Longsword

England, AD 1266. The kingdom lies in ruins after years of bitter civil war. Simon de Montfort is dead, slaughtered in battle, and his surviving followers fight on with the fury of despair. Known as the Disinherited, these landless men infest the forests and highways and prey on the common folk. Hugh Longsword, a common soldier, fights for the King against the rebels who threaten to destroy England. He is taken into the service of the Lord Edward, King Henry’s eldest son, and made to work as a spy. Edward sends him into the wild north country, home to the most dangerous rebel captains: men such as Sir John d’Eyvill and his savage cousin Nicholas, known as the Beast for his cruelty.

AD 1267. Civil war continues to rage in England between the supporters of King Henry III and rebel barons known as the Disinherited. The memory of Simon de Montfort, butchered on the field of Evesham, is kept alive by his devoted followers. Disturbing rumours reach London of fresh trouble in distant Northumberland, where royal agents have vanished without trace. At the same time a band of discontended barons have formed an alliance against the crown and occupied Alnwick Castle, one of the strongest castles in the north.

1271 AD. The civil wars in England are over and the Lord Edward has sailed to the Holy Land to save what remains of the crusader states. Abandoned by his allies, Edward insists on pushing on to Acre, one of the few cities still in Christian hands. On the way his fleet is almost destroyed by a storm, and he arrives to find Acre threatened by the host of Baibars, the all-conquering Mamluk sultan of Egypt. Among Edward’s followers is Hugh Longsword.

Henry III is dead. The new king, Edward I, is thousands of miles away in the Holy Land. In his absence, old enemies plan to shatter the fragile peace and plunge England into another civil war. Robert Ferrers, the outlawed earl of Derby and Edward’s bitter enemy, raises the standard of revolt. He gathers an outlaw army and secretly dreams of seizing the crown itself. Hugh Longsword arrives home in disgrace after his failure to protect Edward. He is given one chance to redeem himself and sent to investigate disturbances in Northern England.

Prince Llywelyn of Wales refuses to swear loyalty to the king, Edward I. To defy the might of the English crown, Llywelyn will need allies. He looks to the west, to Ireland, where the ambitious Clan MacMurrough has set up its chieftain as high king. Together, the Welsh and Irish leaders plan to drive Edward’s forces from their land. Sir Hugh Longsword is summoned to deal with the crisis. With enemies at home thirsting for his blood, he is only too grateful to be sent to Ireland.

The fragile peace is about to be shattered. King Edward’s victory over the Welsh and Irish five years earlier was only temporary, and now hostile forces gather again. In Wales, the defeated prince, Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, plans to claw back his lost power. His turncoat brother, Dafydd, seeks to break free of the king and help the Welsh to recover their liberty. At the same time a fresh revolt breaks out in Ireland. In the northern countries, the outlaw Robyn Hode conspires to raise the northern barons against the king.