Excerpt: 'A Sword for His Lady' by Mary Wine

HEA provides a sneak peek at Mary Wine's new medieval romance, A Sword for His Lady, the first book in her Courtly Love series.

About the book (courtesy of Sourcebooks Casablanca):

A Publishers Weekly Top 10 Pick for Spring 2015

He'd defend her keep ...

After proving himself on the field of battle, Ramon de Segrave is appointed to the Council of Barons by Richard the Lionheart. But instead of taking his most formidable warrior on his latest Crusade, the king assigns Ramon an even more dangerous task-woo and win the Lady of Thistle Keep.

If only she'd yield her heart …

Isabel of Camoys is a capable widow with no intention of surrendering her valuable estate. She's fought long and hard for her independence, and if the price is loneliness, then so be it. She will not yield...even if she does find the powerful knight's heated embrace impossible to ignore.

But when her land is threatened, Isabel reluctantly agrees to allow Ramon and his army to defend the keep-knowing that the price may very well be her heart.

EXCERPT

Isabel's throat tightened.

Twin columns of mounted knights were riding toward her. The sunlight flashed off the surface of their armor, even their horses wore metal faceplates. They were clearly full knights, men who were seasoned by battle and hardened by rigorous training. She struggled to maintain her poise. The harvest had been poor the last two years, and King Richard was focused on gathering supplies for his Crusade. Behind the knights there were more mounted men and even more on foot. There were archers in their ranks as well, confirming that this was not some random group of pillaging raiders. They were an army. The columns stretched out too far into the distance to be anything that might be considered good. These men rode with a purpose, and what concerned her were the wagons with them. Wagons they would likely expect to fill with food.

She needed everything she had to provide for her people. There was nothing to spare.

The dust rose as they drew closer, and she could make out the crest on the flags the lead knights flew. A raptor with a baron's crown in blue against a white background.

A baron. That meant even more trouble. A baron was a noble and only answered to the king.

"What do they want?" Mildred asked from behind her.

"They will pass through," Isabel spoke quickly, not caring for how much her words sounded like a prayer. A desperate one at that. She straightened her back, forbidding herself to be afraid.

There was no time for childish emotions. She was the lady of the keep and duty was calling upon her.

Mildred scoffed at her, but Isabel raised her chin and refused to lower it. Dust teased her nose as the knights pulled their stallions to a halt in front of her. The animals pawed at the ground and shook their heads while the armor their riders wore shifted, filling the air with the sound of metal clanking against metal.

"I seek the Lady Isabel of Camoys."

A chill raced down her spine but Isabel maintained her position. The knight who had spoken lifted one gauntlet-covered hand to raise his visor. His hair was dark and his eyes the color of midnight. He peered at her, his gaze as hard as his breastplate.

"I am Isabel." She fought the urge to twist her fingers in the fabric of her over robe. Thistle Hill did not even have men training to become knights because the king had summoned all of them for his Crusade. No boy over the age of twelve was left, unless she counted those wearing sackcloth in the church. That left only her courage to protect the people looking to her as their lady.

Maybe she should have ordered the keep barred instead of coming out to face the riders. Dread twisted through her belly. It was not just her fate that hung on her decisions, it was every soul who lived on her land. Barring the door would have left all their food unprotected. She stepped forward.

"I am Baron Ramon de Segrave."

He raised one hand into the air, with his palm flat and his fingers pointed skyward. The men riding with him responded quickly, the air filling with the sounds of them dismounting.

Isabel gasped, feeling control slipping from her grasp. "How may I assist you, Lord de Segrave?"

Her hope that the man might have a simple request died as he swung his leg over the back of the horse and lowered himself to the ground. Her belly twisted as she noted just how imposing a man he was once he was braced on his feet. He gave the stallion a firm pat but his eyes remained on her. Piercing and sharp, his gaze cut into her in spite of the distance between them. He was a hardened man, one built for war.

"His majesty has sent me to discover why you withhold your geese from him."

Isabel stiffened. "His Grace does not need my geese, only their feathers, which have been sent each season as is required of me."

The baron closed the distance between them. Isabel fought the urge to retreat because even though she stood on the top step, the man looked her straight in the eye.

Something strange fluttered through her belly.

Something completely misplaced.

Yet surprising, nonetheless. Her heart felt as though it skipped a beat.

Which was, of course, ridiculous.

Find out more about Mary and her books at www.marywine.com.