Knight Triumphant. Heather Graham

      

      LESSER OF TWO EVILS?

      She looked around the great hall. It seemed as if they were all casting glances her way. Glances that were filled with consternation and sorrow.

      Eric had returned with some news regarding her, obviously, and they were all talking about it.

      Sounds could be picked up and echoed, and heard across the room. She caught whispered syllables of their words.

      With mounting horror, she put them together.

      She is to be murdered.

      Weakness filled her limbs. Murdered. Her death was to be one of the “events” taking place at Langley tonight. This was a drastic measure. Not even King Edward had executed his female hostages. And now, Eric wanted her to go upstairs so that he could tell her alone, so that she could get some dignity together, compose herself so that her screams wouldn’t create an uprising within the castle.

      “Igrainia,” Eric said, “Jarrett will escort you up.”

      She shook her head, facing him. “No. Find the courage to tell me here and now.”

      “The courage?” He arched a brow.

      “Tell me now,” she said, her limbs like ice. “Am I to be killed?”

      “Killed?” Eric repeated, frowning and startled. He shook his head, lowering it, a dry, curious smile curving his lips. “No, my lady, I have not returned with any intent to do murder, legal, royal, or other.”

      “I overheard the men talking. You don’t need to disguise what is happening to me. If I am to be executed, murdered, simply say so.”

      His smile deepened, and once again, he shook his head. “So you hear them speaking, but I’m afraid you didn’t hear correctly. You’re not to be murdered. You are to be married.”

      More historical romances by Heather Graham

      The King’s Pleasure

      Come the Morning

      Conquer the Night

      The Alliance Vampire novels

      Beneath a Blood Red Moon

      When Darkness Falls

      Deep Midnight

      Realm of Shadows

      The Awakening

      Dead by Dusk

      HEATHER GRAHAM

      KNIGHT TRIUMPHANT

      ZEBRA BOOKS

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      Table of Contents

      LESSER OF TWO EVILS? More historical romances by Heather Graham Title Page PROLOGUE CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 24 Chronology Teaser chapter Copyright Page

      PROLOGUE

      Once upon a time . . .

      There lived a good king, and the land grew in peace and prosperity.

      But the king grew older. Anxious to secure the succession, he remarried, because after the loss of his beloved wife and son, only the infant female babe of his daughter was left to inherit the crown. His new bride was young and beautiful, and his task—to procreate and give his country strong sons to rule after his death—should have been a pleasant and easy one. Indeed, in his eagerness to rejoin his lady after a council meeting one dark and stormy night, he rode the high cliffs and tors of his native land with abandon, despite the warnings of his advisors.

      Along his way on that deep and tempestuous night, the king’s horse lost its footing, or the king himself lost his horse. He plummeted down the ragged hillside, and perished before his time—and before his task could be complete. The land mourned.

      The king’s young granddaughter inherited the throne. Hope remained. The land would still thrive, all thought, for the Guardians of the country would protect their young queen well.

      She was Margaret, known as the Maid of Norway. But alas, the child queen of Scotland died before ever reaching the shores of the land she should rule.

      The land lay in loss and confusion, for after her death, the claimants to the crown were many. The strong, powerful, and rightful king of a neighboring country was called upon for aid and advice. He would listen to the claims of all, and help the Guardians decide who should rule. Of the many claimants, three were predominant: John Balliol, John Hastings, and Robert Bruce, the Competitor. All three were descendants of the daughters of David, Earl of Huntington, grandson of David I, another good king who had given the land strength and prosperity.

      The wise men of the country were sadly unwary and indeed, unwise.

      Their neighboring king had eyes upon the country himself.

      Before the death of the young heiress, he had planned that she should marry his son, and thus unite the two countries.

      Now, he helped to choose a puppet king, a man to rule the country, yet bow to him as an overlord. With his eyes in truth,