Templar Tale Series by S A Monk
Templar Tale #1
The Spymaster's Protection
S A Monk
Chief intelligence officer for the Knights Templar, Lucien de Aubric, finds himself in a valiant fight to defend a divided kingdom that teeters on the brink of civil war while facing the growing forces of the mighty Saracen leader, Saladin.In the midst of trying to avert war and provide accurate intelligence for his Order and Jerusalem's rulers, Lucien crosses paths with a beautiful, compassionate noblewoman who is in desperate need of a guardian angel.Struggling to build a worthy life for herself after being set aside by her brutal and powerful husband, Gabrielle de Chatillon is determined to aid the smallest victims of war-torn Palestine. Then a cynical spy with tarnished idealism and uncompromising chivalry walks into her life and offers to aid her in her search for Muslim homes for her orphans.Their involvement quickly turns dangerous when Gabrielle's estranged husband re-enters her life. Seeking to wed another heiress who would greatly expand his power and influence in the kingdom, he puts Gabrielle under a fatwa, a death contract with the deadly Hashshashin.Lucien is compelled to aid the courageous noblewoman he has come to admire and care deeply for. Fleeing an assassination attempt in Jerusalem, he takes Gabrielle along on his mission to restore unity to the divided political factions in the region and to assess the Saracen threat. Their journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, then behind enemy lines allow their feelings for one another to deepen.Caught up in the turbulent months before the fall of Jerusalem in 1187, Gabrielle and Lucien find their forbidden relationship challenged on every level. Together they risk all to survive a murderous husband, a fanatical Grand Master, the bloody battle of Hattin, and a secret that is as liberating as it is treacherous.Like the other books in this series, The Spymaster's Protection highlights the life of a Templar during the time of the Crusades and his struggle with the forbidden temptation of love.
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