DUTY, HONOUR, TRUTH, VALOUR
The tenets of the Knights of Champagne will be sorely tested in this exciting Medieval mini-series by
Carol Townend
The pounding of hooves, the cold snap of air, a knightâs colours flying high across the roaring crowdânothing rivals a tourney. The chance to prove his worth is at the beating heart of any knight.
And tournaments bring other dangers too. Scoundrels, thieves, murderers and worse are all drawn towards a town bursting with deep pockets, flowing wine and wanton women.
Only these three knights stand in their way. But what of the women who stand beside them?
Find out in
Carol Townendâs
LORD GAWAINâS FORBIDDEN MISTRESS
available now
AUTHOR NOTE
Arthurian myths and legends have been popular for hundreds of years. Dashing knights worship beautiful ladies, fight for honourâand sometimes lose honour! Some of the earliest versions of these stories were written in the twelfth century by an influential poet called Chrétien de Troyes. Troyes was the walled city in the county of Champagne where Chrétien lived and worked. His patron, Countess Marie of Champagne, was a princessâdaughter of King Louis of France and the legendary Eleanor of Aquitaine. Countess Marieâs splendid artistic court in Troyes rivalled Queen Eleanorâs in Poitiers.
The books in my Knights of Champagne mini-series are not an attempt to rework the Arthurian myths and legends. They are original romances set around the Troyes court. I wanted to tell the stories of some of the lords and ladies who might have inspired Chrétienâand I was keen to give the ladies a more active role, since Chrétienâs ladies tend to be too passive for todayâs reader.
Apart from Count Henry and Countess Marie, of whom we have brief glances, my characters are all fictional. I have used the layout of the medieval city to create my Troyes, but these books are first and foremost fictional.
CAROL TOWNEND was born in England and went to a convent school in the wilds of Yorkshire. Captivated by the Medieval period, Carol read History at London University. She loves to travel, drawing inspiration for her novels from places as diverse as Winchester in England, Istanbul in Turkey and Troyes in France. A writer of both fiction and non-fiction, Carol lives in London with her husband and daughter. Visit her website at www.caroltownend.co.uk
Chapter One
August 1174âan encampment outside Troyes in the County of Champagne
Troyes was bursting at the seamsâthe summer market was at its height and every inn and boarding house was packed to the rafters with merchants and housewives. Tumblers and singers jostled for the best spots in the market squares. Mercenaries and cutpurses roamed the narrow streets, searching for the shortest route to an easy profit. Indeed, so many people had descended on the town that a temporary campsite had been set up in a field outside the city walls. The encampment was known as Strangersâ City, and line after line of dusty tents filled every inch of the field.
One tent stood out from the rest. Slightly larger than the others, more of a pavilion than a tent, the canvas was dyed purple and painted with silver stars.
Inside the purple pavilion, Elise was sitting on a stool next to Pearlâs cradle, gently waving a cloth back and forth in front of her daughterâs face. It was noon and even for August it was unusually hot. Elise wriggled her shoulders. Her gown was sticking to her and it seemed she had sat there for hours. Thankfully, Pearlâs eyelids were finally drooping.
Voices outside had Elise narrowing her gaze at the entrance to the pavilion. André was back, she could hear him talking to Vivienne, who was nursing baby Bruno in the shade of the awning.
Elise waited, gently fanning Pearl. If André had news, he would soon tell her. Sure enough, a moment later André pushed through the tent flap.
âElise, Iâve done it!â he said, eyes shining. He put his lute on his bedroll. âBlanchefleur le Fay has been booked to sing at the palace. At the Harvest Banquet.â
âThe palace? You got a booking at the palace already? Heavens, that was quick.â Elise bit her lip. âI only hope Iâm ready.â
âOf course youâre ready. Iâve never heard you in better voice. Count Henryâs steward was thrilled to learn Blanchefleur is in town. The Champagne court will love you.â
âItâs been a while since I performedâI was afraid that I might already have been forgotten.â
âForgotten? Blanchefleur le Fay? Thatâs hardly likely. Elise, itâs the booking of a lifetime. I canât think of a better setting for Blanchefleur to step back on stage.â