The King's Sister. Anne O'Brien
One betrayal is all it takes to change history
1382. Daughter of John of Gaunt, sister to the future King Henry IV, Elizabeth of Lancaster has learned the shrewd tricks of the court from England’s most powerful men.
In a time of political turmoil, allegiance to family is everything. A Plantagenet princess should never defy her father’s wishes. Yet headstrong Elizabeth refuses to bow to the fate of a strategic marriage. Rejecting her duty, Elizabeth weds the charming and ruthlessly ambitious Sir John Holland: Duke of Exeter, half-brother to King Richard II and the one man she has always wanted.
But defiance can come at a price.
1399. Elizabeth’s brother Henry has seized the throne.
Her husband, confidant to the usurped Richard, masterminds a secret plot against the new king. Trapped in a dangerous web, Elizabeth must make a choice.
Defy the king and betray her family. Or condemn her husband and send him to his death.
Sister. Wife. Traitor. She holds the fate of England in her hands.
Praise for the author ANNE O’BRIEN
‘One of the best writers around … she outdoes even Philippa Gregory’
—The Sun
‘The characters are larger than life … and the author a compulsive storyteller.’
—Sunday Express
‘This book has everything—royalty, scandal, fascinating historical politics and, ultimately, the shaping of the woman who founded the Tudors.’
—Cosmopolitan
‘A fascinating and surprisingly female-focused look at one of the most turbulent periods of English history’
—Publishers Weekly
‘Better than Philippa Gregory’
—The Bookseller
‘Another excellent read from the ever-reliable Anne O’Brien’
—The Bookbag
‘Anne O’Brien is fast becoming one of Britain’s most popular and talented writers of medieval novels.’
—Lancashire Evening Post
‘A must-read for any historical fiction fan’
—The Examiner
‘Her writing is highly evocative of the time period … O’Brien has produced an epic tale.’
—Historical Novel Society
‘Anne O’Brien’s novels give a voice to the “silent” women of history.’
—Yorkshire Post
‘Brings the origins of the most famous royal dynasty to vibrant life’
—Candis
‘I was keen to see if this book … lived up to the hype—which it did.’
—Woman
ISBN: 978-1-474-00748-1
THE KING’S SISTER
© 2014 Anne O’Brien
Published in Great Britain 2014
by HQ, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers Ltd 1 London Bridge Street London SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
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Version: 2019-04-12
Descendants of Edward III and the Claims to the English Throne
The Holland Family
The House of Lancaster
For George, with love and thanks. Who else could I persuade to travel the length and breadth of the country with me, in search of people who lived six hundred years ago?
And in memory of my father, Jack Garfitt, 1923-2014. His love of history first fired my imagination.
‘… He (John Holland) was struck down passionately, so that day and night he sought her (Elizabeth) out.’
—Ranulph Higden, The Universal Chronicle of Ranulph Higden
‘When (Elizabeth) took a tearful leave of her husband[…]Holland reproached her bitterly for having, despite his own gloom, rejoiced and made merry when Henry had arrested Richard and himself[…]’
—R A Griffiths, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
‘For what is wedlock forced but a hell, An age of discord and continual strife? Whereas the contrary bringeth bliss, And is a pattern of celestial peace.’
—William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part I
Table of Contents
Praise for the author ANNE O’BRIEN