skylights in the vaulted ceiling summoned the moon's pale glow, which played softly over Gabrielle's graceful curves. She slept nude, as though awaiting his arrival, her long legs wrapped in twisted sheets, her hair spread out around her head on the pillow in luxurious waves of burnt gold.
Her scent enveloped him, sweet and
sultry, making his teeth ache.
Jasmine, he thought, curling back his lips in a smile of wry appreciation. An exotic flower that opens its fragrant petals only under the coaxing of night.
Open for me now, Gabrielle.
But he wouldn't seduce her, he decided, not like this. He wanted only a taste tonight, just enough to satisfy his curiosity. That was all he'd permit himself. When he was through here, Gabrielle would have no memory of meeting him, nor of the horror she had witnessed in the alley a few nights ago.
His own need would have to wait.
Lucan went to her and eased his hip onto the mattress beside her. He stroked the burnished softness of her hair, brushed his fingers along the slender line of her arm.
She stirred, moaning sweetly, rousing at his light touch. "Lucan," she murmured sleepily, not quite awake, yet subconsciously aware that he had joined her in the room.
"Just a dream," he whispered, astonished to hear his name on her lips when he had used no vampire guile to place it there.