"Jon Snow won't be the only 'bastard' whose name readers will remember." —Entertainment Weekly Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children. At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half-brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax's floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla longs to sit by her father's side, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who's been in love with Tilla since they were children. Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards' Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness. The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey...
In this action-packed sequel to Royal Bastards, Tilla uncovers a sinister conspiracy to take down the kingdom from within. Tilla, bastard of House Kent, has it made. Safe from her murderous father in the dazzling capital of Lightspire, she lives a life of luxury under the protection of the Volaris King, alongside her boyfriend, Zell, and best friend, Princess Lyriana. So why isn't she happy? Maybe it's the whispers and stares that follow her wherever she goes, as the daughter of the traitor waging war against Lightspire. Or maybe it's the memories of her beloved brother, Jax, who lies cold in his grave even as she tries to settle into a life in the city's prestigious University. Then Tilla stumbles upon the body of a classmate -- a friend. The authorities are quick to rule it a suicide and sweep it under the rug, but when Tilla herself is attacked by a mysterious man with terrifying powers, she's convinced of a conspiracy. Her friends beg her to stay silent; what she's suggesting is impossible...and treasonous. The deeper she digs, the more questions she uncovers. Nothing is as it seems in the glorious capital, and Tilla's presence might just be the spark that sets the Kingdom aflame.
Brooke Chapman-Powell takes her position as the Earl of Englefield’s personal secretary very seriously. This job is what keeps her sister in her university for the deaf and the town from completely shutting down. But the earl’s dying, and they have only one hope. An American. From some place called Salvation, Virginia. Now she’ll have to teach the in-all-likelihood-uncouth-and-lazy half American how to be a proper earl if they hope to save the village. God help them all. Nick Vane has about two gazillion things that land higher on his to-do list than becoming an English earl. Things like naps. Hosting poker nights. Oh, and raking in the profits from his latest invention. Accepting the title his grandfather has denied him since birth? Doesn’t. Even. Register. But Miss Prim and Proper won’t give up, and before he knows what’s what, he’s on a plane to London. He’s got too much pride to go down easily, and she’s got too much propriety to ever break the rules. They are as different as a cocktail fork and a bread knife...and the clash between them lands these two in the most unexpected positions.
First published in 1984, The Royal Bastards of Medieval England establishes a list of royal bastards in medieval England, and discusses their roles in the history of the period. The authors describe how gradually the church began to formulate more definite views on sexual and marital customs, with a consequent decline in the status of illegitimate children. By early sixteenth century, however, royal bastards were once again making their way into the peerage. The book charts the lives of these men and women against the background not only of contemporary political developments, but also of changing ideas about morality and family. This book will be of interest to students of history, religion and literature.
Since 1066 when William the Conqueror (alias William the Bastard) took the throne, English and Scottish kings have sired at least 150 children out of wedlock. Many were acknowedged at court and founded dynasties of their own - several of today's dukedoms are descended from them. Others were only acknowledged grudgingly or not at all. In the twentieth century this trend for royals to father illegitimate children continued, but the parentage, while highly probably, has not been officially recognised. This book - split into four sections: Tudor, Stuart, Henoverian and, perhaps most fascinating, Royal Loose Ends - is a genuinely fresh approach to British kings and queens, examining their lives and times through the unfamiliar perspective of their illegitimate children.
The stigmatization as 'bastards' of children born outside of wedlock is commonly thought to have emerged early in Medieval European history. Christian ideas about legitimate marriage, it is assumed, set the standard for legitimate birth. Children born to anything other than marriage had fewer rights or opportunities. They certainly could not become king or queen. As this volume demonstrates, however, well into the late twelfth century, ideas of what made a child a legitimate heir had little to do with the validity of his or her parents' union according to the dictates of Christian marriage law. Instead a child's prospects depended upon the social status, and above all the lineage, of both parents. To inherit a royal or noble title, being born to the right father mattered immensely, but also being born to the right kind of mother. Such parents could provide the most promising futures for their children, even if doubt was cast on the validity of the parents' marriage. Only in the late twelfth century did children born to illegal marriages begin to suffer the same disadvantages as the children born to parents of mixed social status. Even once this change took place we cannot point to 'the Church' as instigator. Instead, exclusion of illegitimate children from inheritance and succession was the work of individual litigants who made strategic use of Christian marriage law. This new history of illegitimacy rethinks many long-held notions of medieval social, political, and legal history.
No one ever messes with the Royal Bastards. At least they never have before. Spilled blood. A president gone rogue. A killer on the loose. Who is going to put all of the pieces back together?
In the epic conclusion to the Royal Bastards trilogy, Tilla faces an impossible choice: unthinkable destruction in the name of peace...or an uncertain future that means confronting a terrible past. A year has passed since the fall of Lightspire. The Inquisitor Miles Hampstedt rules Noveris with a blood-soaked iron fist. Tilla and her friends have become hardened rebels in the Unbroken, a band of guerilla fighters hiding out on the fringes of the Kingdom protecting the true queen, Lyriana Volaris. Even as they fight, they know their cause is doomed -- that with every passing day Miles's army of Bloodmages spreads across the continent. But at least they have each other...and some halfway-decent drinks. After a daring rescue mission, the group frees two vital prisoners: the Raven, a mysterious informant with a deep personal connection to Tilla, and Syan Syee, a strange girl from the Red Wastes who demonstrates an incredible new kind of magic and speaks of a secret civilization hidden in her isolated homeland. With Miles's forces closing in, a ragtag team sets out on an eleventh-hour mission: form an alliance with Syan's people that could turn the tide of the war. But what they discover in the Red Wastes changes everything, including their very understanding of the magic that runs through Noveris -- magic that has brought the Kingdom to the brink of ruin.
Dive into this enemies to lovers, roommates to lovers, royal romance! The second I saw her, I knew she was trouble… the kind I like most. Don’t cause an incident, they said. Don’t forget who you are. As if I could. A newfound prince, sure, but I’m still a conman at heart. And I’m nowhere near ready to say goodbye to the good times. So when my brother, the king, asks me to look after a diplomat’s daughter, I can’t say no fast enough. That aspect of my new life holds no appeal. That is, until I see her climbing out of a window with her dress tucked into her thong. She might just be my kind of girl after all. Messy. Adventurous. Feisty. Impossible to get out of my head. And that was before she became my accidental roommate. I just thought I'd mix business with pleasure...I didn’t plan to lose control of my heart. If only I can convince Bryna I’m not a total bastard. (This is Book 1 in the Royals Undone duet. Bryna and Lucas’s story continues in Bastard Prince) Other books in the Winston Isles Royal Saga Cheeky Royal Cheeky King Royal Bastard Bastard Prince Royal Tease Teasing the Princess Protecting the Heiress Tempting the Heiress Return of the Prince To Love a Prince Bodyguard to the Billionaire The Billionaire's Secret London Royal London Soul Royal Playboy Playboy's Heart Topics: contemporary romance, royal romance, black heroines, romantic comedy, royal romance, billionaire romance, billionaire, series, romantic comedy series, comedy, comedy series, interracial romance, funny romance, laugh romance, modern romance, urban romance, new york, new york romance, wealthy, USA today, USA today bestseller, Prince romance, neighbor romance, best friends to lovers romance, city romance, smart romance, undercover bodyguard, neighbors romance, roommate romance, something funny to read, best friends in romance, brothers, Kinds, royalty, lighthearted romance, light romance, hot romance, nana malone, nana malone romance, proposal, proposal romance, engagement, engagement romance, free ebook, freebie, free book, free reads, free romance novel, free romance book, free billionaire book, romantic comedy books free, romance books free, billionaire romance for adults, billionaire romance books, contemporary romance free, funny romance, funny romance free, funny books free, comedy books free, rom com, hilarious, romance series, romance series, romance books, beach reads, new adult, college, funny, female, stories, sensual, sensual romance, alpha male, dominant male, hot guy, racy, billionaire romance free, sexy, heartwarming, heart-warming, family, love, love books, kissing books, emotional journey, contemporary, contemporary romance, romance series, long series, long romance series, wealthy hero, wealthy heroes, sassy, captivating romance, hot, hot romance, forbidden love, sparks, loyalty, swoon, mystery, action adventure romance, romantic suspense, suspense romance, action scene romance, bwwm romance, romantic thriller, interracial romance If you love Karina Halle, Geneva Lee, The Swedish Prince, Nora Flite, Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland, Geneva Lee, max Monroe, Charlotte Byrd, M. Malone, Louise Bay, Monica Murphy, and Skye Warren, then Cheeky King is for you!
