“A hut in the forest, quite a change for one who fancied herself lady of the manor,” she reflected. She leaned over the cradle and rearranged the blankets, then set the cradle to rocking again.
“Aye, but all she deserves,” Emma commented.
“Do you think she’ll come here?” Bennet mused. “If I were you, I would welcome the opportunity to deny her entrance.”
“Nay, to be mistress of the forest is more to her liking than to be beholden to me,” Alyna assured him. “I’m lady of the manor now and her foul ways cannot hurt me.”
“Aye,” Warin agreed. He reached over and placed his hand over hers. “And our love for each other is a force she cannot bend to her will.”
“Aye, our love is strong,” she whispered, catching Warin’s gaze upon her.
The depths of his eyes snared her, drawing her in and holding her fast. The fire’s crackle, Emma’s giggles, the creak of the cradle, all faded away until only deep desire for her husband filled her being. Desire twined with love – ‘twas a wondrous sensation.
A wondrous sensation that, she was sure, would fill them both the rest of their days.
THE END
Author’s Note
I find that doing research gives me story ideas. For example, it wasn’t unusual for women to follow their men to the Crusades, like Eleanor of Aquitaine, wife of King Louis VII, and Queen Margaret, wife of Louis IX. Also, I try to use real people when I can, in this case, King Henry III, who reigned for 56 years, one of the longest serving monarchs in English history. England prospered under his reign, and his greatest legacy was Westminster. Henry’s wife, Eleanor of Provence, was the sister of Margaret of Provence, wife of Louis IX.
All events are fictional except for the storm at Winchelsea which King Henry used to verify Alyna’s birth.
The 7 Crusade covers the period from 1248 – 1254 under King Louis IX. A pious man, his attempt to free Jerusalem from the infidels and regain the Church of the Holy Sepulcher failed miserably. At first victorious in capturing the Egyptian city of Damietta, ultimately, warfare with the Saracens, plus famine, scurvy, typhoid and dysentery decimated his army. Louis was captured by the Saracens and Damietta had to be surrendered, plus a hefty ransom paid, to free him and his fellow prisoners. After this, he attempted an alliance with the Mongols which proved initially successful but the Mamelukes of Egypt eventually defeated the Mongols. At this time, in April of 1254, Louis returned to France as his mother, Queen Blanche, had died and France had no ruler. However, he vowed to return. Louis died attempting another Crusade in 1270. He is the only king of France to become a Christian saint.
There are a number of references to the Lord, the Almighty, etc. because a lot of things people didn’t understand during that period of time were attributed to a divine power.
In A Knight For Love, I intended to give my readers a glimpse of life in the early Middle Ages. As an author of historical romance, I try to add enough details so that my readers feel as if they’re in that time period, without detracting from the romance. Hopefully I succeeded.
Thanks for joining me on this trip back in time!
About the Author
Living by the motto "you don't know unless you try", A.M.Westerling started writing historical romance because she couldn't find the kind of fun stories she enjoyed. After all, she thought, who doesn’t enjoy a tasty helping of dashing heroes and spunky heroines, seasoned with a liberal sprinkle of passion and adventure?
Westerling, a former engineer, is a member of the Romance Writers of America and active in her local chapter. As well as writing, she enjoys cooking, gardening, camping, yoga, and watching pro sports. She lives in Calgary, Canada.
Visit her at: www.amwesterling.com or www.facebook.com/A.M.Westerling
Or follow her on Twitter: @AMWesterling
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Table of Contents
Dedication
Acknowledgements
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Author’s Note
About the Author
About the Publisher