There wasn’t a tent or pavilion to be seen between the house and the river.
Brandt rested his chin atop his sobbing wife’s head. “I will return safely,” he promised. “I swear it. A lover grieves and broods that way, if he is true and far away from the lady who has won his heart.”
Her voice breaking, she sang back the refrain,
“My love, we’re like that vine and tree;
I’ll die without you, you without me.”
She stood on tiptoe, kissed him on the lips, and stepped away to stand with her mother and Kristina.
He took the reins from Drogo and mounted his beloved horse. With one last look at the three women clustered together, cocooned in warm shawls, he turned away and signalled for Vidar to set the men in motion.
His heart was in knots. It seemed God had granted him an infinite blessing, then torn it away. As the column made its way out of the valley, he wondered if he would ever see Sophia again.
FOOTNOTES
If you're intrigued by Blythe and Dieter, their love story is Carried Away
You’ll find Sophia’s grandparents, Caedmon and Agneta in A Man of Value
Wild Viking Princess is Ragna’s story.
Book II of The Von Wolfenberg Dynasty, Lute’s story, COURAGEOUS HEART, is coming soon.
APHRODITE AND HEPHAESTUS
Aphrodite is the goddess of love, beauty, pleasure and procreation. According to one version of Aphrodite's story, because of her immense beauty Zeus fears that the other gods will become violent with each other in their rivalry to possess her. To forestall this, he forces her to marry Hephaestus, the dour, humorless god of smithing. In another version of the story, his mother, Hera casts him off Olympus, deeming him too ugly and deformed to inhabit the home of the gods. His revenge is to trap his mother in a magic throne. In return for her release, he demands to be given Aphrodite's hand in marriage.
Hephaestus is overjoyed to be married to the goddess of beauty, and forges her beautiful jewelry, including the cestus, a girdle that makes her even more irresistible to men. Her unhappiness with her marriage causes Aphrodite to seek other male companionship, most often Ares, but also sometimes Adonis.
Aphrodite's husband Hephaestus is one of the most even-tempered of the Hellenic deities, but in the Odyssey, she is portrayed as preferring Ares, the volatile god of war, because she is attracted to his violent nature.
ROGER OF SICILY (RUGGERO)
Roger II (1095–1154) was King of Sicily, son of Roger I of Sicily and successor to his brother Simon. He began his rule as Count of Sicily in 1105, became Duke of Apulia and Calabria in 1127, and then King of Sicily in 1130. More information can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_II_of_Sicily
POPE AND ANTIPOPE
Anacletus II was an Antipope in a schism caused by the contested, hasty election of Pope Innocent II. More information at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antipope_Anacletus_II
STAUFEN (HOHENSTAUFEN)
There is a wealth of information available on the internet about Friedrich and Conrad Staufen and the powerful Staufen dynasty. If you’d like to know more about the various German duchies (Swabia, Bavaria, Franconia, Saxony, etc.) Google “Stem Duchies.”
ABOUT ANNA
Thank you for reading Loyal Heart. If you’d like to leave a review where you purchased the book, and/or on Goodreads, I would appreciate it. Reviews contribute greatly to an author’s success.
I’d love you to visit my newly revamped website and my Facebook page, Anna Markland Novels.
Tweet me @annamarkland, join me on Pinterest, or sign up for my newsletter.
Passion conquers whatever obstacles a hostile medieval world can throw in its path. My page-turning adventures have earned me a place on Amazon’s All-Star list.
Besides writing, I have two addictions-crosswords and genealogy, probably the reason I love research.
I am a fool for cats.
My husband is an entrepreneur who is fond of boasting he’s never had a job.
I live on Canada’s scenic west coast now, but I was born and raised in the UK and I love breathing life into European history.
Escape with me to where romance began.
I hope you come to know and love my cast of characters as much as I do.
I’d like to acknowledge the assistance of my critique partners, Reggi Allder, Jacquie Biggar and Sylvie Grayson.
MORE ANNA MARKLAND
If you prefer to read sagas in chronological order, here’s a handy list for the Montbryce family books.
Conquering Passion—Ram and Mabelle, Rhodri and Rhonwen
If Love Dares Enough—Hugh and Devona, Antoine and Sybilla
Defiant Passion-Rhodri and Rhonwen
A Man of Value—Caedmon and Agneta
Dark Irish Knight—Ronan and Rhoni
Haunted Knights—Adam and Rosamunda, Denis and Paulina
Passion in the Blood—Robert and Dorianne, Baudoin and Carys
Dark and Bright—Rhys and Annalise
The Winds of the Heavens—Rhun and Glain, Rhydderch and Isolda
Dance of Love—Izzy and Farah
Sweet Taste of Love—Aidan and Nolana
Wild Viking Princess—Ragna and Reider
Hearts and Crowns—Gallien and Peridotte
Fatal Truths—Alex and Elayne
Sinful Passions—Bronson and Grace; Rodrick and Swan
Series featuring the stories of the Viking ancestors of my Norman families
The Rover Bold—Bryk and Cathryn
The Rover Defiant—Torstein and Sonja
The Rover Betrayed—Magnus and Judith
Novellas
Maknab’s Revenge—Ingram and Ruby
Passion’s Fire—Matthieu and Brigandine (2016)
Banished—Sigmar and Audra (2016) in Sirens of the Northern Seas
Caledonia Chronicles (Scotland)
Book I Pride of the Clan—Rheade and Margaret
Book II Highland Tides—Braden and Charlotte
Book 2.5 Highland Dawn—Keith and Aurora (a Kindle Worlds book)
Book III Roses Among the Heather—Blair &Susanna, Craig & Timothea
If you like stories with medieval breeds of dogs, you’ll enjoy If Love Dares Enough, Carried Away, Fatal Truths, and Wild Viking Princess. If you have a soft spot for cats, read Passion in the Blood and Haunted Knights.
Looking for historical fiction centered on a certain region?
English History—all books
Norman French History—all books
Crusades—A Man of Value
Welsh History—Conquering Passion, Defiant Passion, Dark and Bright, The Winds of the Heavens
Scottish History—Conquering Passion, A Man of Value, Sweet Taste of Love, Caledonia Chronicles
European History (Holy Roman Empire)—Carried Away
Danish History—Wild Viking Princess
Spanish History—Dance of Love
Ireland—Dark Irish Knight
If you like to read about historical characters:
William the Conqueror—Conquering Passion, If Love Dares Enough, Defiant Passion
William Rufus—A Man of Value
Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy—Passion in the Blood
Henry I of England—Passion in the Blood, Sweet Taste of Love, Haunted Knights, Hearts and Crowns
Heinrich V, Holy Roman Emperor—Carried Away
Vikings—Wild Viking Princess, The Rover Bold, The Rover Defiant, The Rover Betrayed
Kings of Aragon (Spain)—Dance of Love
The Anarchy (England) (Stephen vs. Maud)—Hearts and Crowns, Fatal Truths, Sinful Passions
Scotland’s Stewart Kings—Caledonia Chronicles
Jacobites & Mary, Queen of Scots—Highland Tides
Link to Amazon page