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  BORDER BRIDES

  Five Full-length Medieval Romance Novels

  By Kathryn Le Veque

  Copyright © 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 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 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2018 by Kathryn Le Veque

  Kathryn Le Veque Novels

  Medieval Romance:

  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

  The de Russe Legacy:

  The Falls of Erith

  Lord of War: Black Angel

  The Iron Knight

  Beast

  The Dark One: Dark Knight

  The White Lord of Wellesbourne

  Dark Moon

  Dark Steel

  The de Lohr Dynasty:

  While Angels Slept

  Rise of the Defender

  Steelheart

  Shadowmoor

  Silversword

  Spectre of the Sword

  Unending Love

  Archangel

  Lords of East Anglia:

  While Angels Slept

  Godspeed

  Great Lords of le Bec:

  Great Protector

  House of de Royans:

  Lord of Winter

  To the Lady Born

  Lords of Eire:

  Echoes of Ancient Dreams

  Blacksword

  The Darkland

  Ancient Kings of Anglecynn:

  The Whispering Night

  Netherworld

  Battle Lords of de Velt:

  The Dark Lord

  Devil’s Dominion

  Bay of Fear

  Reign of the House of de Winter:

  Lespada

  Swords and Shields

  De Reyne Domination:

  Guardian of Darkness

  With Dreams

  The Fallen One

  House of d’Vant:

  Tender is the Knight (House of d’Vant)

  The Red Fury (House of d’Vant)

  The Dragonblade Series:

  Fragments of Grace

  Dragonblade

  Island of Glass

  The Savage Curtain

  The Fallen One

  Great Marcher Lords of de Lara

  Lord of the Shadows

  Dragonblade

  House of St. Hever

  Fragments of Grace

  Island of Glass

  Queen of Lost Stars

  Lords of Pembury:

  The Savage Curtain

  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

  The House of De Nerra:

  The Falls of Erith

  Vestiges of Valor

  Realm of Angels

  Highland Warriors of Munro:

  The Red Lion

  Deep Into Darkness

  The House of de Garr:

  Lord of Light

  Realm of Angels

  Saxon Lords of Hage:

  The Crusader

  Kingdom Come

  High Warriors of Rohan:

  High Warrior

  The House of Ashbourne:

  Upon a Midnight Dream

  The House of D’Aurilliac:

  Valiant Chaos

  The House of De Dere:

  Of Love and Legend

  St. John and de Gare Clans:

  The Warrior Poet

  The House of de Bretagne:

  The Questing

  The House of Summerlin:

  The Legend

  The Kingdom of Hendocia:

  Kingdom by the Sea

  Contemporary Romance:

  Kathlyn Trent/Marcus Burton Series:

  Valley of the Shadow

  The Eden Factor

  Canyon of the Sphinx

  The American Heroes Anthology Series:

  The Lucius Robe

  Fires of Autumn

  Evenshade

  Sea of Dreams

  Purgatory

  Other non-connected Contemporary Romance:

  Lady of Heaven

  Darkling, I Listen

  In the Dreaming Hour

  River’s End

  The Fountain

  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

  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. You will notice that some series have the same books; that is because they are cross-overs. A hero in one book may be the secondary character in another.

  There is NO reading order except by chronology, but even in that case, you can still read the books as stand-alones. No novel is connected to another by a cliff hanger, and every book has an HEA.

  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.

  For more information, find it in A Reader’s Guide to the Medieval World of Le Veque.

  Contents

  The Lion of the North

  Guardian of Darkness

  The Warrior Poet

  The Savage Curtain

  The Questing

  Sneak Peek from The Promise

  THE LION OF THE NORTH

  A Medieval Romance

  By Kathryn Le Veque

  Author’s Note

  Welcome to Atticus’ story. We have some interesting names in this tale, so I want to make sure we’re all on the same page with pronunciations (the emphasis is on the capitalized syllable):

  Isobeau – Eees-uh-BO

  Tertius – TER-shiss

  Titus – TIE-tus

  Warenne – war-EN (if you recall, de Warenne was the family name of Davyss de Winter’s mother, Lady Katharine, in LESPADA)

  “A Day of Much Slaying”

  That’s what the Battle of Towton was called, which is a major battle in the War of the Roses. It was also a battle that was fought in late spring in a blizzard and is one of the more terrible historical battles ever fought in England. If the men weren’t freezing, then they were drowning in the river north of the battlefield as they tried to flee. It’s said that so many men drowned in the river that they created a human bridge for the remaining armies to flee across. Over 70,000 men faced off on the field that day; 42,000 Lancastrian alone, so this was an absolutely massive battle. Towton is to England what Antietam is to the American Civil War. The total dead at Towton were estimated at 1% of England’s population, or about 20,000 men. Towton plays a small but pivotal role in this novel.

  Also, let’s clarify the family ties here of the secondary characters because there are a lot. It’s probably best to do it this way rathe
r than a diagram:

  • Warenne de Winter – descendent of Davyss de Winter (LESPADA)

  • Maxim de Russe – son of Sir Bastian de Russe (BEAST) and his wife, Lady Gisella le Bec. Gisella is the youngest daughter of Sir Richmond le Bec (GREAT PROTECTOR).

  • Alec le Bec – son of Gannon le Bec (second son of Sir Richmond le Bec) and his wife, Lady Sparrow Summerlin. Alec is named for his ancestor, the great Alec Summerlin (THE LEGEND).

  • Adam Wellesbourne – Married to Audrey Wellesbourne, Maxim’s sister and the daughter of Sir Bastian de Russe and his wife, Lady Gisella. Adam and Audrey are the parents of Matthew Wellesbourne (THE WHITE LORD OF WELLESBOURNE). This means that Matthew Wellesbourne has the blood of Richmond le Bec and Bastian de Russe in him, among others.

  • Kenton le Bec – son of Stefan le Bec, who is the eldest son of Richmond le Bec (GREAT PROTECTOR), and his wife, Lady Arissa (who is the bastard daughter of Henry VI). Kenton is Richmond’s eldest grandchild.

  • Tertius de Shera – a descendant of Maximus de Shera (THE THUNDER WARRIOR) and Lady Isobeau’s brother.

  It’s all very complicated, but suffice it to say that all of the le Bec knights, as well as Maxim de Russe, are related to Henry VI through their grandmother, who is the bastard daughter of Henry IV (read GREAT PROTECTOR for this background if you haven’t yet already), so fighting for Henry’s cause for these knights is a given. Warenne de Winter, Earl of Thetford, fights for Henry’s cause because the de Winters always fight for the crown, no matter who it is (or how poor a king he is!).

  And there are so many connections in this book! Isobeau de Shera, as mentioned, is descended from Maximus de Shera, so if you haven’t read the LORDS OF THUNDER trilogy, then it’s a must-read. It will give you a ton of insight into Isobeau’s ancestors, the great Thunder Lords. Also, as mentioned, is the Wellesbourne clan (THE WHITE LORD OF WELLESBOURNE). We meet Matthew Wellesbourne’s grandfather and see his father, Adam, as a young man. Matthew’s grandfather, Andrew, is a badass. Enough said.

  Lastly, Kenton le Bec, a secondary character, will have his own novel coming out shortly after this one called WALLS OF BABYLON. Don’t miss it. I’m particularly fond of Kenton.

  This “author’s note” is a little long, so I’ll conclude by saying I truly hope you enjoy Atticus and Isobeau’s story. If ever two people deserved a happily ever after, these two do.

  Hugs,

  Kathryn

  PROLOGUE

  March 29, 1461 A.D.

  Battle of Towton, Yorkshire

  Ascension of Edward IV

  “There he is,” a knight in snow-covered armor hissed. “Do you see him?”

  His companion, with a bushy red beard and dirty blond hair, was focused on a copse of white-encrusted trees off to the south. It was early morning and snow was falling so heavily that it was as if a thick blanket of the stuff had been tossed onto them. Breath hung in the air from both man and beast alike, and the sun, though risen, was shielded by heavy clouds.

  “I see him,” the knight with the bushy beard said. “He has already deployed all of the men, including his brother. He will not be alone much longer.”

  “Are you sure Atticus is away?”

  “I am sure. I saw him ride off.”

  “Then we must move quickly. We promised Mowbray we would start with Titus.”

  “He really wants Atticus.”

  “I know. But if we can sway Titus, Atticus should follow.”

  Spurring their horses forward, the pair charged down a small and snow-covered incline, heading towards the right flank of the massive Lancastrian army that was poised on the rise, waiting for the Yorkist opposition to move into place. This day had been weeks and months in the making, years even, as the largest army England had ever seen upon her own soil was moving into position to decide the fate of the country. Would Henry VI remain on the throne, or would his young cousin, Edward, wrest the royal reins of command? Well over seventy thousand men would soon decide upon an answer. Hell was coming and it was coming very soon. With that in mind, the two knights made haste towards their target in the distance.

  Sir Titus de Wolfe was standing next to his big, brown charger, a mean horse with a fierce temper. He was rather fond of the beast, though, and had been feeding him small green apples and handfuls of oats throughout the morning, an incentive for the horse to obey him. He needed persuasion. As Titus muttered a last few encouraging words to the horse, he had no idea he was being stalked.

  The end, for him, was nearer than he knew.

  “De Wolfe!”

  Titus turned towards the sound of his name, seeing two Northumberland knights riding up to him. These were men under his command, men he had fought with for a few years. He knew and trusted them. He put the apples for his horse back in his saddlebags.

  “What are you two doing away from your posts?” he asked. “I told you two to cover the far end of the right flank. Why have you returned?”

  The knight with the bushy beard dismounted. “Something very serious, de Wolfe,” he said. “We must speak with you.”

  Titus looked up from his saddlebags. “Now?” he asked, perturbed. “The earl wants you in your position, de la Londe. Get to it. We can speak afterwards if there is still a need.”

  Simon de la Londe shook his head, ice crystals from his beard raining onto his chest. “I am afraid it is too important to wait,” he said. “I will only take a moment. I come with a message for you.”

  Titus scowled. “A message?” he repeated. “From whom?”

  “Norfolk.”

  Titus’ scowl faded and genuine bewilderment took hold. “De Mowbray?” he asked. “How is that possible? He is not even here yet.”

  De la Londe nodded patiently. “He is a few hours out,” he said. “We received his messenger with a message for you.”

  Titus’ confusion only deepened. “What in the world would the Duke of Norfolk have to say to me?” he asked. “And how does he even know me? I am one knight among thousands here today.”

  De la Londe looked over the battlefield, at the lines being drawn and the thousands of men preparing to risk their lives for two men who would be king. He glanced at his companion, Declan de Troiu, and noted de Troiu’s serious expression. The man nodded, firmly, as if to give de la Londe the push he needed to speak. De la Londe returned his attention to Titus.

  “The Duke of Norfolk wishes to deliver this message,” he said. “Wield your sword for him, swear fealty to him, and he shall provide you with a manse and lands in Westwick. The lands are rich, as are the taxes. Convince your brother to join you and he will grant Atticus a baronetcy. Do this and you shall be well rewarded. Refuse and you shall die.”

  Titus was staring at de la Londe. There was no discernible reaction in his features but his gaze implied that he was both confused and shocked with de la Londe’s message.

  “You cannot possibly be serious,” he hissed. “Did Norfolk’s messenger tell you that? Where is the bastard?”

  De la Londe drew in a long, deep breath. “He is out of range,” he said vaguely. “The messenger came to remind us of what Norfolk himself told us this last night when we met with him. He has granted Declan and me lands for swearing fealty to him. Titus, don’t you see what is happening here? We fight for a madman, a king that is daft and unstable. We fight for a lost cause. Edward has the support of the major barons and he also has the support of France. He has Warwick with him, for God’s sake. Warwick is nearly impossible to beat.”

  A warning bell went off in Titus’ head; it was clear that Simon and Declan were not here as a neutral party or even an allied party to relay a message from the enemy. From what de la Londe had just said, they were now the enemy. Shocking as it was, it was the truth.

  Titus thought quickly; his broadsword was sheathed in his saddle behind him. He couldn’t get to it undetected. He had an assortment of daggers on him, but de la Londe probably did too. So did de Troiu. It would be two against one but Titus was confident he could pr
evail. But he had to get the upper hand and strike first, eliminating de la Londe before de Troiu came down on him. He could already sense a battle coming and he was disgusted; enraged and disgusted.

  “Am I to assume you have accepted Norfolk’s bribe?” he asked steadily.

  De la Londe nodded. “We have,” he said, sounding almost regretful about it. “Titus, come with us. Fight with us. This is a fight that Henry cannot win.”

  “We outnumber the York supporters.”

  De la Londe sighed heavily. “For now,” he said. “Norfolk is four hours away and he brings ten thousand men. When he comes, he will turn the tide. Lord Fauconberg, fighting with Warwick, has hundreds of archers and he has the wind at his back. You will be killed, Titus; everyone here will be killed. I, for one, do not want to die.”

  Titus’ jaw ticked. “So you climb into bed with Norfolk,” he growled. “I never thought I would see the day, Simon. You disappoint me.”

  Simon shrugged, having difficulty maintaining eye contact. “Better a disappointment than a dead man,” he muttered. “Will you join us, Titus? Will you join us and speak to Atticus about joining us as well?”

  Titus shook his head. “I will not,” he replied. “My fealty is to Henry Percy. I am sorry your fealty was not as honorable, Simon. If you are quite certain that is what you wish to do.”

  “It is.”

  He seemed as determined to turn as Titus was determined not to turn. “I am having difficulty believing your loyalty can be bought,” Titus said, trying to insult de la Londe into letting his guard down or even walking away from him. “You are no better than a common mercenary. Where is your honor, man?”

  De la Londe would not waver but Titus’ insults struck a chord in him. He had always admired Titus, his commander and his friend, up until a few moments ago. “My honor wants to survive just like the rest of me,” he replied, pointing to the armies in the distance. “This is a fight that Henry cannot win, Titus. And I am not ready to die this day.”

  Titus took a step back, in the direction of his horse and his broadsword. “I suppose each man must follow his own path in life,” he said. “But this is where our paths diverge, Simon. If you are truly serious about serving Norfolk, I will give you a few minutes to ride out of my sight. If you do not, I will kill you.”