Lionheart's Bride

by Michelle Willingham

  ‘If I signal my archers, your women will die,’ the emperor responded.

  ‘If you harm them, so shall your daughter die.’ Richard nodded towards the back of the fortress where several soldiers held a young girl captive. She was sobbing with fear, knowing that her life lay in the soldiers’ hands.

  The emperor’s face reddened with fury. And then, when he gave a signal, Liam glanced up to see the archers poised. Adriana wrenched the shield free of his arms, and he watched in horror as she threw herself in front of the princess and queen. Half a dozen arrows embedded within the wood, and Liam followed her lead, seizing another shield to protect Berengaria and Joan.

  God above, Adriana could have been killed. She hadn’t hesitated to offer her life for the princess’s, and he hadn’t known how it would feel to see her in such danger. Both of them held their shields steady, protecting the women.

  Arrows shot through the sky, taking down the emperor’s archers, until at last the fighting ceased within the fortress. Isaac was now the king’s prisoner, and Richard had taken possession of Cyprus.

  ‘Don’t move,’ Liam ordered Adriana. ‘This isn’t over yet.’

  She ventured an unsteady smile. ‘I’ll be glad when it is.’

  ‘Your Majesty,’ the emperor begged, ‘I wish there to be peace between us. As compensation for your losses, I will offer twenty thousand gold marks. In addition, I offer my only daughter as your hostage and I will join my men with yours to fight on Crusade.’

  Soldiers gripped Isaac’s arms, and Richard moved in, towering above the man. ‘We will discuss the terms later.’

  ‘Not in irons, Your Majesty. I beg of you, do not place me in irons.’

  A strange smile came over the king’s face when he unsheathed a dagger at his waist, slashing through the silk bonds of Berengaria and Joan. ‘As you will,’ he agreed. And when the emperor had been taken into custody, Richard flashed a smile to his knights. ‘Have his chains made of silver.’

  The king moved forward and Liam drew back with Adriana. Her body relaxed against him, and he held her near as Richard took Berengaria into his arms, kissing her. The warmth of Adriana, the softness of her hair against his cheek, felt right. And when she touched her fingertips to her own lips, he wondered if her thoughts mirrored his own.

  The next day, Berengaria’s stomach felt like a thousand wings were fluttering inside it. Adriana had spent hours helping her to bathe, dressing her in a gown of blue silk embroidered in silver. Her hair was parted in the centre with a transparent veil of the same length, covering it in the style of a mantilla. Upon her head rested a diadem with several bands of jewels and fleurs-de-lis with enough foliage to resemble a double crown. At her throat, she’d chosen to wear the ruby-encrusted cross that Richard had given. And as a gift to her future husband, she’d given a gold belt inlaid with jewels.

  ‘You look beautiful,’ Adriana pronounced, stepping back to arrange Berengaria’s train. Soon, it was time for her to join the king.

  When she saw Richard riding to greet her at the chapel of St George, Berengaria couldn’t stop her smile. His Spanish steed had a bejewelled golden saddle with two lions upon it, and the horse’s bit was also made of gold. He looked so handsome wearing a satin rose tunic bound by the golden belt she’d given him, while a striped silver tissue mantle rested about his shoulders. A silver sheath encased his sword of Damascus steel with a golden hilt.

  Upon his head he wore a scarlet bonnet, brocaded in gold, with figures of animals. As he dismounted, he walked forward with a truncheon in one hand to show his power over the Cypriots. His reddish-gold hair glinted in the bright sun, while in the distance, the sea gleamed like a sapphire.

  As he took her hand in his, her heart filled up with happiness. No other man had ever made her feel this way, and she couldn’t have dreamed of a more beautiful island to be married upon. The warm air held the deep scent of jasmine from the vines growing up the stone walls.

  I could love him, she realised. And from the answering look on his face, she felt honoured to be his wife.

  After they spoke their vows, the Bishop of Evreaux offered blessings upon them and finished the mass. Berengaria took Richard’s arm, and she was then anointed and crowned Queen of England and of Cyprus.

  The cheers of the men resonated throughout the old fortress, but Berengaria didn’t care about her new title. She had eyes only for the man who had rescued her from harm, the one who took her hands in his.

  ‘I’m glad you didn’t have to wear chain-mail armour to our wedding,’ she teased. Richard leaned in and stole a kiss, drawing her close. The warmth of his mouth and the eagerness of his passion made her cling to him as though he could steady the beating of her pulse.

  ‘I would wear sackcloth and ashes, if it meant having you as my bride,’ he answered. His hands moved over her spine, as if he couldn’t wait to touch her in the privacy of their chamber.

  ‘All my life, I’ve never been allowed to choose anything for myself,’ Berengaria admitted. ‘Having you as my husband is a gift I never expected. But had I been given a choice, it would have been you.’

  Richard grasped her waist, and he lifted her up until her face met his. All around them, she heard the sounds of celebration, the feasting and drinking…and the laughter of their people.

  ‘It won’t be easy when we journey to the Holy Land,’ Richard admitted. ‘But now that God has given you back to me, I must complete the vow I’ve made.’

  She touched his face with her hands. ‘And no matter what comes, we’ll be together.’

  The moon hung bright in the sky, and Adriana walked barefoot, with Liam’s hand in hers. She carried her shoes in her other hand, revelling in the intimate feel of the silken sand against her soles.

  They walked in silence for long moments, until Liam led her up the side of a hill. In the distance, he pointed to a large rock rising from the sea.

  ‘A legend says that the goddess Aphrodite rose from the sea, near that stone.’

  ‘The goddess of love,’ she murmured quietly, sitting back against the grasses.

  Liam joined her, and the look in his eyes made her shiver. ‘She wouldn’t compare to you.’ His hand moved up to push a lock of her hair aside, and Adriana felt her blood rising like the tide of the sea.

  He laid her back against the grass, his hands resting against her wrists. ‘The first kiss I gave you wasn’t the one I wanted to claim.’

  ‘Then show me what you wanted,’ Adriana bade him.

  When he kissed her, the first touch of his mouth was like a fire she’d never before tasted. His hungry lips plundered hers until she could no longer catch her breath. With his tongue, he tasted the softness of her mouth, inviting her to open for him. And when he invaded the softness of her mouth, her body responded with need.

  His hands moved over her shoulders, down to her waist, and when his body moved atop hers, she felt the length of his desire.

  ‘Who are you, Liam MacEgan?’ she murmured against his mouth. ‘You’re like no one I’ve met before.’

  ‘A man who desires you more than anything in this world.’ He rolled onto his side, and her legs twined with his. She didn’t care that this was improper, for there was no one to see. Her own family had sold her into the princess’s service, and their betrayal left an emptiness inside her. But Liam had filled up the loneliness, offering a hope she’d never expected.

  She lifted her arms around his neck, pressing her breasts against his firm chest. ‘When we reach the Holy Land, you’ll be gone from me.’

  ‘I’ll fight for a time,’ he admitted, ‘but I’ll not let you go.’ He bent and took her mouth again, coaxing her to cast aside her inhibitions and take him as her lover.

  ‘You’ll go back to Ireland when this is over,’ she said, ‘and I’ll remain with Queen Berengaria.’ She didn’t like to think of it, though she knew there was no other choice.

  ‘If it is your will, I can take you with me, back to my homeland.’ He rested his cheek against
hers, pulling her into a tight embrace. The confidence in his voice, the assurance that the king and queen would follow his own wishes, struck her as impossible.

  But Liam MacEgan had never behaved like the king’s servant. And the more she thought of it, Richard had never treated him as such.

  ‘You’re not a merchant or a serf, are you?’ she ventured. ‘You’re more than a warrior.’

  ‘Does it matter who I am?’

  ‘I wouldn’t care if you were a beggar,’ she admitted. ‘I would take you for the man you are.’

  ‘And what if I were a prince?’ He raised up, touching her shoulder as his grey eyes stared into hers. ‘Would that bother you?’

  In his face, she saw a sudden tension. It was true, she realised. This man was not a commoner, but a man of royalty…just as Richard was.

  ‘It would only bother me if you left me behind,’ she said softly. ‘I want to know the man you are.’

  He sat up and brought her into his lap, holding her close to stare out at the sea. ‘My father is King of Laochre, a small kingdom within Ireland. Not a High King,’ he admitted. ‘But I have responsibilities to our people. I came seeking an adventure.’ He brushed a kiss against her temple. ‘But instead I found you.’

  She laughed softly. ‘If the past few weeks are any evidence, every day with you will be an adventure.’

  ‘But I’ll keep you safe,’ he offered. ‘I give you my solemn promise.’

  She lifted her mouth to his, giving him the answer hidden inside her. And when he enfolded her in his arms, she could imagine nothing but a future with him…the prince of her heart.

  Author Note

  Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction. When I began researching the story of King Richard I and Berengaria, the journey towards their wedding day had all the elements of an adventure. A shipwreck, crusaders being captured, and the King himself overthrowing the ruler of Cyprus to rescue his bride… It was enormously entertaining to research the true-life details.

  It is widely believed that Richard was introduced to Berengaria years before they were married, and that there was an attraction between them. However, my sources could not quite pinpoint the exact year when he visited Navarre. I have taken a slight historical licence in predicting the year when he might have met her. Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine did bring Berengaria to Sicily to meet with Richard and to arrange their betrothal. Richard caused a controversy with King Philip II of France when he set aside his betrothal with Alys, the King’s sister. Alys was the ward of Richard’s father, King Henry II, and it is rumoured that Henry seduced her and that she bore him a child. Richard did not want to offend Philip; but neither did he wish to wed his father’s mistress.

  Richard set off from Sicily to go on Crusade with over two hundred ships. A storm blew some twenty-five ships off course, one of them containing the King’s future bride Berengaria and the King’s sister Queen Joan of Sicily. It took some time to track down the missing ships, and they later learned that the vessels were wrecked off the coast of Cyprus.

  Many sources stated that Berengaria and Joan remained on board their ship and refused to disembark when invited by the Emperor of Cyprus, Isaac Comnenus. I did take historical licence in this story by having them taken captive by the Emperor—as was the case with several shipwrecked crusaders who became the emperor’s prisoners.

  Richard did lead an attack upon the island and successfully took Cyprus. The Emperor sued for peace, offering twenty thousand gold marks and his own daughter as the King’s hostage. In return, Isaac begged the King not to place him in irons. Richard agreed, and then had special silver chains made for the King, in order to keep his ‘promise’.

  Richard and Berengaria’s marriage, unfortunately, did not have a happy ending. Their separation due to war and the King’s captivity made it a childless marriage. In addition, historians argue over whether or not Richard was bisexual. Berengaria is known as the only Queen never to set foot upon English soil while her husband was King.

  The character of Liam MacEgan is the eldest son of King Patrick of Laochre from my MacEgan Brothers series. You can learn more about the MacEgan books by visiting my website at: www.michellewillingham.com. I love to hear from readers and you may e-mail me at michelle@michellewillingham.com or by mail at PO Box 2242 Poquoson, VA 23662 USA.

  For further reading, my sources for this story included: Richard the Lionheart: King and Knight by Jean Flori; Richard I by John Gillingham in the Yale English Monarchs series; Lives of the Queens of England From the Norman Conquest with Anecdotes of their Courts by Agnes and Elizabeth Strickland; The Crusade of Richard I 1189-92, selected and arranged by T.A. Archer, in the ‘English History by Contemporary Writers’ series.

  Michelle Willingham

  On April 29th 2011 the world will be waiting with bated breath for Prince William and Kate Middleton to say ‘I do’!

  The bells at Westminster Abbey are chiming, the carriage is waiting and THE dress has finally been unveiled… So join Her Majesty by dusting off your best hat as you prepare for the wedding of the decade!

  To celebrate this historic event, Mills & Boon have created a special ebook collection:

  Royal Weddings

  …through the ages

  Read about the future king’s ancestors and the people who helped bring their special days together.

  7 couples, 7 marriages, 7 stories for you to enjoy!

  What the Duchess Wants by Terri Brisbin

  Eleanor, Duchess of Aquitaine and Henry of Anjou (future Henry II), 1152

  Lionheart’s Bride by Michelle Willingham

  King Richard and Princess Berengaria, 1191

  Prince Charming in Disguise by Bronwyn Scott

  Prince George and Caroline of Ansbach, 1704

  A Princely Dilemma by Elizabeth Rolls

  George, Prince of Wales (future Prince Regent/George IV) and Princess Caroline of Brunswick, 1795

  The Problem with Josephine by Lucy Ashford

  Napoleon and Archduchess Marie-Louise of Austria, 1810

  Princess Charlotte’s Choice by Ann Lethbridge

  Princess Charlotte and Prince Leopold, 1816

  With Victoria’s Blessing by Mary Nichols

  Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, 1840

  So if you can’t wait until the 29th for your royal wedding fix…download one now!

  Michelle Willingham grew up living in places all over the world. When her parents hauled her to antique shows, Michelle entertained herself by making up stories and pondering whether she could afford a broadsword with her allowance. Currently she teaches American History and English, and lives in south-eastern Virginia with her husband and children. She still doesn’t have her broadsword. Visit her website at: www.michellewillingham.com or e-mail her at michelle@michellewillingham.com

  Look for

  Michelle Willingham’s latest family miniseries

  The MacKinloch Clan

  Claimed by the Highland Warrior—May 2011

  Seduced by Her Highland Warrior—August 2011

  Available from Harlequin® Historical and

  MICHELLE WILLINGHAM

  * Her Irish Warrior #850

  * The Warrior’s Touch #866

  * Her Warrior King #882

  * Her Warrior Slave #922

  * Taming Her Irish Warrior #966

  ^ The Accidental Countess #981

  ^ The Accidental Princess #985

  * Surrender to an Irish Warrior #1010

  And in eBook Harlequin Historical Undone!

  The Viking’s Forbidden Love-Slave

  The Warrior’s Forbidden Virgin

  ^ An Accidental Seduction

  Innocent in the Harem

  ISBN: 978-1-4592-0416-4

  Lionheart’s Bride

  Copyright © 2011 by Michelle Willingham

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