Lionhearts

by Nathan Makaryk

  And, of course, there are endless historical details that I’ve either ignored, bent, or outright changed in order to best fit our characters’ journey into this famous event. I am less interested in perfect historical accuracy than I am in exploring human themes. I used the canvas of the siege of Nottingham to put enemies in situations where they are forced to become allies, allies forced to become enemies, and to look at the many different ways that revenge can play out and what it does or doesn’t do once achieved. Along the way I was happy to continue deconstructing the Robin Hood legend into pieces to make fun of its most ridiculous parts, and then have fun pitting all the pieces against each other along the way.

  With any luck, there’s more to come.

  ALSO BY NATHAN MAKARYK

  Nottingham

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  NATHAN MAKARYK is a theater owner, playwright, director, and actor, living in Southern California. He is the author of Nottingham. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Map

  Once Upon a Time

  Prologue. Sarra Billinsgate

  Part I. Black Snow

  One. Arable De Burel

  Two. Quillen Peveril

  Three. Arthur a Bland

  Four. Quillen Peveril

  Five. Marion Fitzwalter

  Six. Arable De Burel

  Seven. Quillen Peveril

  Part II. Too Many Kings

  Eight. Quillen Peveril

  Nine. Arthur a Bland

  Ten. Arable De Burel

  Eleven. Arthur a Bland

  Twelve. Quillen Peveril

  Thirteen. Marion Fitzwalter

  Fourteen. Arthur a Bland

  Fifteen. Marion Fitzwalter

  Sixteen. Arthur a Bland

  Seventeen. Caitlin Fitzsimon

  Eighteen. Arthur a Bland

  Part III. Increasingly Foolish Acts

  Nineteen. John Lackland

  Twenty. Quillen Peveril

  Twenty-One. Arable De Burel

  Twenty-Two. Marion Fitzwalter

  Twenty-Three. Arthur a Bland

  Twenty-Four. Arable De Burel

  Twenty-Five. Caitlin Fitzsimon

  Twenty-Six. Arthur a Bland

  Twenty-Seven. Quillen Peveril

  Twenty-Eight. Marion Fitzwalter

  Twenty-Nine. Caitlin Fitzsimon

  Thirty. Arable De Burel

  Part IV. Carta Parvum

  Thirty-One. Marion Fitzwalter

  Thirty-Two. Caitlin Fitzsimon

  Thirty-Three. Marion Fitzwalter

  Thirty-Four. Arable De Burel

  Thirty-Five. Arthur a Bland

  Thirty-Six. Arable De Burel

  Thirty-Seven. John Lackland

  Thirty-Eight. Caitlin Fitzsimon

  Thirty-Nine. Marion Fitzwalter

  Interlude. Sir Robert Fitzodo

  Part V. Red and Red

  Forty. Quillen Peveril

  Forty-One. John Lackland

  Forty-Two. Caitlin Fitzsimon

  Forty-Three. Arthur a Bland

  Forty-Four. Marion Fitzwalter

  Forty-Five. Arthur a Bland

  Forty-Six. Quillen Peveril

  Interlude. Sir Amon Swift

  Part VI. Baileyking

  Forty-Seven. John Lackland

  Forty-Eight. Quillen Peveril

  Forty-Nine. Arthur a Bland

  Fifty. Arable De Burel

  Fifty-One. Marion Fitzwalter

  Fifty-Two. Quillen Peveril

  Fifty-Three. Arable De Burel

  Fifty-Four. Arthur a Bland

  Part VII. The Siege of Nottingham Castle

  Fifty-Five. Marion Fitzwalter

  Fifty-Six. Arable De Burel

  Fifty-Seven. Arthur a Bland

  Fifty-Eight. Arable De Burel

  Fifty-Nine. Arthur a Bland

  Sixty. Quillen Peveril

  Sixty-One. The Beast, War

  Sixty-Two. Arable De Burel

  Sixty-Three. Arthur a Bland

  Sixty-Four. Quillen Peveril

  Sixty-Five. Arable De Burel

  Sixty-Six. John Lackland

  Sixty-Seven. Charley Dancer

  Sixty-Eight. Arthur a Bland

  Sixty-Nine. Charley Dancer

  Seventy. John Lackland

  Part VIII. Liar’s Nail

  Seventy-One. Marion Fitzwalter

  Seventy-Two. Will Scarlet

  Seventy-Three. Beneger De Wendenal

  Epilogue. Arable De Burel

  Acknowledgments

  Author’s Note

  Also by Nathan Makaryk

  About the Author

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  LIONHEARTS

  Copyright © 2020 by Nathan Makaryk

  All rights reserved.

  Cover art by Steve Stone

  A Forge Book

  Published by Tom Doherty Associates

  120 Broadway

  New York, NY 10271

  www.tor-forge.com

  Forge® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.

  ISBN 978-1-250-19585-2 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-1-250-19586-9 (ebook)

  eISBN 9781250195869

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  First Edition: September 2020