Defiant Passion (Sons of Rhodri Medieval Romance Series) (10 page)
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Authors: Anna Markland
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Defiant Passion
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Curious to read more about Rhodri’s children?
Rhys sacrifices himself to save the lives of his twin brothers in Book II of the Sons of Rhodri series,
Dark and Bright.
The notorious redheaded twins have always shared everything...but can they share a woman?
The Winds of the Heavens
is Book III of the sons of Rhodri series.
Conquering Passion
is Book I of the original series, The Montbryce Legacy. The year is 1066 and the world is about to change forever. Ram de Montbryce struggles to establish a dynasty amid the turbulent dangers of the Norman Conquest. Can he find love with the wilful refugee brought to his bed in an arranged marriage?
Latest Release~New Series
He is a warrior stricken by a crippling affliction; she is the daughter of a king. Where there is great love, there are always miracles.
About the Author
Anna Markland is a Canadian author with a keen interest in genealogy. She writes medieval romance about family honour, ancestry and roots. Her novels are intimate love stories filled with passion and adventure. Following a fruitful career in teaching, Anna transformed her love of writing and history into engaging works of fiction. Prior to becoming a fiction author, she published numerous family histories. One of the things she enjoys most about writing historical romance is the in-depth research required to provide the reader with an authentic medieval experience.
Twitter @annamarkland
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If you like stories with medieval breeds of dogs, you’ll enjoy
If Love Dares Enough
,
Carried Away
, and
Wild Viking Princess
. If you have a soft spot for cats, read
Passion in the Blood
.
Looking for historical fiction centred on a certain region?
English History—all books
Norman French History—all books
Crusades—
A Man of Value
Welsh History—
Conquering Passion, Defiant Passion, Dark and Bright, The Winds of the Heavens
Scottish History—
Conquering Passion, A Man of Value, Sweet Taste of Love
European History (Holy Roman Empire)—
Carried Away
Danish History—
Wild Viking Princess
Spanish History—
Dance of Love
Ireland
—Dark Irish Knight
If you like to read about historical characters:
William the Conqueror—
Conquering Passion, If Love Dares Enough, Defiant Passion
William Rufus—
A Man of Value
Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy—
Passion in the Blood
Henry I of England—
Passion in the Blood, Sweet Taste of Love
Heinrich V, Holy Roman Emperor—
Carried Away
Vikings—
Wild Viking Princess
Kings of Aragon (Spain)—
Dance of Love
CP=
Conquering Passion
AMOV=
A Man of Value
ILDE=
If Love Dares Enough
PIB=
Passion in the Blood
DP=
Defiant Passion
DB=
Dark and Bright
WTH=
The Winds of the Heavens
CA=
Carried Away
STL=
Sweet Taste of Love
WVP=
Wild Viking Princess
DOL=
Dance of Love
DIK=
Dark Irish Knight
Abbaye
aux Dames
—An abbey for women built in Caen by William the Conqueror ILDE, PIB
Abbaye
aux Hommes
—An abbey for men built in Caen by William the Conqueror ILDE, PIB
Abbey
—Agneta’s mare in AMOV
Abbot
—Caedmon’s roan stallion in AMOV
Abertawe
—
Welsh name of Swansea in south Wales
DB
Adam
de
Montbryce
—Son of Antoine and Sybilla PIB
Adelaide
—Daughter of King Henry I; married Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V CA
Aediva
Melton
—Sister of the Saxon heroine in ILDE
Aegir
—Norse god of the sea DOL
Agnes
—Norman scullery maid at Domfort Castle ILDE
Agneta
Kirkthwaite
—English Heroine of Danish and Saxon descent in AMOV
Aidan Branton FitzRam
—Son of Caedmon and Agneta, twin of Blythe; named for Agneta’s brothers slain at Bolton. AMOV, CA; hero of STL
Aiweeda
—elderly nun in DIK
Alexandre de Montbryce
—Eldest son of Robert and Dorianne. Heir to the title Comte de Montbryce. Born in Caen during his father’s incarceration PIB
Alfonso Sánchez
—King of Aragón DOL
al-Kindi
—historical figure born in Basra; medieval Islamic physician; DOL
Alnwick
—in Northumbria. Site of a battle in 1093 between Roger de Mowbray, Earl of Northumbria, and Malcolm, King of Scotland. Malcolm and his son were killed. Agneta rescues Caedmon from the battlefield and tends his injuries. AMOV
Álvar Fáñez
—historical figure; Spanish hero of the Reconquista, cousin of El Cid
Amadour de Vignoles
—Norman comrade of Caedmon during Crusade; hero of Civitote AMOV; DOL
Andras ap Rhys
—Welshman—Friend and comrade of Rhodri ap Owain in CP and DP
Aneurin ap Norweg
—Welshman—Friend and comrade of Rhodri ap Owain in CP and DP
Angeline Hugo
—Norman peasant, rape victim of Arnulf de Valtesse CP
Anjou
—Geographic area of France south of Normandy. Its people are called Angevins. Normans and Angevins were traditional enemies. ILDE
Anna
—Dieter’s housekeeper, CA
Annalise de Vymont
—Heroine of DB. Niece of the Earl of Chester.
Antoine de Montbryce
—Norman hero of ILDE; brother of Rambaud and Hugh
Apollo
—Izzy de Montbryce’s horse DOL
ap Owain
—Welsh patronymic—son of Owain
Aragón
—Medieval kingdom in northeastern Spain DOL
Ariel
—Rhodri’s Welsh pony DP
Arnulf de Valtesse
—Norman half brother of Mabelle de Montbryce, heroine of CP. Bastard son of Guillaume de Valtesse. Murdered in CP by Simon Hugo
Artus Aubin
—Norman steward of Giroux Castle DOL
Ascha (Bronson) Woolgar
—Saxon mother of Caedmon; in CP and AMOV
Badajoz
—city in Spain DOL
Barat Cormant
—Norman steward brought to England by the Montbryces for Sussex properties; ILDE; son of Michel, brother of Théo.
Baudoin de Montbryce
—Norman born in England; second son of Ram and Mabelle de Montbryce; becomes 2nd Earl of Ellesmere; marries Carys verch Rhodri; appears in CP, AMOV, DP and PIB.
Beal
—coastal village in Northumbria close to Holy Island STL
Bemia Melton
—Saxon sister of heroine of ILDE
Bernard Chauvelin
—Norman soldier at Montbryce Castle PIB
Bernard de Montbryce
—Father of Ram, Antoine and Hugh. Dies in 1066 while his sons are fighting in England.
Bernhardt
—Dieter’s valet, CA
Berthold de Quincy
—Hospitaller Knight DOL
Bileaud
—Norman steward at Domfort Castle ILDE
Blythe Lacey FitzRam
—Daughter of Caedmon and Agneta, twin of Aidan. Born in AMOV. Heroine of CA
Boden
—English mastiff in ILDE
Bolton
—Village in Northumbria; location of Kirkthwaite Hall
Bonhomme
—Normans; family name of the stewards of Montbryce and Ellesmere.
Brémonde
—Norman; one of Ram’s commanders at Ellesmere CP
Brigantia
—English mastiff in ILDE
Brindis
—Ram de Montbryce’s horse in CP
Brother Christian
—religious name given to Aidan when he enters the monastery STL
Brother Tristan
—Cellarer in charge of mead making at Lindisfarne STL
Caedmon Brice (Woolgar) FitzRam
—Illegitimate son of Ram de Montbryce and Ascha Woolgar. Appears in CP, PIB & CA; hero of AMOV
Cairdis
—Ronan’s sword, a gift from Rhodri, means Friendship DIK
Cantabrian Sea
—today known as the Bay of Biscay DOL
Capilla del Relicario
—Reliquary chapel, Santiago de Compostella cathedral
Caryl Penarth
—Welsh healer; appears in CP and DP
Carys verch Rhodri
—Welsh; healer; daughter of Rhodri and wife of Baudoin de Montbryce. Becomes 2nd Countess of Ellesmere. Appears in PIB, DP and DB
Catherine de Montbryce
—Daughter of Robert and Dorianne PIB
Chaca
—Aragonese name for the ancient town of Jaca DOL
Civitote
—site of the heroic rescue of thousands of crusaders by Caedmon and Amadour AMOV
Coll de Lladrones
—Hill of Thieves DOL
Commote
—A Welsh area of administration, similar to a county.
Conall MacCathail
—steward’s son DIK; helps Ronan escape
Cormant
—Normans; family name of stewards at Alensonne in CP and at East Preston in ILDE
Coventina Brightmore
—Saxon; friend of hero and heroine in AMOV; marries Leofric Deacon
Curia regis
—Latin for King’s Court ILDE
Daegal
—Saxon brigand DIK
Dagfinn Alfredsen
—Dane; ally of Reider in WVP
Dagfrid
—Dane; cousin of Kjartan in WVP
Dda
—Welsh surname of Rhonwen and Myfanwy; CP and DP and DB
de Valtesse
—Maiden surname of heroine of CP
Denis de Sancerre
—Angevin; son of Sybilla and adopted son of Antoine de Montbryce; dwarf ILDE & PIB
Devona Melton
—Saxon; heroine of ILDE; marries Hugh de Montbryce
Dieter Von Wolfenberg
—German hero of CA; marries Blythe FitzRam; appears in WVP
Dominguez
—Aragonese; King Alfonso’s lieutenant DOL
Dorianne de Giroux
—Norman heroine of PIB; marries Robert de Montbryce
Dubh Linn
(or Dyflin)—Dublin DIK
Earl of Chester
—Hugh d’Avranches. Historical figure. Known by the Welsh as Hugh Vras (the Fat) PIB, DIK
Edgar the Aetheling
—Saxon; historical figure. Claimant to throne of England taken by William the Conqueror. Aetheling is a Saxon term for “next in line”; appears in CP and AMOV
Edwin FitzRam
—English; brother of Blythe, Aidan and Ragna; son of Caedmon and Agneta STL
El Batallador
—nickname given to King Alfonso, means “The Battler” earned because he fought the Moors DOL
El Cid
—historical figure; Spanish hero of the Reconquista DOL
Eldwyn
—Saxon brigand DIK
Elenor de Giroux
—Norman; mother of Dorianne de Giroux; wife of Francois. PIB
Ellesmere
—Location of castle given to Ram as a reward by William the Conqueror. Ram and Mabelle eventually turn a derelict Anglo-Saxon earthwork into a vibrant, thriving castle.
Emrys
—Cook at llys Powwydd. DB
Emyle Bossuet
—Norman commander of mercenaries in Ireland DIK
Enid
—Saxon maid of Ascha Woolgar. CP & AMOV
Espérance
—Cat who brings solace to Robert during his imprisonment. The word means ‘hope’. PIB
Étienne Robert de Montbryce
—Second son of Baudoin and Carys; DB,STL
Farah
—Aragonese; heroine (María Sancha Tarazona) Arabic word meaning ‘joy’DOL
Felicia de Roucy
—historical figure; mother of King Alfonso of Aragón DOL
Fernand Bonhomme
—Norman; second generation of his family to be steward of Montbryce Castle. Father of Mathieu and Honore. Married to Vangeline.
FitzRam
—Norman patronymic surname bestowed on Caedmon by Ram. AMOV
Fleurie Mabelle de Montbryce
—Daughter of Baudoin and Carys. Her mother almost dies giving birth to her. DB
Fortis
—Black stallion; Ram’s favourite mount; saves his life at Hastings CP
Fortissima
—Rhoni’s mare, descended from Fortis DIK
Fothud MacFintain
—villain DIK
François de Giroux
—Norman father of Dorianne and Pierre PIB; sworn enemy of the Montbryces ILDE
Frederika
—Dieter’s first wife, CA
Freyja
—Norse goddess of fertility;WVP
Gabriel Duquesne
—Norman Captain of Rhoni’s bodyguard DIK
Galicia
—kingdom/region in the west of Spain DOL
Gallien Rambaud de Montbryce
—Eldest son of Baudoin and Carys DB, STL
Gareth Bronson
—Saxon brother of Ascha Woolgar; takes Ascha to Scotland. CP & AMOV
Gawain Bronson
—Saxon nephew of Ascha Woolgar; CP & AMOV
Georges de Giroux
—Norman, Crusader. Reappears in DOL
Gervais
—Norman soldier; Ram’s second in command; CP & DP
Gerwint Isembart de Montbryce
(
Izzy
)—Second son of Hugh and Devona. Named for his grandfather and great grandfather, and the rat catcher, Jubert. Prefers to be called Izzy.PIB; Hero of DOL
Gerwint Melton
—ILDE Saxon grandfather of heroine
Gicotte
—Norman soldier at Montbryce Castle; PIB
Giroux
—Norman surname of the family sworn to avenge Valtesse's cruelty to their ancestor; CP, ILDE & PIB
Giselle
—Norman maidservant who accompanies Mabelle to England and becomes chatelaine of Ellesmere; kidnapped with Mabelle; CP
Glain verch Llewelyn
—Welsh bonesetter in DB
Gorm
—villain of WVP; step brother of Reider
Grouchet
—Anglo-Norman baron, villain of STL
Guillaume de Valtesse
—Norman father of Mabelle; his cruelty begins the feud between the Valtesses and the Giroux family; CP
Hastings
—Site of a historic battle in 1066 that changed the history of England and Normandy CP
Heinrich
—Historical figure; Holy Roman Emperor; CA
Hel
—Norse word for Hell WVP
Hélène de Fleury
—Norman wife of friend of Montbryce brothers killed at Hastings. CP
Henry Beaumont
—
Earl of Warwick; historical figure; DB
Hospitallers
—Knights of the Order of St. John DOL
Hugh de Montbryce
—Norman-virgin hero of ILDE; brother of Antoine and Ram CP, PIB
Husembro
—hidden cove on Danish coast WVP
Hylda
—Christian name of Mabelle’s mother, purported to have been strangled by her husband, Mabelle’s father.
Hylda Rhonwen de Montbryce (Rhoni)
—Daughter of Ram and Mabelle born in captivity in Wales; CP, AMOV; heroine of DIK
Iftikhar ad-Daula
—historical figure; governor of Jerusalem DOL
Ingram Maknab
—Scot; son of Neyll. STL
Isembart Jubert
—Rat catcher from Montbryce; instrumental in saving the lives of Hugh and Devona; ILDE
Isolda verch Llewelyn
—Welsh healer, heroine of WTH
Ivar Sigurdsen
—Dane; captain in WVP
Jacquelle
—Rhoni’s maid DIK
Jennet
—Northumbrian peasant woman STL
Johann
Dieter Marius von Wolfenberg
—Dieter’s son by his first marriage, CA
Johara
—Arabic name given to María Catalina; means ‘jewel’ DOL
Joleyne
—Norman mistress of Ram de Montbryce before he meets Mabelle; CP
King Harald Hardråda of Norway
—Historical figure; pretender to the English throne; killed by King Harold’s army at Stamford Bridge; CP
King Harold II of England
—Historical figure; Saxon brother-in-law of Edward the Confessor. Claimed the throne on Edward’s death; slain at Hastings by the Conqueror’s army; CP
King Henry I
—Norman king of England; son of William the Conqueror; known as Henry Beauclerc; succeeded his brother William Rufus on the throne. Historical figure; PIB
King Malcolm Canmore of Scotland
—Historical figure. CP & AMOV
King William I of England
—William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandie. CP, ILDE; historical figure
King William Rufus
—William II of England; son of the Conqueror; AMOV; historical figure
Kirkthwaite
—Surname of Agneta’s family AMOV
Kirkthwaite Hall
—Ancestral home of Agneta’s family, destroyed in a raid by the Scots AMOV
Kjartan Eldarsen
—Danish; comrade of Reider in WVP
Kolbrand’s Path
—fictitious seat of the MakNab clan on the coast of Scotland STL
Köln
—German (Saxon) town, known as Cologne in English; CA
La Blanche Nef
—Infamous White Ship that sank in 1120 taking with it hundreds of sons and daughters of the English nobility, including the Crown Prince, William, son of Henry I STL
La Cuisinière
—Legendary Norman cook at Montbryce Castle; her name simply means ‘The Cook’ CP
Lande Pourri
—A wooded area outside Caen PIB
Laurent Deschamps
—military commander at Montbryce in Ram’s absence CP
Leofric Deacon
—Saxon friend of Caedmon AMOV; badly injured at Alnwick; marries Coventina Brightmore; appears in STL
León
—kingdom/region in central Spain DOL
Lindisfarne Abbey
—historic Benedictine monastery on Holy Island STL
Llansanfraid
—site of Myfanwy Mabelle’s priory DIK
Llys (plural Llysoed)
—A building that served as a royal court for a commote in Wales. Stone castles were virtually unknown in England and Wales before the Conquest
Lope Velasco
—known as The Wolf; looks like a crow; henchman of Vermudo Díaz DOL
Lorcan MacFintain
—villain DIK
Lothar von