Crown of the Realm (A White Knight Adventure Book 2) (26 page)

TWO MEN DROWNED
on that fateful day. Several dozen suffered lacerations, bruises, broken bones, and cracked skulls. The rest rose out of the waters like Stephen and Drake, soggy and spent. But none attained the dignity of soul as Stephen fitzAlan.

Three days of hard work came and went before a flotilla of boats, deftly organized by
Richard himself, hastened the crossing of those men trapped on the wrong side of the Rhône.

Ten days later, Drake and Stephen fitzAlan delivered to Rouen Castle a subdued Alais Capét de France: daughter of one king, brother of a second king, betrothed of a third king, lover of a fourth king, niece of a fifth king, and deserted, ignored, dismissed, spurned
, or betrayed by each in turn.

The castellan personally escorted the royal princess to the tower
with Drake and Stephen accompanying their charge to the end. Alais spun on a heel. Her peasant’s gown, bought from a laundress to better conceal her identity; her wind-strewn hair, which she hadn’t bothered to braid; and her filthy hands, which showed the ligatures of her bonds, together painted the picture of a downfallen woman. In the dark of the turret chamber, the bright sapphire eyes glittered with twin emotions of defeat and malice. She said not a word. The heavy door swung shut, sealing her within. The key turning in the iron lock was the final death knell of her reversed wheel of fortune.

Stephen and Drake fitzAlan emerged into the bright Normandy sunshine. Each bore a few more scars, both of flesh and of spirit, than when they had taken this same road five months before.

“Must I call you Lord fitzAlan?” Drake asked.

“Aye,” Stephen said. “Like a prayer, morning and evening
, while licking my boots.”

Drake threw a punch. Stephen deftly deflected it. And the brothers gripped each other with
solid embraces.

Breaking apart, they mounted their twin dappled grays in timed unison
and appraised one another. Each saw what anyone could see. Untamed hair bleached by hours in the sun. Clear seawater eyes reflecting a depth of maturity for ones so young. Windblown cheeks chiseled with determination. Lines of athleticism sharpened with a sense of purpose. And wide brows stamped with intelligence.

But there were some characteristics others could not see. Loyalty to start. Virtue on occasion. Stamina when it was needed. Weakness when they couldn’t help themselves.
Humor when it suited them. And a spirit for adventure.

Twin smiles rose to their lips. In concert, they spurred their light-bright Arabians
and took the southern route to rendezvous with their king in Marseille, and from there, to sail to their destinies, waiting and unknown.  

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THE END

I hope you enjoyed reading
Crown of the
Realm as much as I enjoyed writing it. This second book in the White Knight series was written almost 15 years ago and has been gathering dust ever since. I am glad to finally let it see the light of day.

The White Knight Adventures
came about the day I decided to write a historical novel. As a fan of several great historical authors whose words bring to life people, places, and other times, I researched various eras and historical figures. Taking into account my love of English history and French culture, I settled on the Medieval Age and the volatile Plantagenêts, who embraced war and poetry in equal measure while building an empire of legends.

After devouring countless books about King Henry II, Eleanor of Aquitaine, King Richard, and the rest of their squabbling family, I took the trip of a lifetime and visited many of the sites featured in this novel
, including Limoges, Chinon, Chalus, Vézelay, and also Poitiers, where Eleanor held court among troubadours and planted the concept of
fin’amor
for all time.

Drake and Stephen fitzAlan, Aveline Darcy, Mallory d’Amboise, Botolphe, Mercadier, and Devon of Wheeling are fictional
characters. The remaining nobles, knights, and royals are fixed in history.

Alais Capét’s treachery against King Richard and her incarceration in the tower of Rouen Castle is fictitious, though her long engagement, rumors of infidelity with Richard’s father, and ultimate rejection by Richard in favor of Berengaria of Navarre is part of history.
She eventually married Count William II of Ponthieu in August 1195 and had a daughter, Marie. King Philippe continued to hound Richard for the return of Alais’ dowry—the Comté of Vexin—which Richard never did but John eventually lost after Richard’s death.

Credit for the ‘love’ quotations goes to Andreas Capellanus, taken from his
Treatise on Love
, or
The Art of Courtly Love
, written about 1181 at the insistence of Comtesse Marie of Champagne, the firstborn daughter of Eleanor of Aquitaine.

For the scandalous words put into Gui
d’Ussel’s mouth, apologies to Aimeri Picaud, a monk from Poitou who, in the 12th century, wrote a guidebook for pilgrims journeying to Santiago Compostela, in which he described the peoples one would encounter on the way.

Gui’s song was written by Maria de Torena, probably several years after the events in this book.

Translations for
Maria’s Song
by Bertran de Born and the
Lovers’ Duet
by Alamanda d’Estancs and Guiraut de Bornelh are from
The Women Troubadours
by Meg Bogin, W.W. Norton & Co., 1980.

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About Jude

You can take the girl out of the city
, but you can’t take the city out of the girl. Born and raised in Chicago USA, I may be a suburban transplant but my heart still lives in the ‘city of big shoulders’ by the lake. I earned a degree in education from Northwestern University, taught briefly in a Chicago public high school, and went on to work for big business. My writing veers off into many tangents. Sometimes I’m a romance author. Sometimes a mystery writer. Sometimes an author of suspense. And other times a writer of historical fiction. I also write blogs, screenplays, and nonfiction books. In my spare time, I like to … come to think, I don’t have any spare time.

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Books by Jude Chapman

• MIDNIGHT WEDDING
  (romance) – A recent widow becomes involved in the romantic complications of her fancy-free cabdriver.
  
• THE GREEN-EYED DICK
  (mystery)
  –
  A beat reporter dodges bullets, car chases, and irresistible guys to track down the killer who shot the mayor’s right-hand man in a house of prostitution.
  
• TRICK OF THE MIND
  (psychological suspense) – A young wife who fears she’s losing her mind soon discovers there are some things worse than madness.
  
• S
  WORD OF JUSTICE
  (historical romance) – A disgraced knight tests his mettle to save king and kingdom
  
• CROWN OF THE REALM
  (historical romance) – A knight on the run must defend his family without sacrificing his honor
  

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Happy reading! Jude