Dark Warrior by Kathryn Le Veque

It’s the Dark Knight’s wild son, Cortland “Cort” de Russe in an adventure that could see him executed for treason.

March Medieval Madness has arrived!

1518 A.D. – As a decorated knight for Henry VIII, Cort is sent to Ireland to assist the Earls of Kildare in ruling The Pale, the only strip of Ireland that the English ruled uncontested in the whole country. Cort is charged with regaining a castle lost to the Irish, but in a nasty battle, Cort is faced with a cunning warrior whom he discovers to be a lady. She tries to kill him and he throws her in the vault.

Dera MacRohan is no ordinary Irish warrior lass.

Born from the ancient MacRohan warrior bloodlines, Dera is from a long line of warrior women. She deeply resents the English and their conquest, but she also understands the subtleties of tactics and strategy. Sometimes it is easier to catch flies with honey.

Or kill an Englishman with kindness.

But Cort isn’t stupid. When the lass’ guard comes down, he suspects there’s more to it. But two can play at that game; he reckons that if he is nice to her, she will tell him what he needs to know about the Irish rebellion she is part of. He plans to put that de Russe charm to good use. But in their bid to out-charm each other, genuine feelings develop.

Cort begins to understand the Irish point of view in the rebellion against the English. By the time his father’s reinforcements show up to bolster the English line, Cort is all but siding with the enemy. When word reaches Gaston de Russe about Cort’s fondness for a certain Irish lass, Gaston must make a decision – since it’s forbidden for the English to marry or consort with the Irish, Gaston can either turn his son in as a traitor or pull the man from Ireland completely and send him off to hide until the storm blows over.

But Cort won’t leave Dera, and a de Russe traitor is born.

Live and love with Cort and Dera as they navigate the treachery of English and Irish politics, of an angry king, and of a son’s devotion to his father and family. Will Cort betray the de Russe name worse than his father ever did? Or will he forget about the Irish woman who has become his all for living in the name of family honor?

(note: This novel will be in excess of 350 pages)