Welsh Blades Series by Elizabeth Kingston

Ranulf Ombrier’s fame throughout 13th century England for his skill at swordplay is rivaled only by his notoriety as King Edward I’s favorite killer. Ranulf's actions have gained him lands, title, and a lasting reputation as a hired butcher. But after years of doing his king's bidding, he begins to fear for his mortal soul and follows his conscience away from Edward, all the way to the wilds of Wales... moreRanulf Ombrier’s fame throughout 13th century England for his skill at swordplay is rivaled only by his notoriety as King Edward I’s favorite killer. Ranulf's actions have gained him lands, title, and a lasting reputation as a hired butcher. But after years of doing his king's bidding, he begins to fear for his mortal soul and follows his conscience away from Edward, all the way to the wilds of Wales. Gwenllian of Ruardean, Welsh daughter of a powerful Marcher lord, has every reason to leave Ranulf for dead when one of her men nearly kills him. As a girl she was married by proxy to a man Ranulf murdered, only to become a widow before she ever met her groom. In the years since, she has shunned the life of a lady, instead studying warfare and combat at her mother’s behest. But she has also studied healing and this, with her sense of duty to knightly virtues, leads her to tend to Ranulf’s wounds. Saving her enemy’s life comes with consequences, and Gwenllian and Ranulf are soon caught up in dangerous intrigue. Forced together by political machinations, they discover a kinship of spirit and a surprising, intense desire. But even hard-won love cannot thrive when loyalties are divided and the winds of rebellion sweep the land. less

Wales is conquered, and Eluned has lost everything: her country, her husband, her hope. All that remains is vengeance, and she will stop at nothing to have it. Certain there is no trace within her of the idealistic girl who loved Robert de Lascaux a lifetime ago, she agrees to marry him to advance the fortunes of her son, to avoid the nunnery, and most importantly - as an easy way to gain access to the man upon whom she will avenge Wales... moreWales is conquered, and Eluned has lost everything: her country, her husband, her hope. All that remains is vengeance, and she will stop at nothing to have it. Certain there is no trace within her of the idealistic girl who loved Robert de Lascaux a lifetime ago, she agrees to marry him to advance the fortunes of her son, to avoid the nunnery, and most importantly - as an easy way to gain access to the man upon whom she will avenge Wales. When Robert is asked to marry the woman he has loved for eighteen years, he never hesitates. But the lady who greets him at the altar has so little in common with the girl he adored that he begins to doubt that there is anything left of her bold and passionate younger self. Marriage to her might gain him the fortune and status his family has always wanted, but no wealth has ever mattered to him as much as Eluned has. And she, it seems, does not want him at all. Trapped in a web of intrigue, revenge, and desire, they cannot forget their past – but can they share a future? The fascinating world of medieval Wales is continued in this riveting companion novel to The King's Man. less

This book was available only to the author's newsletter subscribers for a limited time. It is no longer available. ***THIS BOOK IS A FAN EXTRA. It was written as a character study/backstory, but because it includes so many Welsh Blades characters that fans love, it has been shared with newsletter subscribers. It is not necessary to read this before Desire Lines. ***. She was born to nothing, lost everything, and survived to reinvent herself... moreThis book was available only to the author's newsletter subscribers for a limited time. It is no longer available. ***THIS BOOK IS A FAN EXTRA. It was written as a character study/backstory, but because it includes so many Welsh Blades characters that fans love, it has been shared with newsletter subscribers. It is not necessary to read this before Desire Lines. ***. She was born to nothing, lost everything, and survived to reinvent herself. Meet Nan, a serving girl in the court of King Edward I until she becomes the subject of a powerful lord's unwanted attention. To save herself from a cruel fate, she makes a formidable ally, only to become entangled in the machinations of scheming nobles. When she decides to do whatever she must to protect herself, her life will never be the same. This is an installment in the Welsh Blades series and contains spoilers for The King's Man and Fair, Bright, and Terrible. less

All he ever wanted was to go home. Leaving his life as a noble hostage behind him, Gryff has fled from one danger to another, never safe, always longing for a forbidden return to his conquered Welsh homeland. Held captive by villainous men, his unlikely savior is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen – and the most deadly. Her silence is unnerving, her generosity unexpected, and her pointed warning that she will not be an object of lust is perfectly clear... moreAll he ever wanted was to go home. Leaving his life as a noble hostage behind him, Gryff has fled from one danger to another, never safe, always longing for a forbidden return to his conquered Welsh homeland. Held captive by villainous men, his unlikely savior is the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen – and the most deadly. Her silence is unnerving, her generosity unexpected, and her pointed warning that she will not be an object of lust is perfectly clear. Nan has no doubt the ragged Welshman she has saved from certain death was born to better things, far different from the servant’s life she’s led. Though the last thing she wants is a companion on her journey to find her cherished sister, she is compelled to help the man with haunted eyes and a mysterious past. But she feels the pull of his fascination every instant, and her own unexpected desire soon takes them places neither could have foreseen. less

William prefers not to think of his insufferable burden of a wife. She’s far too pious and, even worse, painfully meek and submissive – qualities he holds in the highest contempt. But there’s very little he won’t do to achieve his political ambitions and fulfill his duty as the Lord of Ruardean, even if that means marrying this bore of a woman and forcing himself to finally produce an heir with her... moreWilliam prefers not to think of his insufferable burden of a wife. She’s far too pious and, even worse, painfully meek and submissive – qualities he holds in the highest contempt. But there’s very little he won’t do to achieve his political ambitions and fulfill his duty as the Lord of Ruardean, even if that means marrying this bore of a woman and forcing himself to finally produce an heir with her. Margaret could not be more pleased that her loathsome lord husband thinks her an overly devout fool. She’s worked quite hard to make him dismiss her as little more than a vapid nuisance – a skillful ruse to mask her true intentions to undermine the vast power of the Church and William’s aspirations for a new Crusade. But when he insists that they attend to their duty to provide an heir to Ruardean, she finds her powers of deception are not quite up to the task of pretending to be repelled by his touch. Attraction and affection somehow grow between them, but can their connection withstand the tangle of lies, political intrigue, and lethal accusations of heresy? less