Anne O'Brien - The King's Sister

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.

‘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 HarperCollins Publishers 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.

By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a “Licensed Device”) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher.

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

Cover

Praise for the author ANNE O’BRIEN

Title Page

Copyright

Map

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fiveteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Other titles by the author

Extract

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INSPIRATION FOR THE KING’S SISTER

AND AFTER THE FINAL WORD IN THE KING’S SISTER …

FOLLOWING IN ELIZABETH’S FOOTSTEPS …

QUESTIONS FOR YOUR READING GROUP

CONTACTS

About the Publisher

1380, Kenilworth Castle

‘What’s afoot?’ Henry asked, loping along the wall walk, sliding to a standstill beside us.

It all began as a family gathering: a meeting of almost everyone I knew in the lush setting of Kenilworth where my father’s building plans had provided room after spacious room in which we could enjoy a summer sojourn. Intriguingly, though, the intimate number of acquaintances was soon extended with a constant arrival of guests. So, I considered. What indeed was afoot? A most prestigious occasion. From elders to children, aristocratic families from the length and breadth of the land rode up to our gates, filing across the causeway that kept their feet dry from the inundations of the mere.