The Sixth Lost Tale of Mercia: Hastings the Hearth Companion (4 page)

With a turn of his heel, Aetheling Aethelstan
strode away.

Hastings groaned and rolled down onto his
back. The floorboards were hot and searing against him, yet he felt
as if he might never get up again.

Perhaps Aethelstan was wrong. Perhaps he
misread Aydith entirely.

His fists clenched at his sides. His muscles
constricted along his chest and made the pain all the sharper. For
he knew that it did not matter what—or who—Aydith wanted.

Whatever it was, whomever it was, Hastings
would help her attain it.

**

RELEASE DATES

One Lost Tale of Mercia will
release every other Tuesday until October 5, the release of the
full story of Eadric Streona and his greatest opponent, the Golden
Cross. For more news and updates, visit
www.jaydenwoods.com
.

The First Lost Tale:
Golde the Mother
(released May 18)

The Second Lost Tale:
Ethelred the King
(released June 1)

The Third Lost Tale:
Aydith the Aetheling
(released June 15)

The Fourth Lost Tale:
Athelward the Historian
(released June 29)

The Fifth Lost Tale:
Alfgifu the Orphan
(released July 13)

The Sixth Lost Tale:
Hastings the Hearth Companion
(released July 27)

The Seventh Lost
Tale:
Hildred the Maid
(August 10)

The Eighth Lost Tale:
Canute the Viking
(August
24)

The Ninth Lost Tale:
Runa the Wife
(September
7)

The Tenth Lost Tale:
Edmund the Aetheling
(September 21)

**OCTOBER 5th:
Eadric the Grasper
releases in the U.S. on Amazon**

AUTHOR? NOTE

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicles,
as compiled by various monks until the year 1140, were my primary
sources of information. So, too, were the Chronicles of Florence of
Worcester and the Chronicles of the Kings of England as written by
William of Malmesbury. Without the devotion of these men to
chronicle the chaotic events of their time, so little of the Dark
Ages would be known. For a full list of sources, or to tell me what
you think of my work, visit my blog at
http://talesofmercia.wordpress.com
.