Blood Royal. Vanora Bennett

      

      VANORA BENNETT

       Blood Royal

       For Chris, Luke and Joe

      CONTENTS

       Cover

       Title Page

PART ONE: The Book of Peace

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

PART TWO: The Book of Deeds of Arms and Chivalry

ONE

TWO

       THREE

       FOUR

       PART THREE: Lamentations on the Troubles of France

       ONE

       TWO

       THREE

       FOUR

       FIVE

       PART FOUR: The Vision of Christine

       ONE

       TWO

       THREE

       PART FIVE: The Prison of Human Life

       ONE

       TWO

       THREE

       FOUR

       FIVE

       PART SIX: The Book of the Body Politic

       ONE

       TWO

       THREE

       FOUR

       FIVE

       PART SEVEN: The Song of Jehanne of Arc

       ONE

       TWO

       PART EIGHT: The Mutability of Fortune

       ONE

       TWO

       PART NINE: The Treasure of the City of Ladies

       ONE

       TWO

       THREE

       HISTORICAL POSTSCRIPT

       Acknowledgement

       About the Author

       Praise for Blood Royal:

       Also by Vanora Bennett

       Copyright

       About the Publisher

       PART ONE

      The Book of Peace

       ONE

      The page made himself as inconspicuous as possible at the back of the English delegation, looking at the vast tapestries on the walls of this dusty, splendid Parisian hall, clutching his box to his chest, waiting for his cue.

      His latest master, the Duke of Clarence, had turned away from the repulsively fat French Queen, his hostess, whose eyes were glittering as wickedly as the jewels half-buried in the flesh of her slug fingers. Clarence fixed his eyes on the fourteen-year-old Princess at her side. The Princess was Owain’s age, and quite a pretty girl, Owain judged, with light brown hair and freckles and gentle eyes over a long nose; it would be sad if time turned her into a swollen monster