Part of The Faerie Queene Books
First published 2018
The squire has loved the princess of Hungary in silence for seven years. When he finally confesses his feelings, she returns his love but sets an impossible condition. He must journey to Jerusalem and place his sword on the Holy Sepulchre to prove himself worthy of her hand. The king's steward overhears their secret conversation and races to the king with malicious lies, claiming the squire has dishonored the princess. Though the king respects the squire and doubts the accusation, he orders the steward to watch the princess's chamber. The squire asks royal permission to seek adventure abroad, then turns back for a final farewell with his beloved. He finds the steward and armed guards waiting in ambush outside her room. As he begs the princess to let him enter, their fate hangs in the balance. This novel adaptation of an anonymous medieval verse romance captures the tension between love and duty that made the original story popular among common readers during the Elizabethan era.
Genres: classic-literature, romance, historical-fiction, adventure, fantasy, medieval
Vibes: courtly, dramatic, lyrical, romantic, suspenseful
Tropes: impossible-task, quest-for-worthiness, secret-romance, star-crossed-lovers
Setting: Hungary, Jerusalem, Holy Sepulchre
Period: Medieval, Elizabethan Era
Kindle Edition · Abela Publishing