Book four in a 5 book series. England, 1158. Elsbeth longs for the quiet prayerful life of the convent. She has no desire to be a bride or a mother, no longing for the things of this world, but she is a woman and a woman must obey the will of men: king, father, husband, priest. Men rule her life.
But if she can prove herself obedient enough, then she might trade obedience now for the convent later. It is this faint promise her father holds out to her when he arranges her marriage to Hugh of Jerusalem, and it is a hope Hugh holds out to her as their vows are said. Hugh, a golden knight from a golden land, tempts her to believe. Hugh must marry. It is the only way he can attain what he wants. He is a man of the Levant, a man from God's own city. He will do all he can to keep Elsbeth from harm, yet he must get what he wants from her. Elsbeth, even on her knees in prayer, has no defenses against Hugh. This is a man determined to lead her into temptation.
