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Despite her protests, Princess Gisela, headstrong daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, must enter into a diplomatic marriage. Yet en route to her wedding, her ship is attacked and she's gravely injured. Rescued by a renowned healer, King John of Lydia, Gisela recuperates at his Mediterranean castle. The handsome, widowed ruler soon has her reevaluating her beliefs on love and marriage…but only if King John could be her groom. Their love is forbidden, and duty requires him to deliver her to her betrothed. Unless they can find a way to join their hearts—and kingdoms—with love, faith and honor.
- Sales Rank: #346061 in eBooks
- Published on: 2012-12-01
- Released on: 2012-12-01
- Format: Kindle eBook
About the Author
Rachelle McCalla plays with words like some kids play with fire. When she's not writing, she can be found digging deep research holes, setting up ideas like lightning rods to catch the next big bolt to shoot from the sky. Please use caution when picking up her books, as some may emit dangerous sparks.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Castlehead, Lydia, A.D. 801
"A ship approaches, Your Majesty. Her sail is spread with the Carolingian cross." Renwick, chief messenger among the Lydian guard, bowed low before the king.
"Charlemagne." His Royal Highness, King John of Lydia, lowered the sword with which he'd been sparring with his younger brother, Prince Luke. Why would the Holy Roman Emperor send a ship to Lydia unannounced? Charlemagne's realm had expanded vastly under his leadership, but John had assumed the renowned ruler would have no interest in the tiny kingdom of Lydia. Was he wrong?
King John turned to face the messenger. "She approaches directly?"
"Making for the wharf at high speed, sire," Renwick panted as though he, too, had run to reach the king quickly.
"Then we shall make haste, as well." Sheathing his sword, John headed for the courtyard gate, the fastest route to the Mediterranean shore.
"To the lookout tower, Your Majesty?" Renwick appeared confused by the king's choice of direction.
"No, Renwick." John led the way. "To the wharf."
Prince Luke ran beside him. "Why would Charlemagne visit Lydia? We are not his vassals."
"I doubt it is Charlemagne himself," King John acknowledged. "The emperor regularly sends emissaries throughout his empire to report back to him." He prayed that was true this time, irregular though it might seem.
"But Lydia is not part of his empire." Luke chafed visibly at the idea.
"We are part of Christendom. As such, we ought to ally ourselves closely with the Holy Roman Empire. Such a position could prove to be advantageous." John reached the end of the wharf and shielded his eyes from the sun, examining the quickly approaching vessel, her sails emblazoned with the distinctive Carolingian cross, four tri-quetras joined at the center to form the distinctive symbol of Emperor Charlemagne's reign.
"Three masts!" The sight filled John with awe. Lydia had no ship to match it. And yet, "She looks to be wounded."
"Aye, brother." Luke clapped one hand on John's shoulder and pointed with the other. "Her foresail has been rent and hastily mended. Do you think she has weathered a storm?"
"Or an attack." John met his brother's eyes.
"Saracens?" Prince Luke spoke the word softly, as though saying it aloud might draw the vicious pirates closer.
"They raid the Mediterranean waters regularly."
"Never so close to Lydia."
"We don't know how far this ship has come," King John acknowledged. "Or whether the Saracens may have taken her."
"Taken her?" Fear sparked in his brother's blue eyes as he looked out to the ship and back at the ramparts of their castle. If the pirates had taken the ship, they could approach under Charlemagne's cross and dock before the Lydians realized trouble had reached their shores. The castle's defenses might be breached before they could even prepare for battle. "Why would Saracens approach so boldly?"
"For no good reason." John shook his head. He didn't want to believe that Saracen pirates had taken the emperor's ship, but given her condition, it was a distinct possibility. "Let us pray for Lydia's safety."
While the brothers murmured hasty yet heartfelt prayers, King John heard the rumble of boot steps on the wharf. He turned to find Eliab and Urias, two courtiers who'd been his father's close advisors, panting as they trotted down the wharf.
"Your Majesty," Urias called out. "You should not be out here!"
"This does not look good." Eliab gestured to the ship as he bent to catch his breath.
"His Majesty should hide until we've determined the motives of the approaching vessel."
John dismissed their concerns. The pair often treated him as though he was still a child, though he'd weathered twenty-eight winters and had ruled Lydia capably since his father's death four years before. "I may determine their motives much faster if I stay here."
"They've put down a boat!" Renwick had hardly taken his eyes from the ship.
"They're worthy seamen, then." John approved of the ship's rapid loss of speed. They'd obviously put down an anchor. It was wise. He'd never docked such a large vessel alongside the wharf, and though he couldn't be sure the depth of the ship's rudder, he doubted they'd have made it to the dock without scraping against the submerged rocks that hid not so far below the water at low tide.
"What are they loading?" Luke studied the men as they carried a large fabric-draped bundle onto the boat. From the care they took in handling it, the cargo must have been delicate. The dark green cloth glistened in the sunlight like silk. Whatever was wrapped inside must be quite valuable.
A plump, wimpled figure was loaded next, with no shortage of howling admonitions. Then six burly men boarded and took to the oars with vigor, slicing through the water as though Charlemagne himself was watching.
"I believe that bundle is a person." John observed the way they'd propped the bundle in the stern with the wimpled woman fussing over it. "A slender figure, perhaps a youth or a child."
"Or a woman," Prince Luke offered.
"On a ship?" Urias scoffed.
"It is possible," Luke pointed out as the boat drew nearer and its contents easier to see. "The cut of the silk clothing is certainly suggestive of a female. And it would explain the lady in waiting."
"Bah. A nurse to the child," Urias insisted.
"Whatever it is, I hardly think myself to be in immediate danger from it." John felt glad that he hadn't run and hidden as his father's advisors had suggested. Granted, he had an obligation to protect the throne. Urias and Eliab were understandably skittish about the issue of safety, having been with his father, King Theodoric, when he'd died defending one of Lydia's villages on the Illyrian border.
But King John had two younger brothers and a much younger sister, as well. Prince Luke was a worthy leader, and Prince Mark would be, too, if he ever returned from his long journey by sea. God would provide a leader for Lydia. When his wife had died in childbirth three years before, John had resolved that his line would end with his death. He would not ask another woman to risk her life trying to bear an heir for him.
"You don't suppose it's a ruse?" Eliab watched the fast-approaching boat with skepticism. "To lull us into thinking we've nothing to fear and take us while our guard is down."
"Eliab, you are far too suspicious," John chided him. As the boat moved closer, the shrieks and groans of the white-faced woman in the wimple grew louder. If she was part of a ruse, she was overplaying her role. Rather than pay the woman much heed, John examined the faces of the other men in the boat. To his relief, none of them had the stature or features of Charlemagne.
John had met the emperor once, before Charlemagne had been crowned Holy Roman Emperor of all Europe. Then King of the Franks, Charlemagne was an impressive bull of a man who ruled with an iron fist. Despite the power and gusto with which he governed, the man was also an intellectual and a devout Christian of renowned faith. John not only respected and admired him, he also feared him.
And he feared, too, the reason for this unannounced visit under Charlemagne's sails. Protocol would have had them send greetings well in advance of their visit so that John would have an opportunity to make preparations to host them. Obviously, there had to be some reason the men hadn't wanted him to meet them well prepared.
The wimpled woman howled. She swayed on her feet but refused to sit. Her cries carried ahead of the rowboat through the warm August air. "Must you lurch so? Oh, I fear I shall faint before we make it to the shore!"
The rowing men grimaced, and John suspected they'd have liked for the woman to faint, if only to still her cries. As the boat drew nearer, the man closest to the prow, the only man without an oar in his hand, called out, "Greetings in the name of Charlemagne, Emperor of all Rome." The man spoke in impeccable Latin. "What lands are these?"
John could only hope his own linguistic training was up to the imperial standard. "Friends, this is the Christian Kingdom of Lydia."
A relieved smile spread across the man's face, and John realized his expression had been quite anxious up to that moment. The man tossed a rope. "We seek King John, the healer."
"You have found him." The symbol of cross and crown that decorated John's habergeon signified his position. He caught the rope and pulled the boat toward the dock with a mighty heave. Behind him, Luke and Renwick grabbed the line, while Eliab and Urias stumbled over themselves.
The man's smile grew broader. "Then God has surely been with us. I am sorry to arrive unannounced, but we had no alternative." As the boat was pulled alongside the length of the dock, the man bounded onto the wharf and bowed low. "I am Boden, a servant of Charlemagne and acting captain of the emperor's ship."
"Acting captain?" John looked the man over. Clearly the youth was a strong and strapping lad, but he hardly seemed old enough to be a captain. Indeed, he was certainly younger than John or Luke.
"Alas, my beloved father was commissioned captain by Charlemagne himself and vested with a mission of the utmost importance—to carry the emperor's most precious cargo. But we were attacked at sea by Saracens, and my father died defending his ship." Boden's face blanched as he spoke.
"You have done well to continue on his mission." John hoped his words would provide some comfort to the youth.
But Boden only shook his head. "I implore thee, Your Maj...
Most helpful customer reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful.
Completely Loved It!!
By Melanie
I read four of Rachelle McCalla's books prior to A Royal Marriage (her Reclaiming the Crown series). I loved each of them, so I knew she wrote great suspense books. Well, she also writes fantastic historical novels... A Royal Marriage proves that!
I loved the characters. My favorites were King John and Princess Gisela. I also loved Prince Luke from the few scenes he was in and I look forward to reading his book whenever it releases.
A Royal Marriage starts off with a bang! Princess Gisela is injured and on the brink of death. She and King John must make a dangerous journey in order for her to even have a chance of surviving. My attention was grabbed from the first chapter.
Even though A Royal Marriage is a historical novel, there was still quite a few suspenseful scenes and even some traitors/spies! I loved this aspect in the story. Made for an entertaining read.
Overall, a thoroughly enjoyable read. I completely loved it and can hardly wait to read book two, Defending the Duchess (Love Inspired Suspense), which releases next month! I loved getting to learn the background story to the Reclaiming the Crown series and the country of Lydia. I recommend A Royal Marriage if you enjoy historical reads with some romance and suspense. :)
*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful.
A solid and interesting read
By RoloPoloBookBlog
There is just nothing like a novel that opens with drama and doesn't stop until the very last word. A Royal Marriage opens with King John of Lydia warily watching as a ship, flying the royal flags of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, approaches his coast. Neither King John nor his advisors can think of a reason why the emperor or one of his envoys would be making an unplanned and unannounced stop in Lydia. What comes off the ship is surprise to all and sets in motion a series of events with the potential to cause two great nations, the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire to wage vicious war against one another.
What comes off the ship is the lovey yet badly injured and on the verge of death, Princess Gisela who was, before her ship was attacked by Saracen pirates, on her way to meet her betrothed, an Illyrian prince. For King John this information is troubling on several levels: 1) his reputation for healing is well-known but Gisela's injury is quite severe; 2) the herb needed to help Gisela is across the border and into enemy Illyrian territory and; 3) if Gisela dies both the Illyrians and Charlemagne are going to be very cranky. For King John, the peace his father's life bought for Lydia and the protection of his citizens is paramount and the only possible way he can ensure the two is to save Gisela's life. What John doesn't count on is the strength and determination of Princess Gisela.
Gisela may be a princess from one of Europe's most powerful courts but she is no shrinking violet. Despite her injury, Gisela is determined to minimize the risk to King John and his people. To this end, she rides with John to find the herb needed to heal her and discovers along the journey just how honorable and good the young king is. All seems to be going according to plan until John and Gisela inadvertently alert the Illyrians to their presence; from this point forward it is a race to avert war! During the flight back to the safety of Lydia's castle, Gisela decides her place is by John's side as he fights for the safety of his kingdom. Her ulterior motive? Gisela really, really has no interest in marrying an Illyrian prince especially as she begins to learn more about King John. As the plot unfolds many secrets and truths are revealed including why King John has refused to re-marry, how and why the Illyrians attacked and killed John's father, who John's head-strong younger sister is in love with, and how John and Gisela will navigate some incredibly tricky political waters in order to be together.
The bottom line: this loosely based on history novel is a fairly fast-paced read with a healthy dose of intrigue, romance, battle, and resolution. Gisela and John are both fine characters the reader can easily get behind and root for as Gisela is quick-thinking, capable, and determined and John is kind, intelligent, and compassionate. Gisela fits easily and comfortably into John's world which allows her relationship with him to progress in a quick though believable way.
Throughout, John and Gisela are supported by a decent cast of minor characters who are sure to play a much larger role in future installments of this series. A Royal Marriage is a read which is quite easy to fall into and carries the reader smoothly through from beginning to end. There is plenty of action and intrigue mixed with romance which will keep lovers of all of the above interested , entertained, and turning pages quickly.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
A Royal Marriage
By Danyelle0423
Princess Gisela, daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, has been entered into a diplomatic marriage, despite her protests. She wants to see the world, even if it means she has to marry a man she's only met twice. Yet en route to her wedding, her ship is attacked and while protecting the ship and her passengers Gisela is gravely injured. With her life hanging in the balance, the ships crew take her to a renowned healer and king of a small nation, but he seems reluctant to do anything.
King John of Lydia wants nothing to do with his healing past after losing the two people who meant most to him despite his best efforts. However, he can't turn down the princess, particularly after seeing how determined she is to live. After rescuing her, she recuperates in his castle on the shore and the widower starts to rethink his promise to never marry again, even if it means he might lose her too.
As their forbidden love grows, the situation between King John and his enemy, Gisela's fiancé, grow worse. They try to not fall in love but can't help but see just what they can have if they just could change the circumstances. They also have to navigate a hostile people that want King John's land. As time passes Gisela wants to stay and marry King John and King John can't help but want Gisela to stay with him forever.
Will King John and Gisela's love be fulfilled or will Gisela get a taste of love before it's ripped away? Will John be ale to keep his land or will he lose it all to the people that killed his father? Will Charlemagne let Gisela out of her marriage agreement for love or will he make her marry someone she doesn't love for the sale of peace? Will John break his promise to never marry again or will he keep it despite the love that's available to him?
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I've never read anything by this author, so I had no idea what this book was going to give me. What I got was fantastic. Being a novella, they're usually pretty disappointing. They usually have a poor storyline and a quick romance and they usually leave me feeling disappointed. This one was different. I felt that the storyline was nice and the romance didn't leave me feeling like I missed a good portion of it. This is definitely one of my favorite novellas yet.
The romance was perfect for the time frame and despite the small size if the book, I felt that it progressed nicely and it read like a full size book and not a novella. I loved how the romance progressed and I loved how the author made the heroine a different kind of heroine. She made her a girl who would rather do something herself instead of wait for a man to rescue her or do it for her and I loved that difference and how it made the story more memorable.
The storyline was actually reasonably complex for the length and there was even a touch of suspense and mystery mixed into this romance. There wasn't a lot of the suspense and mystery but it was enough to add some depth and conflict to this book and I feel that it greatly improved this book. Without that added depth, I think this book wouldn't have been as good and would've probably been borderline boring. The storyline of this book is like none other for a novella.
When I picked this book, I was hoping for a novella that is a diamond in the rough and was as great as the cover. Thankfully, this book more than lived up to it's fantastic cover and it made me a new fan of this author. I'm so thankful that this book not only was good but it read more like a novel and less like a novella. It made this book one of the best I've ever read and I honestly can't believe that for once my penchant for picking books solely for their cover pulled off.
This author has some experience with Love Inspired Suspense and I fully intend to check some of those out because if they're as good as this one, they are definitely worth reading. I'm now a fan of this author and this book put her on my map and radar. I never expect much from novellas but this author broke every expectation and made a novella that was great and read like a novel. I highly recommend this book and author.
Overall, this is a great quick read and it doesn't feel like a novella at all. This is perfect for readers who love historical fiction and or romance. This book is perfect for adults, teens and maybe even some mature Tweens. I highly recommend this one. I give this book a five out of five.
*I received a complimentary ebook copy of this book by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.*
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