Love Everlasting (40 page)

That failure eventually led to King Henry’s
decision to make his widowed daughter, the Empress Matilda, his
heir. He forced his nobles to swear fealty to Matilda. After his
death the nobles quickly reneged on their promises, declaring in
true Norman style that they would not be ruled by a woman. A long
and bloody civil war ensued. But that is a story well known and
often told.

The widowed Adelicia then married a nobleman
nearer to her own age, William d’Aubigny, and they lived happily
together. The couple remained steadfastly loyal to Matilda
throughout the civil war. Proof of Adelicia’s remarkable character
lies in the pleasant relations she maintained with her arrogant and
imperious stepdaughter. Few other nobles of that time, men or
woman, could make the same claim.

King Louis VI of France was an inveterate
schemer whose great purpose in life was to bring the contentious
French nobles under royal control. That included the nobles who
held lands in both French and English territories. The result of
Louis’s efforts led to frequent conflict with King Henry I of
England, as lands and castles changed hands almost as often as some
nobles changed their allegiance.

Out of such conflicts are romances born.

Flora Speer is the traditionally published
author of twenty full-length novels and two novellas.

She writes historical, futuristic, and
time-travel romances. Born in southern New Jersey, she now lives in
Connecticut.

Flora is currently completing a series of
medieval romances to be published on Smashwords. The overall series
title is “Lord Royce’s Knights.” See below for the list of
individual titles.

Connect with this author:

Web site:
www.floraspeer.com

E-mail:
[email protected]

Other books in this series, all available
now, or soon to be available as E-books through Smashwords:

So Great A Love (Arden and Margaret)

Cast Love Aside (Magnus and Lillianne)

True Love (Braedon and Catherine)

Where Love Has Gone (Desmond and Elaine)

Love Everlasting (Royce and Julianna)

And a “prequel,” Love Above All (Quentin and
Fionna, also Cadwallon and Janet)

All of my traditionally published books are
now available as E-books from Smashwords.