First in the Royal Dynasty series. William of Marlowe and Elizabeth of Hurley loved each other from childhood and swore to marry no other. Their fathers had more practical and profitable intentions. William was told Elizabeth had gone to Ilmer to be married to Mauger and in his pain and rage took Mary of Bix to wife. Elizabeth, who had withstood starvation and beatings, yielded at last when a priest swore to her William had married Mary. But Mauger had taken Elizabeth for more than her moderate dowry. Soon her brothers were both dead and Elizabeth was heir to her father's lands. When Elizabeth's father died, Mauger moved his family to Hurley. And when he saw the rich lands of Marlowe across the river, he decided to marry his son to William's daughter, be rid of William, and have Marlowe too. William should have seen through Mauger's false front, but his heart and mind were paralyzed by the horrible thought of Elizabeth in Mauger's arms. And he nearly, so nearly, also became Mauger's victim.

Alys of Marlowe thought that Raymond d’Aix was a penniless knight who had come to her father’s keep seeking a livelihood. He was brave and courteous, intelligent and hardworking, and he thought she was a miracle among womankind. What was irresistible was that he did not value her for her beauty, for which many other men admired her, but for her common sense and practicality. Knowing he was not a proper match for her, Alys tried to resist but was soon head over heels in love—and Raymond with her despite his own knowledge of unsuitability and resistance. Raymond was no penniless knight. He was the eldest son and heir of the Comte d’Aix. Young love was fortunate. Politics, a threatened war, King Henry’s constant need of money and love of intrigue made available suitable properties to bestow on Alys so that she and Raymond could marry. Danger lurked in all the king’s gifts, but the greatest danger of all was within Raymond’s family. There a fierce struggle for power exposed old sins that could tear the marriage apart.

In 1253, after the unexpected death of her son, Lady Emily sends Fenice, his widow and heir, to a convent in hopes of wresting control of the estate

When Power and Desire Ruled Men's Hearts... In the turbulent age when hearts knew no surrender, willful King Henry III waged a scheming war, setting the lords of England and France in bloody opposition. Within this raging conflict, two indomitable hearts would cling to an eternal passion... Lady Barbara Bigod—The determined and beautiful daughter of an English earl, she struggled to keep peace within her divided family—and secretly yearned for the man who sparked her first hidden passions... Alphonse d'Aix—The reputed bastard son of a French lord, he had to risk his life—and prove his honor—to win the heart of the fiery Lady Barbara... The passions of youth sparked their first desire, but their bond would endure—for Lady Barbara held dear a token of her lover's eternal devotion: a silver mirror, a symbol of victory and a reflection of love that would withstand the trials of war and the winds of change...