Reign of the House of de Winter Series by Kathryn Le Veque

1264 A.D. - Davyss de Winter is the champion for King Henry III, a powerful and arrogant man that descends from a long line of powerful knights. He is also a much-sought after man and has had more than his share of female admirers, including a besotted baron's daughter who bore him bastard twins. His mother and family matriarch, the Lady Katharine de Warrenne de Winter, loses patience with her son's behavior and betrothes him to a woman she hopes will tame his wild ways... more1264 A.D. - Davyss de Winter is the champion for King Henry III, a powerful and arrogant man that descends from a long line of powerful knights. He is also a much-sought after man and has had more than his share of female admirers, including a besotted baron's daughter who bore him bastard twins. His mother and family matriarch, the Lady Katharine de Warrenne de Winter, loses patience with her son's behavior and betrothes him to a woman she hopes will tame his wild ways. She selects a young woman from a lesser noble family with no political ties or ambitions, a perfect match for her son's prideful personality. Enter the Lady Devereux d'Arcy Allington; a young woman of astounding beauty, she wants nothing to do with Davyss. When Davyss, in protest of the marriage, sends his sword Lespada to the marriage ceremony, Devereux is beyond offended. Livid, she battles tooth and nail, refusing to marry a sword by proxy, until Lady Katharine intervenes. Cornered, Devereux is forced to marry Lespada because her groom refuses to show up for the ceremony. When Davyss gives in to his curiosity and meets his wife for the first time, he is overwhelmed with her beauty. Roughly consummating the marriage, he has set the tone for what both Davyss and Devereux believe will be a loveless, hateful marriage. But when Davyss begins to realize what he's done, he swallows his considerable pride and is determined to get to know the woman he married, a woman of grace and compassion like nothing he has ever known before. Though trials and tribulations, Davyss and Devereux's bond only strengthens. When Davyss is involved in the Battle of Evesham against Simon de Montfort, Devereux faces her own life and death situation. Lespada is a love story for the ages less

1301 A.D. - Following the great quest north with Cortez de Bretagne (THE QUESTING), de Bretagne's knight, Sir Drake de Winter, returns home to the great de Winter empire in Norfolk but it is not the safe and wonderful haven he remembers. Family unrest causes him to flee to London and into the service of the elderly King Edward I, a personal friend of Drake's father. In Edward's service, Drake finds himself in Scotland as a major player in the Siege of Caerlaverock Castle... more1301 A.D. - Following the great quest north with Cortez de Bretagne (THE QUESTING), de Bretagne's knight, Sir Drake de Winter, returns home to the great de Winter empire in Norfolk but it is not the safe and wonderful haven he remembers. Family unrest causes him to flee to London and into the service of the elderly King Edward I, a personal friend of Drake's father. In Edward's service, Drake finds himself in Scotland as a major player in the Siege of Caerlaverock Castle. In a moment of pure luck, he saves the king's nephew from great injury and in thanks, Edward gifts Drake with an heiress for a wife.But it is not the happy circumstance most men would see it as. Drake, a confirmed bachelor, cannot refuse the gift of a wife and is therefore forced to wed Lady Elizaveta du Reims, daughter of the last Earl of East Anglia. Beautiful and intelligent, Elizaveta is English by birth, yet of Scots and French blood, making her very much an enemy of England during these turbulent times. Although Drake is polite to her, he does not trust her. He does not want her. However, he cannot resist the feelings she stirs within him but his instincts tell him to beware.His instincts are correct; Elizaveta is not as she seems. Her heart belongs to France and to Scotland, but with the introduction of a new husband, her loyalties are torn. She, too, cannot resist the feelings the powerful young knight stirs within her.Join Drake and Elizaveta on this unforgettable and passionate adventure. less