Executioner Knights

1200 AD - In the time following the death of Richard the Lionheart and the ascension of his brother, John, to the throne of England, a plot against the new king is hatched from an unexpected place - deep within the bowels of The Lateran Palace in Rome. It is rumored that the Pope himself is behind it. It is a plot so dark, and so dastardly, that William Marshal needs men who specialize in dark and dirty games in order to save a king they all hate, yet a king that England desperately needs.

The Executioner Knights are back, now with one of their own falling in love with a Welsh princess who holds the key to a renewed rebellion. Will love win out over his sense of duty? Will his sense of duty and his loyalty to England win out? Or will the love of a Welsh princess be his downfall?

Achilles de Dere is a stubborn knight prone to fighting - anywhere, anytime. If there is a punch to be thrown, it's usually from Achilles. When he first met Susanna de Tiegh, the sparks flew - and not in a good way. Susanna, an accomplished warrior in her own right and an agent for William Marshal, Earl of Pembroke, refused to take Achilles’ bullying behavior. Friends feared they would kill one another. But an abject hatred of each other soon turned into something else. Now, Susanna is all Achilles can think of, even as he goes about his duties for William Marshal.

The Executioner Knights are back! Alexander de Sherrington seeks to marry a daughter of the great Christopher de Lohr (Rise of the Defender). But not if King John has anything to say about it! Alexander de Sherrington, the man affectionately referred to as "Sherry" by his friends, is off on the greatest adventure of his life...and his target is Lady Christin de Lohr. Lovely and vivacious, Christin is as head-strong as her mother but born with her father’s innate sense of politics.

Caius d'Avignon, the knight known as The Britannia Viper, finds himself on the opposite side of William Marshal...and the Executioner Knights are caught in the middle...Welcome to another Executioner Knights' tale! When Caius d’Avignon is sent north at the request of a cousin of William Marshal to help in a dispute between neighbors, Caius couldn’t have imagined how his life would change. When Caius goes to speak to the neighbors to demand their unconditional surrender, the first thing he sees is a woman of astounding beauty. Emelisse de Thorington is that woman.

Kevin de Lara breaks out from under his powerful brother's shadow (Sean de Lara from Lord of the Shadows) and becomes a great knight on his own. But there's just one problem...the woman he loves may very well cause his downfall when one strategic lie begins to unravel.... Since reconciling with his brother, Kevin has become a powerful garrison commander along the Welsh marches for the de Lara empire. As an agent of William Marshal, his directive is to keep the local Welsh barons under control at all costs, and Kevin becomes a diplomat.

Peter de Lohr is the illegitimate son of the greatest knight in the realm, though he has been accepted by his father. Not only accepted–embraced. Peter is well-loved by everyone, an enormous and powerful knight in the image of his famous sire. He is also an Executioner Knight, and one of the very best. A great marriage is expected of him, it is presumed, to the daughter of a high-placed warlord.

1197 A.D. - Sir Garren le Mon is an agent for Richard the Lion Heart in the political war against his brother, John. Under the command of William Marshall, Chancellor of England, Garren is the king's most trusted and loyal servant. When Garren is ordered to marry into a family deeply loyal to Prince John, the knight is understandably reluctant; the House of de Rosa is infamous for its bloodlust and bizarre characters.

1197 A.D. - Smarting from the loss of his betrothed, Sir Keller de Poyer has learned not to trust women. A bear of a man with a brilliant mind, Keller is socially awkward but an accomplished knight. He is so accomplished in fact that his liege William Marshal gifts the man with lands in Wales for his meritorious service. But there is a catch - in order to secure the lands and titles, he must marry the Welsh heiress.

The reign of King John means dark days for all of England. Not one man, woman, or child lived without fear. Magnifying this fear is the man they call The Lord of the Shadows - a terrifying figure who sits at the right hand of the King, manipulating the royal moves like a puppet master. The Lord of the Shadows has been known to tear men apart with his bare hands and can, with a snap of his fingers, alter the future of anyone he chooses.

Morgan de Wolfe, cousin to Edward de Wolfe, earl of Wolverhampton (and father of William de Wolfe of The Wolfe), finds himself the perfect man for an Executioner Knight’s job. Assuming the identity of a dead man, he makes his way to the Welsh border to infiltrate his way into a castle stolen by a Marshal enemy. His task is to use the dead man’s identity to reclaim the castle. What he didn’t count on was a woman who could quite possibly ruin his mission. And possible even his life.

Tristan de Royans was raised by the House of de Royans, but de Royans blood does not flow through his veins. As the secret love child of Alys of France and Henry II, Tristan has been kept hidden since the day of his birth. Aware of his true parentage, he bears the shield of the royal house in the course of his duties, hating that he bears the crimson shield of his real family. A family that wants to kill him.

Addax al-Kort was not born in England. As the heir to the throne of a defunct distant kingdom (near present day Pakistan), Addax came to England with a trade caravan when he was very young. He became a page for a powerful knight and worked his way through the ranks and protocols of Medieval England to become a full-fledged English knight serving William Marshal. Addax is part of the brotherhood of Executioner Knights serving the Marshal, but he has a great talent for the tournament circuit. Competing under a standard emblazoned with black dragon, he becomes quite rich.