Lady of the Moon by Kathryn Le Veque

1444 A.D. – She’s a mercenary, a tough lady warrior known as the Lady of the Moon.

Samarra le Brecque is hired by the father of a reluctant groom to take his son to the Caves of St. Agnes in Cornwall, where the groom’s intended will be waiting. According to local legend, if a man and a woman touch the red stains upon the walls of the cave, said to be left by doomed lovers, then the man and woman shall fall in love forever. But the situation doesn’t go as planned.

Sir Rhodes de Leybourne is a powerful knight for the Earl of Bristol, Bastian de Russe (BEAST). He wants to choose his own wife, not the woman his father has selected for him, and in his haste to escape he falls right into the trap set by the lady mercenary. Now, a game of wits begins as Rhodes finds himself attracted to this strong, beautiful woman who commands a misfit army of mercenaries. Will Rhodes honor his father’s wishes or will he follow his own heart?

*Extended Version. Note: This novella was originally published in the Mists and Moonrise collection.